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text stringlengths 1.55k 332k	label int64 0 8
fig1 illustrates the basic principle for determining the angle between longitudinal axis 1 of vehicle 2 and a curb , here depicted schematically as curbstone 3 . the angle between vehicle longitudinal axis 1 and curbstone 3 is here designated as γ . in the example of embodiment shown here , distance sensor 4 is located in the front right fender area of vehicle 2 . for easier understanding , a path coordinate x is illustrated . in an area “ left ” of x 1 the vehicle is moving straight ahead , and at x 1 it is turning to the left , which leads to a change in course . the reference number 5 designates the “ sensor track ” as vehicle 2 is being driven . as already mentioned , vehicle 2 is moving straight ahead in the area left of x 1 . in this area , sensor track 5 is also a straight line . the fact that the vehicle is moving straight ahead can be determined , for example , by steering sensors on the steerable wheels or on the steering shaft . the direction of the sensor track in the area left of x 1 , i . e ., when going straight , is hereinafter called the “ preset longitudinal direction ”. in determining angle γ , “ angle of sideways movement ” α and “ curb angle ” β subsequently become different . angle of sideways movement α is the angle between present longitudinal direction 1 of the vehicle and preset longitudinal direction 5 . curb angle β is hereinafter defined as the angle between preset longitudinal direction 5 and curb 3 . as can be seen from fig1 , angle γ is the sum of angles α and β . angle of sideways movement α is determined as follows . first , the sideways movement distance component s α is determined and results from a sideways movement of the vehicle 2 between two consecutive measuring points x m1 and x m2 diagonally to preset longitudinal direction 5 . the sideways movement distance component sa between two consecutive measuring points x m1 and x m2 is determined by measuring the path covered by vehicle 2 between the two measuring points x m1 and x m2 and the steering position of vehicle 2 in the area between the two measuring points x m1 and x m2 , as well as a preset movement model of vehicle 2 . the path covered by the vehicle between the two measuring points x m1 and x m2 can , for example , be measured by wheel revolution sensors ( such as abs sensors ). the steering position of the vehicle can be measured by steering angle sensors on the wheels or the steering column . angle of sideways movement α is obtained for the measuring interval [ x m1 , x m2 ] by trigonometric conversion from the path covered by the vehicle between the two measuring points x m1 and x m2 and sideways movement distance component s α . in the manner described above , sideways movement distance component s α and angle of sideways movement α a can each be determined for a large number of measuring intervals [ x mi , x mi + 1 ]. curb angle β is determined as follows . first , distance s 1 , s 2 between distance sensor 4 and curb 3 is determined with distance sensor 4 at measuring points x m1 and x m2 . then sideways movement distance component s α is subtracted from the difference s 2 − s 1 of the two distance measurements . this gives the “ curb distance component ” for the measurement interval [ x m1 , x m2 ]. the curb distance component is hereinafter called s β . curb angle β can be determined from the path covered by vehicle 2 in the measuring interval [ x m1 , x m2 ] and curb distance component s β by trigonometric conversion . the angle γ is the sum of α + β . because there may be distortions and measuring errors in measuring the distance from distance sensor 4 to curb 3 , curb angle β should be determined many times in succession . a mean curb angle β can then be formed from varyingly scattered curb angles β , for example , by finding the arithmetic mean . fig2 illustrates the basic principle for determining the distance of vehicle 2 , or more precisely , of the vehicle - affixed distance sensor 4 , from curb 3 . as vehicle 2 is driven past a parking gap , a distance measurement is performed by distance sensor 4 at regular intervals , i . e ., at a great number of measurement points x m1 . . . x mn . distance sensor 4 accordingly provides measurements s 1 , s 1 , . . . s n . in a parking process , the driver usually first drives by the parking gap , stops and backs into it . when driving by the parking gap , many drivers steer briefly to the right toward the parking gap and then drive forward again diagonally to the left . this kind of “ vehicle trajectory ” is shown by sensor track 5 in fig2 . to determine the present distance between sensor 4 and curb 3 , a single measurement of distance would theoretically be sufficient . as already explained , individual measurement results can be erroneous due to measurement errors or distortions . therefore , mean distance is therefore determined . the particular sideways movement distance component and the particular curb distance component ( see above ) are subtracted from several distance values s i . after subtraction , a mean value is formed from the values obtained . the previously calculated sideways movement distance components and the curb distance components are added to this mean value for the individual measurement intervals . this provides the present distance . since many measurements form the basis for the mean , the calculated distance value agrees more closely with the actual distance than would be the case with individual measurement . fig3 illustrates the basic principle for determining the effective length of a parking gap . the parking gap has a rear parking gap edge 6 , a front parking gap edge 7 and a lateral curb or parking gap edge 3 . as in fig2 , in the example of embodiment shown here , as the vehicle is driven by the parking gap , it is steered briefly to the right and then driven forward diagonally to the left , which can be seen by sensor track 5 or driven track 8 . if sensor track 5 or driven track 8 is laid out onto straight line 9 , this gives the parking gap length without taking into account the movement of the vehicle . it can be seen that the length of the parking gap without taking into account the movement of the vehicle , i . e ., distance 9 , is longer than the length of the parking gap taking into account the movement of the vehicle , i . e ., distance 10 . distance 10 corresponds to the effective length of the parking gap . effective parking gap length 10 can be determined by projecting the path covered , i . e ., by projecting driven track 8 or sensor track 5 onto curb 3 . this is achieved by computer by the path covered by the vehicle at the individual measurement intervals in the area of the parking gap being converted for each measurement interval , using in each case the previously determined angle between the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the curb ( see above ), into an effective section of length and added over the individual measurement intervals . the position of rear parking gap end 6 and front parking gap end 7 can be determined by the distance signal supplied by the distance sensor which exhibits a positive jump if the distance sensor passes rear parking gap end 6 and a negative jump if distance sensor 4 passes front parking gap end 7 . therefore , the length of a parking gap is detected over the path the vehicle covers when passing the parking gap . by taking into account the mathematical vehicle model and the detected angle between the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the curb , it is also possible to determine precisely the effective length of the parking gap when the vehicle is not driven on a parallel or straight path by the parking gap . by taking into account the movement of the vehicle , the exact position of a recognized parking gap relative to the vehicle can be calculated in the case of further movement of the vehicle . in summary , the following advantages are achieved with the invention : assisting the driver by indicating the length of the parking gap in the cockpit ; automatically determining a starting position for an automatic parking system ; precisely measuring a parking gap without steering movements or changes in speed having an effect on the measurement results ; simple cost - effective sensors can be used based on the availability of precise mathematical vehicle models ; computer expense is comparatively small relative to complex environment - detection algorithms ; and a distance sensor attached to the vehicle is sufficient for exact detection of a parking gap . the surroundings are scanned as the vehicle is moving . the foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting . since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art , the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof .	6
the following definitions and explanations provide background information pertaining to the technical field of the present invention , and are intended to facilitate the understanding of the present invention without limiting its scope : diacritic : a mark , such as the cedilla of facade or the acute accent of résumé , added to a letter to indicate a special phonetic value or distinguish words that are otherwise graphically identical . diacritical character : a character that comprises a diacritic or is otherwise unique to a language or set of languages such as , for example , the thorn character . diacritic chord : a set of keys pressed concurrently that are used to identify a diacritical character . fig1 portrays an exemplary overall environment in which a system , a computer program product , and an associated method (“ the system 10 ”) for producing language specific diacritics for many languages from a standard keyboard layout according to the present invention may be used . the diacritic chording system ( system 10 ) includes a software programming code or computer program product that is typically embedded within , or installed on a computer system 15 . alternatively , system 10 can be saved on a suitable storage medium such as a diskette , a cd , a hard drive , or like devices . system 10 may be installed in a keyboard driver 20 of the computer system 15 . in one embodiment , system 10 may be installed in the operating system 25 of the computer system 15 . in a further embodiment , system 10 may be installed in a keyboard 30 . in yet another embodiment , system 10 may be installed in any one or more of the operating system 25 , the keyboard driver 20 , or the keyboard 30 . characters generated by keyboard 30 are transmitted for display on a screen 35 either by the operating system 25 or an application 40 running on the computer system 15 . actions described herein as performed by the operating system 25 may be performed either by application 40 or by the operating system 25 . system 10 comprises a mechanism to detect simultaneous key - down events . system 10 intercepts key events from keyboard 30 . key - down events interpreted by system 10 as occurring concurrently are stored in a buffer . concurrent key - down events are interpreted by system 10 as a diacritic chord . system 10 interprets as a diacritic chord all key - down events that occur within a predetermined time threshold . the predetermined time threshold can be adjusted for a specific keyboard . typically , the predetermined time threshold is approximately 100 msec or less . fig2 illustrates an exemplary timeline 200 of key - down and key - up events in generating a letter “ a ” with a grave accent . timeline 200 comprises a timeline 205 for keyboard 30 , a timeline 210 for system 10 , a timeline 215 for operating system 25 , and an output timeline 220 for screen 35 . the operating system 25 represents the operating system 25 and any applications that “ draw ” characters on screen 35 . at t 1 225 , a user presses an “ a ” key . a key event representing the letter “ a ” is transmitted to system 10 . system 10 stores the key event in a queue in a buffer at t 2 230 . at t 3 235 , the user presses the “ q ” key while still holding down the “ a ” key . a key event representing the letter “ q ” is transmitted to system 10 . at t 4 240 , system 10 compares the two key events stored in the buffer to a table of diacritic chords representing diacritical characters , selects the appropriate symbol or character combination , and transmits a diacritical character “ à ” to the operating system 25 . the operating system 25 transmits the diacritical character “ à ” to screen 35 at t 5 245 . screen 35 displays the diacritical character “ à ” at t 5 250 . the key - down events at t 1 225 and t 3 235 are not necessarily simultaneous . rather , the key - down events at t 1 225 and t 3 235 are required by system 10 to occur within the predetermined time threshold , represented in fig2 as a threshold 255 . if system 10 receives a key - up event after the key - down event at t 1 225 and before the key - down event at t 3 235 , system 10 transmits a key event representing the letter “ a ” to the operating system 25 . if the key - down event at t 3 235 occurs after the threshold 255 has expired , system 10 sends a key event representing the letter “ a ” to the operating system 25 . in this manner , system 10 distinguishes between key events that construct a diacritic chord for forming a diacritical character and key events representing individual characters . the method of system 10 as represented by timeline 200 waits for a key - up event , the presence of key events in the buffer that represent a diacritic chord , or the expiration of the threshold 255 to transmit a character to screen 35 . fig3 illustrates a timeline 300 for one embodiment in which key events or characters are transmitted directly to screen 35 . when system 10 detects a diacritic chord for forming a diacritical character , system 10 transmits a backspace followed by the diacritical character . the backspace removes the previously transmitted character , replacing the previously transmitted character or characters with the diacritical character . timeline 300 comprises a timeline 305 for keyboard 30 , a timeline 310 for system 10 , a timeline 315 for operating system 25 , and an output timeline 320 for screen 35 . at t 1 325 , a user presses an “ a ” key . a key event representing the letter “ a ” is transmitted to system 10 . system 10 stores the key event in a queue in a buffer at t 2 330 and transmits the key event to the operating system 25 . at t 3 335 , the operating system 25 receives the key event . the operating system 25 transmits the character representing the key event to screen 35 at t 4 340 . at t 5 345 , the user presses the “ q ” key . a key event representing the letter “ q ” is transmitted to system 10 . at t 6 350 , system 10 stores the key event in the buffer and compares the key events stored in the buffer to a table of diacritic chords representing diacritical characters . if the key events stored in the buffer correspond to a diacritical character , system 10 selects the appropriate symbol or character combination ; in this example , system 10 transmits a backspace and a diacritical character “ à ” to the operating system 25 . the operating system 25 transmits the backspace and the diacritical character “ à ” to screen 35 at t 7 355 . the previously transmitted character is removed from screen 35 and the diacritical character “ à ” is displayed at t 8 360 . the key - down events at t 1 325 and t 5 345 are not necessarily simultaneous . rather , the key - down events at t 1 325 and t 5 345 are required by system 10 to occur within the predetermined time threshold , represented in fig3 as a threshold 365 . this embodiment allows transmission of a character directly to a screen 35 , reducing delays between the key - down event and appearance of the character on screen 35 . otherwise , a character does not appear on screen 35 until after threshold 365 has expired so that system 10 can determine if the key - down event is part of a diacritic chord representing a diacritic character . as most of the letters entered by a user are not diacritic characters , this embodiment provides a means for more quickly transmitting characters to screen 35 . as before , if system 10 receives a key - up event after the key - down event at t 1 325 and before the key - down event at t 5 345 , system 10 transmits a key event representing the letter “ a ” to the operating system 25 . if the key - down event at t 5 345 occurs after the threshold 365 , system 10 sends a key event representing the letter “ a ” to the operating system 25 . in this manner , system 10 distinguishes between key events that construct a diacritic chord for forming a diacritical character and key events representing individual characters . fig4 ( fig4 a , 4 b , 4 c , 4 d ) illustrates a table 400 of exemplary diacritic chords or key combinations that system 10 uses to form diacritical characters . most of the diacritical characters are formed using two keystrokes . a small proportion of diacritical characters are formed using three keystrokes . upper case diacritical characters are formed by adding the “ shift ” key to the diacritic chord listed in fig4 . system 10 consults the table 400 of diacritic chords illustrated by fig4 when a diacritic chord is detected in the buffer . if a match is found , system 10 emits the resulting diacritical character . otherwise , system 10 emits each character in the buffer individually . fig5 illustrates an exemplary keyboard 500 that comprises notations of the diacritical characters that may be formed by chording . for example , the key 505 for the number 6 is used in a diacritic chord to add a diacritic “^” to letters . a user can easily see by looking at the keyboard 500 that pressing a key 510 for the letter “ a ” and the key 505 for the number 6 in a diacritic chord generates a diacritical character “ â ”. the letter “ u ” with the diacritic ″ ( symbol 515 ) is placed between a key 520 for the number 8 and a key 525 for the number 9 to indicate that symbol 515 is formed when a user concurrently presses a key 530 for the letter “ u ”, the key 520 for the number 8 , and the key 525 for the number 9 . fig6 ( fig6 a , 6 b ) illustrates a method 600 of operation of system 10 for recognizing a diacritic chord and selecting a diacritical character corresponding to the diacritic chord . system 10 monitors keyboard 30 for key events at step 605 . when a key event occurs , system 10 determines whether the key event is a key - down event at decision step 610 . if the key event is a key - down event , system 10 determines at decision step 615 whether the character represented by the key - down event is part of a diacritic chord . if the character represented by the key - down event is not part of a diacritic chord , system 10 emits the key - down event at step 620 . at step 625 , system 10 continues with normal key processing and returns to step 605 . if at decision step 615 the character represented by the key event is part of a diacritic chord , system 10 stores the key in a queue in a buffer at step 630 and starts a timeout timer for that key . at decision step 635 , system 10 determines whether keys accumulated in the queue match a diacritic chord in the table 400 of diacritic chords . if a match is found , system 10 empties the queue in the buffer , emits a key - down event and key - up event corresponding to the diacritic character in the table 400 of diacritic chords ( step 640 ). system 10 proceeds to step 625 and processing continues as before . if no match is found at decision step 635 , system 10 proceeds to step 625 and processing continues as before . if a key - down event is not detected at decision step 610 , system 10 determines whether the key event is a key - up event at decision step 645 . if yes , system 10 determines whether the key represented by the key - up event is currently stored in the buffer at decision step 650 . if the key represented by the key - up event is stored in the buffer , system 10 emits the key - down and key - up events for that key at step 655 . at step 660 , system 10 removes the key from the queue in the buffer and stops the timeout timer for that key . system 10 proceeds to step 625 , and processing continues as before . if , at decision step 650 , system 10 finds that the key represented by the key - up event is not stored in the queue in the buffer , system 10 emits a key - up event at step 665 . system 10 proceeds to step 660 and processing continues as before . if , at decision step 645 , system 10 determines that the key event is not a key - up event , system 10 determines whether the timer timeout has occurred at decision step 670 . if the timer timeout has occurred , system 10 emits a key - down event for the key currently stored in the queue in the buffer and stops the timeout timer for that key at step 675 . system 10 proceeds to step 660 and processing continues as before . the character detection and transformation process of system 10 is implemented as procedures that run in different threads . a pseudocode for the character detection and transformation process is as follows : // if the buffer contains two or more key - down events a search is // found the events are removed from the buffer and a key - down // the normal key processing in their place . another copy of the // if a key - up is received and the corresponding key - down event another thread of the character detection and transformation process expires old key events : // if any timestamp of an event in the buffer is older than threshold // the event is removed from the buffer and sent to the normal key event it is to be understood that the specific embodiments of the invention that have been described are merely illustrative of certain applications of the principle of the present invention . numerous modifications may be made to the system and method for producing language specific diacritics for many languages from a standard keyboard layout described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . moreover , while the present invention is described for illustration purpose only in relation to diacritic symbols for latin - based languages or languages using a roman character set , it should be clear that the invention is applicable as well to , for example , any character set in which diacritic chords can be used to form additional characters .	6
embodiments of the invention described herein differ from that prior art of u . s . pat . no . 6 , 446 , 907 ( the &# 39 ; 907 patent ) in the structure of the elements defining the asymmetric corner components of a drip pan apparatus 200 shown in fig7 - 12 . in other aspects , such as in materials of construction and function , in one embodiment , the drip pan apparatus 200 of this invention is like that described in said patent . accordingly , any item numbers found in fig7 - 12 which are the same as those in fig2 - 6 designate like components . moreover , the helicopter 10 of fig1 is similar in outward appearance to the “ m ” model black hawk ® helicopter and for that reason is used herein to illustrate an overall helicopter environment in which the new drip pan apparatus 200 of fig7 - 12 is used . turning to fig1 , there is shown therein a helicopter 10 representing generally for this invention a black hawk ® model “ m ” helicopter of the type made by the sikorsky aircraft company of stratford , conn ., and other helicopter air frames similar thereto . like the prior black hawk ® helicopter , the black hawk ® “ m ” model helicopter has a cabin 12 and an engine or turbine 14 which powers a rotor transmission 16 . shaft 18 transmits rotary motion to a rotor 20 while the transmission 16 is also connected by a drive element ( not shown ) to tail rotor 22 . like the black hawk ® helicopter , the black hawk ® model “ m ” helicopter has a fixed transmission access opening but designated 205 in fig1 . the “ m ” model embodies a variety of other differences from the prior black hawk ® helicopter of fig1 of the &# 39 ; 907 patent but in ways not relevant to this invention except as further described . turning now to fig7 , the drip pan apparatus 200 has application for use in a “ m ” model black hawk ® helicopter and other similar airframes having the fixed transmission access opening 205 defined by an air frame member 206 and a depending flexible skirt 207 attached thereto . skirt 207 , like skirt 26 of fig2 , is many times more flexible than air frame member 206 to which skirt 207 is attached . skirt 207 of the black hawk ® model “ m ” helicopter has two straight portions 208 , 209 and an expanded corner 210 therebetween , as well as a remaining periphery defined by straight sections and corners . note that skirt 207 , between straight portions 208 , 209 , forms two inwardly - facing convex curves 231 , 232 and an inwardly - facing concave curve 230 . the concave curve 230 is oriented inwardly at the corner 210 so that straight portions 208 , 209 flow into the curves 231 , 232 which are tangent to , or flow into , curve 230 . it will be appreciated that an extension of each straight portion 208 , 209 would intersect an extension of curve 230 at an angle greater than zero degrees . in this manner , the corner 210 of skirt 207 has been expanded outwardly of the location of the same corner of the prior skirt of the &# 39 ; 907 patent . in one embodiment of this invention , corner 210 is asymmetric to the other corners ( not shown ) of the skirt 207 , which other corners may remain in the same configuration . in other words , the corner 210 is defined by a shape that is different than the other corners of the skirt 207 . by contrast , in the access opening covered by the prior drip pans of the &# 39 ; 907 patent all four corners of the prior skirt were symmetrical . as is described below , the drip pan apparatus 200 sealingly cooperates with the skirt 207 , including the corner 210 , to cover access opening 205 to prevent fluid drippings from entering the cabin 12 of the model “ m ” black hawk ® helicopter 10 . to that end , and with continued reference to fig7 , the drip pan apparatus 200 includes a frame 215 having a corner structure 216 , a drip pan 220 having a new corner 221 , and an o - ring seal 222 . in use , the frame 215 is secured to air frame member 206 . as shown , rivets 201 or other fasteners may secure the frame 215 to the skirt 207 and air frame 206 through tabs 202 . a flexible sealing media ( not shown ), such as proseal ™ ( manufactured by prc desoto international , inc . of indianapolis , ind ., a ppg company ) or other sealant may be used to seal the frame 215 to skirt 207 when the frame 215 is secured to the air frame 206 . thereafter , drip pan 220 is inserted into the frame 215 in the position illustrated in fig7 and 8 , where seal member or o - ring 222 creates a peripheral seal between the drip pan 220 and frame 215 and provides continuous sealing during air frame flexure and without the disadvantage of any face seal in this regard . attachment members 50 releasably secure the drip pan 220 to the frame 215 similarly to the prior pan of the &# 39 ; 907 patent where elongated arm 52 with curved portions 54 selectively engage slots 56 . once the pan 220 is inserted into the frame 215 , a drain line 104 may be connected to pass drainage fluids from drain 100 . as set forth above , and with continued reference to fig7 , the frame 215 accommodates the outward expansion of the skirt 207 at corner 210 . in particular , as is described in more detail below , corner structure 216 of frame 215 has been expanded outwardly to match the outward expansion of the skirt 207 , as shown . in addition , the radius of the inwardly - facing frame corner represented at 242 has been significantly reduced to correspond to a relatively small radius of corner 221 of drip pan 220 . with reference to fig7 and 8 , the frame 215 comprises four straight sides or rails 247 a , 247 b , 247 c , 247 d connected by curved portions 249 a and 249 b , the corner structure 216 , and curved portion 249 c , respectively . the rails 247 a , 247 b , 247 c , 247 d ; the curved portions 249 a , 249 b , 249 c ; and the corner structure 216 collectively define the inwardly - facing peripheral surface 235 ( shown in fig7 ). each rail 247 a , 247 b , 247 c , 247 d has a respective width indicated by w 5 , w 6 , w 7 , w 8 ( labeled in fig8 ) measured from the inwardly - facing peripheral surface 235 to an outer periphery of the frame 215 . in one embodiment and with reference to fig7 , the width of the corner structure 216 varies to accommodate the expansion of the skirt 207 , specifically the curve 230 , at corner 210 . the variation in the width of the corner structure 216 is shown in fig8 and 9a . as shown , the width of the corner structure 216 transitions from the width w 7 of rail 247 c to width w 8 of rail 247 d . in one embodiment , at least a portion of the corner structure 216 is wider than either adjacent rail 247 c or rail 247 d . specifically , the width of the corner structure 216 at one location , for example at width w 9 or width w 11 may be greater than either width w 7 or width w 8 . by way of further example , as depicted in fig8 and 9a , the width of corner structure 216 may transition from width w 7 to width w 9 that is greater than width w 7 . the width of the corner structure 216 then decreases from width w 9 into an inwardly - facing frame corner 242 or width w 10 that is less than the width w 9 . further , the width of the corner structure 216 then increases to width w 11 before transitioning to a narrower width w 8 of rail 247 d . it will be appreciated that the width of the corner structure 216 may vary smoothly from w 7 to w 8 . furthermore , to provide improved access to the filter f ( shown in fig1 ), the opening defined by rails 247 a , 247 b , 247 c , 247 d may be shifted to the left in fig8 such that the respective width w 6 and width w 8 of rails 247 b and 247 d are not equal to one another . this transverse shift of the opening helps to accommodate removal of the filter which is generally located in the compartment above the drip pan apparatus 200 . it will be appreciated that widths w 5 , w 6 , w 7 , w 8 may not be equal to any of the widths w 1 , w 2 , w 3 , w 4 of fig3 . with regard to the pan 220 and with further reference to fig7 , the pan 220 has an outwardly - facing peripheral surface 239 , which has four straight sides 250 a , 250 b , 250 c , 250 d connected by corners 211 , 212 , 213 , and corner 221 . the outwardly - facing peripheral surface 239 conforms to the inwardly - facing peripheral surface 235 . as set forth above , the radius of the corner 242 is significantly reduced to correspond to the radius of the corner 221 of the pan 220 . as shown in fig7 and 8 , the corner 221 is developed about a much smaller radius than its other pan corners 211 - 213 . it will be appreciated that the variation of the radius configuration of the corner 221 from the corners 211 - 213 simplifies installation of the pan 220 by preventing incorrect installation since the pan 220 may be inserted into the frame 215 in only one orientation . additionally , in one embodiment , the drip pan 220 defines a plurality of access ports 223 - 226 and a filter access port 228 , which is provided with a removable port cover 229 having a view window 236 and frame 237 . once the drip pan 220 is secured to the frame 215 , the status of a filter or other component in or on the transmission may be viewed through the view window 236 . also , any one or more of the access covers 70 may be removed from its respective access port 223 - 226 such that routine maintenance and inspection of components within access opening 205 may be performed . in one embodiment , the drip pan apparatus 200 differs from that pan apparatus of the prior &# 39 ; 907 patent only in the area a as identified in fig8 . fig9 , 9 a , and 9 b illustrate area a of fig8 in greater detail . as shown in fig9 , the extra material provided by expansion of the pan 220 out to the smaller radius corner 221 allows port 228 to be moved out toward the corner 221 and more directly under ( when in use ) a filter compared to the prior art port 72 ( shown in phantom line ). thus positioned , the port 228 provides improved visual access to components on the transmission , such as the filter , and any indicator or “ bypass button ” thereon , indicating the operational status thereof . in other words , the indicator or button can be more easily viewed through filter access port 228 from more widely varied viewing positions than in the prior drip pan configuration . similarly , with respect to the prior art skirt and the new skirt 207 , the prior skirt is identified in phantom lines at 240 in fig9 a . in one embodiment of this invention , as described above , the new skirt 207 is expanded outwardly as shown in the solid lines at this corner to form 242 . the smaller radius corner 242 corresponds to small radius corner 221 of the pan 220 , shown in fig9 . fig9 b graphically illustrates the comparison of the new frame 215 and the respective orientations of the old skirt 26 designated 240 and the old prior art pan corner 245 ( both shown in phantom line ). with continued reference to fig9 b , in one embodiment , radius r 1 of the prior art pan corner 245 may be of greater length than the radius r 2 of corner 221 in the drip pan apparatus 200 , thereby allowing the filter access port 228 to be moved more directly in line with a filter . however , even though the radius of corner 221 is smaller , as shown in fig7 , the o - ring seal 222 situated between the outwardly - facing peripheral surface 239 and the inwardly - facing peripheral surface 235 unexpectedly seals the drip pan apparatus 200 and prevents egress of fluids from access opening 205 . with reference now to fig9 a , 10 , and 11 , in order for the frame 215 to cooperate with the skirt 207 and form a small radius at the corner 242 ( shown in fig7 ), the frame 215 may include an inner rim 218 and an outer rim 219 forming a trough 234 having a floor at 217 therebetween . preferably , the rim 218 at corner structure 216 is at least partially expanded outwardly from its position in the prior pan to accommodate skirt 207 and form the corner 242 . accordingly , trough 234 may vary in width “ l ” such that the width of corner structure 216 varies , as described above , as required about frame 215 to accommodate the concave curve 230 ( shown in fig7 ). furthermore , this corner structure at 216 will be appreciated by contrasting prior art fig5 and 6 with new fig1 and 11 . in fig1 and 11 , the frame 215 has been expanded at 217 to the length “ l ”. in prior fig5 and 6 , the frame was not so expanded . thus , skirt 207 ( at concave curve 230 ) has been moved significantly to the left as viewed in fig1 and 11 as compared to the prior frame . according to embodiments disclosed herein , a filter f ( fig1 ) can advantageously be removed or inserted in a direction along and parallel to an elongated filter axis 204 when the removable port cover 229 is removed from the pan 220 . if desired , in one embodiment , a trim ring ( not shown ) can be applied to aesthetically cover the frame 215 , leaving only drip pan 220 and the ports 223 - 226 , 228 clear for use or for overall removal of the drip pan 220 for access to the transmission 16 . moreover , and if desired , while o - ring 222 is shown in a simple , outwardly facing , parallel sided groove , other groove shapes capturing the o - ring 222 to the drip pan 220 ( or alternatively to frame 215 ) may be used . it will also be appreciated that the scale of the figures such as in fig1 and 11 may be changed , such that o - ring 222 is actually in more of an oval or circular cross - section , or more of a squared configuration than as shown in these figures , and more like , for example , the cross - sectional configuration of peripheral seal 238 in fig1 and 11 . with reference to fig7 and 12 , while the corners of the frame 215 and the pan 220 are drawn and referenced as being defined by radii , one skilled will appreciate that other shaped corners may be utilized . even so , the corner 221 and the corner 242 are cooperatively shaped . the remaining corners of the pan 211 - 213 cooperate with their respective other corners ( unlabeled ) of the frame 215 . the shape at the corner 221 is , however , different than the shape of the corners at 211 - 213 . thus , the pan 220 may be inserted into the frame 215 in only one orientation . the drip pan 220 otherwise performs the same sealing and access functions for the “ m ” model as in the prior black hawk ® helicopter without requiring air frame modifications and without utilizing face seals to seal any of the ports 223 - 226 and 228 or to form the seal between the drip pan 220 and the frame 215 . while the present invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof , and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail , they are not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail . additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art . the invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details and drawings shown and described . accordingly , departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope of the general inventive concept .	8
fig1 illustrates the use of an adapter to permit transmission of baseband video and audio signals on twisted pairs of wires . a video transmitter or receiver 10 such as a vcr or tv camera includes an input / output for video signals 11 and a pair of inputs / outputs , 12 and 13 , for two channel audio signals . the video i / o 11 is electrically coupled to a standard coaxial cable 14 which is terminated by standard bnc plugs 15 and 16 . each audio l / o , 12 and 13 , is electrically coupled to a standard audio cable with wires 17 and 18 , terminated in standard phono plugs , 19 , 20 and 21 , 22 , respectively . an adapter 30 includes a first set of ports , 31 , 32 , 33 , which are standard receptacles for receiving and electrically engaging the plugs 16 , 20 , and 22 of the cables 14 , 17 and 18 . at the other end of the adapter is an output port , in this example a single modular jack 34 , which is adapted for receiving and electrically engaging a standard modular plug 35 . that is , the modular jack 34 includes at least three pairs of electrical pins , each pair coupled to one of the input ports , 31 - 33 . in this example , a standard 8 - pin modular jack is employed with the pin layout illustrated in fig2 . as shown , the first two pins ( 1 and 2 ) are used for audio channel &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;, while pins 3 and 6 are used for audio channel &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;. pins 7 and 8 are used for the video channel . pins 4 and 5 , normally used for voice transmission , are not used by the adapter . ( for an example of a standard 8 - pin modular jack , see , systimax ® premises distribution system components guide , at & amp ; t doc . no . 3726c , p . 3 - 10 , [ december 1990 ].) cord 36 , which can be a standard unshielded twisted pair cord containing at least three twisted pairs , includes a similar plug 37 at the end opposite to the plug 35 . the plug 37 mates with a modular jack 38 which is part of the information outlet 39 mounted to the wall of a building . this information outlet couples the video and two audio signals onto separate twisted pairs of a four - pair cable , 40 , which runs throughout the building . the information outlet 39 is a standard part of an at & amp ; t systimax ® premises distribution system . ( see , for example , components guide , cited above .) in order to permit the audio and video signals to be transmitted over the four twisted pairs which share a common sheath , the adapter 30 is constructed in accordance with the circuit schematic diagram of fig3 . port 31 , which receives the video channel signals , comprises , in this embodiment , a standard bnc female coaxial connector , but could be any suitable connector . the signal portion of the connector is coupled to one end of the primary winding of first transformer , t 1 , while the ground portion of the connector is coupled to one end of the secondary winding of transformer t 1 . the opposite ends of the windings are coupled to the appropriate pins ( 7 and 8 ) of the modular jack 34 . the ports 32 and 33 , in this example , comprise standard phone jacks . the signal portion of each jack is coupled to one end of the primary winding of an associated transformer , t 2 and t 3 , while the ground connection of each jack is coupled to the other end of the primary winding of its associated transformer . the secondary windings are coupled to the appropriate pins ( 6 , 3 , 2 and 1 ) of the modular jack 34 . as previously mentioned , pins 4 and 5 of modular jack 34 are not used in this embodiment . the transformers , t 1 - t 3 , have certain characteristics to produce low crosstalk between the audio and video signals . a high balance , i . e ., tight coupling between the two windings of the transformer , is required . in particular , it is desirable that the video transformer , t 1 , have a common mode rejection greater than 40 db for frequencies up to 50 mhz . the audio transformers should have a common mode rejection greater than 40 db for frequencies up to 100 khz . this high balance can be achieved , for example , by means of a &# 34 ; bifilar &# 34 ; winding arrangement wherein both primary and secondary windings are wound side by side around a magnetic core . such a winding minimizes leakage inductance and dc resistance differences between windings in order to allow for the high degree of balance . a flat frequency response for each transformer is also desirable : to accurately reproduce the video and audio signals at the output port ( 34 ) of the adapter . it is , therefore , recommended that the frequency response of the video transformer be within ± 0 . 5 db in the dc to 8 mhz frequency range , while the frequency response of the audio transformers be within ± 0 . 5 db in the 50 hz to 15 khz frequency range . it is further desirable for the transformers to exhibit low loss to ensure that the video and audio signals are not unduly attenuated . a loss of no greater than 0 . 5 db is desirable . in order to achieve such losses , a magnetic core material with a high permeability is recommended for each transformer . in this example a permeability of 20 , 000 was used , but in general a permeability of greater than 10 , 000 is desirable . fig4 and 5 illustrate one example of a physical embodiment of the adapter 30 . the bnc coaxial connector 31 includes a post 50 which mounts the connector onto a printed circuit board 51 by soldering four legs of the post into holes ( 61 - 64 of fig5 ) in the board . the signal portion of the contact is soldered in hole 65 . phono jacks 32 and 33 are mechanically attached to insulating blocks 52 and 53 , respectively , which are snapped into holes ( 66 , 67 and 68 , 69 , respectively ) in the circuit board . downwardly extending vertical posts ( not shown ) which are an integral part of the connectors 32 and 33 and couple the ground and signal portions to the board are soldered in holes 70 , 71 and 72 , 73 respectively , in the circuit board . it will be noted in regard to fig5 that each mounting position for the contacts includes the same array of nine holes so that the positions and types of contacts can be varied if desired . each connector is coupled to its associated transformer ( t 1 - t 3 ) by means of conductive leads , e . g ., 75 , formed on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board . each transformer , in turn , is coupled to its associated pins of modular jack 34 by conductive leads , e . g ., 76 , which are also deposited on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board . the pins of the modular jack 34 are soldered in their respective holes , e . g ., 77 . the circuit board 51 and the components mounted thereon are enclosed within a housing formed by two half - shells , 80 and 81 , mechanically attached by means of four posts ( 82 - 84 being visible ) fitted within corresponding holes ( 85 - 87 being visible ). it will be appreciated that it should be possible to also include voice signals on one of the twisted pairs within the same sheath as the pairs carrying the voice and audio signals in the cable ( 40 of fig1 ) various modifications of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art . all such variations which basically rely on the teachings through which the invention has advanced the art are properly considered within the scope of the invention .	7
harvesting machine 10 , such as a combine , is supported on the ground by front and rear wheels 12 and 14 and hence follows the contours of the ground . harvesting machine 10 is controlled by an operator from operator &# 39 ; s cab 16 . the operator &# 39 ; s job consists of optimizing the intake of the crop while observing the speed and the acceptable losses . container 18 is located behind operator &# 39 ; s cab 16 into which the harvested and threshed crop is delivered in a combine , grain or other seeds in the container can be transferred to a trailer by means of outlet pipe 20 and unloading arrangement 21 ( see fig2 ). in addition , harvesting machine 10 contains housing 22 which accommodates intake device 25 , consisting of a threshing cylinder 24 , concave 26 , beater 28 , several straw walkers 30 , conveyor arrangement 32 , cleaning shoe 34 and blower 36 . the crop collected by an input device , not shown , such as a harvesting platform or a picker , is transported by feederhouse 38 to housing 22 and threshed , separated and cleaned by means of the aforementioned components . intake device 25 extends across the entire width of housing 22 . the intake device is charged with crop to be threshed across its entire width under normal conditions when operating on generally horizontal terrain . the concave is provided with openings , through which the threshed crop can be delivered to conveyor arrangement 32 in its forward region . crop that is separated by means of straw walkers 30 is thrown from the left end of straw walkers 30 in fig1 upon the forward , or at least the center region of conveyor arrangement 32 . conveyor arrangement 32 , as do conventional conveyor arrangements , transports the threshed crop , which is still mixed with impurities , straw , parts of hulls , etc ., from left to right in fig1 from intake device 25 to cleaning shoe 34 . the cleaning shoe consists of sieves which separate the useful crop from the impurities . an air flow , generated by blower 36 , is blown through cleaning shoe 34 and expels the generally lighter , useless components of the crop mixture out the rear end of harvesting machine 10 . the useful part of the crop , that is cleaned by cleaning shoe 34 is moved by an elevator , not shown , to container 18 . the crop material is temporarily stored in container 18 and in turn is unloaded therefrom . fig2 - 11 show conveyor system 40 according to the invention in various embodiments , arranged within container 18 . conveyor system 40 consists generally of conveyor arrangement 42 , linkage 44 and mount 46 . conveyor arrangement 42 is composed of several conveyor elements 48 , conveyor element carrier 50 and motor 52 , all of which are carried by the linkage 44 , and which can be moved from top - to - bottom , as seen in the fig1 and from bottom - to - top . in this embodiment , linkage 44 consists of three arms 54 , 54 &# 39 ; ( fig3 and 4 ) and 56 , one end of each is pivotally attached to mount 46 . the other end is pivotally attached to conveyor element carrier 50 . arms 54 , 54 &# 39 ; are configured identically and are arranged symmetrically about the axis of rotation of conveyor element carrier 50 . arm 56 is attached to carrier element 50 , offset to one side , to the left in fig2 in order to form a support against tipping of conveyor arrangement 42 . the result is a four - bar linkage that manipulates conveyor arrangement 42 in such a way that the plane traversed by conveyor elements 48 remains parallel to itself in every vertical position of conveyor arrangement 42 . however , this is not mandatory , and the various planes may be inclined to each other to a certain degree . arms 54 , 54 &# 39 ; and 56 are each configured as levers with two segments 58 , 58 &# 39 ;. segments 58 , 58 &# 39 ; are oriented at an angle of approximately 90 ° to each other . the length of both segments 58 , 58 &# 39 ; is slightly greater than the length of conveyor elements 48 , which corresponds to the radius of the circular surface traversed . so that , in both end positions of conveyor arrangement 42 , conveyor elements 48 do not come into contact with arms 54 , 54 &# 39 ; and 56 . arms 54 and 54 &# 39 ; provide support and sideways guidance for conveyor element carrier 50 , while arm 56 , which is offset thereto , provides parallel guidance for conveyor arrangement 42 . as can be seen in fig2 conveyor elements 48 with conveyor element carrier 50 move in a circular path about the attachment points of arms 54 , 54 &# 39 ; and 56 at mount 46 between the upper and lower end positions . mount 46 consists generally of plate 60 and three brackets 62 , 62 &# 39 ; and 64 are provided with holes that provide for the pivotal attachment of arms 54 , 54 &# 39 ; and 56 . the hole for arm 56 is located at a greater distance from wall 66 compared to the two other holes . in this embodiment , conveyor elements 48 are configured as rotor blades that are attached to and extend radially from conveyor element carrier 50 . this arrangement can be seen clearly in fig4 . a total of four conveyor elements 48 are provided , which traverse a circular plane during operation , as indicated in fig4 . conveyor elements 48 may be made from a rigid material , such as steel , aluminum , wood or the like ; or from a flexible material , that is sufficiently stiff , such as reinforced rubber , composite plastic rods or the like . for the sake of design simplicity , conveyor elements 48 are rigidly attached to conveyor element carrier 50 . it is possible , however , in the case of rigid conveyor elements 48 , to attach these to conveyor element carrier 50 so that they may pivot about their longitudinal axis , in order to vary their conveying efficiency . the length of conveyor elements 48 and therewith the radius , or the diameter of the circular surface traversed , are selected so that , if possible , the entire interior of container 18 is covered . in a further embodiment , not shown , conveyor elements 48 may be guided at their inner ends along a curved path so that they move in a radial direction during the rotation . by this means , a rectangular or square surface may be traversed . in addition , a plurality of overlapping conveyors 42 may be employed as illustrated in fig9 . in this embodiment , conveyor element carrier 50 is designed as carrier 68 , with journal 70 vertical thereto , which is free to rotate , and connected to motor 52 and disk 72 . conveyor elements 48 are attached to disk 72 by conventional means . carrier 68 extends generally parallel to the plane traversed by conveyor elements 48 . the carrier is equipped at its outer side with journals , bearings , joints or similar devices , that permit the attachment to pivot relative to arms 54 , 54 &# 39 ; and 56 . as can be seen in fig4 the attachment of arm 56 to carrier 68 provides the aforementioned offset and hence does not lie in line with the two other attachment points . in this embodiment , motor 52 is configured as a hydraulic motor that is supplied with pressurized oil from a pump through hoses , not shown . in the preferred embodiment , the hydraulic system of motor 52 is so arranged that its rotational speed , its operating pressure , and its direction of rotation may be varied . this can be accomplished by the use of appropriate control valves or by the use of variable displacement pumps . furthermore , control or regulation of the direction of rotation of motor 52 or the beginning of operation of the pump can be accomplished by a conventional mechanical linkage or an electrically operated control device , in particular a solenoid operated valve . the use of an electrically operated control device permits the application of an electric control circuit by means of which the operation of motor 52 can be controlled in relation to the degree of fill of container 18 or similar criteria . motor 52 is provided with a coupling , not shown , used to lock it against rotation to journal 70 . motor 52 itself , or its housing , is flanged and attached rigidly to carrier 68 , and hence moves up and down with conveyor elements 48 . between linkage 44 , arms 54 , 54 &# 39 ;, 56 , a control device may be provided that can either be controlled externally or operated with internal power . the control device controls the contact pressure of conveyor arrangement 42 upon the cone of repose of the crop deposit . under certain circumstances and with some types of crop such a control may be helpful or even necessary , if it is required to avoid either excessive penetration by the conveyor elements 48 into the crop deposit or insufficient penetration thereof . the control device may also be used to provide a contact pressure that varies with the height of the crop in container 18 , so that during an unloading operation the contact pressure is low when the container 18 is full , and increases the more conveyor arrangement 42 approaches the bottom . by this means compensation is provided for the reduced contact pressure caused by the diminishing height of the crop deposit and the volume of the crop deposit . the control device may be configured as a hydraulic , pneumatic or electric motor , which is operated depending on control signals . fig6 illustrates a control device comprising a hydraulic cylinder 100 . the control signals are generated by sensors that detect the height of the crop deposit , which may sense the height directly or react to the relative position of conveyor arrangement 42 . such a sensor is illustrated in fig1 . electronic sensor 102 detects the position of segment 58 by sensing arm 104 which is rotated relative to sensor 102 by pin 106 projecting from segment 58 . in another embodiment illustrated in fig7 the control device may be configured as a spring 108 , which substantially supports the weight of conveyor arrangement 42 so that it makes contact with the crop deposit with only a small fraction of its weight , but is still able to follow it closely . contact pressure varying with the height of the crop deposit can be obtained by selection of the spring characteristic and the arrangement of the spring . the spring may comprise a helical extension spring or a gas spring . fig8 discloses a system for changing the inclination of the conveyor arrangement . this is accomplished by adjusting the pivot point of segment 58 . the system comprises a bracket 110 having a downwardly depending tang 112 through which is positioned threaded screw 114 . by adjusting thumb nut 116 , the relationship of the pivot points are changed resulting in a change in inclination of the conveyor . fig5 shows conveyor arrangement 42 configured as a scraper chain conveyor , which corresponds in its general operation to the embodiments described above , but which differs in the details of conveyor elements 48 and conveyor element carrier 50 . this conveyor arrangement 42 includes frame 76 , two shafts 78 with sprockets 80 and endless chain drive 82 . frame 76 is configured as a tubular frame with two longitudinal carriers 84 , three transverse carriers 86 and two attachment plates 88 . the ends of longitudinal carriers 84 are each provided with a bearing , not shown , which rotatively support shafts 78 , and are spaced at a distance approximately equal to the length of shafts 78 . transverse carriers 86 extend between longitudinal carriers 84 and are rigidly connected thereto and provide torsional rigidity for frame 74 . attachment plate 88 is rigidly connected to the center of each longitudinal carrier 84 , and extends from these through the space between the two legs of chain drive 82 . the attachment plates 88 are provided with two bearings , that are pivotally coupled to support arms 54 &# 34 ; and 54 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;. the bearings are arranged above one another and form a four - bar linkage with the pivots of arms 54 &# 34 ;, 54 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; in mount 46 . the four - bar linkage permits the adjustment of the conveyor arrangement 42 in a plane parallel to itself . the frame 76 may also be equipped at one end with a deflector , not shown , extending horizontally below which the crop deposit is conveyed and which moves conveyor arrangement 42 upward by floatation . shafts 78 are rotatably supported from and extend across the width of longitudinal carriers 84 . one of the shafts is rigidly connected to motor 52 , such as by a chain , a bevel or face gear , a belt or by another coupling , and motor 52 itself is attached to frame 76 . sprockets 80 are rigidly attached , to the end regions of shafts 78 and engage chain drive 82 . motor 52 through a chain drive drives shaft 78 and associated sprocket 80 located on the right hand side of fig5 . sprocket 80 on the left hand side of fig5 is driven by chain drive 82 . chain drive 82 consists of at least two chains 90 having conveyor elements 48 &# 39 ; attached thereto and configured as blades . chains 90 are composed of conventional chain links 92 whose spaces are engaged by the teeth of sprocket 80 . conveyor elements 48 &# 39 ; are attached at each end to one chain link 92 on each of the chains and hence are carried along when chains 90 are driven . conveyor elements 48 &# 39 ; are flanged to reinforce and improve their conveying capacity . in addition , flanging conveyor element 48 &# 39 ; provides for a variation of the conveying performance when driving chain drive 82 in opposite directions . this or similar shaping of conveyor elements 48 &# 39 ; the conveying direction into components directed upward and forward , so that conveyor arrangement 42 is pushed upwards during the conveying and distribution process . in addition , conveyor elements 48 &# 39 ; may be provided with guiding or conveying attachments that are wedge - shaped or inclined , which transport the crop deposit to the side . the connection of conveyor elements 48 &# 39 ; to chains 90 may be rigid , as illustrated in fig5 or pivotal as illustrated in fig1 . the pivotal conveyor elements 48 &# 39 ; of fig1 are pivotally coupled to chain links 92 at pivot 120 . this provides conveying action in one direction of conveyor arrangement 42 , while in the other direction conveyor elements 48 &# 39 ; lie against the chain 90 , resulting in no build - up of crop deposit and minimizing conveying resistance . linkage 44 &# 39 ; is composed of arms 54 &# 34 ;, 54 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;, which are different from those of the first embodiment and which are arranged so that frame 76 is adjusted with chain drive 82 in planes that are parallel to each other . motor 52 and the control devices used with the first embodiment are also applicable to this embodiment . in both embodiments , conveyor system 40 will display the following characteristics : the relative position of conveyor arrangement 42 may be utilized as an indication of the degree of filling of container 18 whose signal may be transmitted to operator &# 39 ; s cab 16 by mechanical means , such as a rope pull , or electrically . a full signal may also be used to turn off the thresher or to turn on warning lights ; or a range of signals for different points of time or degrees of filling may be used . where a cover arrangement is provided for container 18 , conveyor arrangement 42 may be brought into contact with the cover arrangement in its upper end position and raise the cover for the time of the filling of the upper region . some or all of conveyor elements 48 and 48 &# 39 ; may be equipped with brushes , rubber strips or the like , which , for one , can provide excellent cleaning of the bottom of container 18 and , for another , avoid damage to it , when they come into contact at the end of the run . between motor 52 and conveyor elements 48 , 48 &# 39 ; an overload safety device may be used , such as a limited slip clutch , which may provide an advantage with crops that are difficult to move such as corn cob mixtures . the rotational speed of motor 52 may be lower during the filling process than during the unloading , since during filling the main requirement is for proper distribution , while during unloading proper guidance of the crop is important . during the filling process , 30 to 100 revolutions of journal 70 may be adequate . the description of the operation begins with the first embodiment and condition shown in fig2 . container 18 is empty , unloading arrangement 21 is turned off and crop is delivered to the container 18 through openings near its top , by means of a clean grain elevator , not shown . the crop deposit starts to accumulate at the bottom of container 18 . as soon as crop is delivered ; or at a later time determined by sensors and a control system ; or as soon as a control signal is given , motor 52 is supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure so that it begins to turn . the starting point may also be controlled by a time delay relay . conveyor elements 48 are put into motion and traverse the circular plane illustrated in fig4 . while conveyor elements 48 are moved across the circular plane , they are in contact with the crop deposit upon which conveyor arrangement 42 is supported . conveyor elements 48 move part of the crop outward by means of centrifugal force , in order to form a flat surface . by this means , areas otherwise not accessible are filled . as more crop is delivered , the higher is the cone of repose , and the higher conveyor arrangement 42 moves upward , since it is either swimming upon the crop deposit or is raised by means of the control device . as soon as it has reached its upper end position , motor 52 is turned off either automatically or by a switch controlled manually ; harvesting machine 10 carrying container 18 is driven to an unloading point ; and the drive to unloading arrangement 21 activated so that the crop deposit can be extracted from container 18 . during the early part of the unloading process , motor 52 could continue to operate ; this energy consumption is , however , in most cases unnecessary , since the crop initially will flow towards the unloading arrangement by reason of its own weight . as soon as the remaining crop deposit no longer flows by itself to unloading arrangement 21 and / or a so - called bridging takes place , motor 52 is again activated and moves the crop deposit to unloading arrangement 21 . this process ends only when the crop deposit has been completely unloaded and conveyor arrangement 42 makes contact with the bottom of container 18 . it is particularly evident from fig2 that container 18 does not require any slope in the area covered by conveyor elements 48 ; slopes should be provided in those areas in which the crop deposit is not reached by conveyor elements 48 .	0
the present invention is directed to a business method for generating advertising claims . the business method comprises the steps of : 1 ) determining the before use thickness of the stratum corneum ( sc ) on an area of a test subject &# 39 ; s skin by measuring the concentration profile of a raman - active material as a function of depth within the test area using confocal raman spectroscopy , then processing the data obtained to determine the before use thickness of the sc ; 2 ) providing the test subject with a personal care composition and instructions for use of the personal care composition ; 3 ) determining the after use thickness of the sc on an area of a test subject &# 39 ; s skin after the use of the personal care composition by measuring the concentration profile of a raman - active material as a function of depth within the test area using confocal raman spectroscopy , then processing the data obtained to determine the after use thickness of the sc ; and utilizing the before use thickness and the after use thickness to generate the advertising claims . the method may be utilized in locations including , but not limited to , stores ( specialty shops , mass stores , etc . ), doctor &# 39 ; s office , spas , etc . the method of the present invention may generate advertising claims in the form of before use and after use advertising claims . the thickness of the stratum cornuem ( sc ) may be determined using confocal raman spectroscopy ( crs ). the method of crs described herein is used to determine both the before use thickness and the after use thickness in generating advertising claims . crs uses a microscope system to focus laser light to a point . the light at the point of focus is of high intensity which is where the raman signal is generated from . measurements as a function of depth are carried out by moving the microscope objective lens so that it focuses the light at specific locations within the substrate of interest ( e . g . the sc ). it is possible to analyze any material as long as it is transparent enough to allow sufficient light to enter and leave from the depth of interest and it has a unique raman spectra . by moving the objective lens in small increments , a profile of raman spectra as a function of depth of the sc can be produced . the raman spectra contain peaks corresponding to the different functional groups of the chemicals present within the sample . the locations of these peaks are determined by the precise chemical structure of the components . once the peak locations for different components of the sample are known , ratioing of one component to the others present can be carried out . for instance , % water in skin can be calculated by ratioing the amount of water and protein as calculated from the areas under the curves in the part of the spectra corresponding to water and protein respectively , and applying a proportionality constant ( as detailed below ). any suitable commercially available crs equipment can be used . one example is a river diagnostics model 3510 confocal raman microspectroscopy system ( software version — rivericon v . 1 ). this has been designed for use as an in - vivo , non invasive skin analysis device , enabling qualitative and semi - quantitative analysis of molecular concentrations and concentration profiles within the skin . the system incorporates a ccd detector combined with a microscope objective lens to enable focusing of the laser light into the skin and collection of the returning signal . two ( 2 ) lasers are used — a 671 nm red laser for water profiling ( operating in the high wavenumber region from 2500 - 4000 cm − 1 ), and a 785 nm near ir laser for low wavenumber fingerprint region ( natural moisturizing factor ( nmf ) and other active ingredients measurement ). the peaks for the natural moisturizing factors are present in the low wavenumber fingerprint region which is the region about which this laser gives information . therefore , by measuring the fingerprint region , information about the natural moisturizing factors can be determined . profiles in the high wavenumber region may be measured using 1s acquisition times per spectra , and in the fingerprint region using 10s acquisitions per spectra . typically 2 or 3 μm spacings between spectra may be used . the top few hundred microns of the skin are transparent to the light from both the 671 nm and 785 nm lasers allowing profiling within the sc using this arrangement . the points forming the hydration profile as a function of depth within the sc are derived by the software using the raman spectra acquired for each depth value . the software may use the calculation method as outlined in peter caspers &# 39 ; ph . d . thesis (‘ in - vivo skin characterization by confocal raman spectroscopy ’, 2003 , erasmus university , rotterdam , the netherlands ). for example , as explained in this thesis , the area between 3350 - 3550 cm − 1 may be integrated for the water band [ water ], and 2910 - 2966 cm − 1 for the protein band [ protein ] ( a sample spectra showing the areas measured for water and protein is given in fig1 ). the percentage hydration may then be calculated for each depth with this formula : wherein r is a proportionality constant ( derivation of the proportionality constant is described in the peter caspers &# 39 ; ph . d . thesis noted above ). the procedure to determine percentage hydration is carried out automatically at each point of the spectra by the associated rivericon software and results in the formation of a hydration profile ( see fig2 ). a similar process may be followed when looking at different active species ( for example vitamins , and amino acids ), where a principal component analysis using well defined peak locations is used to calculate a profile for each of the ingredients of interest . again , this is carried out within the standard software provided with the equipment , and the data are outputted in the form of a profile for the ingredient of interest as a function of depth . in principle , anything which is raman - active can be measured within the skin using this technique . for a specific vibrational mode to be raman - active , there must be a change in the polarizability of the molecule caused by the vibration . it has already been shown in the literature that water and the amino acids which make up natural moisturizing factors ( nmf ) can be analyzed within the skin , along with cholesterol , lactic acid , and keratin . due to the complex structure of most ingredients of interest within skin care formulations , there will normally be some vibrations associated with any given molecule of interest which will be raman - active . in order for the molecules of interest to be measured in a raman profile they must fulfill two criteria : 1 ) they must have peaks which are sufficiently distinct from other components within the skin , and 2 ) the ingredient must be present in sufficient quantity to be detected . the absolute intensity of the peaks in a spectrum will be determined by how strong the change in polarizability is and will vary from compound to compound . peak location within the spectrum is determined by the functional groups present within the molecule . the method of data processing described herein is used to determine both the before use thickness and the after use thickness in generating advertising claims . the data points gathered are processed to be more readily usable . data points that make up each profile may be saved as a tab delimited text file and imported into a suitable mathematical software , for example matlab . in the exemplary system used , up to 8 profiles for any given site may be imported . the dataset ( containing all profiles ) may then be treated as a cloud of points through which a line of best fit is put . the mathematical model for the line of best fit may be based on the weibull model , although different models may be used ( e . g . polynomial regression ). the weibull distribution is widely used in reliability and life ( failure rate ) data analysis and as a biological growth model . the equation for the weibull model used here is given below . where a , b , c and d are variables determined during the optimization of the line of best fit by the mathematical software . a line of best fit based upon this model is fitted to the dataset ( see fig2 ), and using this equation different parameters of the skin can be determined ( for example , bottom of the sc , complete area under the curve from the surface to the base of the sc ). during the calculation of the line of best fit through the dataset , the determination of the leveling off point of the curve is also carried out . the leveling off point is determined using a gradient threshold on the weibull model . a value for the gradient threshold may be set by the operator during data analysis . the leveling off point is taken where the slope on the modeled curve matches the threshold set . this leveling off point corresponds to where the water rich living tissue of the epidermis meets the sc , e . g . the bottom of the sc . when analyzing an entire study , a subset of the data is chosen at random and analyzed using different gradient threshold values . the operator then determines the most accurate fit for the leveling off point and uses the corresponding gradient threshold value for analysis of the entire study . as discussed above , the operator makes this assessment by first looking for where the curve leveled off . this is done by eye , setting different gradients into the software and seeing the location of the resulting leveling off points . additionally , the operator may choose to run fingerprint profiles on a few locations at exactly the same points as the hydration profiles . this allows one to see the presence of nmf , which only starts to be expressed at the bottom of the sc . typically , the location where the nmf starts to be seen corresponds to where the operator finds the most accurate fit for the leveling off point in the hydration profiles . importantly , once a value is set for a given study , that value is then applied to the entire dataset . the need for operator choice for the gradient threshold arises from a number of factors . for example , the skin on different body parts has inherently different water profiles . also , the skin &# 39 ; s natural hydration state is strongly influenced by the time of year and associated weather conditions . it should be emphasized that once a value for the gradient threshold has been derived for the small subset of data from the entire study , that value is normally used for the entire analysis . typical values for the gradient threshold on volar forearm skin are between 0 . 4 and 1 . 0 , and this range may be used as a starting point when determining the appropriate value . an example data set fitted with the weibull model is shown in fig2 . it is also possible to use other mathematical operations to determine the leveling off point , such as the point at which the % hydration reaches a fixed percentage of the upper asymptote of the weibull model . as with the use of the gradient threshold , this provides a route to determining the location of the bottom of the sc . the term “ personal care composition ,” as used herein , refers to a product that is intended to have an effect on skin . the term includes cosmetic products , whose purpose is to improve the appearance of skin , as well as therapeutic treatments , whose purpose is to prevent or treat a skin disease ( these terms are not mutually exclusive ). also included are products which are not directly applied on the skin , e . g . nutraceuticals which are ingested by the user . the personal care composition of the present invention may be a skin care composition . the skin care composition may include moisturizing agents . non - limiting examples of skin - care compositions include leave - on products ( e . g . moisturizing creams , self - tanning products , tinted moisturizers , powders , foundations , conditioning wipes , etc .) and rinse - off products ( shower gels , in - shower moisturizers , foaming wipes , etc .). the advertising claims may be determined based on the before use thickness and after thickness . the before use and after use thickness indicate the effectiveness of a personal care composition . the effectiveness of a personal care composition is normally expressed as the change of a certain skin quality between the beginning and the end of the study . confocal raman spectroscopy may be used to quantify the change of concentration of a raman - active material within the skin . therefore , it may be used to determine the effectiveness of a personal care composition when a raman - active material can be linked the effect of the composition studied . for example , a change in skin hydration , which can be linked to the concentration of water within the skin , can be measured using the crs technique because water is a raman - active material . similarly , any raman - active materials that can be linked to the effectiveness of a personal care composition ( e . g . including , but not limited to , niacinamide , water , natural moisturizing factors ( nmf ), vitamins , cholesterol , ceramides , urea , urocanic acid , glycerin , amino acids , etc .) may also be used to quantify its effectiveness . for effectively quantifying the effectiveness of a personal care composition using confocal raman spectroscopy , it is important to take into account the change of thickness of the sc during the study . without wishing to being bound by theory , this may be because changes in the hydration state of the skin alter its thickness , or that certain skin actives ( e . g . including , but not limited to , niacinamide , water , natural moisturizing factors ( nmf ), vitamins , cholesterol , ceramides , urea , urocanic acid , glycerin , amino acids , etc .) may increase skin cells proliferation . therefore , it may not be appropriate to compare values obtained at the beginning and the end of the study at a constant depth ( e . g . 10 μm ). constant depth refers to an absolute distance from the surface of the sc , for example 10 um above . this is distinguishable from relative depth ( e . g . half way through the sc ), where thickness changes within the sc over the course of the treatment is taken into account . using this technique to derive information about changes in sc thickness from the shape of the profile enables one to determine relative depths . for actives delivered from the composition , it is normally important to know depth of penetration and % concentration as a function of depth . as such , it is important to reference any change in the quantity of a raman - active material % hydration changes to % depth . also , as the thickness of the sc may have changed , the parameter of total area under the curve from the surface to the bottom of the sc becomes important as a total hydration measure . wrongly considering the sc to be fixed in thickness throughout the study may lead to an incorrect interpretation of the data . the thickness of the sc at the beginning and then at the end of the study may be determined using the method described above which employs a crs technique . measuring the water concentration profile using crs and processing the data obtained is a good way to determine sc thickness . if the effect to be measured is skin hydration , then only one measure of the concentration profile at the beginning and at the end of the study needs to be performed , because the data generated for determining the sc thickness can also be used to determine the water content of the sc . there are different ways to express the effectiveness of a personal care composition using the data generated by crs and the sc thickness , of which two preferred examples are outlined here . first , a specific relative depth of the sc ( e . g . half - way ) may be selected , and the amounts of raman - active material ( e . g . water ) linked to the effect of the personal care composition ( e . g . skin hydration ) to be determined at this relative depth at the beginning and at the end of the study may be compared . an alternative way to express the effectiveness of the composition is to measure the area under the curve ( integrating ) between the skin surface and the end of sc ( e . g . as determined by crs , as described above ). dividing the value obtained for the surface area at the end of the treatment by the value obtained for the surface area at the beginning of the treatment gives a measure of the effectiveness of the composition in % of increase . this is a measure of increase in the total amount of ingredient x ( e . g . water for hydration measurements ) within the sc . for example , if the area under the curve at the start of the experiment is 1000 and the area after using the product is 1100 , the total water holding capacity of the sc has increased by 10 %. this method of quantifying the effect also works well for quantifying skin hydration . also , the total area under the curve for individual nmf &# 39 ; s could be linked to health of the skin ( as nmf &# 39 ; s are beneficial to the water holding capability of the sc and are readily washed out ). to demonstrate the effects of a single variable on skin hydration , a set of baseline spectra is recorded ( the site to be used is dry wiped to remove surface sebum before the measurements are taken via crs to provide a benchmark for the state of the individual &# 39 ; s sc before treatment ). petrolatum is then applied to the same area of the forearm 4 times over a 24 hour period with the aim of promoting skin hydration via occlusion . after 24 hours , the site is dry wiped to remove any surface contamination and a further set of profiles collected via crs ( fig3 ). this shows how the hydration level near the surface of the sc increased due to occlusion ( x = 0 to 5 μm ). also , the total area under the curve from the surface to the bottom of the sc has increased from 697 to 764 , an increase of approximately 10 %. in this study , two commercial moisturizing treatments (‘ a ’— olay ® quench , and ‘ b ’— jergens ® ultra healing ) were used . after an initial baseline reading via crs , the products were applied for 2 weeks followed by a 1 week regression period during which no product was applied to the sites examined . product application was 2 μl cm − 2 , twice daily , over sites on the volar forearms of 15 panelists . panelists did not use moisturizing products other than those provided by the study organizers on their forearms over the entire course of the study . the baseline profile for skin hydration at the beginning of the study ( no products applied ) is shown on fig4 . as shown , the baseline profile for both sites ‘ a ’ and ‘ b ’ were identical . the change in % hydration for the two moisturizing treatments ‘ a ’ and ‘ b ’ at the fixed depth of 10 μm data beneath the surface of the sc is given in fig5 . looking at the data in fig5 , treatment ‘ a ’ appears to be resulting in a dehydration of the sc at 2 weeks usage and after 1 week regression . however if the shape of the profile at each of these time points is examined , there is a clear difference for treatment ‘ a ’ after 2 weeks usage and 1 week regression . fig6 and 7 show a change in the skin thickness as the leveling off points for treatment ‘ a ’ and ‘ b ’ are different ( where as , at the start of the study — the baseline reading , fig4 , shows that the skin at all the sites is equivalent as the leveling off points are coincident ). therefore , measurement only of % hydration at a single depth beneath the surface of the sc is misleading , as treatment ‘ a ’ would have appeared to have lowered in % hydration at a fixed depth . use of the total area under the curve is calculated by taking into account the leveling off point via crs , ( e . g . total hydration level within the sc is shown in fig8 ). this shows a clear and statistically valid ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) increase in the total hydration within the skin ( e . g . total hydration content within the sc ) for treatment ‘ a ’ which was not observed by examining the % hydration at a fixed depth ( the change shown corresponds to approximately a 10 % increase in area under the curve for product ‘ a ’). one skilled in statistics may recognize that “ p ” is a statistical term referring to the probability of the data being real , or having happened by chance . a “ p ” value of less than 0 . 05 means that there is a 95 % chance that the data is real , and has not happened by chance . all the data generated for this study were analyzed using a gradient threshold of 0 . 5 , as that value has been determined to be most representative of the leveling off point for the experiment . examples of potential advertising claims that may result from experiments discussed herein include , but are not limited to : “ increases the water holding capacity of your skin by x % after 2 weeks .” this claim would be appropriate when the area under the curve has increased by x % from before treatment to after treatment . another example of a potential advertising claim would be “ delivers ‘ ingredient x ’ to where it is needed in the skin .” this claim is related to measurements looking at the location of a specific actives or skin care ingredients within the sc . while particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described , it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . it is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention . all documents cited in the background , summary of the invention , and detailed description of the invention are , in relevant part , incorporated herein by reference ; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention .	6
referring now to the drawings and more particularly to fig1 a cross - sectional schematic of a conventional plasma processing chamber 1 is shown . during the plasma etch process , a wafer 20 is placed on ring 30 which sits on a wafer holder 100 ( wafer holder 100 typically includes an electro - static chuck ). during plasma etching , charged particles 10 are generated by the electrodes 3 and 4 . further details of plasma processing chamber and plasma processing are well known in the art and are not included except where necessary to describe the present invention . the ring 30 may also be used as a focus ring which is well known in the art to focus the charged particles onto the surface of the wafer to enhance the uniformity of the etch process across the surface of the wafer and particularly at the edge of the wafer . the ring is generally made of quartz but other materials may be used such as silicon , y 2 o 3 , silicon carbide , al 2 o 3 or any suitable material that is compatible with plasma etch processing and are well known in the art . in a cross - sectional view of the ring ( fig2 ), the ring has an upper surface 50 and a lower surface 60 which underlies wafer 20 so that the edge portion of the wafer rests on surface 60 during the plasma processing . a gap 70 between the wafer and ring is approximately 500 μm to minimize scratching of the wafer during loading and unloading of the wafer onto the ring . [ 0028 ] fig3 illustrates , in cross - section , a first embodiment of the invention . a permanent magnet 40 is embedded in the ring . generally , it is preferred to have the magnet embedded within the ring to keep magnetic materials away from the plasma . the magnet may be also placed in a groove or channel 80 formed in the ring on either upper surface 50 ( fig4 a ) or bottom surface 55 ( fig4 b ) as one circular magnet or several pieces of magnet , provided that the magnet pieces form a complete circle . placing the magnet in a groove or channel structure facilitates disassembly of the ring for repair , cleaning or replacement purposes . to further illustrate the ring structure with the magnet encircling the ring , fig5 shows a top down view of the ring 30 with magnet 40 . wafer 20 is placed on ring 30 . now turning to the properties of the magnet , the optimal magnetic field strength is determined by the gyroradius of electrons being shorter than the distance to the wafer edge , effectively reflecting all electrons below a cutoff energy away from the wafer edge . in this embodiment , the ring is designed to reflect the charged particles away from the edge of the wafer . as shown in fig6 during the plasma etch process , the charged particle path 150 is normal to the wafer . the magnetic field 90 has lines of magnetic flux which form loops above and below the wafer surface near its edge , and intersect the wafer . it will be appreciated that this magnetic field arrangement serves as a magnetic mirror for deflecting charged particles traveling in a vertical path and incident on the edge of the wafer . as the particles approach the area of the magnetic field 90 , the particles are deflected in a path , 205 , in a manner such that the etching properties of the charged particles do not affect the edge of the wafer where the magnetic field is present . the position of the magnet relative to the wafer edge is determined by the magnetic field intensity of the magnet and its desired effect on the charged ions in a given plasma process . the magnetic field intensity should decrease rapidly with distance from the edge of the wafer so as not to affect the etching process more than approximately 3 mm from the edge of the wafer . for example , for an plasma etch process to etch deep trenches in silicon , the majority of plasma electrons exist at energies in the 1 - 5 ev range . choosing 20 ev for a maximum electron energy exclusion to ensure that electrons in this energy range are deflected would require a magnetic field intensity of 13 . 7g , 1 cm from the wafer edge , to reflect all electrons at this energy or lower . a stronger magnetic field strength intensity may be required when the plasma power is higher since under such conditions there will be higher energy particles . the magnetic field 90 also serves to deflect charged particles from the ring structure 30 . this reduces ring corrosion caused by the charged particles and extends the useful life of the ring and minimizes cost of operation of plasma etching . a magnet may advantageously be embedded in other structures , elsewhere in the plasma processing chamber , to prevent charged particle bombardment and thus extend the useful life of those structures . in particular , if a structure is of a consumable material , the magnetic field will reduce costs associated with the structure ( maintaining parts inventory , equipment downtime for parts replacement , etc .). even if the material is not sensitive to the etch process ( e . g ., quartz in a reactor for etching silicon ), the material is subject to corrosion , primarily by ion bombardment . [ 0033 ] fig7 shows another embodiment of the invention in which a shield ring 31 surrounds electrode 3 . ( a shield ring of silicon , for example , may be used in an oxide etch process .) a permanent magnet 41 is embedded in the ring and generates magnetic field 91 . field 91 serves to mitigate ion bombardment damage to the ring . if the shield ring is of a consumable material , the magnet 41 is advantageously in a groove ( see fig4 a and 4 b ), so that the magnet may be easily removed and transferred to another ring when replacement of the ring becomes necessary . [ 0034 ] fig8 illustrates another embodiment in which a guard ring 32 surrounds wafer holder 100 and electrode 4 ; permanent magnet 42 is embedded in the ring and generates magnetic field 92 . the magnetic field serves to prevent damage to the ring , significantly extending its useful life . [ 0035 ] fig9 illustrates a further embodiment in which a ring 33 is mounted close to the roof of chamber 1 . a permanent magnet 43 is embedded in the ring , generating a magnetic field 93 which protects both the ring and the chamber roof from charged particle bombardment , thereby reducing the erosion rate thereof . this may permit the roof itself to be made of a consumable material ( e . g . silicon ). it will be appreciated that a magnetic mirror may be used in or around a variety of other structures inside the plasma processing chamber ( e . g . the wafer chuck , confinement ring , baffle plate or gas distribution plate ), depending on the design of the particular chamber , to protect those structures from charged particle bombardment and thereby reduce the cost of consumable items in the chamber . in alternative embodiments of the invention , an electromagnet is used and can be turned on during the etch process . an electromagnet allows for tunability of the magnetic field intensity during the etch . when the magnet is used in focus ring 30 , this will permit additional control and optimization of the etch process . for example , magnetic deflection of particles near the wafer edge may be desired only during certain times in the etch process , or only during certain types of processes . it will be appreciated that an electromagnet may be used in any of the ring structures described above . while the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments , it is evident in view of the foregoing description that numerous alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the invention is intended to encompass all such alternatives , modifications and variations which fall within the scope and spirit of the invention and the following claims .	7
although this invention is applicable to numerous and various types of sensors and external stimulus , it has been found particularly useful in the environment of accelerometers and acceleration , respectively . therefore , without limiting the applicability of the invention to accelerometers and acceleration , the invention will be described in such environment . in summary , the sensors of the present invention provide a general method of hardening various sensors with significant structural flexibility ( compared to their base structure ), particularly for application in devices that are susceptible to residual vibration as the result of shock or similar high acceleration loading . the method by which this is achieved is applicable to all such sensors , but is of particular importance for devices such as sensors and actuators that are desired to be light weight therefore structurally flexible or are required to be light weight or highly deformable ( flexible ) for their proper operation or to render them highly sensitive to the input to be measured such as for the case of almost all accelerometer based inertia measurement units ( imus ). in the context of the present inventions , hardening is meant to refer to the following functions : ( 1 ) provision of means to protect the moving parts and various mechanisms of the sensor from physical short term or permanent damage and / or ( 2 ) to minimize or effectively eliminate residual vibration of the components of the sensor that would require time to settle before the device could begin or resume its normal operation . the residual vibration is generally due to the elastic deformation of one or more movable components of the sensor and result in a certain amount of potential energy to be stored in these components during shock loading and would cause residual vibration until it is absorbed ( damped ) by passive or active means . the disclosed embodiments for mems accelerometers ( imus ) are general in design and are applicable to all basic elastic deformation based accelerometer designs , e . g ., all those based on torsional deformation , bending deformation , axial deformation and their various combinations . the basic operation of the various embodiments of the sensors of the present invention is based on locking one or more moving components of the sensor to a relatively rigid base structure of the accelerometer during the period ( s ) in which the accelerometer experiences shock loading . in an accelerometer , this moving component is referred to as a proof mass ( and / or other moving components of the accelerometer to which the proof mass is rigidly attached ). the locking or braking action of the moving component and the mechanism of its operation may be described to be basically : ( 1 ) active , i . e ., require externally powered actuation for its operation ; ( 2 ) passive , i . e ., require no external power and its operation is automatically triggered when the acceleration levels reach certain preset levels ; or ( 3 ) a combination of the aforementioned active and passive designs . in addition , the locking mechanism may have the means to lock the proof mass or the aforementioned moving component ( s ) to which it is rigidly attached , at a predetermined position corresponding to an acceleration offset , usually at a level close to the level at which the acceleration measurements have to be resumed following unlocking of the proof mass or the aforementioned moving component ( s ). the offset may be programmable into the sensor , in which case external power would generally be required to activate some actuation means to affect and / or vary the offset level . the offset may also be actively set or built into the sensor , in which case external power is not required to put it into effects in the following description , the aforementioned methods of hardening the sensors and the various embodiments of their application are described in terms of accelerometers ( imus ) in general , and those designed to be produced using mems ( microelectromechanical devices ) technology in particular . however , it can be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed methods are readily applicable to all devices such as various sensors and actuators with moving parts , particularly those constructed with flexible elements for their proper operation or for reasons such as to reduce weight ( mass or inertia ). the sensors and methods of the present invention are at least partly used to provide the means to lock or brake the primary moving components of various sensors that are subject to shock loading to protect them from damage during shock loading and where appropriate , to minimize residual vibration and settling time . referring now to fig1 a and 1 b , there is an accelerometer 100 shown schematically therein , which is intended to measure acceleration in the direction 101 . the accelerometer consists of a proof mass 102 which is rigidly attached to a relatively rigid base 106 ( plate ), a cantilever ( bending ) type of elastic element 103 with an equivalent spring rate k at the location of the proof mass 102 and in the direction of the acceleration 101 . the proof mass 102 ( with mass m ) is located a distance 104 ( with length l ) from the base 105 to which the elastic beam element 103 is rigidly attached . in most mems types of accelerometers , the displacing plate 106 forms one side of a capacitor while the other capacitor plate ( not shown ) is rigidly attached to the base 105 . this capacitor will then form the sensor that measures the elastic displacement of the proof mass due to the acceleration in the direction 101 . the basic mechanism of the aforementioned locking of the proof mass consists of locking a first locking mass 108 which is attached to the base 105 by spring 107 on one side and locking a second locking mass 109 and spring 110 on the opposite side of the proof mass base plate 106 . the second locking mass 109 is attached to a lever arm 111 , which is hinged to the base 105 by the rotational joint 113 . the spring 110 is attached to the base 105 on one end and to the lever arm 111 on the other . opposite to the second locking mass 109 is positioned a moment mass 112 which provides a moment about the hinge joint 113 . the moment mass 112 has a greater mass than that provided by the first locking mass 109 , thereby it tends to move the first locking mass 109 upwards due to the acceleration in the direction 101 . the spring rates of the springs 107 and 110 are selected such that at the desired acceleration levels the gap between the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 and the plate 106 begins to close . a spaced locking stop 114 is located along the plate 106 to limit the motion of the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 . as a result , when the acceleration in the direction 101 reaches the level , the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 close the aforementioned gap , and thereby hold the base 106 and the proof mass 102 stationary at its null point , as shown in fig1 b . in general , the springs 107 and 110 are preferably preloaded , i . e ., provide a preset force in the direction of providing the required gap between themselves and the base 106 , and as the acceleration level reaches the desired maximum level , they will begin to close the gap . those skilled in the art will appreciate that a number of variations of the design illustrated in fig1 a may also be utilized . for example , the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 may be actively operated by a toggle type of mechanism that “ switches ” the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 to their locking position as the desired acceleration level is reached . the elastic lever arm 106 may also be similarly locked in its null position if desired to further reduce residual vibration . a basic mechanism to lock the proof mass 102 and / or other moving components of an accelerometer is described above using an elastic beam type of accelerometer . the design , however , can be seen to be applicable to almost all accelerometer designs , particularly those constructed using mems technology , such as those employing a linear displacement , a ring type , and a torsional type of accelerometer . the disclosed devices are based on utilizing locking masses that are operated by preloaded springs and lever type or other similarly operated mechanisms , however , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other mechanisms are possible for locking the moving components of accelerometers and other sensors . furthermore , the springs utilized in the disclosed devices are preferably preloaded to the desired level such that as a certain acceleration level is reached , they begin to limit the motion of the proof mass and bring it to its null position ( or toggle switch like mechanisms are activated to force the locking masses to bring the proof mass to its null position ). in the above description , the operation of the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 is passive , i . e ., does not require external power . similar operation may obviously be performed using external power to actively actuate the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 into their locking position . referring now to fig2 a , there is shown a variation of the device of fig1 a in which similar reference numerals denote similar features . the device of fig2 a differs from that of fig1 a in that the locking stop 114 can be fixed in a predetermined position other than the null position . for instance , the locking stop 114 can be fixed in a position corresponding to an acceleration , which is expected after the initial shock loading ( i . e ., after the initial high acceleration ). the stop plate 114 can be fixed in such a position , actively placed in such a position , or actuated into such position by an actuation means ( not shown ). furthermore , such position can be varied depending on the situation at hand . fig2 b illustrates the device of fig2 a in which the device experiences a high acceleration and the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 sandwich the plate 106 ( and the proof mass 102 therewith ) and the locking plate 114 therebetween to lock the proof mass 102 in the predetermined position . to facilitate the second locking mass &# 39 ; s 108 contact with the plate 106 and locking plate 114 , it is preferred that a pivoting joint be provided between the second locking mass 108 and the spring 107 . referring now to fig3 a and 3 b , an accelerometer is illustrated having a cantilevered proof mass 102 on a plate 106 . the means for locking the proof mass 102 during periods of high acceleration comprises a movable member 202 which is actively actuated into the locking position as - shown in fig3 b by an actuator 204 in response to a locking signal from a processor 206 . similarly , the movable member 202 is retracted from the locked position as shown in fig3 a by the actuator in response to an unlocking signal from the processor 206 . preferably , the processor bases its locking and unlocking signals on time from a particular event , such as the firing of a projectile . alternatively , the movable member can be biased into one of the locked or unlocked positions and be actuated into the other by the actuator 204 . the movable member preferably has a u - shaped mouth 208 with a tapered leading edge 210 to capture the plate 106 when it is to be locked . similar to the devices described with regard to fig1 a and 2 a , the device of fig3 a can lock the plate 106 and proof mass 102 in either a null position or any other predetermined position . referring now to fig3 c , there is shown a version of the accelerometer of fig3 a and 3 b in which a passive means for locking the proof mass in a null position during periods of high acceleration is employed . the accelerometer of fig3 c employs the same reference numerals for similar elements illustrated and described with regard to fig3 a and 3 b . in the accelerometer of fig3 c , the movable member 202 is connected to a movable shaft 212 which is retained to move in direction a , preferably , by bearings 214 . at an end 212 a of the movable shaft 212 is pinned a first link 216 at pivot point 217 . a second link 218 is connected to the first link at pivot point 220 . the second link 218 is further pinned to ground 105 at pivot point 222 . a locking mass 224 is connected at pivot point 220 at the intersection of the first and second links 216 , 218 . upon a high acceleration ( a ) in the direction of arrow 101 , the locking mass 224 travels in the direction of arrow b , which in turn results in the movable shaft 212 and movable member 202 connected thereto to move to the left into a locked position similar to that shown in fig3 b . a biasing means , such as a torsional spring ( not shown ) disposed at the intersection of the first and second links 216 , 218 , aids the movable member 202 in returning to the unlocked position when the acceleration returns to normal levels . referring now to fig4 there is illustrated a variation of the device of fig3 a in which like reference numerals denote like features . in the device of fig4 the movable member comprises first and second stops 302 , 304 which when moved together provide the same functionality as the movable member 202 of fig3 a . although not illustrated , the first and second stops 302 , 304 are actuated by an actuator in response to a locking and unlocking signal similar to that described above with regard to the device of fig3 a . however , the first and second stops 302 , 304 can also move independently to provide either a lower or upper stop for limiting the motion of the proof mass 102 in the lower or upper direction , respectively . similar to the devices described with regard to fig1 a , 2 a , and 3 a , the device of fig4 a can lock the plate 106 and proof mass 102 in either a null position or any other predetermined - position . furthermore , the first and second stops 302 , 304 can be positioned in any position along the length of travel of the plate 106 and proof mass 102 . referring now to fig5 there is illustrated a portion of the accelerometer of fig1 a in which the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 have fingers 402 projecting from a surface thereof which contact the plate 106 . the fingers 402 act to minimize contact areas and to thereby minimize sticking between the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 and the corresponding surfaces of the plate 106 . although shown with regard to the accelerometer of fig1 a , the devices of fig2 a , 3 a , and 4 can also utilize the fingers 402 to prevent sticking . furthermore , although the surfaces of the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 which engage the plate 106 have been shown to be flat , it will be appreciated that they can take any shape , such as convexly curved . additionally , the surfaces of the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 can be rigid , semi - rigid , or flexible such as an elastomer and may even be inflatable wherein the inflation facilitates the locking of the plate 106 . the flexibility and / or inflation of the first and second locking masses 109 , 108 can also be used to conform to a corresponding surface of the moving component to be locked . while there has been shown and described what is considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention , it will , of course , be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . it is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated , but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims .	6
in the typical 4 - stroke combustion engine , the four strokes include the intake stroke , the compression stroke , the power stroke , and the exhaust stroke . as shown in fig1 the power strokes of the respective cylinders are arranged in a particular order according to crankshaft position . furthermore , in any engine having more than four cylinders , the power strokes of different cylinders will overlap . one engine cycle is comprised of 720 ° of crankshaft rotation during which each cylinder passes through each of its four strokes . curve 10 in fig1 shows approximate acceleration fluctuation during engine operation . an acceleration peak 11 occurs during the firing interval of cylinder no . 1 and other maximums in the acceleration curve occur approximately corresponding to each other properly firing cylinder . when a misfire occurs such that no significant power is created by a cylinder during its firing interval , the crankshaft decelerates as indicated at 12 . as described in the patents mentioned above , crankshaft - based misfire detectors have advantageously employed measured rotation intervals occurring at a frequency of about once per cylinder firing rather than attempting to measure instantaneous values as shown in fig1 . fig2 shows an apparatus for measuring velocity and obtaining corrected acceleration values according to the present invention . an engine rotation position sensing system includes a rotor 20 including vanes 21 , 22 , and 23 which rotate with a crankshaft 24 ( a 3 - vane rotor from a 6 - cylinder engine is shown in this example ). vanes 21 - 23 pass between a hall - effect sensor 25 and a permanent magnet 26 to generate a profile ignition pulse ( pip ) signal as crankshaft 24 rotates . vanes 21 - 23 are arranged to generate a rising edge in the pip signal at a predetermined position in relation to top dead center of each respective cylinder . the pip signal actually indicates the approach to top dead center of two engine cylinders , one of which is approaching a power stroke and one of which is approaching an intake stroke since it takes two full crankshaft rotations to complete an engine cycle . a cylinder identification ( cid ) sensor 27 is connected to a camshaft 28 for identifying which of the two cylinders is actually on its power stroke . camshaft 28 rotates once for every two rotations of crankshaft 24 . the resulting cid signal is preferably generated having a rising edge corresponding to the power stroke of cylinder no . 1 . a timer 30 receives the pip signal and the cid signal and measures elapsed time between predetermined engine position locations as determined by the pip and cid signals . the elapsed time δt i for each velocity measuring interval i is output from timer 30 to a velocity and acceleration calculator 31 . in a preferred embodiment , timer 30 and velocity and acceleration calculator 31 are implemented as part of a microcontroller with an associated memory 32 for storing correction factors , other data , and software instructions . an alternative embodiment of position sensing apparatus is shown in fig3 . a multi - toothed wheel 35 is mounted on an engine for rotation with the crankshaft . a plurality of teeth 36 are disposed along the periphery of wheel 35 at a predetermined angular spacing . teeth 36 are preferably comprised of a metal or other magnetically permeable material . a variable reluctance sensor 37 is disposed in a fixed location closely spaced to teeth 36 for sensing the passage of teeth past sensor 37 . a missing tooth location 38 is provided on wheel 35 to establish an absolute location reference , e . g . at 90 ° before top dead center of cylinder no . 1 . a cid signal ( not shown ) would also be utilized to differentiate between the two halves of the engine cycle . cid sensors other than a camshaft sensor could alternatively be utilized to resolve the ambiguity between the power stroke and the intake stroke , such as sensors responsive to ignition coil current or voltage . sensor 37 is connected to a timer 40 and interval former 41 to produce rotation intervals δt i . multi - toothed wheel 35 shown in fig3 could be mounted either at the front of an engine or at the rear near the flywheel . in fact , the flywheel itself can be used as a multi - toothed wheel since the periphery of a flywheel includes gear teeth for meshing with a starter motor . sensor 37 can be mounted either at the front or rear of the engine depending upon the location of multi - toothed wheel 35 . although mounting of the sensor near the flywheel or rear portion of the crankshaft potentially provides better performance for misfire detection , a mounting location is usually selected at the other end of the crankshaft for reasons of cost and convenience . fig4 shows a crankshaft 45 having a front end 46 and a back end 47 . front end 46 passes through a front engine plate 50 and has a toothed wheel 51 mounted thereto . a variable reluctance sensor 52 is mounted to front plate 50 for detecting rotation of toothed wheel 51 . back end 47 of crankshaft 45 passes through a rear engine plate 53 to a flywheel 54 that is mounted to back end 47 . crankshaft 45 is further enclosed within the engine which further includes a cylinder block assembly 55 and an oil pan assembly 56 , for example . crankshaft 45 exhibits greater inertia at its rear end 47 due to the attachment of the massive flywheel 54 . in contrast , the front end 46 of crankshaft 45 exhibits less inertia so that torsional oscillations are magnified at the front crankshaft section relative to the rear section of the crankshaft near the flywheel . furthermore , the torsional vibrations are less periodic ( i . e ., exhibit a greater range of frequency ) than oscillations at the flywheel . any torsional oscillations at the front of crankshaft 45 that are contained in data collected using crankshaft sensor 52 ( i . e ., at the front section of the crankshaft ) can be alleviated using the correction factors disclosed in copending application ser . no . 08 / 417 , 357now u . s . pat . 5 , 531 , 108 . even though the signal - to - noise ratio for accelerations as measured at the front of the engine are significantly improved , misfire detection capability may still be inadequate for difficult conditions such as simultaneous high engine speed and low engine load . better misfire detection capability is obtained overall using a crankshaft position sensor mounted at the flywheel , although flywheel acceleration measurements still benefit from using the torsional correction factors provided in the copending application . as described in copending application ser . no . 08 / 417 , 361 , a misfire detection capability similar to what would be obtained from crankshaft position measurements at the flywheel can be achieved while only requiring actual measurements to be made at the front of the crankshaft by employing a dynamic transformation that maps front - of - engine acceleration measurements to rear - of - engine accelerations . the transformation is a prediction of flywheel motion based on measurements taken at the front of the crankshaft . the relationship between these two quantities is nonlinear and therefore a nonlinear transform such as a neural network is used . the present invention provides improved techniques wherein : ( 1 ) system models are derived in a simplified manner ; ( 2 ) system models may be derived incorporating any system knowledge that is possessed concerning the system ; ( 3 ) compact system models are produced which can be implemented on - board a vehicle with a minimum of computing power ; and ( 4 ) the complexity of the system representation can be selected to appropriately trade - off between modeling accuracy and computational efficiency . as an end result of the invention , an improved misfire detector models and compensates for torsional fluctuations while producing an optimum threshold for misfire detection . a technique called non - linear autoregressive moving average with exogenous inputs ( narmax ) is preferably used for model generation . specifically , the present invention uses data collection as shown in fig5 . an engine 60 includes a crankshaft 61 projecting from either end of engine 60 and having a flywheel 62 mounted at the rear end thereof . a flywheel position sensor 63 is mounted in close proximity to flywheel 62 for providing flywheel position pulses to a data recorder 64 ( these position pulses may first be processed to obtain crankshaft rotation intervals as described in the previously mentioned patents ). a crankshaft position sensor 65 is mounted in close proximity to the front end of crankshaft 61 and provides position pulses to an engine control module ( ecm ) 66 . crankshaft position sensor 65 may be of the type shown in fig2 or fig3 for example . additional devices characterizing engine operating conditions include a mass air flow sensor 67 mounted in proximity to an engine air intake 68 . a mass air flow signal from sensor 67 is also input to recorder 64 . likewise , signals to or from ecm 66 are recorded in recorder 64 such as fuel pulse width as provided to a plurality of fuel injectors 70 , engine acceleration values calculated in ecm 66 such as deviant acceleration ( daccel ) and a k - coil signal identifying the intentional introduction of misfires by inhibiting ignition coil energizing signals . engine 60 is operated over a wide range of speeds and loads on a dynamometer and the corresponding sensor and ecm signals are recorded in recorder 64 for various patterns of intentionally introduced misfire as determined by the k - coil signal . fig6 shows a technique for generating a system model for monitoring performance of a system , such as an internal combustion engine . recorded data for input variables ( including measured and calculated variables ) are input to a model generator 71 , such as a narmax method . recorded data for output variables are also input to model generator 71 . as is known in the art , model generator 71 trains upon the recorded data in order to assume a configuration in which it can predict values for the output variables based on the input variables presented during training , resulting in a system model for performance monitoring . thus , the final model can be used as a substitute for actually measuring the output variables , thereby allowing deployment of production engines with fewer on - board sensors . the narmax method in particular is described in detail by leontaritis and billings , input - output parametric model for non - linear systems , int . j . control , 1985 , vol . 41 , no . 2 , pp . 303 - 328 and 329 - 324 . an application of narmax modeling in engine control systems is described by luh and rizzoni , identification of a nonlinear mimo internal combustion engine model , dsc - vol . 54 / de - vol . 76 , transportation systems , asme , 1994 , pages 141 - 174 . in a preferred embodiment , the data collected in fig5 is presented to model generator 71 wherein the output variable is selected to be comprised of velocity measurements obtained using the flywheel sensor . thus , a system model is produced which predicts the rotational motion measured at the flywheel based upon crankshaft rotation measured at the front end of the crankshaft ( and whatever other engine operating conditions that may become relevant as are revealed in the narmax results ). thus , a narmax method is applied to the recorded data which performs curve fitting of a plurality of functions in order to best predict the flywheel values . fig7 illustrates on - board deployment of a system model in production vehicles for performing misfire detection without requiring position measurements at the flywheel . production engine 75 includes a crankshaft 76 having a flywheel 77 mounted thereon . crankshaft rotation is sensed by a crankshaft position sensor 78 which provides an output signal to an ecm 80 . a mass airflow sensor 81 provides a mass airflow signal to ecm 80 . both the crankshaft position signal and the mass air flow signal are provided to a system model 82 . ecm 80 calculates a fuel pulse width signal which is provided to injectors 83 in engine 75 and to system model 82 . daccel values ( and / or rotation timings or velocities for selected event times ) are calculated in ecm 80 and are provided system model 82 . system model 82 generates a predicted flywheel acceleration daccel value that would be measured at the flywheel . this predicted rear daccel signal comprises the output of the system model for monitoring the occurrence of misfire . a preferred embodiment for training a model of a rear daccel signal is shown in fig8 . a narmax model generator 85 receives model inputs of crankshaft position , crankshaft speed , crankshaft acceleration , front daccel signal , mass air flow signal , and fuel pulse width signal . the desired model output signal supplied to model generator 85 is a filtered rear daccel signal that was likewise obtained as training data from a test engine . in order to improve accuracy of misfire detection , the rear daccel signal is filtered in order better approximate fully damped crankshaft position without any torsional oscillations . thus , even though crankshaft position as measured at the flywheel has a reduced influence from torsional oscillations , the small remaining torsional oscillations can be removed by processing the existing rear daccel signal in accordance with the previously mentioned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 531 , 108 , for example . in particular , torsional oscillations as seen at the rear flywheel are subtracted according to measured values for the oscillations which are determined during steady state operation of the test engine . alternatively , a simpler filter may be implemented by using the measured rear daccel signal upon occurrence of a misfire but a value of zero for the rear daccel value when there is no misfire . in any case , model generator 85 produces a narmax model of filtered rear daccel signal for use in on - board diagnostics . the present invention obtains further improvements in misfire detection by utilizing a second model generator to produce a model of acceleration deficit during the occurrence of misfire ( i . e ., what daccel value would be expected under current conditions if a misfire were actually to occur ). thus , as shown in fig9 a narmax model generator 86 receives model inputs of crankshaft position , crankshaft speed , crankshaft acceleration , front daccel signal , mass air flow signal , and fuel pulse width signal . the desired model output that is provided to model generator 86 consists of the output of the narmax model of filtered rear daccel signal as generated in fig8 but including only those values corresponding to event times with the occurrence of misfire ( i . e ., only those data points are taken from the recorded data that correspond to a value of k - coil indicating an induced misfire , e . g ., k - coil = 1 ). thus , an optimum threshold is produced for misfire detection . more generally , what happens in this invention is that model generator 85 in fig8 generates a model for a critical parameter used to track a particular condition and then model generator 86 in fig9 produces a model for creating a threshold useful as a performance indicator of the critical parameter . comparison of the model outputs indicates the level of performance . in the preferred embodiment involving misfire detection , model generator 86 produces a narmax model for generating an acceleration deficit value that would be expected to be seen if a misfire occurs assuming : ( 1 ) that respective engine operating conditions are present as determined at a selected event time ( i . e ., a particular cylinder firing rotation interval ), and ( 2 ) that an individual misfire has occurred in a respected cylinder of the engine at the selected event time . the value that would be predicted to be present in the event that a misfire has occurred is compared to the actual predicted value of daccel from the first model . the result of the comparison produces a misfire indication . fig1 shows a circuit for performing a comparison to produce a misfire indication . the synthesized rear daccel signal as produced by the system model from first model generator 85 is coupled to the inverting input of a comparator 90 . a predicted acceleration deficit on misfire is coupled to one input of a threshold adjustment potentiometer 91 . the output tap of potentiometer 91 is coupled to the non - inverting input of comparator 90 . the output of potentiometer 91 can be adjusted to provide a less sensitive or a more sensitive misfire indication , as shown . comparator 90 receives a nominal supply voltage of + 1 volt and is connected to a ground reference zero volts in order to produce a misfire indication having a voltage level of either + 1 or 0 volts . threshold adjustment potentiometer 91 scales the acceleration deficit on misfire value by a factor between 0 and 1 . a preferred value of 0 . 5 puts the threshold halfway between 0 ( representing a normal firing which would produce an extremely sensitive misfire detector ) and 1 ( representing the loss in acceleration that would accompany a misfire , which would produce a highly insensitive misfire detector ). fig1 shows a narmax generated model for producing a synthesized rear daccel signal based on test data derived from an actual test engine . thus , narmax curve fitting techniques produced a model wherein first , second , third , seventh , eighth , and ninth rotation intervals together with fuel pulse width and engine rpm &# 39 ; s are input to a computationally simple formula using multiplication and addition . likewise , a model for estimated acceleration deficit was derived as shown in fig1 which relies only on fuel pulse width as an input signal . rather than specific hardware circuits as shown in fig1 and 12 , the present invention could be implemented using computational software either in a stand alone microprocessor unit or within the engine control module if sufficient computing capacity is available .	6
fig1 - 13 show a portable desk 10 . referring to fig1 and 2 , the desk 10 includes a carrying case 12 , which in this particular embodiment is made by adapting a watertight carrying case manufactured by pelican products , inc . of torrance , calif . the case 12 is mounted on a telescoping tripod stand 14 by means of a mounting bracket 16 ( see also fig8 and 9 ). the adapting kit also includes left and right side plates 18 , 20 , a support tray 22 , a foam insert 24 ( see fig5 ), and an electrical fitting 26 ( see fig1 ), as described in more detail below . referring to fig1 and 2 , the case 12 has a front wall 15 , a rear wall 17 , left and right side walls 19 , 21 , a top 23 , and a bottom wall 25 . the top 23 is pivotably connected relative to the bottom 25 by means of hinges 27 located on the rear wall 17 . referring to fig8 and 9 , the mounting bracket 16 is used to releasably secure the case 12 to the mounting stand 14 . as will be explained later , the mounting bracket 16 takes advantage of external webs or reinforcing ribs 48 , 50 that are part of the originally manufactured case 12 ( see fig1 ) to securely mount the bracket 16 onto the case 12 without piercing the body of the case , so the watertight feature of the case 12 is maintained . for cases with a design which does not include the use of external webs or reinforcing ribs 48 , 50 at locations that make it convenient to attach to the mounting bracket 16 , a suitable rib can be achieved by attaching a metal or plastic clip ( not shown ) to the case 12 . for example , clips that include projections similar to the ribs 48 , 50 on the case shown in fig1 could be adhered to the case . the bracket 16 has two parallel horizontal arms 28 , 30 interconnected by a rectangular mounting plate 32 and an end bar 34 at a first end of the horizontal arms 28 , 30 to form a substantially rectangular horizontal mounting surface 35 . two vertical mounting arms 36 , 38 project vertically from the second end of the horizontal arms 28 , 30 , respectively , for securing the mounting bracket 16 to the case 12 , as explained below . the vertical mounting arms 36 , 38 are secured to the horizontal arms 28 , 30 using two bolts each ( not shown ). alternately , the vertical mounting arms 36 , 38 can be secured with a single bolt and a pin in each arm 36 , 38 . the single bolt in each arm 36 , 38 is not fully tightened so as to allow the associated vertical mounting arm 36 , 38 to rotate and fold down ( when the associated pin is removed ) to permit a more compact storage of the bracket 16 . the pin ( not shown ) is installed to secure the vertical mounting arms 36 , 38 in the vertical position to allow them to be attached to a reinforcing rib 48 , 50 or clip ( not shown ). the folding feature of the bracket 16 allows it to fit inside the case 12 for storage and transportation the tripod stand 14 can be attached to a clamp , not shown , mounted on one of the available surfaces of the case 12 for the purposes of transportation and storage . as shown in fig8 , a flange 40 is bolted to the bottom side of the plate 32 . the flange 40 supports a projection that defines a cylindrical recess 46 having a vertical axis ( perpendicular to the plate 32 ). a wing nut thumbscrew 42 is threaded into the wall of the projection and can be threaded through , into the cylindrical recess 46 , in order to tighten onto a post 44 that is received in the recess 46 . the thickness or strength of plate 32 is chosen to ensure it can support the total weight of the case 12 and any of its contents . the plate 32 may be stiffened by adding a gusset ( not shown ) across the plate 32 and connected to the horizontal arms 28 , 30 . as best appreciated in fig1 and 8 , the vertical post 44 of the telescoping tripod stand 14 is received in the cylindrical recess 46 of the bolted flange 40 . the wing nut thumbscrew 42 is threaded in to secure the mounting plate 32 to the tripod stand 14 , as shown in fig8 . it should be noted that other types of support stands using a vertical post 44 could be substituted for the tripod stand 14 , if desired . for example , if the product is to be used on the top tubesheet of a chemical reactor or other vertical tube heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes , then the telescoping vertical post 44 a of fig1 a could be used . that vertical post 44 a has a diameter that allows it to fit into the vertical tube of the heat exchanger ( not shown ), and , a few inches from its lower end , it has a flange 45 that is larger than the inside diameter of the heat exchanger tube , which serves as a stop to prevent the post 44 a from going further into the reactor tube . fig1 b shows a vertical post 44 b with a sharply pointed bottom that allows it to be inserted into the ground . fig1 c shows a vertical post 44 c with a flat horizontal plate welded to the bottom . that flat plate could rest on the floor or the ground , and sandbags could be placed on top of it to provide greater stability , if desired . fig1 d shows a vertical post 44 d that includes a c - clamp for clamping to a shelf or other projection that might be available . fig1 e shows a vertical post 44 e that is welded to a horizontal projection having a square cross - section that is sized to be received in the receptacle of a trailer hitch . any of these alternatives could be received in the cylindrical recess 46 of the bracket 16 . furthermore , any of these alternative vertical posts 44 can be secured to the tripod stand 14 using a clamp or an elastic cord ( not shown ). referring now to fig1 , 8 , 9 , and 10 , the case 12 is set down onto the two horizontal arms 28 , 30 of the mounting bracket 16 , with the vertical mounting arms 36 , 38 projecting upwardly into the spaces defined between respective pairs of reinforcing webs 48 , 50 of the case 12 . as best seen in fig1 , horizontal through openings 52 have been drilled through the vertical inner webs 50 , and these openings 52 are aligned with respective through openings 54 ( see fig8 ) in the respective vertical mounting arms 36 , 38 . quick release pins 56 , 58 are inserted through the aligned sets of openings 52 , 54 to releasably secure the case 12 to the mounting bracket 16 . referring to fig1 , this embodiment includes a watertight electrical fitting 26 , which has been installed on the rear wall 17 of the case 12 . electrical items inside the case 12 , such as a laptop , a printer , an external hard drive , controllers , or any other items , can be plugged into this electrical fitting 26 on the inside of the case 12 . once in the field , a power supply source , such as an extension cord ( not shown ), is plugged into the electrical fitting 26 on the outside of the case 12 in order to power up any items that are plugged into the fitting 26 on the inside of the case 12 . note that the electrical fitting 26 is advantageously located on the rear wall of the case 10 , and projects rearwardly a shorter distance than the webs 48 , 50 , so it is protected by the reinforcing webs 48 , 50 even when the case 12 is set on the ground resting on the webs 48 , 50 . other watertight and ruggedized connectors with covers ( not shown ) can be located on the rear 17 or on the sides 19 , 21 of the case 12 . referring to fig2 and 4 , the desk 10 includes two side plates 18 , 20 , which are shown in the deployed position in fig2 and in the stowed position in fig3 . when in the stowed position , the side plates 18 , 20 help secure and protect the contents of the case 12 , which are located beneath the plates 18 , 20 . when deployed , as shown in fig2 , the side plates 18 , 20 extend outwardly to the sides of the open case 12 and may be used as work surfaces such as for a mouse for a laptop or for holding papers or other documents ( not shown ). clips such as the hinged clips used on a clipboard , may be added to the side plates 18 , 20 to assist in holding the papers onto the side plates 18 , 20 . of course , the side plates 18 , 20 may be custom designed to meet specific needs . for instance , instead of two side plates 18 , 20 , a single plate could be used which extends the full width of the case 12 ( or any portion thereof ), or the side plates may be omitted entirely if they are not needed , or if space or weight is an issue . fig4 and 7 show “ c ” channels 62 , 64 which are secured to the interior of the left side wall 19 of the case 12 , and which are used to guide and releasably hold the side plates 18 , 20 in place , either in the stowed or in the deployed positions . ( the same arrangement is on the interior of the right side wall 21 , with the channels on the right side wall lying directly opposite the corresponding channels on the left side wall ). as shown in fig4 , the plate 18 includes both a substantially flat horizontal plate or wing 63 and a second , substantially flat vertical plate 65 intersecting and secured to the horizontal plate 63 at one edge of the horizontal plate 63 . to remove or install the plate 18 , the user simply lifts the plate 18 such that the vertical plate 65 slides along the “ c ” channels 62 , 64 ; up for removing the plate 18 , or down for installing the plate 18 . the orientation of the horizontal plate 63 relative to the case 12 dictates whether the wing 63 projects inwardly ( is stowed ) or projects outwardly ( is deployed ). lifting the plate 18 , rotating it 180 degrees about the axis 66 ( see fig4 ) and lowering it back into the “ c ” channels 62 , 64 , changes the orientation of the plate 18 from the stowed position to the deployed position and vice versa . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the above explanation for the plate 18 is also applicable to the plate 20 , located on the right side wall 21 . many cases have tapered left and right side walls 19 . 21 , which are not exactly vertical when the bottom wall 25 is horizontal but instead are tapered outwardly slightly so that the left - to - right width of the case 12 is greater at the open edge than at the bottom wall 25 . in that case , the vertical plate 65 and horizontal plate 63 are not exactly 90 degrees from each other . instead , the angle is selected so that , when the vertical plate 65 is parallel to the respective left or right side wall 19 . 21 , the horizontal plate 63 will be horizontal ( parallel to the bottom wall 25 ) when the horizontal plate 63 is projecting outwardly ( in the position shown in fig4 .) of course , that means that , when the side plates are rotated 180 degrees and are again inserted into the c - channels 62 , with the horizontal plates 63 projecting inwardly , the horizontal plates 63 are canted slightly upwardly . the space below the inwardly - projecting horizontal plates 63 may be used to store a laptop or other equipment to float , with the rigid plates 63 providing protection for that equipment if the lid of the case were to become crushed . the plates 63 also provide a preload for items stored in the lid to prevent them from shifting when the case is closed and being moved . referring now to fig2 , 4 , and 5 , the support tray 22 is a substantially flat plate 22 defining “ u ” shaped recesses 68 on the left and right sides to enable a user to reach behind the plate 22 to pull the support tray 22 up from its stowed position ( shown in fig7 ) to its deployed position ( shown in fig2 and in phantom in fig7 ), as explained below . referring briefly to fig5 , there are two rods 70 , 72 extending the full width , and just beyond the side edges , of the plate 22 . these rods 70 , 72 are fastened to the bottom of the plate 22 near the front and rear edges respectively of the plate 22 . the rear rod 70 cooperates with rear brackets 74 secured to the side walls of the case 12 to provide both a height adjustment function and a pivotable support “ hinge ” function to the support tray 22 , as explained later . fig7 and 12 show one of the rear brackets 74 , which is a solid plate with an inverted , “ j ”- shaped groove 76 cut into the plate . similarly shaped front brackets 78 are secured to the side walls of the case 12 and cooperate with the front rod 72 to provide a height adjustment function to the support tray 22 . it may be appreciated that the front brackets 78 have the same inverted “ j ”- shaped groove 76 of the rear brackets 74 , but the top portion of the bracket has been omitted , which allows the rod 72 ( and therefore also the support tray 22 ) to be lifted up and away from the front brackets 78 , as shown in fig4 and 5 . the bottom 80 of the grooves 76 ( see fig1 ) in the brackets 74 , 78 provide the stops for the rods 70 , 72 , respectively , to support the support tray 22 in the lower , or stowed , position . the opposite end 82 of the grooves 76 in the brackets 74 , 78 provide the stops for the rods 70 , 72 respectively to support the support tray 22 in the upper , or deployed , position ( as shown in phantom in fig7 ). this support plate 22 , as shown in these figures , is substantially coplanar to the bottom portion 25 of the case 12 whether the plate 22 is in its lowered ( stowed ) position or in its upper ( deployed position ). when in the deployed position , the front of the support tray 22 may be pivoted upwardly , as shown in fig4 and 5 , as there is no upper portion of the front brackets 78 to prevent the front rod 72 from clearing the front brackets 78 . the rear rod 70 , on the other hand , is “ trapped ” in the groove 76 of the rear brackets 74 , such that the rear brackets 74 and the rear rod 72 together function as a pivotable hinge support for the support tray 22 . the user may reach behind the support tray 22 when it is in its lowered , stowed position by reaching through the “ u ”- shaped recesses 68 and raising the support tray 22 to its upper , deployed position . when in the deployed position , the support tray 22 , shown in phantom in fig7 , allows for air to circulate freely underneath the plate 22 so as to allow the circulating air to cool and devices which may be stowed inside the case 12 , including heat generating devices , such as power supplies . fig2 and 5 help illustrate how a laptop ( not shown ) may be secured to the support tray 22 . with the laptop resting on the support tray 22 , a wire or cable 86 extends across the laptop 84 at or near the intersection of the keyboard with the monitor . this same wire 86 is fed through small openings 88 , 90 in the support tray 22 and then the ends of the wire 86 are secured together on the back side of the support tray 22 . of course , this is but one example of how a laptop could be secured to the support tray 22 . other options may include the use of velcro ™ ( hook and loop ) fasteners , for instance . of course , other items may be supported on or secured to the support tray 22 instead of , or in addition to , a laptop . fig5 and 6 show a foam insert 24 which may be used to accommodate and protect any number of accessories , such as a portable printer ( not shown ), battery chargers 94 ( not shown ), and electrical switch boxes 96 ( not shown ). these accessories are stowed in the case 12 , in the space under the support tray 22 when the support tray 22 is in its lower , stowed , position . any and all of the accessories , as well as the laptop computer may be prewired to the electrical fitting 26 ( see fig1 ) inside the case 12 . when the desk 10 is to be used , an external power source , such as an extension cord , may be plugged into the electrical fitting 26 on the outside of the case 12 to power up all the devices already plugged into the same electrical fitting 26 inside the case 12 . in one embodiment , a plug - in 28 volt power supply and a voltage converter are provided inside the case 12 . in this instance a low voltage power source is all that is needed to plug into the outlet 26 to power the 28 volt power supply . this power supply and the voltage converter are then used to power the other accessories inside the case 12 , such as the printer and the computer . it should be noted that any openings drilled into the case 12 to fasten brackets , electrical fittings , or any other accessories , may be done so as to retain the watertight quality of the case 12 . for instance , they may be mounted using silicone sealant , or with properly applied o - rings , in order to prevent water migration into the case 12 . alternatively , it may be desirable not to pierce the shell of the case 12 at all , in order to maintain its original watertight status . in that case , any internal brackets may be adhered to the inner wall of the case 12 , if desired , secured in some other way , such as by vhb adhesive tape available from 3m , or omitted altogether . as was explained earlier , the external mounting brackets do not pierce the shell of the case 12 . fig1 is a plan view of an alternate support tray 22 * which may be used in the case 12 of fig2 , 4 , and 5 . the main difference between this tray 22 * and the original tray 22 is that is has only one of the “ u ”- shaped recesses 68 to provide access to lift the tray 22 to its deployed position . on the opposite end of the tray 22 , a couple of through openings 98 provide access for the user to insert his fingers to assist in lifting the tray 22 . smaller through openings 100 provide ventilation through the tray 22 while at the same time reducing the overall weight of the tray 22 . fig1 and 16 show another alternative embodiment of a support tray 22 which may be used in the case 12 of fig2 , 4 , and 5 . the main difference between this tray 22 and the tray 22 * described above is that is has an upper plate 102 and a lower plate 104 which are joined together by a plurality of side spacers 106 which are present only in the rear and sides of the tray 22 . the upper and lower plates 102 , 104 form an elongated cavity 110 , with an open access on the front side , for storage of supplies , such as printer paper . a recess 108 along the front side of the tray 22 facilitates the removal of one or more sheets of paper from the cavity 110 . a plurality of openings 98 provide access for the fingers of a user to reach into the cavity 110 to help slide out any papers or other supplies which may be stowed in the tray 22 **. while the embodiment described above shows a simple means for adjusting the height of the case 12 and the height of the support tray 22 in the case 12 , various other mechanisms , including for instance a foot operated pneumatic pump , could be used to adjust these heights , and various known mechanisms could be used to mount accessories to the support tray 22 . it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments described above .	0
turning to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements , the invention is illustrated as being implemented in a suitable 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 . aspects of the present invention may be practiced in the representative communications environment 100 of fig1 . here , a cable television provider supports numerous communications services . servers and other devices ( represented by the single device 104 ) reside at the cable provider &# 39 ; s “ head end ” 102 . these devices ( which are very complicated but are well known in the art ) provide television and other services via a cable infrastructure 106 to the homes of cable subscribers . the cable infrastructure 106 supports two - way traffic : in addition to programming coming “ down ” the cable 106 , commands go “ up ” to the head - end servers 104 . the cable 106 can also support inherently bi - directional services when the head - end servers 104 provide connection to , for example , the public switched telephone network , the internet , and to other services beyond those provided directly by the cable provider . a typical subscriber may have one or more devices connected , directly or indirectly , to the cable infrastructure 106 . a set - top box 108 generally receives television programs and provides a user interface ( e . g ., an interactive program guide ) for selecting and viewing content from the cable provider . a digital video recorder (“ dvr ”) ( not shown ) can store programming for later viewing . video content may be viewed on a television monitor 110 . in some situations , a laptop computer 112 accesses web - based services via the cable 106 . most users will have a telephone 114 which may be supported by the cable 106 , may be supported by a land line , or may be cellular . the environment 100 , though typical , is only representative . in general , a user may be supported by other communications media in addition to , or instead of , the cable 106 of fig1 . for example , a given user may also have a satellite television receiver , a cellular telephone , and a radio to pick up public broadcasts . in the present discussion , each member of a social group may have a unique communications set up . fig2 shows the major components of a representative set - top box 108 . the cable interface 200 receives programming from the cable infrastructure 106 , sends commands to the head - end servers 104 , and possibly supports bi - directional services . a processor 202 controls the operations of the set - top box 108 and , in particular , supports aspects of the present invention as illustrated in fig3 a and 3 b , discussed below . a monitor interface 204 drives the television monitor 110 of fig1 to deliver video programming . in some embodiments , the monitor interface 204 is also used by the user interface 206 to support a user &# 39 ; s interactions with the set - top box 108 . the method illustrated in fig3 a and 3 b includes many aspects of the present invention , including some optional aspects . in step 300 of fig3 a , content - consumption information is gathered from members of a group . the group may be , for example , a social network self - defined by its members . many types of content - consumption information are of interest here , and there may be many ways of gathering that information . as a first example , it is interesting to know exactly what each member of the group watches . this information may be gathered by the set - top box 108 when it monitors the commands sent through it to the cable servers 104 . also , the set - top box 108 may know when the television monitor 110 is powered on and powered off . also of interest is information of what a group member may want to watch but is not currently watching . for example , a group member probably only stores programming content on a dvr when that content is of interest to him . thus , scanning the contents stored on the dvr gives insight into that group member &# 39 ; s interests . for just one more example , if a group member posts a review of some content on - line , it may be assumed that the group member viewed the content . the nature of the review indicates whether or not the group member enjoyed the content . the above are only a few examples of the type of content - consumption information that may be interest for the present invention . different circumstances allow access to different types of information , and different users produce different information . privacy issues should , of course , be addressed . also , in a household with multiple members , it might not be possible to assign specific content - consumption information to a specific member of the household . these are all well known problems , and though they have not all been adequately solved , useful approaches are known that can be used by the present invention in step 300 of fig3 a to gather useful and appropriate information . in step 302 of fig3 a , the gathered content - consumption information is collected at a “ controller .” this controller may be at the head - end server 104 of fig1 , but it may also be located somewhere on the web . its specific implementation is not very relevant . simply put , it needs to collect the content - consumption information for the group members ( and know that the information it is collecting is relevant to this particular group ). this collection is contemplated to be an ongoing activity : the more content - consumption information gathered about the group members , and the longer the period over which such information is gathered , the more accurate can be the results produced by the controller based on this information . the primary result produced by the controller is a shared social program guide ( step 304 ). in some embodiments , the controller sifts through the enormous amount of available content ( available , for example , from the cable provider , from web - based providers , and stored by group members ) and , based on the gathered content - consumption information , selects content that may be of interest to all of the members of the social group . those selections are then presented in a shared social program guide . now is as good a time as any to note that any social network is a fluid concept . members come and go . as a simple example , in some embodiments the controller knows , from the gathered content - consumption information , which group members are actually currently watching television ( or are known to often watch television at this time ). the other ( non - participating ) group members may be irrelevant for now , and the controller may choose to ignore the content - consumption information gathered about those not - participating group members when it selects the content to put onto the shared social program guide . in any case , the controller sends its created shared social program guide to the devices ( probably the set - top boxes 108 ) of the participating group members in step 304 . the shared social program guide is presented to the participating group members in step 306 . interaction program guides are well known in the art , and the set - top box 108 may be safely assumed to know how to present such a guide . the program guide of the present invention is unique in that it does not give access to the universe of available content but rather to a subset of that content selected as potentially interesting to all members of the social network . any known or afterward - developed implementations of program guides can be used here . for example , a simple text menu of the selected content can be presented on the television monitor 110 , and a participating group member can interact with the guide via a standard television remote control . a more sophisticated guide can show previews or actual snippets of the content on the guide . the guide may even be presented to a participating group member &# 39 ; s laptop computer 112 or cellular telephone rather than to the television monitor 110 . the known art of interactive program guides is full of possibilities that may be used in conjunction with the present invention . in step 308 , participating group members interact with the shared social program guide as they would with a prior - art program guide . however , in some embodiments , the interaction of each group member is coordinated with all of the other participating group members . thus , one group member can highlight a selection and propose that the entire group watch it . in the simplest scenario , the selected content in then rendered to the devices of all of the participating group members in step 310 . to enhance social interactivity , the rendering is coordinated among the devices of the participating group members ( for example , all participating group members see the same frame of a video at the same instant ). a basic embodiment of the present invention is presented in steps 300 through 310 of fig3 a . using the present invention , the participating members of the group can socialize by watching a program in a concerted fashion , even though the group members may be dispersed throughout the world . note that for purposes of clarity in exposition , the content is “ viewed ” in the above description . as discussed earlier , aspects of the present invention may be applied to any deliverable content of any type , whether live or recorded . the steps of fig3 b present some options that , in some scenarios , can enhance the basic embodiment of fig3 a . note that the steps of fig3 b do not necessarily occur after the steps of fig3 a : in general , the steps of fig3 b , if used at all , are intermingled among the steps of fig3 a . step 312 of fig3 b emphasizes that the content - consumption information gathered in step 300 of fig3 a can include rating information generated by the group members . for example , the controller when creating the shared social program guide may choose to not include content that one group member has rated very poorly , even if other group members may be interested in watching it . ratings can be more general than “ good ” or “ bad ” and may include , for example , appropriateness criterion . if a group member wishes to participate with his children , then the controller may automatically tailor the shared social program guide appropriately . step 314 sets up a communications channel among the participating group members . for example , a voice telephony bridge is initiated so that the participating group members can discuss the content as they view it . along with this , the shared social program guide can display a list of the group members that are currently participating . the shared social program guide need not be controlled entirely by the controller . in step 316 , participating group members can alter the content on the guide . for example , while the participating group members are deciding what to watch , one group member may choose to delete from the guide a program that he really does not want to see , or another member can add a program that he has stored and that he believes the participating group members may be interested in . if the shared social program guide gets too big ( the original problem being addressed by the present invention ), then the users can trim it down to make their decision process easier . step 318 allows the participating group members to alter the rendering of the selected content , just as they would when viewing content in a non - social setting . thus , the rendering can be paused or backed up , and that command would apply to all of the participating devices so that the rendering stays coordinated . although not actually a part of the shared social program guide , it is understood that the information used to create this guide may be of significant value in targeting advertising to the group members . of course , using the information in this manner triggers concerns about privacy and “ general annoyance ” at advertisers . 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 . for example , the methods of the present invention can be applied to any deliverable content , recorded or live , over any communications medium or any combination of communications media . therefore , the invention as described herein contemplates all such embodiments as may come within the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof .	6
the following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit application and uses . furthermore , there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or summary or the following detailed description . fig1 shows a schematic view of a vehicle 1 having a display switch unit in a vehicle driver area 2 , which is marked by a circle . located in the vehicle driver area 2 are components and functions of the vehicle 1 in the interior 20 which are disposed in the operating range of the vehicle driver . this includes the new display switch unit as is explained in detail in the following figures . fig2 shows a schematic front view of a display switch unit 3 . the display switch unit 3 comprises a plastic body 4 , of which a front plastic region 5 can be seen here in the front view , in which switch symbols 11 are disposed , which represent a small selection of possible switch symbols which can be actuated with the aid of such a display switch unit 3 . for example , six switch symbols 23 to 28 are shown , where symbol 23 is an alphanumeric switch symbol and 24 is a switch symbol of a vehicle marker light , that is disposed in the front plastic region 5 of the plastic body 4 . in addition , a switch symbol for low beam is shown by the plastic switch symbol 25 and a high beam is shown by the plastic switch symbol 26 . finally , the plastic switch symbol 27 is also provided on this display switch unit 3 , which is provided for switching on the rear fog - lamp and the plastic switch symbol 28 that is provided for a fog light . in addition , this front view shows that on a lower edge side 17 of the plastic body 4 , two light - emitting diodes 21 and 22 are provided for each of the plastic switch symbols 23 to 28 , which are provided in addition to a backlight and by which means the plastic switch symbols 23 to 28 themselves are excited to light up in order to additionally add two different colors for the transparent plastic compound 32 surrounding the switch symbol 23 to 24 and in order to thereby signal the switching state of the respective switch symbol 23 to 28 . thus , for example , a green light - emitting diode 21 is provided for the switched - on state of a vehicle function and a red light - emitting diode 22 is provided for the switched - off state . the light - emitting diodes 21 and 22 couple their colored light via the lower edge side 17 in the rear plastic region of the plastic body 4 so that a front transparent plastic volume 12 surrounding the respective plastic switch symbols 23 to 28 is indirectly illuminated . fig3 shows a schematic front view of the display switch unit 3 with proximity sensors 13 of a first embodiment . the proximity sensors 13 are here designed as meander - shaped and provided as capacitance electrodes , where the capacitance changes at the instant at which an operating finger of the driver approaches the switch symbol and therefore the meander structure 18 . the proximity sensors 13 with their sensor structures 14 , which are here formed in meander shape as meander structures 19 , can adjust the capacitance , for example , of an oscillatory circuit as an operating finger of the driver approaches , in such a manner that the oscillatory circuit triggers a switching process . to this end , the meander structure 19 goes over into electrical connections 15 and 16 provided for each of these sensor structures 14 . fig4 shows a schematic plan view of the plastic body 4 having a plurality of regions , where only two regions can be seen here , i . e . a front plastic region 5 with a front side 7 and a rear region 6 with a rear side 10 of the plastic body 4 . the plastic body 4 has a depth t , where three - dimensional plastic switch symbols 23 to 28 are disposed in the front region , having a depth t which is less than the depth t of the plastic body 4 . on the rear side 9 of the front plastic region , the meander structure 19 shown in fig3 can be vapor - deposited or it is provided on a front side 8 of a rear plastic region 6 . as a result of the thin conductive coating , in this plan view only a thin separating line can be seen at the positions of the proximity sensors , at which the structured conductive coating of the respective sensor structure is provided . the rear plastic region 6 is potted with its front side 8 on the rear side 9 of the front plastic region 5 . in addition , it is also possible that the front plastic region 5 and the rear plastic region 6 are produced separately as sub - regions of the plastic body 4 and then , after applying the interposed sensor structure , glued onto one another with a transparent adhesive . fig5 shows a schematic perspective view of a plastic body 4 of the display switch unit 3 . however , neither the backlight source nor the positions of the colored light - emitting diodes are indicated , which illuminate the three - dimensional plastic switch symbols 11 disposed in the front plastic region 5 or the surrounding plastic . depending on the operating state , the readiness of the display switch unit 3 can be indicated by switching on or off the backlight source . when the backlight is switched on , light is coupled into the plastic volume 12 from the edge sides or from the rear side of the plastic body 4 , where light - sensitive particles of the plastic compound 34 of the plastic switch symbols 11 light up in color . as has already been mentioned above , the surrounding transparent plastic mass can be illuminated in color by corresponding light - emitting diodes in such a manner that the switching state of the individual plastic switch symbols 11 is indicated . in addition , fig5 shows the sensor structure 14 of the proximity sensors 13 , which are either applied as a thin wire structure or as transparent electrically conducting strips in meander form to the rear side 9 of the front plastic region 5 . if the front plastic region 5 and the rear plastic region 6 are prepared as separate plastic parts , they can be interconnected thanks to a plastic joint 41 of a transparent adhesive shown only in part here . from the lower edge side 17 of the plastic body 4 , the connections 15 and 16 to the sensor structures project in the area of the sensor structures 14 . these electrical connections 15 and 16 can be designed as plugs or as sockets and form contact surfaces on the lower edge side 17 , via which the sensor structures 14 are connected to corresponding sensor circuits . fig6 shows a schematic front view of a display switch unit 3 ′ with proximity sensors 13 ′ of another embodiment . components having the same functions as in the preceding figures are identified with the same reference numbers and not explained additionally . the sensor structure 14 ′ symbolized by lines can either comprise thin wires embedded between the rear and the front plastic region or they can be configured as transparent electrically conducting strips , which are structured on the rear side 9 of the front plastic region 5 . for each sensor structure 14 ′ this electrically conducting sensor structure 14 ′ goes over into electrical connections 29 and 30 on the lower edge side 17 of the rear plastic region 6 . these electrical connections 29 and 30 can comprise plug contacts or plug sockets , or surface - mountable contact surfaces . an electrically conducting transparent coating can , for example , comprise indium oxide or iron oxide . the structuring to form a sensor structure 14 ′ with straight vertical adjacent strips can be achieved by a selective etching method . if an operating finger of the driver approaches one of the plastic switch symbols and the display switch unit 3 ′ is in readiness , the strip structure 18 of the proximity sensors 13 ′ will experience a change in capacitance which can be used to electrically trigger a switching process in order to execute the functions associated with the plastic switch symbols when driving the vehicle . fig7 shows a schematic perspective view of a plastic body 4 ′ of the display switch unit 3 ′ in which it is again clear that the plastic switch symbols 11 are disposed three - dimensionally in a front plastic region 5 , which can be achieved , for example , by means of a doping process of the transparent plastic with the aid of light - sensitive nanoparticles and can be achieved by forming or casting corresponding three - dimensional plastic switch symbols 23 to 28 from a plastic compound 34 containing these light - sensitive particles . the prefabricated plastic switch symbols 11 can then be potted or inserted into the transparent plastic compound 32 of the front plastic region 5 . instead of potting , these plastic switch symbols can also be inserted or glued into prepared recesses in the front plastic region 5 . a transparent adhesive is again used when gluing in . the electrical connections 15 and 16 of this sensor structure 14 ′ are again provided on the connection regions for each individual plastic switch symbol 11 . fig8 shows a schematic view from below of a plastic body 4 ′ for a display switch unit 3 ′ with the positions for two light - emitting diodes 21 and 22 each , which illuminate the transparent undoped plastic compound 32 surrounding the plastic switch symbols 11 indirectly and in color . the switching state for each individual one of the switches of the plastic switch symbols 23 to 28 of the display switch unit 3 ′ can thus be symbolized with different display colors . for this purpose , the light - emitting diodes are arranged in pairs so that a total of three switching states can be shown , on the one hand the ready state , which makes the switch symbols light up by means of a corresponding backlight , and the switch - on state and switch - off state of each individual symbol , by indirectly illuminating the surrounding transparent plastic compound 32 by suitably colored illuminating light - emitting diodes 21 or 22 . fig9 shows a schematic perspective view of the plastic body 4 ′ according to fig8 . in this embodiment the light - emitting diodes 21 and 22 are disposed on the lower edge side 17 in the rear plastic region 6 and thus indirectly illuminate the transparent plastic of the front plastic region 5 and bathe this transparent plastic compound 32 in a colored light , which signals the switched - on state of the switch symbols 23 to 28 . while at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing summary and detailed description , it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist . it should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples , and are not intended to limit the scope , applicability , or configuration in any way . rather , the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment , it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents .	8
the multilayered polymeric material from which the containers are fabricated customarily will contain two layers , but for special applications may contain three or more layers . the inner layer of linear low density ethylene polymer will be thin and ordinarily will constitute not more than about 40 %, preferably less than about 20 %, and more especially less than about 15 % of the thickness of the multilayer polymeric material . the principal layer of linear high density ethylene material will constitute at least about 60 %, preferably more than about 80 %, and more especially more than about 85 % of the thickness of the multilayer polymeric material . where additional layers of other polymeric materials are included in the multilayer polymeric material , they will constitute less than about 10 % and preferably less than about 5 % of the thickness of the multilayer polymeric material . when such additional layers are included in the multilayer polymeric material , they may constitute the outer layer of the structure or may be positioned intermediate of the linear low density ethylene polymer and the linear high density ethylene polymer . where such additional polymeric layers are included , they ordinarily are included to improve the barrier properties of the container , or to improve the printability of the container &# 39 ; s exterior surface , or to improve the extrusion characteristics of the multilayer polymeric material . the multilayered polymeric materials employed in the invention customarily will be prepared by coextrusion techniques known in the art . to prepare blow molded containers , a parison containing the low density ethylene polymer on its interior surface will be extruded through an annular die and then blow molded . heavy sheet used to thermoform tubs and like containers ordinarily will be coextruded using flat sheet dies . the linear high density ethylene polymer ( s ) included in the principal layer of the multilayer polymeric material will have a density of at least about 0 . 94 gm / ml . it is preferred to employ ethylene polymers having densities of at least about 0 . 95 and more especially at least about 0 . 96 gm / ml as containers prepared from such resins have greater stiffness . for this reason , somewhat thinner containers can be employed with no loss of stiffness . the high density ethylene polymers should have a relatively high molecular weight as indirectly measured by melt index values . the melt index should be less than abut 5 . 0 gm / 10 min ., and preferably less than about 1 . 0 gm / 10 min . and more especially less than about 0 . 5 gm / 10 min . as measured by astm method 1238 - 70 , condition e . mixtures of two or more such high density polymers may be employed if desired . the linear high density ethylene polymers employed in the invention will have polymerized therein at least about 98 mol % ethylene with any comonomer polymerized therein being an alpha - monoolefin containing about 3 to 12 carbon atoms . such linear high density ethylene polymers are known and reported in the art and are commercially available from numerous commercial producers . such linear high density ethylene polymers are prepared by polymerizing ethylene , optionally in the presence of an alpha - monoolefin comonomer containing 3 to 12 carbon atoms , in the presence of certain metallic catalysts such as chromium catalysts , e . g ., cro 3 supported on silica - alumina supports , and the ziegler - natta catalysts , e . g ., ticl 3 employed in conjunction with certain aluminum alkyl cocatalysts . the requisite density and melt index desired in the polymer are obtained by proper control of polymerization conditions including temperature , pressure , comonomer concentration and the concentration of telogenating agents such as hydrogen . the linear low density ethylene polymer ( s ) included in the inner layer of the multilayer polymeric material will have a density of less than about 0 . 94 gm / ml , preferably in a range of about 0 . 91 about 0 . 93 gm / ml , and more especially in a range of about 0 . 91 to about 0 . 92 gm / ml . the linear , low density ethylene polymers will have a melt index of less than about 10 . 0 and preferably less than about 5 . 0 and , more especially , less than about 1 . 0 gm / 10 min ., as measured by astm method 1238 - 70 , condition e . it is desirable for the melt index to be close to the melt index of the linear high density ethylene polymer included in the multilayer polymeric material to facilitate the fabrication of such material by coextrusion methods . these polymers are ethyene copolymers having polymerized about 2 - 6 and preferably about 4 - 6 mol % of an alpha - monoolefin containing about 3 to 12 carbon atoms with the balance of the monomer polymerized therein being ethylene . the linear low density ethylene polymers employed in the present invention have long linear chains with controlled numbers of relatively short chain branches attached to the linear chains along their entire length . these side chains , or &# 34 ; branches &# 34 ;, are short and will contain from about 1 to 10 carbon atoms depending upon the particular alpha - monoolefin employed in the preparation of the polymer . the linear low density ethylene polymers differ structurally from low density ethylene polymers made by high pressure , free radical initiated polymerizations in having few , if any , long chain branches . the linear low density ethylene polymers are commerically available from multiple commercial sources . such polymers are prepared by copolymerizing ethylene with an alpha - monoolefin containing about 3 to 12 carbon atoms in the presence of certain metallic catalysts of the same general type employed to prepare the linear high density ethylene polymers discussed supra . the polymerization conditions employed in their preparation differ somewhat , and somewhat modified catalysts will be employed . one of the techniques to prepare such polymers involves copolymerizing ethylene and butene - 1 in the vapor phase in a fluidized bed process . by reason of the constraints imposed by carrying out the polymerization in the vapor phase , the ethylene polymers prepared by this process are limited to copolymers of ethylene and butene - 1 . by operating in solvent systems , copolymers can be prepared from alpha - monoolefin comonomers containing up to 12 carbon atoms . the preferred linear low density ethylene polymers for inclusion in the blends of the invention will be ethylene copolymers having polymerized therein at least one alpha - monoolefin comonomer containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms , and which optionally also will have butene - 1 copolymerized therein . where additional layers of polymers are employed in the containers of the invention , they will be employed to provide specific desired properties in the container . the additional layer can be provided on the outer surface of the container to improve surface glass and / or &# 34 ; printability &# 34 ;. ethylene copolymers having polymerized therein a polar comonomer , such as acrylic acid , are useful for this purpose . the additional layer also can be included to reduce the container &# 39 ; s vapor transmission properties . polymers having low vapor transmission properties are known in the art . in preparation of containers of the invention , it is preferred to employ a single species of the linear high density ethylene polymer and a single species of the linear low density ethylene polymer . in the preparation of blow molded containers , as is known in the art , a certain percentage of trim material is recovered and must be recycled to achieve low manufacturing costs . the trim scrap is collected and comminuted to small particles to prepare a recycle material which is referred to as &# 34 ; regrind &# 34 ;. since the &# 34 ; regrind &# 34 ; will consist predominantly of a linear high density ethylene polymer , reasonable quantities of &# 34 ; regrind &# 34 ; can be blended with virgin linear high density ethylene polymer without significantly adversely affecting the strength properties of the containers . each of the ethylene polymers employed in the containers of the invention may contain minor amounts of other components conventionally employed with ethylene polymers . specifically , the ethylene polymers can contain antioxidants , stabilizers , pigments , fillers , colorants and the like conventionally employed in such polymers to serve their customary function . significant concentrations of low cost inorganic pigments , such as calcium carbonate , can be included , either alone or in admixture with other colorants , in the linear high density ethylene polymer both to provide opacity and / or color in the container and to reduce the container &# 39 ; s cost . fig1 illustrates a bottle - type container 10 which includes a threaded finish portion 12 , a neck portion 14 , a shoulder portion 16 , a main body portion 18 and a bottom portion 20 . each of the neck portion , the shoulder portion , the main body portion and the bottom portion is fabricated from a bilayer polymeric material . as shown in fig2 the bilayer polymeric material includes a thin inner layer 22 , which constitutes about 10 % of the thickness of the wall and is a linear low density ethylene polymer and an outer layer 24 , which constitutes about 90 % of the thickness of the wall and is a linear high density ethylene polymer . fig3 illustrates a trilayer polymeric material that can be employed in fabricating a container of the type shown in fig1 . layers 22 and 24 are as previously described with the outer layer 26 being a very thin layer of an ionomer resin to provide improved barrier and printing properties . layer 22 and 26 each constitute about 10 % of the structure with layer 24 constituting about 80 % of the structure . fig4 illustrates a thermoformed tub - shaped container 30 of the type employed to package margarine . the walls and bottom are fabricated from a bilayer polymeric material , including a thin layer 32 which constitutes about 10 % of the wall &# 39 ; s thickness and is a linear low density ethylene polymer and an outer layer 34 , which constitutes about 90 % of the wall &# 39 ; s thickness and is a linear high density ethylene polymer . the following examples are set forth to illustrate more clearly the principle and practice of the invention to those skilled in the art . reported melt index values were determined by astm method 1238 - 70 , condition e . as a first run to demonstrate the principle of the invention , containers of oval cross - section having a 28 oz . capacity and used to package parson &# 39 ; s brand ammonia were prepared employing a single cavity extrusion blow molding machine . each container weighed about 50 grams . bilayer parisons were prepared on a bekum bmo - i blow molding machine equipped with a kautex coextrusion head . the die had an annular diameter of 0 . 740 inch . the die gap opening was set at 0 . 25 inch . a linear low density ethylene polymer having a density of 0 . 935 gm / ml and a melt index of 1 . 0 gm / 10 min . was employed to form the inner wall of the parison . this polymer was fed to the die head by a 11 / 4 inch welex extruder operated at a screw speed of 25 rpm with the melt temperature being maintained at 445 ° f . ( 229 ° c .). a linear high density ethylene polymer having a density of 0 . 953 gm / ml and a melt index of 0 . 25 gm / 10 min . was employed to form the outer wall of the parison . this polymer was fed to the die by a 11 / 4 inch welex extruder operated at a screw speed of 50 rpm with the melt temperature being maintained at 460 ° f . ( 238 ° c .). each extruder had an l / d ratio of 24 / 1 . the inner wall of the parison constituted about 33 % of the total parison thickness . as a control , otherwise identical containers were prepared solely from the linear high density ethylene polymer employed in part a . five of the blow molded containers of the invention prepared in part a and five of the prior art containers prepared in part b were tested for environmental stress crack resistance employing an unusually severe test procedure . in the test , each of the containers was filled with about three fluid ounces of an aqueous dishwashing product containing an anionic sulfonate surfactant . the containers were sealed and maintained at 140 ° f . the filled containers were examined on a daily basis for the first visible evidence of liquid leakage . in the first nine days of the test , three of the five prior art control containers prepared in part b failed the test and leaked . the test was continued for a total of 25 days . none of the containers of the invention prepared in part a showed any evidence of leakage . containers of circular cross - section having a 16 - oz . capacity were prepared employing a single cavity extrusion blow molding machine . each container weighed about 23 grams . bilayer parisons were prepared on a modified bekum bmo - 1 blow molding machine equipped with a kautex coextrusion head and 2 welex 11 / 4 inch satellite extruders . the die had an annular opening of 0 . 575 inch . the die gap was set at 0 . 25 inch . a linear low density polyethylene resin having a density of 0 . 926 gm / ml and a melt index of 1 . 0 gm / 10 min . was employed to form the inner wall of the parison . this polymer was fed to the die head by a 11 / 4 inch welex extruder operated at a screw speed of 10 rpm with the melt temperature maintained at 460 ° f . a linear high density polyethylene resin having a density of 0 . 953 gm / ml and melt index of 0 . 25 gm / 10 min . was employed to form the outer wall of the parison . this polymer was fed to the die by a 11 / 4 inch welex extruder operated at a screw speed of 70 rpm with the melt temperature maintained at 460 ° f . each extruder had an l / d ratio of 24 / 1 . the inner wall of the parison constituted about 12 % of the total thickness of the parison wall . as a control , otherwise identical containers were prepared solely from the linear high density polyethylene resin employed in part a . ten containers of the invention prepared in part a and ten of the prior art containers prepared in part b were subjected to a drop impact test . in the test , each container was filled to capacity with water and capped . each container then was dropped on its bottom from a height of 4 feet . each of the prior art containers cracked sufficiently so that water leakage was noted . none of the containers of the invention cracked in this test . test specimens were cut from center sections of the walls of the containers prepared in parts a and b for measurement of physical properties by astm procedures . one set of specimens was cut in the vertical plane , i . e ., along the axis of extrusion , while the second set was cut transversely thereto . each specimen was tested for elongation at break (%) and impact energy absorption ( ft . lbs / in . 2 ). the results are shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________sample product of prior artproperty invention control______________________________________elongation at break , % vertical specimen 116 ± 17 60 ± 19transverse specimen 75 ± 36 66 ± 14impact energy absorption , ft . lbs / in .. sup . 2vertical specimen 302 ± 41 192 ± 66transverse specimen 199 ± 94 212 ± 60______________________________________ it will be noted that the properties of the containers of the invention are materially superior to the properties of the prior art containers . one gallon containers were prepared on a commercial blow molding machine . a bilayer parison was prepared in which the inner layer constituted 10 % of the structure &# 39 ; s thickness and was fabricated from a linear low density ethylene polymer having a density of 0 . 926 gm / ml and a melt index of 1 . 0 gm / 10 min . the outer layer was fabricated from a linear high density ethylene polymer having density of 0 . 953 gm / ml and a melt index of 0 . 25 gm / 10 min . the molding machine employed in this example was one used to manufacture a one - handled , one gallon container used to package hypochlorite bleach . the extrusion rate of the bilayered parison was adjusted so that the container weights were equivalent to those of the prior art containers made routinely on the same equipment . the containers of the invention molded well at commercially acceptable rates and in appearance were indistinguishable from the prior art containers manufactured on the same molding machine . while the articles herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these articles and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims .	1
it is common to utilize a flare stack for the disposal of waste combustible gas from chemical and industrial processes and particularly from oil refining . such stacks may be vertical , horizontal or inclined . the waste combustible gas is not usually continuously available but is intermittently supplied as it becomes necessary to dump such gas . it has also been common practice to supply purge gas intermittently to the flare stack when waste combustible gas is not being supplied so that air backflow in the stack is minimized , the purging of the stack by waste combustible gas or purge gas minimizing conditions favorable to an explosion within the stack . it is also necessary to take into account the failure of the purge gas supply . referring now more particularly to the drawings , a flare stack 10 is illustrated having a supply conduit 11 connected thereto for the supply of waste gas from a waste gas supply connection past a relief valve 12 . the waste gas is combustible and is derived from industrial operations and particularly from oil refineries . the flare stack 10 may be of any desired type , may have a fluidic seal 14 spaced downwardly from the top to permit free upward movement of gas but to provide a substantial obstacle to downflow in the stack 10 . a suitable form of seal for this purpose is shown in my u . s . pat . no . 3 , 730 , 673 . the flare stack preferably has a burner 15 on the top or discharge end for aiding in the admixture with the waste gas of air for combustion , and with or without steam , and may have a hollow cylindrical slotted wind shield 16 closed at the bottom to protect the pilots 17 and the burners 15 from the wind . suitable burners are shown in my prior u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 730 , 673 ; 3 , 797 , 991 ; 3 , 822 , 984 and 3 , 995 , 986 but the apparatus of the present invention is applicable to a wide range of burners . a purge gas supply connection 20 is provided which communicates through a strainer 21 and pressure regulator 22 to divided or branch connections 23 , 24 and 29 . the purge gas is usually an inert gas , a hydrocarbon gas or a combustible gas with an oxygen content too low to support combustion , or any other suitable gas with insufficient oxygen content for supporting combustion . the branch connection 23 has a solenoid control valve 25 therein and the branch 24 has a manually operable valve 26 therein . the branch connections 23 and 24 extend to a supply line 27 with a purge failure flow alarm 28 therein which is moved to a closed condition when there is no flow in the conduit 27 , as hereinafter pointed out . the branch connection 29 has a proportional control valve 31 responsive to wind speed and specific gravity , as hereinafter explained . the conduit 11 has a flow responsive switch 30 inserted therein , which may be of any desired type , but which is closed when there is gas flow through the conduit 11 and open if there is no flow . the stack 10 , preferably adjacent to its discharge end , has a wind speed responsive impeller 32 , preferably an anemometer , which drives a signal source 33 for supplying a wind speed signal for utilization as hereinafter explained . a source 34 of power is provided connected by a conductor 35 to the flow switch 30 and therethrough by a conductor 36 to the winding 37 of a relay . the power source 34 is also connected by a conductor 38 to the contact 39 actuated by the winding 37 , when energized by closing of the flow switch by waste gas flow , to a downward position to establish a circuit through conductor 40 to activate a signal light 41 at the indicating panel 42 to indicate that waste gas flow is occurring and that no purge is needed . if no waste gas flow is occurring so that the flow switch 30 is in an open position the winding 37 is deenergized and the contact 39 is in its upper position . power from the source 34 is available through conductor 38 , contact 39 , conductor 44 for the wind speed responsive signal source 33 , through conductor 45 , conductor 43 to the specific gravity meter 65 to be described , and conductor 58 to purge failure flow alarm 28 , through conductor 59 to purge failure light 60 . the conductor 45 is connected to a manual meter selector switch 46 , and to a wind speed signal and specific gravity converting unit 48 the selector switch 46 has a contact 49 which is connected by a conductor 47 through indicating meter 50 for making available a wind speed indication through a pointer needle 51 at an appropriate scale in miles or kilometers per hour when the contact 49 is directly connected to the meter 50 and to conductor 62 . the contact 49 of selector switch 46 can be connected to a conductor 61 for specific gravity . the purge gas may vary in its specific gravity with respect to air so that if it is lighter than air there is a tendency to rise more rapidly in the stack 10 . this makes it desirable to increase the flow for purge gas specific gravities less than one and to decrease the flow for specific gravities greater than one . in order to determine the specific gravity of the purge gas a specific gravity meter 65 is provided in a pipe 67 connected to the supply conduit 11 with a motor driven pump 66 drawing gas from the conduit 11 and returning the same to the conduit 11 through a return connection 68 . the specific gravity meter 65 and the pump 66 are activated by contact 39 and through conductor 43 when there is purge gas flow and shut off whenever there is waste gas flow . the meter 65 supplies a signal through a conductor 69 which is connected to the signal converting unit 48 to modify the purge gas delivery inversely to the specific gravity . the signal converting unit 48 modifies the windspeed signal and the specific gravity signal to provide a purge flow rate signal in standard volumetric units per hour in accordance with the formula s m is the modified signal in terms of purge gas flow k 1 is a constant dependent upon the dimensions and other characteristics of the components and takes into account a minimum wind velocity v n is the nth power of the wind velocity at the wind driven impeller 33 , and n ≃ 2 , k 2 is a correction constant dependent upon the dimensions and other characteristics of the components for specific gravity sg is the specific gravity of the purge gas as compared to air , and n 2 ≃ 1 , and k 3 is a correction constant dependent on the dimensions and other characteristics of the components the purge gas flow signal is available through a conductor 52 and the contact 49 when positioned to the right for activating an appropriate scale of the purge rate range . a conductor 54 also extends to the proportional control valve 31 with a signal from unit 48 so that the purge rate may set the proportional valve 26 . the conductor 44 also has a conductor 56 extending therefrom to an indicating lamp 57 which is illuminated when purge gas is required . a conductor 58 extends from the conductor 56 to the purge failure flow alarm 28 for controlling the indicating light 60 through conductor 59 from the alarm 28 . the indicating light 60 operates when there is purge failure at the same time that there is no flow of waste gas acting on the switch 30 and through the relay coil 37 and contact 39 .	5
fig1 shows a diagram of the enhanced computer system where a central processing module 5 holds a processor 10 having a general cache memory 14 . communicating with the general cache 14 is an auxiliary mini - cache 14 i which supports the general cache and which operates through a bus interface circuit 8 to a system bus means 22 . the system bus means may operate as a single bus channel or as dual busses 22 a , 22 b . attached to the system bus means 22 is the main system memory 40 and a resource module block 30 which represents other modules on the system bus , such as peripheral controllers , other processors , i / o subsystem or other digital modules . fig2 shows a block diagram of the functional elements of the presently described mini - cache system architecture . the mini - cache 14 i shown in fig2 is seen to have an input from the system bus 22 which can be connected to main memory and / or other units such as i / o subsystem 30 . additionally , the output from the mini - cache is seen to be presented to the processor 10 through the general cache 14 . the mini - cache 14 i operates in a system which provides a number of modules developing different functions . fig2 shows the various functional blocks as the queue steering block 24 , the data queue block 26 q , the address register block 26a , the hit control block 27 , the invalidation block 28 , and the maintenance block 29 . the queue steering block 24 receives data blocks from memory 40 via bus interface 8 from the system bus 22 . steering block 24 also routes the data quene block 269 to general cache 14 or processor 10 directly , if no general cache is used . the steering block 24 also provides bidirectional connection with data queue block 26 q . if the mini - cache structure were not present or if the mini - cache were disabled by the maintenance subsystem 50 , then the processor 10 and the general cache memory 14 would connect directly to the system bus through a system bus interface 8 . this interface 8 would be typical to that described in a co - pending application ser . no . 963 , 304 entitled &# 34 ; dual bus interface transfer system for central processing module ,&# 34 ; now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 404 , 462 . on the other hand , if the mini - cache unit 14 i is present and enabled , then the mini - cache will interface to the system bus interface circuitry 8 . referring to fig2 the basic logical blocks which provide the functions for the mini - cache 14 i are shown in block diagram form . the data queue block 26 q is seen to contain four identical 60 - bit registers . these registers ( 15 sx ) are designated as 15 so , 15 s1 , 15 s2 , and 15 s3 . each of these registers can carry 60 bits of which there are 52 bits of data , 7 bits of parity upon the data and 1 bit indicating whether or not that particular data word is &# 34 ; corrupted &# 34 ; that is to say no longer usable because of errors or invalidation . the data queue block 26 q and the queue steering block 24 are present in the gate array chip logic whether the mini - cache 14 i is used or not . thus the mini - cache function comes virtually free of additive circuitry . the queue steering block 24 works to direct which one of the four data queue registers 15 sx is to be loaded with data from the system bus 22 . this block 24 also steers the output of the appropriate register 15 over to the processor 10 . the address register block 26 a is circuitry which is loaded by the current processor memory address in order to hold this particular address value either until a new address is loaded or until the mini - cache address is invalidated . the hit control block 27 is used to monitor the processor &# 39 ; s data address request and to compare this with the currently held address values in the address register block 26 a . if a true comparison or &# 34 ; match &# 34 ; occurs and if the chosen data queue register 15 is not marked as &# 34 ; corrupted &# 34 ;, then the hit control block 27 will specify that a mini - cache &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ; has occurred . this will cause the queue steering block 24 to select the appropriate data register from the data queue block 26 q and transfer this data immediately to the processor 10 . additionally , the hit control block 27 acts during the &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ; indication to prevent the system bus interface circuitry 8 ( fig1 ) from initiating a system bus memory operation . referring to fig2 the invalidation block 28 will monitor the system bus interface 8 to see if any main memory type operations may be in progress . these main memory operations may be initiated by any system resource module 30 such as another processor in the system , various system input / output modules and so on . if the system operation is an &# 34 ; invalidation type &# 34 ; of operation , that is to say an operation where data is being written to main memory thus to change old memory data , and if the invalidation block detects that the address value held in the address register 26 a is the same ( match ) as the address value presented on the system bus 22 , then this will constitute a &# 34 ; invalidation condition &# 34 ; occurring . the invalidation block then will mark the particular mini - cache address value in 26 a as being &# 34 ; invalid &# 34 ;. thus , no more mini - cache &# 34 ; hits &# 34 ; can occur for this particular address until a new address value from the forwarding processor is loaded into the mini - cache 14 i on some subsequent memory read operation . in fig2 the maintenance block 29 represents the final module of the mini - cache 14 i and includes a series of flip - flops which are set by the maintenance subsystem 50 . this block , being controlled by an external maintenance subsystem 50 , is configured for various mini - cache modes of operation . these modes of operation include : ( a1 ) enabled flip - flop - on :-- the mini - cache 14 i is operational when set by maintenance block 29 . in this condition , a mini - cache hit acts to prevent a system bus operation . ( a2 ) disabled flip - flop - off :-- the mini - cache 14 i is off - line , and no mini - cache operations occur . ( b1 ) data flip - flop - on :-- when set &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; in the maintenance block 29 by the maintenance subsystem 50 , the mini - cache allows &# 34 ; processor read data &# 34 ; commands to fill the data queue 26 q and to generate &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ; signals . ( b2 ) data flip - flop - off :-- when set &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; by maintenance subsystem 50 , the mini - cache 14 i will not respond to &# 34 ; processor read data &# 34 ; commands . ( c1 ) code flip - flop - on :-- when set &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; by the maintenance subsystem 50 , the mini - cache 14 1 permits &# 34 ; processor read code &# 34 ; commands to fill the data queue 26 q and to generate &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ; signals . ( c2 ) code flip - flop - off :-- when this ff is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; the mini - cache 14 i will not respond to &# 34 ; processor read code &# 34 ; commands . the data flip - flop and the code flip - flop can be both set &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; concurrently or can be individually set &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; separately . it may be observed that the various components of mini - cache 14 i such as the data queue 26g , the address register 26a , the queue steering block 24 , are made of &# 34 ; normally required &# 34 ; logic even absent the concept of a mini - cache for present usage . the data queue 26 q receives , synchronizes and holds data captured from the system bus 22 for the use of the processor 10 . the address register 26a holds the current operating address and is useful and necessary for processor diagnostics and testing . the queue steering block 24 directs the stored data for transfer to the processor 10 . thus , the mini - cache is virtually provided free of additional hardware costs since most of its logic is generally already resident in one form or another . additionally , since this logic is primarily implemented in an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ) gate array , there is an abundant supply of design structure generally available at no extra cost . the mini - cache provides for an &# 34 ; error word marking &# 34 ; function . as the four memory words a , b , c , d are received by the mini - cache 14 i on the system bus 22 they are checked for several possible error conditions as follows : the word corruption error will be set by the system memory module 40 indicating that this particular word is corrupted . when either of these error conditions occur on the very first word received ( the actual word requested by the processor 10 ), then system level error recovery procedures will be put into place . however , if an error condition is detected upon any of the &# 34 ; remaining &# 34 ; three words , that is to say the look - ahead words , then no system procedures are enacted but the mini - cache 14 i will mark this word as &# 34 ; corrupted &# 34 ; within the data queue block 26 q . on subsequent &# 34 ; read &# 34 ; operations , if a word marked as &# 34 ; corrupted &# 34 ; is addressed as a mini - cache hit word , it is not sent back to the processor 10 even though it is a &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ; word . instead this word is treated as a &# 34 ; miss &# 34 ; condition and thereafter a system memory &# 34 ; read &# 34 ; is initiated on the bus while the mini - cache address is marked as invalid . if it is assumed that a system memory &# 34 ; read &# 34 ; operation ( and the necessary system bus protocols ) will consume 7 clock times , then the following table i hereinbelow indicates the possible relative performance improvements for memory access of data to a processor . the left hand column indicates the description of the architectural configuration , the middle column shows the &# 34 ; average &# 34 ; access time for the processor to get a data word while the last column shows the percent improvement over a straight access to data from main memory . table i______________________________________ access timeconfiguration average to % improvementdescription processor over main mem______________________________________main memory 7 clks 0 % general cache 2 . 2 clks 68 % general cache & amp ; 1 . 4 clks 79 % mini - cachemini - cache only 3 . 2 clks 53 % ______________________________________ the mini - cache architecture in fig2 of the present system can be used either as an addition to a standard general cache memory structure or alternatively can be used in structures without the standard general cache memory module . further under appropriate circumstances of the bus control used and with the proper design implementation , the mini - cache architecture may be almost free of added hardware material and costs . fig2 b shows a system which exclusively uses only the mini - cache 14 i in the system without any general cache memory . here the processor 10 communicates on an internal bus 12 to the mini - cache 14 i and communicates via the system bus 22 to the main system memory 40 . as seen in fig2 a , the mini - cache 14 i can be used as an enhancement to the general type of cache memory 14 so that the processor 10 will first communicate with the cache memory 14 after which it will communicate with the mini - cache 14 i and if neither of these two cache memories can fulfill the processor &# 39 ; s data request , then , of course , the processor will use system bus 22 in order to access the main system memory 40 . like the normal general cache memory , the mini - cache memory 14 i can provide to the processor 10 any required memory information without the need for system bus access when the required data is resident in the mini - cache memory . it may be noted that the normal or standard cache memory structures will reduce the memory access time for the processor up to 80 to 90 % of the time involved in memory access requests . the addition of the mini - cache 14 i will then work on reducing the remaining 10 %- 20 % of the memory access time required . thus the mini - cache 14 i enhances the performance of the standard cache memory 14 additionally by accelerating the &# 34 ; fill time &# 34 ; of the caching operations . for example in fig2 a , since the processor 10 in the central processing module 5 will be processing for several clock times ( perhaps 5 clock times on the average ) between executing memory accesses , this processing time provides a &# 34 ; window &# 34 ; for filling in the mini - cache 14 i behind the back of the processor while it is doing its normal processing functions . thus the mini - cache can be loaded during this time without interfering with the processor 10 . also , it may be noted that the system bus 22 shown in fig2 a , 2b and 5 are shared with other system modules , it may require several clock times on the average just to request system bus access , then to arbitrate the access to the bus and to be granted control of the bus ( bus control ). thus once control of bus resources is gained , it is well to utilize each request for data access in the most efficient manner possible . during the processing time , t p , ( fig6 ) and with the mini - cache memory 14 i being present and enabled , multiple memory words are accessed each time the system memory operation occurs . the bus protocol in the aforementioned a - 11 computer system provides bus operators which will read the specifically requested memory word plus three other words ( block of words ) around the requested word . these words are provided immediately on the system bus 22 ( one word per clock time ) after the requested word . the mini - cache 14 i immediately gives the requested word to the processor 10 and then stores the requested word plus the three extra words into the data queue 26 q of the mini - cache 14 i . the address for this &# 34 ; block of words &# 34 ; is also held in the address register 26 a of the mini - cache for future &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ; comparison purposes . fig3 a shows the 4 - word memory block on the system bus designated as word a , word b , word c , and word d . whether the processor receives a single word ( if the mini - cache 14 i is disabled or not present ) or the 4 - word block is received , the bus protocol in the presently described system requires the same number of clocks , except that there are specifically three additional clock times added to receive the three extra data words . however , these clock times are invisible to the processor 10 . the memory block ( containing the requested word ) is always received with the specifically requested word first in line . thus in fig3 a it will be seen that during the main memory cycle and after the normal memory cycle access time , ( the specific word requested being word a ,) then word a is the first received word by the processor 10 , but additionally on the next processing cycle , there are three clock times used in order to also receive word b , word c , and word d . as seen in fig3 b there are four data registers ( 15 sx ) designated 15 so , 15 s1 , 15 s2 and 15 s3 which are used to store data words in blocks of four words in the data queue 26 q ( of fig2 ). thus the data queue 26 q is seen in fig3 b holding the four word block received from main memory 40 as it is stored within the mini - cache 14 i . the lower two bits , of the address lines , control which of the four storage registers ( within the mini - cache ) into which a word is to be placed and held . thus if the lower address bits of the requested word are binary &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ;, then the word is held in the register 15 so . if the lowest address bits are binary &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ;, then the word will go to and reside in the register 15 s1 , etc . the processor 10 may have requested a memory word of any value on the lower two bits . this word is received from the main memory 40 first and then transferred to the processor 10 for immediate processing as well as being stored in the appropriate mini - cache register of 14 i . the &# 34 ; add - ons &# 34 ; or the following three words which come immediately from the main memory 40 on the following three clocks , will then be a binary count of the lower two address bits . if , for example , the requested memory word was addressed with the lowest 2 bits as &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ;, then the return order would be &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; 10 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 11 &# 34 ;. this is a straight binary mod 2 count . if , however , the requested word was addressed with the lowest two bits being &# 34 ; 10 &# 34 ;, then the return order ( to the processor ) would be &# 34 ; 10 &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; 11 &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ;. again this is a mod 2 binary count . these words are then stored in their appropriate data queue register 15 sx in the mini - cache 14 i . fig3 b shows an example where the original processor &# 34 ; read &# 34 ; request was word &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and this is placed at the lower address bits of &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ;, in the register 15 s1 . in this example , the remaining three words from the memory 40 were placed into the mini - cache 14 i and placed at the binary address positions &# 34 ; 10 &# 34 ; ( word b ) at register 15 s2 , then address bits 11 ( word c ) at register 15 s3 , and then ( word d ) at address bits 00 in register 15 s0 . once the mini - cache 14 i has been filled from main memory 40 with a particular four word block , the block is marked as &# 34 ; valid &# 34 ; and the address of the currently stored block is held in an address module 26a in the mini - cache for future comparison when requests are made for data . the mini - cache address register , 26a , fig2 holds all of the address bits for the data block involved except the two lower bits . on the next and subsequent processor &# 34 ; read &# 34 ; operations and before a system bus memory operation has begun , the &# 34 ; address requested &# 34 ; by the processor 10 is compared with the block addresses held in the mini - cache address register 26 a . if a true comparison occurs , that is to say , the mini - cache has a &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ;, then the particular appropriate word ( of the four words held and stored ) is transferred immediately to the processor 10 and no system bus operation is begun . system bus request is prevented by a signal on line 27 c from the hit control block 27 of fig2 which prevents any system bus request to occur when a &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ; has occurred in the mini - cache 14 i . in the situation provided in fig2 a where a general cache memory structure is present in addition to the mini - cache structure , then the general cache memory 14 is always the first possible source of data to the processor 10 . however , if the general cache memory 14 operates under a &# 34 ; miss &# 34 ; condition , that is to say it does not currently hold the requested memory address , then the mini - cache 14 i will be the next possible source of data access for the processor before any requirement is initiated to the system bus 22 to access the main system memory 40 . throughout system operations , a memory block of four words is held in the data queue 26 q within the mini - cache registers 15 sx along with the block address which resides in the address register 26a of fig2 . here the four - word block is marked &# 34 ; valid &# 34 ; until one of two possible actions occur : ( a ) a &# 34 ; miss &# 34 ; occurs at the mini - cache 14 i for a requested processor memory read . under these conditions , a system main memory read cycle will occur which re - fills the mini - cache 14 i with the new data from the new address . the &# 34 ; new &# 34 ; address block 26ais now marked as &# 34 ; valid &# 34 ;. while the mini - cache 14 t is being filled with the new data words the requested word is also sent to the processor 10 . ( b ) an &# 34 ; invalidation type &# 34 ; operation occurs at the address held in the mini - cache address register 26 a . referring to fig2 indicating the mini - cache 14 i , the steering block 24 will be seen to connect to the general cache 14 or the processor interface . this interface receives signals from the processor 10 and the general cache memory 14 and will include the following signals : processor request address :-- used to compare address on bus with the address in register 26 a for possible mini - cache hits ; cmd - valid :-- indicates a valid address from the processor on bus 24 p and 14 p . cmd - type :-- indicates whether a valid data - read or a code - read from the processor is on bus 24 p and 14 p . cache - hit :-- indicates that the general cache memory 14 had a hit for this read operation . communication via bus 28 c to the invalidation block 28 from the system bus logic in interface 8 includes the following signals : sa - address - in :-- is the input address on the system bus a ( first system bus 22 a ). a - check - address :-- the system bus address is active and has a valid - invalidation type operation . sb - address - in :-- this is the same as the above signal except it is for the second system bus 22 b . b - check - address :-- this is the same valid - invalid operation as above but directed toward the second system bus , 22 b . mini - cache - hit :-- this is the output from the mini - cache 14 i to inhibit system bus memory requests . it goes to the system bus controller , in interface 8 . the functional elements of the mini - cache 14 i may be summarized as follows : address register block 26 a : ( i ) holds the current valid address blocks in the mini - cache ; and , ( ii ) compares this address value against the incoming address values from the processor 10 . a match or equality causes a mini - cache &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ; signal . this block holds a &# 34 ; valid &# 34 ; flip - flop in 26a ( fig2 ) which when set &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; indicates the block address is valid . it is set &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; when mini - cache 14 i has its data queue filled with a good block from memory 40 . this flip - flop can be reset to invalid by the invalidation block 28 . invalidation block 28 : ( i ) compares the address on the system bus 22 ( or busses ) for &# 34 ; write &# 34 ; operations with addresses residing in the address register 26 a ; and , ( ii ) if an equality or match occurs , this block marks the address register 26 a as &# 34 ; invalid &# 34 ;. hit control block 27 : ( i ) provides the mini - cache &# 34 ; hit &# 34 ; signal to a system bus controller in interface 8 to prevent system bus operation which might seek main memory access . the system bus interface 8 provides all the required bus protocols . queue steering block 24 : ( i ) monitors the processor &# 39 ; s read requests , the general code hits , and the processor addresses ; and , ( ii ) steers the appropriate register &# 39 ; s 15 sx data ( on a mini - cache hit signal ) to the processor and the general cache memory , 14 . maintenance block 29 : ( i ) allows all registers to be loaded ( by shifting in ) and read ( by shifting out ) to the maintenance subsystem 50 . thus the entire mini - cache unit can be tested in this fashion . as seen in fig2 this block connects to all the other block circuitry in the mini - cache 14 i to provide for testability and uses flip - flops ( settable from the subsystem 50 ) to set the operational mode . referring to fig7 there is seen a flow chart illustrating the use of the mini - cache in a computer system operation . in fig7 starting from the &# 34 ; idle &# 34 ; condition , there occurs a processor memory read request . a decision is made as to whether there is a general cache hit which , if indicated as &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ;, the general cache memory unit 14 will return data to the processor 10 and that cycle will be terminated . if there is no general cache hit , then the processor memory read request is directed to the mini - cache 14 i to see whether a hit occurs there . if a hit has occurred , then the mini - cache unit 14 i will steer data from the appropriate data queue 26 q and the register 15 sx to the processor 10 and the general cache unit 14 at which time the read request cycle will be terminated . it may be noted that the lowest 2 - bits of the address to the mini - cache will determine which register 15 sx data word ( of the four data words ) will be steered out . if there is no mini - cache 14 i hit , then the system bus controller will initiate a system bus read operation for the memory request . at this time , there is a wait for access to the main memory data block . when this becomes available the requested word will be sent to the processor 10 and to the general cache unit 14 . this word resided at the lowest 2 - bits of the requested address in the data queue block 26 q . subsequently , all four words are loaded into the mini - cache data queue 26 q . after this , the command block address is fed into the mini - cache address register 26 a and is marked as &# 34 ; valid &# 34 ; after which the read request cycle has now been ended . described herein has been an enhanced throughput computer - mini - cache system which can be functional on its own with a processor and main memory or which can be added to a general cache memory in a computer system in order to reduce the access time for processor - retrieval of memory data . the resulting improvement in processor performance enables substantially greater efficiency for computer system operations at very little cost in hardware or processing effort . while the basic concept of the architecture and usage of the described computer system with auxiliary mini - cache has been indicated it should be understood that other implementations and configurations could be possible using the same concept and as defined in the following claims .	6
referring now to the drawings , fig1 shows a differential mechanism 10 located in a transmission case 12 , the differential being adapted to transmit rotating power to halfshafts 14 , 16 , which extend laterally to driven wheels located at the outboard ends of the halfshafts . a ring gear 18 of the differential 10 is secured by bolts 20 to the housing 22 , which is supported on the transmission case 12 by bearings 24 , 25 . a spindle , 26 secured to the differential housing 22 , supports bevel pinions , which rotate about axis 30 and revolve about axis 32 . side bevel gears 34 , 35 meshing with bevel gears 28 , 29 are secured to halfshafts 14 , 16 , respectively . the ptu 36 , enclosed in a ptu case 38 , is secured to transmission case 12 by bolts 40 . the ptu 36 includes a bevel gear 42 , supported by bearings 44 , 45 on the ptu case 38 ; a bevel gear 46 meshing with bevel gear 42 and supported by bearing 48 , 49 on ptu case 38 ; and a bolted connection 50 to a driveshaft 52 , which transmits power to a second set of wheels . fig1 and 3 show that a portion of the outer surface 54 of the ptu case 38 , adjacent and facing the transmission case 12 , defines a cavity bounded by the outer surface 54 . a cover 56 closes an opening where the cavity faces the transmission case 12 and seals the opening against flow of coolant from a coolant chamber 58 bounded by the outer surface 54 and the cover 56 . a series of bolts 60 secures cover 56 to the ptu case 38 . fig2 shows that the components of a motor vehicle located in the engine compartment include an engine 70 , transmission 72 , ptu 36 , engine exhaust pipe 74 and a catalytic converter 76 . each bolt 60 that connects the transmission case 12 to the ptu case 36 is fitted in one of the bolt holes 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 that extending through a mounting surface 86 , formed at the lateral face of the ptu case 36 adjacent the transmission case 12 . fig3 show an external spline 88 , which connects bevel pinion 42 and the differential housing 22 . mounting surface 86 is formed with a recess 90 that extends along the inner periphery of the mounting surface and is about 2 mm . deep . cover 56 , which is fitted into recess 90 , seals coolant against the ptu case 38 , thereby reducing risk of cross contamination between coolant and automatic transmission fluid or coolant and ptu fluid . an inlet port 92 and outlet port 94 allow coolant to enter and exit coolant chamber 58 . preferably inlet port 92 is located at a lower elevation than that of outlet port 94 and laterally spaced from the outlet port . preferably outlet port 94 is located at the higher elevation to allow trapped air to rise and leave the coolant chamber 58 . air trapped in chamber presents a risk of oxidation of both coolant and the aluminum alloy of which the ptu case 38 is formed . fig3 shows that the outer surface 54 of the ptu case 38 is formed with stiffening ribs located in chamber 58 and dividing the chamber into cavities , each cavity bounded by at least one rib and the lower surface of the chamber . the ribs are used to produce turbulent flow of coolant in chamber 58 , to direct coolant flow from the inlet 92 to the outlet 94 , and to increase the area through which heat is transferred from the outer surface 54 of the ptu case 38 to coolant flowing in chamber 58 . a narrow passage 96 having a relatively small cross sectional area formed in rib 98 , allows air to flow toward the outlet 94 and to flow across rib 98 . similar narrow passages 100 , 102 , each having a relatively small cross sectional area are formed in other ribs of the ptu case 38 to allow air to flow toward the outlet 94 . preferably the cross sectional area of passages 96 , 100 , 102 is small enough to limit coolant flow through the passages . coolant flows through chamber 58 from cavity - to - cavity through relatively large slots 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 formed in the ribs . preferably the cross sectional area of each slot 104 - 107 is larger than that of each passage 96 , 100 , 102 and is large enough to allow coolant to flow through the slots but without weakening the rib or substantially reducing stiffness of the ribs . cover 56 is formed with flow deflectors 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 which extend from cover 56 into chamber 58 , are located in a coolant flow path between inlet 92 and slots 104 - 107 such that the deflectors 108 - 111 cause coolant entering inlet 92 and exiting each slot to flow around the adjacent deflector rather than flowing directly into another of the slots 104 - 107 . deflectors 108 - 111 further produce turbulent coolant flow along the surface of the ribs in coolant chamber 58 . preferably cover 56 fit tight against the top of the webs of ptu case 38 to ensure that coolant flows as previously described and not just leak between cavities of chamber 58 that are separated by the ribs . machining slots 104 - 107 in the ribs is less desirable than drilling holes through the ribs . preferably the slots 104 - 107 are formed while casting the ptu case 38 of aluminum alloy . in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes , the preferred embodiment has been described . however , it should be noted that the alternate embodiments can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described .	8
the diagrammatic representation of fig1 is a section through the front of a clothes dryer in the vicinity of a panel 10 facing the user . the panel 10 is an integral plastics moulding , which in the present embodiment is made from abs plastic . the dimensionally stable component has a front side 11 facing the user and which is provided with a smooth , glossy , closed surface 12 . at most points of the panel the standard material thickness of said panel 10 , i . e . the distance between the front surface 12 and rear surface 13 , is approximately 2 . 6 mm . with such a material thickness the panel material abs is opaque for visible light , so that components of the appliance , particularly components of an electronic control located behind the panel are not visible from the front . with such a material thickness the panel material is torsionally strong , so that the entire panel as a separate component is self - supporting and on installing the appliance can be fitted simply thereto , e . g . by using screws . with the panel is associated a display device 15 for optical user information . this display device comprises a light source 16 constructed as a light emitting diode and which is fitted to a printed circuit board 17 , which is connected to the panel by not shown fastening elements . in the area provided for the display device the panel 10 has a circular transillumination area 20 , where the panel material thickness is reduced compared with the standard material thickness 14 in such a way that the transillumination area is at least in parts of its surface transilluminatable by the light of the light source 16 positioned facing the panel back 13 . the transillumination area 20 is substantially formed by a reduced material thickness area in the panel 10 . it is surrounded by a circumferential web 18 projecting towards the light source 16 . in this embodiment , during the manufacture of the panel 10 by injection moulding , through suitable shaping of the mould a roughly circular recess was formed on whose base facing the front side 11 is formed a macroscopic structure in the form of channels 21 and intermediate raised portions 22 . the channels and raised portions have in each case a triangular cross - section . in the vicinity of the apex of the raised portions 22 facing the light source the material thickness is approximately 0 . 4 mm , whereas in the vicinity of the bottoms of the channels 21 facing the surface 12 it is only approximately 0 . 3 mm . these material thicknesses are so matched to the optical characteristics of the abs plastic used that the light of the light emitting diode 16 is weak in the vicinity of the raised portions 22 and strong in the vicinity of the channels 21 and from the outside in clearly visible manner transilluminates the panel material in the transillumination area 20 , so that from the front 11 it is possible for a user to see through the panel whether the light emitting diode 16 is switched on or off . therefore the reduced material thickness transillumination 20 has the function of an opal glass window constructed integrally with the surrounding panel material and whose structured surface facing the light source 16 produces a certain scattering action , so that it permits independently of the shape of the light source 16 a relatively uniform illumination of the entire transillumination area 20 . optionally an optically attractive banded structure can be detected within the illuminated area . the light emitting diode 16 serves as an optical state display for a function of the clothes dryer , which can e . g . be configured in such a way that the diode 16 lights up on switching an anti - creasing function or a storage dry function . an identically or analogously constructed display can e . g . also be provided for the start / stop function . other operating modes can also be displayed in the indicated manner . in order to permit for the user a clear association between the lighting up of a transillumination area 20 and an associated function of the appliance , on the front surface 12 of the panel 10 a marking 25 is applied by printing on . it comprises a closed ring 26 surrounding the transillumination area , as well as a symbol 27 , within the ring 26 , characterizing the corresponding function . this embodiment of the domestic electrical appliance is characterized by maximum operating comfort and this is assisted by the fact that in this embodiment the display device is combined in a sandwich structure with a capacitive operating device . the function indicated by the marking 25 can be switched on or off by the user by operating a capacitive sensor device . the sensor device comprises a sensor element 30 fitted to the back 13 of the panel 10 and which surrounds in annular manner the transillumination area 20 outside the web 18 , as well as a control 31 on the printed circuit board 17 . a possible construction of such a sensor element as well as its function are represented e . g . in ep 859 468 , whose content is by reference made into part of the content of the present application . a corresponding description also appears in the applicant &# 39 ; s de 201 19 700 . 6 , whose content is also made by reference into part of the content of the present description . typically the size of such a sensor element is roughly the same as a finger tip , e . g . it can have a side edge length or diameter between approximately 10 mm and approximately 25 mm . an elongated , pin - shaped contact part 32 extends from the printed circuit board 17 with the control 31 , to which it is electrically conductively connected by means of a flat contact , to a contact bank of the sensor element 30 . in this way the sensor element 30 is electrically conductively connected to the control 31 or printed circuit board 17 . the contact part can have an elastic construction , e . g . in the form of a metallic helical spring or compressible element of conductive , elastic plastic . the sensor element 30 is applied with the aid of a printing process , e . g . a suitable screen printing process , directly to the back 13 of the panel 10 . as an alternative to the use of a screen printing process with an electrically conductive material for the sensor element 30 , it is also possible to apply a metal foil - like part or platelet by bonding or in some other to the panel back 13 . metallized or metallic adhesive foils can also be used as sensor elements 30 . if a user now brings her finger into the vicinity of or on the area indicated by the marking 25 , in an electric circuit surrounding the sensor element a capacitance change occurs and is further processed by the control 31 for generating a switching signal . simultaneously with the switching on or off of the corresponding function , the light emitting diode 16 is switched on or off . alternative shapes and structures of transillumination areas are shown in fig2 and 3 . fig2 ( a ) shows a circular transillumination area 35 , where the low material thickness zone on the side to face the light source has a pyramidal structure with a plurality of directly adjacent quadrangular pyramids 36 . if the light source side of the transillumination area is produced by material abrasion , it is possible to produce the pyramidal structure in that in directs 37 , 38 perpendicular to one another are produced in directly juxtaposed manner channels having a v - shaped cross - section . if the structure is produced during injection moulding , for this purpose the corresponding part of the mould can have a circular area with a corresponding honeycomb structure . the pyramidal structure has a scattering effect , so that independently of the shape of the light source , the transillumination area appears substantially uniformly illuminated from the user side . the panel 40 shown in detail form in fig2 ( b ) has a rectangular transillumination area 41 formed by parallel v - shaped grooves and raised portions . the panel material thickness in the vicinity of the channel bottoms facing the front surface 42 of approximately 0 . 3 to 0 . 4 mm is sufficiently thin for there to be an adequate transparency here . in the vicinity of the tips of the raised portions on the back 43 , the material thickness of approximately 0 . 5 to 0 . 7 mm makes the material largely opaque . therefore when the light source is switched on , the transillumination area 41 has a banded pattern . fig2 ( c ) shows in exemplified manner a panel having a circular transillumination area 46 , where there are macroscopic surface structures in the form of concentric circles , which can e . g . be formed by rectangular or v - grooves . the hitherto shown examples of transillumination areas are preferably usable in conjunction with simple light sources in order to indicate the switching state of a function ( on or off ). in many appliances it is also desirable to display for an operating mode or an additional function associated values such as e . g . presetting times , remaining running times , degrees of moisture , temperatures , etc . in conventional appliances for this purpose use is frequently made of multisegment displays , e . g . lcd or led seven segment displays . a corresponding functionality can be provided when using the present invention . to this end fig3 diagrammatically shows a panel 50 having in its thickest areas a material thickness of approximately 2 . 6 mm . in a rectangular area 51 provided for a display device the material thickness is reduced to approximately 1 mm . within this area there is a further wall thickness reduction in order to create a transillumination area 60 in the form of a seven segment display . for this purpose channels 54 to 57 with a trapezoidal cross - section are formed on the bottom of the rectangular area , i . e . on the back 53 facing the front 52 . overall the channels form a configuration shaped like a rectangular eight and can in the same way as a seven segment display be considered as broken down into seven functionally separated partial channels or channel segments . with each of the channel segments is associated a group of light sources . for example , a row of three light emitting diodes 58 is shown , which are positioned a limited distance behind the back 53 in the vicinity of the cross - channel 55 at the top . if these light sources 58 light up , the emitted light essentially only occurs in the cross - channel 55 , which then lights up for the user on front 52 . in order to prevent a swamping out of the light in other segments , they can be shielded by suitable , not shown shields with respect to the light of light sources 58 . it is also e . g . possible to provide for the central cross - channel 57 a not shown row of three light emitting diodes . on the longitudinal channels 54 , 56 , which are in each case broken down into two partial channels , running perpendicular thereto are provided in each case two independently controllable groups of in each case three light emitting diodes which illuminate said partial channels . through a suitable control of the light sources associated with the channel segments , it is possible in the manner of a seven segment display to symbolize with the latter any random number and any random letter . normally a display device has several such seven segment transillumination areas in juxtaposed form , e . g . four such areas , in order to display clock times or time intervals , as well as optionally temperatures and the like . fig4 shows a greatly simplified variant of the panel 10 shown in fig1 . the panel 60 shown in fig4 has a smooth front side 61 . obviously , in accordance with fig1 , symbols or the like could be applied here . the panel 60 has a normal material thickness 14 , e . g . corresponding to that of fig1 . however , the transillumination area 63 is made thinner , as in fig1 , but does not have a structure . for this purpose a so - called light distributing plate 65 is provided and is , as is clearly shown in fig4 , embedded in the material of the panel 60 . the embedding of the light distributing plate 65 in the panel 60 can take place in numerous different ways , as described hereinbefore . in fig4 it is moulded in , using a so - called two - component process . the latter is known per se and consequently does not have to be described here . in this way the light distributing plate 65 , which can be made from a transparent plastic , e . g . an acrylic material , is embedded in fixed , non - detachable and non - movable form . instead of being moulded in a light distributing plate 65 could also be clipped in . this would be possible if the back - engagement in fig4 was reduced . with regards to the manufacturing costs of the panel , clipping in is less expensive , but an installation process is required . a first light guide 67 is positioned behind the light distributing plate 65 . light from a light emitting diode 66 is coupled into the light distributing plate 65 by means of a second light guide 68 and also the first light guide 67 . this is readily apparent to the expert from the drawing in conjunction with the above description and consequently requires no explanation here . as is intimated in fig4 , the first and second light guides 67 , 68 can be fixed to the printed circuit board 62 , e . g . by clamping or bonding in . once again much as in fig1 , on the panel 60 can be provided actuating devices , e . g . sensor elements , in the area surrounding the transillumination area 63 . they are not shown for reasons of simplicity . whereas in the preceding drawings fixed or immovable control devices in the form of a panel are shown , fig5 and 6 show movable control devices , namely rotary toggles . fig5 shows a rotary toggle 70 , which is located on the front of a standard panel 71 , which can e . g . be a glass ceramic hotplate . it is located on a rotary spindle 72 , which is connected to a switching device 73 positioned behind the panel 71 . by rotating the rotary toggle 70 an actuation takes place on the switching device 73 . a led 76 is located behind the panel 71 and emits light into a second light guide 78 . as can be seen in fig5 , the light guide 78 projects through the through opening 74 in panel 71 . in this area the second light guide 78 is circumferential , i . e . roughly cup - shaped . a first light guide 77 is connected in light - conducting manner to the second light guide 78 and has a limited spacing therefrom . as can be seen , the first light guide 77 is enclosed in the rotary toggle 70 . by its front end the light guide 77 projects into a transillumination area 75 on the front surface of the rotary toggle 70 . in the transillumination area 75 the material thickness of the front side is , according to the invention , much less than the otherwise provided standard material thickness . as a result of the circumferential construction of the second light guide 78 above the panel 71 , light is given off continuously in each rotation position . however , the first light guide 77 has a rod - shaped construction . in each rotation position it can take light from the second light guide 78 and deliver it in substantially punctiform manner in transillumination area 75 . the first light guide 77 is fixed in the rotary toggle 70 advantageously by sticking in with press fit or bonding in . fig6 shows a further rotary toggle 80 constituting a variant of the rotary toggle 70 in fig5 . by means of a through opening 84 in panel 81 the rotary toggle 80 is connected via rotary spindle 82 to the switching device 83 . here a led 86 is connected to a second light guide 88 , which projects e . g . in rod - like manner through the through opening 84 into the interior of the rotary toggle 80 . unlike in fig5 , the second light guide here is not constructed in a cup - shaped or circumferential manner . the second light guide 88 is connected to a first light guide 87 and couples light into the latter . towards the side of the rotary toggle 80 , the first light guide 87 is aligned with a lateral transillumination area 85 . in said transillumination area 85 once again the material thickness is reduced compared with the remaining standard material thickness in such a way that according to the invention the material is transparent and the transmitted light of the led 86 is emitted , as shown , to the outside . this variant of a rotary toggle 80 consequently brings about an emission of a light signal or the like in a single rotary position of the rotary toggle 80 . this is precisely the position in which the first light guide 87 by rotation coincides precisely with the first light guide 88 fixed to the panel 81 . numerous standpoints are involved in deciding for which particular use a rotary toggle 70 according to fig5 or a rotary toggle 80 according to fig6 is employed and there is no need to discuss this matter here . it is once again pointed out that the drawings are only to be understood diagrammatically , this particularly applying with regards to the sizes or thicknesses or the relative sizes . the invention illustrated in exemplified manner by embodiments can be used in order to provide randomly designed display devices for use in electrical or electrically controlled installations , apparatus or appliances and more particularly in domestic appliances . preferred fields of use are large domestic appliances , e . g . washing machines , dryers or dishwashers , which are conventionally provided with through , non - transparent plastic panels or control devices in the form of rotary toggles or the like . if they are modified in accordance with the invention inexpensive possibilities are provided for ensuring maximum flexibility with respect to the variant formation of the display devices . as a result of the invention it is possible for a single type of panel with prepared transillumination areas to be used for an entire appliance family with the most varied functionality finishes and then , as a function of the appliance finish or equipment , can be combined with suitable lighting devices . since the invention leads to panels with displays and closed surfaces , a maximum of operational reliability accompanied by an extremely pleasing appearance is made possible .	6
referring to fig1 there is shown an exploded perspective view of a symmetrical light fixture 10 in accordance with the invention , to illustrate the manner in which the symmetrical light fixture is assembled . the symmetrical light fixture generally includes a u - shaped channel 12 , and a cover plate 14 , which together generally define a ballast / electronics housing ; a pair of side panels 16 ; and a pair of symmetrical end pieces 18 . in the assembled state , the end pieces 18 supportingly engage the opposing ends of the u - shaped channel 12 or housing and the opposing ends of the side panels 16 to form a generally trough shaped light fixture . in fig2 there is shown an exploded perspective of the asymmetrical light fixture 19 generally illustrating the components thereof , and the manner in which it is assembled . as with the symmetrical light fixture , the asymmetrical light fixture includes a u - shaped channel 12 which is substantially identical to , and interchangeable with , the u - shaped channel used in the symmetrical light fixtures shown in fig1 . the asymmetrical light fixture also comprises a cover plate 14 , and a side panel 16 , which are substantially identical to , and interchangeable with , the corresponding parts shown in fig1 for the symmetrical light fixture . the major difference between the asymmetrical light fixture and the symmetrical light fixture is that the asymmetrical light fixture has asymmetrical end pieces 20 , which are substantially truncated versions of the symmetrical end pieces 18 , and uses only one side panel 16 , instead of two . accordingly , the components of the light fixtures will be generally described with reference to the symmetric version , it being understood that such descriptions generally apply to the asymmetric version as well , the difference being apparent from reference to the drawings and this specification . the interior side of the symmetrical end piece 18 is shown in greater detail in fig3 . symmetrical end piece 18 includes a vertical end wall 22 which is generally symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane which is perpendicular to the vertical end wall . the end wall defines a plurality of recesses 24 , each of which is configured for receiving a fluorescent tube holder 25 ( fig1 ) with electrical contacts . symmetrical end piece 18 also includes a pair of opposing side walls 26 which are angled to extend upwardly and outwardly away from a base 28 . each of the side walls 26 includes a relatively thin upper portion 30 and a lower hook portion 31 which are configured to be engaged by portions of panels 16 to achieve secure attachment of panels 16 to end pieces 18 . each of the portions 30 of end pieces 18 include a boss 34 which projects from the inner side of the side wall and extends through an aperture 35 in rails 36 of side panels 16 to retain the ends of panels 16 to the end pieces 18 . extending from end wall 22 of symmetrical end piece 18 and from the base 28 is an upwardly opening u - shaped channel portion 38 for aligning u - shaped channel 12 with symmetrical end piece 18 . u - shaped channel portion 38 includes a pair of laterally spaced apart vertical walls 40 . u - shaped channel 38 also includes a pair of positioning tabs 41 for cooperatively engaging alignment / retainer tabs 42 on a ballast mounting bracket 43 . bracket 43 also includes an aperture 44 for attaching ballast 45 thereto . the symmetrical end pieces 18 are preferably formed from a durable thermoplastic material using an injection molding technique . the asymmetrical end pieces 20 are substantially truncated versions of the symmetrical end piece 18 . in particular , the asymmetrical end piece includes a vertical end wall 46 which is substantially a truncated version of the vertical end wall 22 . end wall 46 defines a pair of recesses 24 ( substantially identical to recesses in the vertical wall of the symmetrical end piece ) for receiving a fluorescent tube connector 25 having electrical contacts . the asymmetrical end piece 20 includes only one angled side wall 26 , which is substantially identical to the angled side walls of the symmetrical end piece . the asymmetrical end piece 20 also includes a u - shaped channel portion 38 , which is substantially identical to the u - shaped channel portion of the symmetrical end piece . referring to fig1 and 5 , u - shaped channel 12 is an upwardly opening elongate channel member having a horizontal base 48 and vertical walls 50 which extend upwardly from the opposing ends of the base 48 . the opposing ends of each of the vertical walls 50 include an extension 52 which extends longitudinally beyond the end of the base 48 . the extensions 52 have an upper edge which is coincident with the upper edge of the main portion of the vertical walls 50 , and a lower edge which is located between the upper edge and lower edge of the vertical walls . each of the extensions 52 is configured to be tightly received within a recessed area 53 defined by end piece 18 , such that u - shaped channel 12 is held to end piece 18 with sufficient force to facilitate assembly . after panels 16 are installed and locked into position by engagement between tabs 34 of end pieces 18 and aperture 35 , the spacing between the opposing and pieces becomes fixed and extensions 52 cannot be displaced relative to the recesses 53 , thus securely locking channel 12 between the end pieces 18 . the u - shaped channel 12 is preferably formed from metal sheets , such as steel or aluminum , using standard metal sheet cutting , stamping and shaping operations . however , other materials can be used to form the u - shaped channel . referring again to fig1 and 5 , side panels 16 each include an outer exposed wall 54 and a pair of rails 36 which project from the rear side of the side panel 16 and extend along a plane parallel to wall 54 adjacent the opposing lateral edges of panels 16 . the rails 36 are arranged in space apart parallel relationship to each other and extend along generally the entire length of the side panel 16 . at each end of each rail 36 an aperture 35 is defined . each aperture 35 is configured to engage a boss 34 of side wall portion 30 of end piece 18 or 20 . side panels 16 are preferably formed from sheets of metal such as steel or aluminum using standard metal cutting , stamping , and forming techniques . side panel 16 , however , can be made from other materials , such as extruded or injection molded plastics , extruded aluminum , etc . side panel 16 is connected to end piece 18 or 20 by aligning rails 36 with wall portion 30 and hook portion 31 in side wall 26 of end piece 18 or 20 , and urging the side panel and end piece together until bosses 34 project through notches 36 . referring to fig5 and 6 , cover plate 14 is an elongate panel which is sized and configured to serve as a snap - on closure for u - shaped channel 12 . u - shaped channel 12 and cover plate 14 together define a ballast / electronics housing , containing one or more ballasts , and associated electrical components and wiring . cover plate 14 includes resilient embossments 56 which are configured to resiliently engage notches 58 which are cut into the upper edges of vertical walls 50 of u - shaped channel 12 . cover plate 14 is preferably formed from metal sheets such as steel or aluminum using standard metal cutting , stamping and forming techniques . however , cover plate 14 can be made from other materials such as plastics which can be extruded or injection molded . cover plate 14 can be attached to u - shaped channel 12 by engaging the resilient embossments 56 on one side of the cover plate with a notch 58 on a first side of the u - shaped channel 12 and temporarily deforming the cover plate 14 on the second side of the cover plate to permit engagement of embossments 56 with notches 58 on the second side of the ballast / electronics housing . notches 58 are also configured to receive and retain a wire cover 59 to cover electrical wires which connect the ballast 45 with the electrical contacts on fluorescent tube connectors 25 . in order to minimize the amount of light which is absorbed by the surfaces of the light fixture and increase the amount of light available for illumination , reflector panels 57 can be mounted on the inside face of panels 16 in any suitable manner . the symmetrical light fixture can be assembled by connecting u - shaped channel 12 to a first symmetrical end piece 18 , as described above ; connecting one end of side panel 16 to the first symmetrical end piece 18 , as described above ; aligning the opposing , unconnected ends of the u - shaped channel 12 and side panel 16 with the u - shaped channel connector 38 and side walls 26 of a second symmetrical end piece 18 ; and urging the second symmetrical end piece toward the channel 12 and side panel 16 , as described above . it is contemplated that the fluorescent tube holders with electrical contacts will be pre - installed in recesses 24 , and that the ballast , other electronics and associated wiring will be pre - mounted in the u - shaped channel 12 . of course , appropriate wiring must be provided between the ballast and electronics in the ballast / electronics housing and the contacts in the fluorescent tube holder mounted in the symmetrical end pieces 18 . thereafter , cover plate 14 is mounted on u - shaped channel 12 as described above . the asymmetrical fixture is assembled in a substantially similar manner , except that only one side panel 16 is utilized . in the case of the symmetrical light fixture , the symmetrical end pieces 18 , ballast / electronics housing defined by u - shaped channel 12 , and the side panel 16 , together define a pair of elongate downlight apertures which are generally parallel to one another . in the case of the asymmetrical light fixture , only a single elongate downlight aperture is defined by the end pieces 20 , ballast / electronics housing defined by u - shaped channel 12 , and the side panel 16 . the downlight apertures can remain open if desired to provide a combination of upwardly directed light and downwardly direct light . alternatively , the downlight apertures can be covered with a shade to block substantially all of the downwardly directed light and reflect it back upwardly , or a light diffuser can be mounted into the downlight aperture to provide a combination of upwardly directed light and downwardly directed diffuse light . with reference to fig5 there is shown a shade 60 mounted in one of the downlight apertures 64 of a symmetrical light fixture 10 . the other downlight aperture 64 of the symmetrical fixture 62 has been left open . accordingly , the fixture 10 shown in fig5 can be used above an office partition panel to provide a combination of upwardly directed light with substantially no downwardly directed light on one side of the office partition panel and to provide direct downright on the other side of the office partition panel . the shade 60 is an elongate member having a length which is substantially equal to that of the downlight aperture 64 . shade 60 includes horizontal wall section 66 which substantially fills the gap between the channel 12 and side panel 16 defining aperture 64 . projecting upwardly at a right angle from one of the lateral edges of section 66 is a support leg 68 having a pair of connection apertures 69 through which fasteners 70 can extend through and into apertures 71 on the u - shaped channel to attach the shade 60 thereto . shade 60 can be removed from fixture 62 by simply removing fasteners 70 and allowing shade 60 to drop from the downlight aperture 64 . in fig2 there is shown a translucent , light diffusing baffle 76 . light diffusing baffle 76 has a shape and dimension which are substantially identical to that of opaque shade 60 . the primary difference between shade 60 and diffuser 76 being the materials used in the formation thereof . shade 60 can be formed of generally any suitable opaque material such as metal or an opaque plastic . the translucent , light diffusing baffle 76 can be formed of a translucent , light diffusing plastic material . shade 60 and diffuser 76 can be formed by extrusion or injection molding of a suitable plastic material . alternatively , shade 60 can be made from metal sheet material such as steel or aluminum using standard metal cutting , stamping and shaping techniques . as shown in fig7 the symmetrical light fixture 62 is well adapted for symmetrically mounting a light fixture above the top of an office partition panel 78 to provide direct and / or indirect ambient lighting to office areas on each side of the office partition panel . in particular , light fixture 62 is shown mounted on stanchions 80 which are connected to the top of the office panel 78 . in fig8 the symmetrical light fixture 62 is shown suspended from a ceiling using suspension means 82 . in fig9 an asymmetrical light fixture 84 is shown mounted to the outer skin or surface of an office partition panel 86 . fig7 - 9 illustrate preferred methods of mounting the symmetrical and asymmetrical fixtures . however , it is contemplated that the fixtures can be mounted in a variety of other ways , such as on top of book cases , file cabinets , architectural components , etc . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	5
fig1 illustrates a network architecture for providing video interactive services to subscribers of a mobile telecommunications service . subscriber terminals are assumed to be terminals using the h . 324 protocol for setting up and controlling multimedia communication sessions . subscribers access the service via a gsm or umts circuit switched access network . control plane signalling is carried according to the isup protocol . in order to set up a multimedia session , a subscriber places a call to an in node . the in node comprises a service control point ( scp ) and a service switching point ( ssp ), as well as a media gateway ( mg ). the media gateway is illustrated in more detail in fig2 . the ssp recognises a multimedia session setup request , and suspends set - up of the session , whilst routing information is obtained from the scp . calls are then directed to a video gateway as will be described further below , and further directed by the video gateway to either an h . 323 network or to a packet switched server ( e . g . a streaming server ). the video gateway comprises a media gateway and a media gateway controller . the video gateway concept is introduced to make it possible to connect circuit switched ( cs ) based multimedia services to packet switched ( ps ) based multimedia services , e . g . enabling a video call from a cs based terminal implementing the h . 324 protocol to a ps based terminal implementing the h . 323 / sip protocol . this video gateway is referred to as a “ video interactive gateway ”. currently the video gateway is known to also contain video streaming gateway ( vsg ) capabilities enabling a cs based terminal to connect to ps based servers . in this case , the vsg interworks between for example isup + h . 245 and rtsp ( real time streaming protocol ) on the control plane , and between tdm and ip / rtp on the user plane . since this configuration uses normal cs bearers , e . g . 64 kbit / s unrestricted and normal cs control protocols ( isup ), it can be easily integrated with in - services as illustrated in fig1 . the in services platform contains capabilities to route cs calls based on various parameters , e . g . calling party location and current time . this allows called party number modifications based on these parameters . thus the in can forward a cs call to the vsg on the basis of various called party numbers . the vsg maps these numbers to urls , which represent different resources , e . g . video clips provided by streaming servers . this makes it possible to provide services such as the local weather forecast using video and audio media ( e . g . based on caller &# 39 ; s location ). the in services platform may contain functionality to itself initiate ( without prompting ) calls to one party or to several parties . this may happen for example based on time , subscriber movements , etc . thus the in node can make a connection between the served subscriber and a streaming server by the means described in the preceding paragraph . this makes it possible to provide push services such as wake - up calls providing business news , and advertisement videos when the served subscriber approaches a shop / restaurant . the in service logic residing in the ssp receives information about the nature of a call , e . g . a 3g - 324m call , from the scp with the help of isup and inap / cap ( intelligent network application part / camel application part ) signalling . this information is used by the in service logic to select video clips at a streaming server instead of voice announcements played by ssp / mg1 . thus the vsg is seen by the in as an intelligent peripheral ( ip ). the prior art in implementation is enhanced with the h . 223 de - multiplexing and multiplexing function in mg 1 . the h . 248 gateway control protocol already includes packages to detect h . 245 messages and pass information to the mgc . this enables the in service logic in the ssp to receive dtmf digits received in h . 245 uii messages in mg1 . the received dtmf digits are used by the in service to trigger appropriate actions in the service logic . this may include routing the call to different destinations , e . g . to normal video telephones or video streaming servers . these tools allow in - technology to create services and service groups , which can be illustrated to a user with the help of visual information . for example , the user can use the normal terminal keypad to change to another video clip / live video camera view whilst watching another video clip . the first video clip may contain audio - visual instructions about the availability of the other video clips . the selection of the appropriate video is controlled by the in - service by rerouting the call to another destination . this may involve usage of other service triggers , e . g . calling party location ( to select e . g . the nearest camera ) or calling party id ( to select e . g . the right language ). a detailed overview of the media gateway ( mg 1 ) of the in network is shown in fig2 . based on information about the call type , i . e . h . 324 in the h . 248 add message , and information that dtmf digit detection is requested , the controller within the mg links the h . 245 handlers and h . 223 multiplexers at the mg into the call , instead of linking - in the normal dtmf receiver . the h . 223 multiplexer demultiplexes the h . 324 user data stream into media streams and the h . 245 control stream . the latter are passed to the h . 245 handler . the h . 245 handler contains h . 245 decoder / encoder and statefull logic to control h . 245 signaling . i . e : when h . 245 userinputindication ( uii ) containing the dialed digit is received from a subscriber , the digit is passed up to the h . 248 handler . the mechanism to transfer detected digits in h . 248 is the same as for a normal voice call . the dtmf digits are passed by the ssp to the scp , the scp having the service logic which determines the appropriate actions . the h . 245 handler gathers data relevant to the mg from the h . 245 signaling between end - points , e . g . h . 223 mux configuration data is transferred in an h . 245 multiplexentrysend ( mes ) message in order to ensure that both end - points utilise the same multiplexing algorithm . h . 245 signaling is triggered and suppressed when needed , e . g . if in - services decides to reroute the call to a new destination whilst media channels are open to an old destination , the h . 245 handler must close the channels to the calling party prior to opening channels between the new destination and the calling party . one problem with the approach described above is that separated in and vsg architectures may create delays , e . g . h . 223 multiplexing in mg 1 . this problem may be solved by combining the in and vsg into a single node . this makes it possible for the in to utilize the same resources and the same h . 223 demultiplexer as the vsg , which are needed for vsg functions . this approach is illustrated in fig3 . a detailed overview of the mg of the combined in network / video gateway node is shown in fig4 . the architecture is the same as in the normal mg of the vig / vsg . the h . 223 multiplexer within the mg demultiplexes the h . 324 user data stream between media streams and the h . 245 control stream . demultiplexing happens according to the configuration parameters received from mgc . media streams are transferred to rtp handlers and further to an ip network . the h . 245 control stream including uii message is transferred via h . 248 to mgc . all this happens in the same way as in the normal vig / vsg . a detailed overview of the ssp / mgc of the combined in network / video gateway node is shown in fig5 . an h245 handler within the mgc decodes the h245 messages and extracts the h245 uii . these are passed via the a controller and inap stack from the mgc to the scp , which processes them as standard dtmf digits using the applicable service logic . the controller within the ssp / mgc contains logic to reroute the call based on the commands received from the scp , via inap . this involves establishing a new rtsp session . depending on the parameters on stream content ( session descriptor protocol , sdp ), the controller may need to reopen the channels towards the calling party with new codec parameters with the help of the h . 245 handler and modify the codec parameters in the mg . the architectures described here allow the in and internet streaming servers to be combined with the help of the vsg , to provide multimedia intelligence . fig6 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention and which is implemented without the need for an intelligent network . in this embodiment , the relevant service logic previously contained in the ssp and scp is incorporated into the mgc of the video gateway . using the simple network management protocol ( snmp ), the operation of the mgc is controlled by an operation and maintenance ( o & amp ; m ) system . in a modification to this embodiment , for the streaming gateway scenario , the service logic may be decoupled from the video gateway , and relocated to a node located between the video gateway and the streaming servers . the signalling diagram of fig7 illustrates signalling associated with this modified embodiment . the new service node supports rtsp . in this embodiment , dtmf signals are extracted from the h . 245 control messages at the mgc of the video gateway , and are forwarded to the new service node as “ x - vig - dtmf ” elements of the rtsp message “ set parameter ”. the service node then identifies the appropriate addresses ( urls ) of the packet switched servers using the dtmf signals . this modification may also be applied in other scenarios apart from that of video streaming . consider for example the following scenarios : 1 ) a video gateway may be used for 3g - subscribers ( using 3g - 324m terminals ) to connect to ip - based video mail systems . in this scenario the 3g - subscriber can use dtmf signals ( i . e . transported as h . 245 uii ) to control video mail operations , e . g . to watch the next video message . the mgc within the video gateway communicates with a video mail system using h323 , which includes h . 245 , i . e . the video gateway is transparent to h . 245 uii messages . 2 ) the video gateway may interconnect h . 324 terminals to the ims ( ip multimedia system , as defined by 3gpp ). in this scenario the h . 324 subscriber could use dtmf to control ims services . thus the actual call could be truly interactive video end - to - end and dtmf could be used for example to control a multiparty video conference ( provided by ims ). it will be appreciated by the person of skill in the art that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention . for example , the invention may be implemented without the need for a video gateway in the communication path . this might arise when the in controls calls between two h . 324 terminals . amr adaptive multi - rate codec camel customized applications for mobile network enhanced logic cap camel application part cs circuit switched dtmf dual tone multi - frequency gsm global system for mobile communications ims ip multimedia system in intelligent network inap intelligent network application part ip internet protocol isup isdn user part mg media gateway mgc media gateway controller pcm pulse code modulation ps packet switched rtsp real time streaming protocol scp service control point snmp simple network management protocol ssp service switching point tdm time division multiplexed umts universal mobile telecommunication service url universal resource locator vig video interactive gateway vsg video streaming gateway	7
fig1 illustrates the invention as the game evolves during play . it comprises a basic board 10 , with five sets of cards ; 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 ; arranged at the corners of a central square 11 . arranged about the center square 11 is a border comprised of a plurality of rectangular spaces 12 forming a pathway about the center square bounded by the center square and the outer edges of the game board . each rectangular area 12 emulate property with the exception of the spaces including the corner squares 13 through 20 which relate to special game functions . each property space includes a value for which a player may purchase the property , assuming it has not previously been purchased by another player . the property spaces are dimensioned so that a business establishment card representing a franchise or other business establishment or property may be placed over the terrain simulating portion of the space 21 when a card is purchased . ( for simplicity of this discussion the term franchise is used to represent franchises as well as all other forms of business ). typical cards are illustrated in fig3 and 4 . these cards are paid for advertisements by real businesses such as franchises and serve to tie the game into contemporary life . for instance , the franchises available via the business property cards 3 and 4 may represent local franchises such as fast food establishments , grocery or department store or service organizations such as gas stations . the business property cards 3 and 4 and vacation cards 5 identify actual entities because the game is constructed by starting with a basic board as illustrated in fig2 and developing sets of cards by selling card space as advertisements to real businesses . ideally , the game cards are advertising for a variety of contemporary , local business establishments so that the game may be played by emulating all of the local businesses familiar to the players to enhance the fantasy which occurs during play . in addition to the franchise cards illustrated in fig3 and 4 , the game includes mandatory service cards such as the service station cards illustrated in fig7 ; lottery cards are illustrated in fig5 which provide for easy cash if the person is lucky enough to land upon the proper square ; and vacation cards as illustrated in fig5 . service station cards , lottery cards and vacation cards are selected whenever a player lands on a designated square ; 18 , 19 and 13 respectively ; on the game board . the game is designed by selling the advertising advantage of being an integral part of the game to contemporary businesses such as franchises . this selling is for real value and not to be confused with the fantasy of play . business or franchise cards or spaces or prize coupons are then designed to incorporate the business into the basic game board design and game rules . the game rules are modified to incorporate the businesses purchasing advertising into the game as an integral part of the play . in one embodiment , the game board and rules are fixed but prize coupons and the franchise card sets may be changed to reflect different geographical areas or types of business or new advertisers . to play the game , players choose a car and matching realty signs . different colored cars are used as place mark tokens 22 by each player and realty signs 23 are colored to match a players car . the realty signs are used to mark vacant lots owned by the player by placing them over the lot value as illustrated in fig1 . players roll to see who will play first . actual play then follows around the board . when a player lands on an empty lot , the player can purchase it for the value printed on the board , unless it has already been purchased by a previous player . when a player purchases a lot , he places one of his realty signs on the turf section 21 of the rectangle 12 to assert his ownership . during their travels around the game board , players may land on the follows spaces : service station , lottery , and vacation spaces . players must pick the matching cards for above mentioned spaces , and follow their directions . there are also spaces marked casino , where players can try their luck . players may also be faced with landing on advertising agency or property tax spaces and not be so lucky . in the beginning of the game , the players purchase as many lots next to each other as possible . in one version of the game , the double space business or franchise cards must be purchased first . a player may purchase a single space business only when there are no double space cards available . during play , players may purchase or trade for lots to increase their economic advantage . after all of the vacant lots on any given street have been purchased , players can begin to buy businesses or franchises . there is no fee for players landing on opponents vacant lot but when a player lands on opponents business or franchise he must pay the amount printed on the card . after players have developed an entire street by building franchises or business on all the property on the side of the board , the price charged a player for landing on the property increases to the higher printed amount on the card . the combination of buying , trading , and selling plays a major part in winning the game and acquiring redeemable prize coupons authorized by contemporary businesses advertising through the game . 4 . 8 sets of 20 colored real estate signs . each set colored to match a game token 11 . prize coupons redeemable for real merchandise or actual services provided by one or more of the contemporary businesses incorporated into the game via franchise cards or advertising space on the game board . the preferred embodiment of the game is played according to the following rules : object of the game : to purchase as many vacant lots as possible and build franchises on the lots . the player ending up with the greatest net worth becomes the winner . equipment : playing board , two dice , player tokens , real estate signs , 12 franchises , 12 double franchises , lottery cards , service station cards , vacation cards , and play money . to start game : place game board face up on table , place face down on allotted spaces the following cards ; franchises , double franchises , service station , vacation and lottery . each player chooses a different colored token and their matching color real estate signs . players each receives $ 280 , 000 to start the game , ( 5 --$ 1 , 000 , 5 -$ 5 , 000 , 5 -$ 10 , 000 , 5 -$ 20 , 000 , 2 -$ 50 , 000 ). to start the game , players place their tokens on collect income . manifestdestiny can have up to 4 players . ( see alternative game play selections for partners , up to 8 players ) banker : players must choose a banker , the banker can also be a player . the player / banker must keep their money separate from the bank &# 39 ; s . bank : the bank collects all : service station , property tax , vacation , advertising agency , vacant lots , and franchise money . the bank pays out all lotteries , casinos , salaries , and 1 / 2 the price for default of vacant lots or franchises . select winner &# 39 ; s prize : prior to the game &# 39 ; s start , players select from the redeemable prize coupons authorized by the contemporary businesses participating in the game formation , those prize coupons to be awarded to the winner ( s ) of the game . this is done by taking a vote among the players . players can select two prizes , one for adults and one for children , depending on who wins the game . additional prize coupons may be selected as rewards for reaching certain goals during play . the additional prize coupons may be used as barter instruments along with lots , franchises and play money . to play : players throw dice to see who goes first , the highest roller goes first . play then follows to the left ( clockwise ). all tokens start on collect income , after each roll the players token remains on that space awaiting for their next turn . if a player rolls doubles , the players continues with their turn after their first roll . there is no limit on the number of doubles a player can throw in a row . more than one player can land on the same space . according to the space the players token lands on , the player may purchase the vacant lot , or gamble at the casino , pay the service station , pick a lottery card , pay the advertising agency pay for a vacation , pay property tax , and later purchase franchises after an entire street is purchased . each time a player passes or lands on collect income , they collect $ 20 , 000 . buying vacant lots : if a players token lands on a vacant lot , ( a vacant lot is a lot that has no real estate sign or franchise card on it ). a player may buy a vacant lot for the printed value . if a player does not wish to buy the lot , no other player can buy it . a player must land on a vacant lot in order to purchase it . players should try to purchase vacant lots that are next to each other . note : players must buy the double franchises available for purchase before they can buy the single franchises . the trading of lots will enable players to purchase the double lots required for the double franchises . trading vacant lots : for the best means to becoming the wealthiest player in the game . players should trade ownership of vacant lots , in an effort to own two lots which are next to each other . players must wait till their turn before they make any trades . landing on vacant lots : there is no fee for players landing on vacant lots , owner or unowned . players may purchase if unowned or build franchises on their lots . buying franchises : after an entire street of vacant lots has been purchased . players owning two lots together have the option to purchase the double franchise cards . players must pay the value printed on the back of the cards . after paying the bank for the double franchise cards , players place the cards on their vacant lots . players needing two vacant lots together can buy or trade with other players to obtain the desired property . after all of the double franchises have been purchased , players can buy the single franchises . players can only place franchises on those streets that are totally purchased . paying franchise fees : players landing on a space with a franchise on it , must pay the lower price printed on the franchise card if the street is not completely developed . if the street is completely developed , the entire street has franchises on it , owners then collect the higher price printed on the franchise cards . collect income : this space , 15 , is used as the starting space of the game . players also collect $ 20 , 000 every time they land on or pass this space . property tax : this square , 16 , has two sides , 24 and 25 , to land on . when a players token lands on these spaces , a player must pay $ 1 , 000 for each vacant lot and $ 2 , 000 for each franchise they own . service station : when players lands on this space , 18 , they must pick a service station card . if there is an amount to pay the player must pay it to the bank . if a card reads lose a turn the player must follow the demands . casinos : these squares , 14 and 17 , have two spaces each on either side of the board 26 and 27 , and 28 and 29 . when a players token lands on one of these spaces , the player calls out a number to the other players . then rolls both dice , and if the same number comes up the player had called : ( the player wins $ 100 , 000 ). if a player rolls doubles , win or lose they get to roll again ! there is no limit to the number of rolls a player can have . a player can win as much as their luck will allow . if a player rolled doubles to land on this space , they will continue with their turn . advertising agency : this square , 20 , has two sides to land on , 31 and 32 . when a players token lands on these spaces , the player must roll both dice and pay $ 1 , 000 times the numbers shown on the dice . lottery : when a players token lands on this space , 19 , the player picks a lottery card . the player collects the amount from the bank . vacation : when a players token lands on this space , 13 , the player must pick a vacation card and follow the demands . when a demand is to go around the board , players collect $ 20 , 000 for each time they pass collect income , and then return to vacation . selling lots : a player may sell vacant lots to any other player at any point during the game , as long as it is their turn to play . the price is whatever a player is willing to pay . lots must be vacant to sell . a player who has purchased a lot , replaces his real estate sign with the seller &# 39 ; s . selling franchises : a player may sell their franchises to any other player at any point during the game , as long as it is their turn to play . the price is whatever a player is willing to pay . franchises cannot be moved . players who purchase them replace their real estate signs or sign with the seller &# 39 ; s . defaulting for cash : players must default their franchises before they can default the lots , that they are on . default of franchises : any player can default on their franchises by removing the franchise card from the vacant lot , and returning it face down on the bottom of the appropriate pile . players then receive 1 / 2 of the printed value paid for the franchise . note : if it is a double franchise , players must purchase them first before they can continue to purchase single franchises . default on lots : any player may default on their lots by removing their real estate sign , and collecting 1 / 2 of its printed value , from the bank . that lot becomes available for purchase , if a player lands on it . bankrupt : a player must declare bankruptcy , when they owe more than the cash and the default value of all their vacant lots and franchises . a player must first default their franchises then their vacant lots . the player then combines their total cash , to pay either the bank or another player . now it is time for that player to sit and watch or become the banker . end of game : the game ends when one player is left will all the wealth , and the others are all bankrupt . the game may be played in a variety of ways , such as : 1 . play until there is one player remaining , and all others are bankrupt . 2 . play until the first player is bankrupt , then call for a set time for the game to end . then all players default their franchises and vacant lots back into cash . the player with the most money wins the game . 3 . play until the second player goes bankrupt , and the game ends there . then all players default their franchises and vacant lots back into cash . the player with the most money wins the game . 4 . play a time limit game of approximately one hour or more . with a rule change as follows : players can purchase a franchise as soon as they have a vacant lot to put it on . players can buy single or double franchises whichever they may choose . turn all franchises and vacant lots back into cash at the end of the time . the player with the most money wins . prize winner : regardless of the game play , the winner receives the chosen coupon ( s ), that were selected prior to the start of the game . players choose a car and matching realty sign . players roll to see who will go first and play then follows to the left . as players land on the empty lots , they can purchase them for the printed value . during their travels around the gameboard , players may land on the following spaces : service station , lottery , and vacation spaces , the players must pick the matching cards for above mentioned spaces , and follow their directions . there are also spaces marked casino , were players can try there luck . players may also be faced with landing on advertising agency or property tax spaces and pay the amounts . the object of the game is to land on vacant lots , and to purchase as many of those lots next to each other as possible . there is no fee for players landing on opponents vacant lots . after players have purchased all of the vacant lots on any given street , players can begin to buy the double franchises . only when there are no double space franchises available at any time during the game may a player purchase a single space franchise . it would be an advantage for players to purchase or trade for lots that are next to each other . when players land on opponents franchises they must pay the printed amount . after players have placed franchises , both double and single to complete the development of an entire street . the price then increases to the higher printed amount on the franchise cards . after playing the game a few times , players will discover , that the combination of buying , trading , and selling plays a major part in becoming the winner . players could then choose from the alternative game plays , to select the one that they would enjoy the most . actual equipment : 1 playing board , 2 dice , 8 player tokens , 4 sets of real estate signs , service station cards , vacation cards , lottery cards , 12 single franchises , 12 double franchises , redeemable prize coupons and play money with tray . after becoming familiar with manifestdestiny , try using these play selections , that affect both the length of the game as well as the game &# 39 ; s strategies . game play 1 : play until the first player is bankrupt , then call for a set time for the game to end . then all players default their franchises and vacant lots back into cash . the player with the most money wins the game . players will default their lots and franchises for the &# 34 ; full printed values &# 34 ;, at the end of game . game play 2 : play until the first player goes bankrupt , and that player becomes the banker . the game ends when a second player goes bankrupt . then all players default their franchises and vacant lots back into cash . the player with the most money wins the game . players will default their lots and franchises for the &# 34 ; full printed values &# 34 ;, at the end of game . speed game : play a time limit game , of approximately one hour or more . with the rule changes as follows : players can purchase a franchise as soon as they have a vacant lot to put it on . players can buy single or double franchises which ever they may choose . at the end of the time limit , then all players default their franchises and vacant lots back into cash . the player with the most money wins the game . players will default their lots and franchises for the &# 34 ; full printed values &# 34 ;, at the end of the game . partner game : a game with partners , can be played with 4 , 6 , or 8 players . to start , players choose partners , and one of the alternative game plays above . each player has their own token , and receives $ 500 , 000 . partners will use the same real estate signs . players should follow the selected game play rules . at the end of the game , partners will combine their , franchises , vacant lots , and money together . partners will default their franchises and vacant lots , back into cash . the partners with the most money , win the game . an alternate embodiment of the game is designed b incorporating the franchise or business cards directly as an integral part of the board design . in this embodiment , the double and single franchise cards 3 and 4 of fig1 are not used and the advertisements 42 are printed directly on the board . local contemporary businesses are embodied in this version by selling them the privilege of authorizing game prize coupons redeemable at their establishments . fig9 and 9a represent the front and back of a typical prize coupon . the front of the coupon contains an advertisement and identifies the merchandise or service premium for which the coupon may be redeemed . the back of the coupon provides space for pertinent data relating to the winner and other game players which both verifies the win and supplies information for creating a mailing list . irrespective of the form of play of the game , in the final analysis the goal of the players is to win the prize coupon and the appeal of the game to many is in the premiums redeemable with the coupon . thus each embodiment of the game requires a design effort where businesses are solicited for support . typically a business provides coupons or authorization to print coupons which are redeemable for merchandise or services provided by the business . for instance a fast food chain may purchase advertising space on the game board or game cards and local franchise owners of chain outlets may purchase the privilege of supplying coupons redeemable for a sandwich , fried potatoes , etc . at their specific establishment . thus the national chain provides an advertising base and local franchisees provide local advertisement with local reinforcement via the premium coupon all within the same media , the game . purchasing the advertising space on the board or game cards and the privilege of having premium coupons included in the game constitute a major element in game design . through the normal business activities required by the businesses to purchase the advertising and promotional benefits of the game from game manufacturers or sellers , the businesses are thus preselected . while preferred embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described , variations and modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , i do not wish to be limited thereto and ask that the scope and breadth of this invention be determined from the claims which follow rather than the above description .	0
as is shown schematically in fig1 , the arrangement for substrate illumination with a plurality of individual particle beams basically comprises a particle beam source 1 defining an optical axis 115 along which the entire particle beam column up to the substrate 91 has the following components : an illumination system 2 for illuminating a first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 in selectable illumination groups , a beam modulator system 3 for generating a plurality of particle beamlets 118 containing , in addition to a condenser system 31 - 32 , a group deflection system 35 and a multideflector system 5 cooperating with a multi - aperture diaphragm system 4 for individual deflection and shaping of the individual particle beamlets 118 . following the latter is a reduction system 6 for imaging the particle beamlets 118 transmitted by the multi - aperture diaphragm system 4 onto the substrate 91 moving on a substrate stage 9 . a substrate monitoring sensor arrangement 8 is provided directly above the substrate stage 9 for observing the structure patterns which are exposed on the substrate 91 by means of the particle beamlets 118 . the generation of an array of variably controllable particle beamlets 118 within the beam modulator system 3 is characterized in that a first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 and a second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 are arranged in two diaphragm planes and are outfitted in each instance with equivalent beam - shaping diaphragm groups 45 comprising arrays of small openings ( 5 to 20 μm ) associated with one another and , optionally , additional larger openings ( 30 to 200 μm ). the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 is imaged on the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 by a condenser system 31 - 32 ( preferably in a scale of 1 : 1 ). on their path through the condenser system 31 - 32 to the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 , the particle beamlets 118 pass through at least one group deflection system 35 and at least one multibeam deflector array 51 and 52 of the multideflector system 5 in addition to the condenser system 31 - 32 . when the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 is illuminated by an illumination group 117 installed in the illumination system 2 in the region of a beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 ( see fig7 a ), an array of particle beamlets 118 is generated and passes through the condenser system 31 - 32 and the collective group deflection system 35 on its path toward the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . an individual displacement ( deflection ) of every particle beamlet 118 lateral to the beam direction by means of deflection can be carried out by individually controllable electric fields in two coordinate directions within each of the multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 . the multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 are advisably arranged in the vicinity of one of the multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 and / or 42 . following this at a distance of 10 % to 20 % of the distance to the next crossover 112 is the third multibeam deflector array 35 which serves as a precision positioning system for the individual positioning of the individual particle beamlets 118 on the substrate 9 . in this connection , it is necessary that at least one multibeam deflector array 51 is situated between the two multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 and 42 . this multibeam deflector array 51 can be arranged optionally in the vicinity of either the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 or the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . the positioning of a multibeam deflector array 51 and 52 , respectively , shown in fig1 , in the vicinity of the multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 and 42 can accordingly also be modified in such a way that both of the multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 are arranged in the vicinity of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 , i . e ., one in front of it and the other behind it . in every case , a cropping of each particle beamlet 118 accordingly takes place at the location of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 41 depending on its actual individual displacement through the at least one multibeam deflector array 51 located between the multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 and 42 . the use of the specially structured multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 , whose specific construction is shown in fig3 a , 4 a , 4 b and 5 , makes possible an additional individual position control of every particle beamlet 118 in the crossover 111 inside the array of the particle beamlets 118 , namely , regardless of their individual format size ( beam cross section ). the at least one multibeam deflector array 51 downstream of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 is responsible for this . a precision correction of the beam positions in the crossover 112 is carried out by another identically constructed multibeam deflector array 53 arranged downstream . the multi - stage group deflection system 35 in the area of the condenser system 31 - 32 serves to control particle beamlets 118 formed as a result of the selection of an illumination group 117 in the region of larger diaphragm apertures 44 ( 30 to 200 μm edge dimension ) of the multiple - format diaphragm array 41 ( see fig7 a ). by outfitting the diaphragm plates 43 of the multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 and 42 with large - format diaphragm apertures 44 ( 30 to 200 μm ) in addition to the small - format ( 5 to 20 μm ) diaphragm apertures 44 , larger illumination surfaces can also be realized on the substrate 91 with the same exposure arrangement in order to expose large - area patterns on the substrate 91 in a time - saving manner . fig1 shows a first embodiment form of the invention in which the illumination is carried out — for the sake of simplicity — by means of an individual particle beam source 1 which comprises an adapting condenser 21 , an illumination group selector 22 having a beam deflection system for deflecting the particle beam 11 from the optical axis 115 , and a stigmator 23 . the function of the condenser 21 of the illumination system 2 is to image the beam output diaphragm 116 of the particle beam source 1 on a first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 and to generate a first intermediate image of the beam output 10 of the particle beam source 1 in the crossover 110 . depending on a structure pattern to be generated on the substrate 91 , an illumination group 117 for selective illumination of a diaphragm aperture 44 which is shaped in a definite manner or a beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 of the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 is automatically selected and controlled in the illumination system 2 of the particle beam column which is characterized by a linear optical axis 115 from the beam outlet of the particle beam source 1 to the target on the substrate 91 to be exposed . this selection of the beam - shaping diaphragms is carried out by means of a suitable deflection of the particle beam 11 by means of the illumination group selector 22 . when using a first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 according to fig7 a , individual large variably shaped particle beams can be selected through large diaphragm apertures 44 and an array of smaller variable particle beamlets 118 can be selected through the beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 . further , when using a second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 according to fig7 b in which the diaphragm plate 43 does not have the same diaphragm apertures 44 as the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 , other beam shape variants such as , e . g ., rhombuses , triangles , etc . ( principle of generation according to dd 241 500 a1 ) or special characters 46 ( fig7 b ) can also be generated as is described more fully referring to fig7 b . other variants for beam shaping of an individual particle beam cross section having a relatively large variable area by means of imaging two diaphragms on top of one another with a beam deflection system arranged therebetween are carried out in the manner already known from the prior art ( e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 175 , 122 b1 , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 614 , 035 b2 ). also , the generation and projection of special characters 46 ( see fig7 b ) or the imaging of parts thereof which are provided ( selected ) through one of the larger openings 44 in the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 and a character 46 in the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 are known . the stigmator 23 is provided for correcting possible astigmatism in the crossover 111 of the illumination system 2 . the principal innovation of the invention consists in the additional possibility of the beam cross section control of an array ( group ) of particle beamlets 118 by means of multibeam deflector arrays 51 , 52 in the vicinity of at least one of the multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 and 42 so that variably shaped particle beamlets 118 of small beam cross - sectional area ( 5 to 20 μm ) can be generated in an individually controllable manner simultaneously or successively within the same particle beam column without a mechanical changing of diaphragms . the completely independent control of the size of the individual beam cross section in two coordinate directions lateral to the beam direction and the additional individual position deflection of every particle beamlet 118 on the substrate 91 make possible a substantially faster simultaneous exposure of a plurality of different structures of a chip design to be exposed on the substrate 91 . however , since a chip design to be exposed on the substrate 91 usually also contains some large structures or frequently recurring characters 46 , it is often advantageous to be able to select the most productive beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 ( see fig7 a , 7 b ) for the exposure of such structure regions without having to exchange one or both multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 and 42 . this diaphragm selection initially takes place within the illumination system 2 by means of the illumination group selector 22 . when the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 is illuminated by an illumination group 117 installed in the illumination system 2 in the region of a beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 ( see fig7 a ), an array of particle beams 118 is generated which passes at least one multibeam deflector array 51 , three collective group deflection systems 351 , 352 , and 353 , and a correction lens 33 in addition to the two condenser lenses 31 and 32 on its path through the condenser system 31 - 32 to the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . the at least one multibeam deflector array 51 , 52 makes possible an individual displacement of every individual particle beamlet 118 generated through the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 in two coordinate directions as will be explained in more detail in the following with reference to fig3 a and 3 b and fig4 a and 4 b . a cropping of each particle beamlet 118 depending on its individual lateral displacement is carried out at the location of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 as is indicated in fig7 b by the heavier hatching of the partial beam cross section 47 in that the individual particle beamlets 118 are reduced to the average area of the partial beam cross section and respective diaphragm aperture of the multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . the use of specially structured multibeam deflector arrays 51 , 52 and possibly additional multibeam deflector arrays 53 or 54 , whose specific constructions are shown in fig3 b , 4 a , 4 b and 5 , make possible an additional individual position control of crossovers 111 and 112 for each particle beamlet 118 within the array of ( small - format ) particle beamlets 118 regardless of their individual format size . accordingly , after the particle beam 11 is split into particle beamlets 118 , a usually narrowly limited crossover 111 , 112 or 114 can be distributed into partial crossovers which no longer coincide spatially . further , notwithstanding this advantageously intended spatial distribution of individual partial crossovers , the term crossover 111 , 112 or 113 will continue to be used in the following to associate the position of the individual crossovers of an orthogonal plane to the optical axis 115 . a multi - stage group deflection system 35 in the area of the twofold condenser system 31 - 32 serves to control the particle beamlets 118 when an illumination group 117 in the area of larger diaphragm apertures 44 ( 30 to 200 μm ) of the multiple - format diaphragm array 41 is selected . when a three - stage group deflection system 35 is used , as is designated more exactly in fig1 , 2 , 8 and 9 by group deflection systems 351 to 353 , the middle deflection system 352 preferably makes it possible to control the beam cross section ( format size control ) or the selection of special diaphragm structures 46 ( fig7 b ) in the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 , and deflection systems 351 and 353 are provided for blanking individual particle beamlets 118 so that these particle beamlets 118 either already impinge directly on the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 or impinge on the aperture diaphragm 7 positioned in the crossover 113 farther along the beam path . since the multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 and 42 are subjected to constant bombardment by the particle beam 11 and particle beamlets 118 , it can be advantageous to arrange a plurality of multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 , 42 in such a way that they are displaceable lateral to the optical axis when required ( e . g ., because of wear or other design requirements ) as coupled , i . e ., etched on a chip , multiple - format diaphragm arrays ( 41 ′, 41 ″, . . . and 42 ′, 42 ″, . . . , respectively ) and are therefore exchangeable without having to readjust the particle beam column . a variant of this kind is shown by way of example in fig9 by exchangeable , identical multiple - format diaphragm arrays 41 ′ and 42 ′. further , a correction lens 33 can be provided in the beam modulator system 3 between the condenser lenses 31 and 32 . this correction lens 33 makes possible a highly accurate angular orientation of the image of the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 at the location of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 to compensate for mechanical adjustment tolerances . the portion of the illumination control and multi - shape beam control described above is followed farther along the beam path of the particle beam column in direction of the substrate stage 9 by a reduction system 6 which carries out a reduced imaging of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 on the substrate 91 located on the substrate stage 9 by means of electromagnetic lenses 61 and 62 . apart from the two - stage reduction optics 61 - 62 shown in the drawing , optics with only one or with three lenses can also be used . the reduction system 6 is outfitted with diverse deflection systems for controlling the particle beam positions on the substrate 91 such as beam return system 63 , beam tracking 65 , micro beam deflection 66 and macro beam deflection 67 as well as stigmators 64 and 69 and a fast focusing lens 68 . the imaging scale for the reduced imaging of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 on the substrate 91 is typically 30 : 1 - 100 : 1 . a third multibeam deflector array 53 ( as precision positioning system for the position of every particle beamlet 118 on the substrate 91 ) is located at a distance of about 10 - 20 % of the distance between the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 and the next crossover 112 . this precision positioning system 53 is identical in principle to the multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 , but has a different scaling factor . it permits a small individual position displacement of every particle beamlet 118 ( 5 to 20 μm ) lateral to the beam direction . the electronic control of the two respective deflector cell arrays 57 within each of the multibeam deflector arrays 51 , 52 and 53 is carried out by an individual calibrated coupling matrix which is generated and suitably further processed , according to fig6 , in order to impress on all of the particle beamlets 118 in the array an individual format size ( s xi , s yi ), an individual precision positioning ( sm xi , sm yi ) and an individual position of the crossover 112 . for this purpose , the actual parameters derived from the chip design to be exposed , the format size ( s xi , s yi ) and ( sm xi , sm yi ) and precision positioning , are converted in a digital coupling matrix computing unit 37 with suitable transformation coefficients and blanking signals for individual particle beamlets 118 into individual deflection values for every deflector ( electrode pair 573 ) of the total of six deflector cell arrays 57 . because of the closely adjacent structure of the deflector cell arrays 57 , the individual deflection values from the coupling matrix computing unit 37 are then converted into corrected deflection values in a crosstalk correction computing unit 38 with crosstalk coefficients which take into account the special structure of the deflector cell arrays 58 and are fed to a data multiplexer 39 . the data multiplexer 39 generates a high - speed data stream of deflection values to the individual demultiplexers 59 of the six individual deflector chips 55 ( see fig3 ). the entire procedure for calculating the individual corrected deflection values is carried out in the computing units 37 and 38 in real time for all of the multideflector arrays 51 , 52 and 53 ( pipeline structure ). a two - stage beam return system 63 and a two - stage stigmator 64 are arranged in the beam path in front of the first reduction stage ( lens 61 ). the beam return system 63 ensures that the particle beamlets 118 are deflected again to the optical axis 115 by the respective beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 being used , which should advisably be located outside the optical axis 115 , without influencing the position of the crossover 112 along the optical axis 115 . this serves to reduce aberrations . also , the stigmator 64 can help to reduce distortion . the reduced intermediate image 119 of the portions of the partial beam cross sections 47 which pass through the diaphragm apertures 44 and which were defined by the illumination area 117 through the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 ( fig7 a ) and were changed individually by the group deflection systems 35 and the individual deflection systems of the multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 and the change in shape and size by the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 are imaged once again in reduced manner on the substrate 91 by the second reduction stage ( lens 62 ). in so doing , the aperture diaphragm 7 defines the substrate aperture and serves as a blanking diaphragm for temporarily unused particle beamlets 118 . the beam position of the reduced image of the beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 being used can be positioned on the substrate 91 in the conventional manner by microbeam deflection 66 and macrobeam deflection 67 . further , according to the construction shown in fig1 , a deflection system 65 for beam tracking during the exposure of the substrate 91 on the continuously moving substrate stage 9 can be advantageous . a fast focusing lens 68 in cooperation with another stigmator 69 serves for continuous , exact focusing of the particle beamlets 118 on the substrate 91 based on the values measured by a height sensor 81 . typical unevenness of the substrate 91 and a possible deflection defocusing can be corrected in this way . the backscattering particle detector 82 serves to detect marks and for beam calibration . with the construction of the particle beam column according to fig1 remaining the same in other respects , fig2 shows another configuration of the multibeam deflector system 5 . in this example , all of the multibeam deflector arrays 51 are positioned in the vicinity of the multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . in so doing , the multibeam deflector array 51 arranged in front of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 provides for the beam deflection of the particle beamlets 118 to achieve an individually differing cropping of its cross sections through the multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . the multibeam deflector array 52 causes the inclinations of the individual particle beamlets 118 to be reset by amounts opposite to those by which they were deflected by means of the first multibeam deflector array 51 ( for purposes of the format cropping by the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 ). the precision deflection of the individual particle beamlets 118 for their position on the substrate 91 is carried out by the third multibeam deflector array 53 in the form of a precision positioning array . fig8 shows the pupil beam path of another variant of a particle - optical imaging system for a multiform beam lithography system . as in the variant according to fig1 or fig2 , the illumination of the particle beam source 1 is determined through the beam outlet 110 and the outlet aperture diaphragm 116 . in this constructional variant , however , the condenser lens 21 of the illumination system 2 provides for a telecentric illumination of the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 . the illumination group selector 22 serves for beam alignment and specific selection ( i . e ., spatially defined illumination ) of a determined beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 on the multiple - format diaphragm array 41 ( fig7 a ). the stigmator 23 is provided for correcting astigmatism that may possibly occur in the crossover 111 . as in the first variant , the condenser lens system 31 - 32 provides for a 1 : 1 imaging of the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 on the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . the multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 make it possible to individually displace each of the particle beamlets 118 generated by the second multiple - format diaphragm array 41 within the array in two coordinate directions . a cropping of every particle beamlet 118 according to its individual displacement is carried out at the location of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . as in the first variant , three other deflection systems 351 , 352 , 353 in the area of the condenser lens system 31 - 32 serve to control beam - shaping diaphragm groups 45 with large beam cross sections . also , lens 33 is again used for highly accurate angular orientation of the image of the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 at the location of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . in contrast to the first constructional variant according to fig1 , three - stage reduction optics ( 60 , 61 , 62 ) are used in fig8 . the lens 60 generates an intermediate image of the crossover 111 and provides for a continued telecentric beam path with respect to the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . the reduction system 6 further comprises lenses 61 and 62 , as was described with reference to the variants according to fig1 and 2 , and provides for the corresponding reduced imaging ( 30 : 1 to 100 : 1 ) of the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 on the substrate 91 . both variants according to fig1 and fig8 use the same conventional positioning , measuring and correction systems . the main advantage of the variant according to fig8 over the constructions in fig1 and 2 is that the third multibeam deflector array 53 for individual precision positioning of the beamlets 118 on the substrate 91 can be constructed identical to the two multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 . this facilitates alignment processes . a principal advantage of the imaging variant shown in fig8 consists in the prevention of an intermediate image of the beam outlet 10 of the particle source 1 in front of the first multiple - format diaphragm array 41 , which occurs as a crossover 110 in the first variant ( according to fig1 ). since the total flow of particles is always higher in the illumination system 2 than in the following imaging stages , significant interactions take place in the crossover 110 of the particle beamlets 118 . such interactions can contribute to a disruptive energy expansion in the beam which causes additional chromatic errors in the subsequent lenses and accordingly ultimately impairs resolution . therefore , the arrangement of the particle columns described above with reference to fig8 is more advantageous in this respect than the variants according to fig1 and 2 . fig9 shows a modified variant of the particle beam column with telecentric illumination according to fig8 . instead of the three multibeam deflector arrays 51 to 53 which were originally provided in the beam modulator system 3 , four such multibeam deflector arrays 51 - 54 are provided . while the first multibeam deflector array 51 organizes the individual position control of the particle beamlets 118 in the crossover 111 to generate the least possible interaction between the individual particle beamlets 118 , the second multibeam deflector array 52 is provided for separate orientation of the individual particle beamlets 118 for cropping their format through the second multiple - format diaphragm array 42 . the third multibeam deflector array 53 causes the individual changes in direction of the particle beamlets 118 in the course of the format cropping to be reset , and the fourth multibeam deflector array 54 , as precision positioning array , again provides for the individual positioning of the particle beamlets 118 on the substrate 91 . in the following , the construction and operation of the multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 and precision positioning arrays 53 and 54 will be discussed in more detail . the latter are constructed so as to have substantially the same construction and operation at the multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 but are reduced by scaling . the multibeam deflector arrays 51 to 54 each have two deflector cell arrays 57 which are closely (& lt ; 1 mm ) adjacent to one another in the beam direction of the particle beamlets 118 and are oriented laterally substantially orthogonal to one another and substantially comprise a uniform arrangement of electrode pairs 573 and screen electrodes 574 . a 90 - degree arrangement of the electrode pairs 573 is shown in fig4 , and an enlarged section thereof is shown in fig5 . the deflector chip 55 in fig4 a must be imagined as flipped over the deflector chip 55 shown in fig4 b along the center of the drawing sheet such that the surfaces of the deflector chips 55 on which the electrodes 573 and 574 are arranged face one another . the control of the multibeam deflector arrays 51 , 52 , 53 , whose hardware embodiment is shown in fig3 a , is carried out by electronic computing units in a pipeline structure as is shown in fig6 . the coupling matrix , which has already been mentioned , ensures that all of the particle beamlets 118 in the beamlet array can have an individual cross - sectional size ( s xi , s yi ), an individual precision positioning ( sm xi , sm yi ), and an individual position in the crossover 112 . there are basically two position adjustments of interest for the individual position of the particle beamlets 118 in the crossover 112 : a ) exactly on the optical axis 115 — for exposure — or b ) as far away as possible from the optical axis 115 — for blanking the particle beamlet 118 at the outlet aperture diaphragm 7 . in order to determine the deflection values for the individual deflector cells 571 of a plurality of multibeam deflector arrays 51 , 52 , 53 ( and possibly 54 ) from the values for the individual format size ( s xi , s yi ) and the individual precision position ( sm xi , sm yi ) of every particle beamlet 118 by means of an individual coupling matrix and to then carry out a compensation of the crosstalk caused by deflector cells 571 adjacent in the plane , one or more digital computing units are required for implementing linear transformations consisting of multiplications and additions . dummy deflector cells 572 which are provided in the design of the deflector cell arrays 57 do away with the necessity of special handling of the particle beamlets 118 lying at the edge and in the corners of the particle beamlet array so that all deflection values can be calculated according to the same algorithm , although this algorithm relies on individual transformation coefficients or coupling coefficients . a high degree of parallelizability in the calculation and control electronics is ensured by the property of the design of the deflector cell arrays 57 whereby an outer row of passive deflector cells ( dummy deflector cells 572 ) is arranged around the active deflector cells 571 which each deflect a particle beamlet 118 . since the coupling coefficients depend on the actual alignment state of the deflector cell array 57 of the particle beamlets 118 , the transformations cannot be processed as part of an offline data processing , but rather must be carried out in real time during the exposure . for reasons of productivity , computing architectures which work in a purely sequential manner ( deflection value after deflection value , beamlet after beamlet ) cannot be used . computing blocks which operate in parallel and which , e . g ., are associated in each instance with a particle beamlet 118 or a row or column of particle beamlets 118 in a multibeam deflector system comprising three or four multibeam deflector arrays 51 to 54 are required in order to achieve sufficient throughput rates . further , by reducing the algorithm to sub - operations of addition and multiplication which are carried out in blocks working in parallel , it is possible to combine the calculation functions with those of data transfer so that pipeline structures or systolic processor arrays can be used . arrays of this kind can be realized in modern programmable logic circuits ( fpgas ) having very high scale integration which also provide the necessary bandwidth for input and output . after digital calculation of the individual deflection values for each deflector chip 55 , a digital - to - analog conversion must be carried out to provide the deflection potentials for the individual deflector cells 571 . since every deflector cell 571 comprises pairs of electrodes 573 and , therefore , requires two control voltages symmetric to a ground potential ( screen electrode 574 ), a total of 12n voltage potentials must be generated for controlling n particle beamlets 118 in six deflector planes ( i . e ., in three double deflector arrays with deflection directions x and y ) of the first and second multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 and the third multibeam deflector array 53 operating as precision positioning array . in implementing this circuit component , it is useful to use multichannel active components such as multi - da converters 58 with corresponding multi - operational amplifiers . as the quantity n of particle beamlets 118 to be controlled increases , the construction and connection technology for supplying the 12n voltages of dac boards located outside the electron - optical column in the vacuum region of the particle beam column becomes increasingly difficult . therefore , after n & gt ; 64 , instead of transferring the individual analog voltages separately , a preferred solution is to transfer the digital control values by multiplexing via a few serial high - speed connections with data rates of greater than 1 gigabyte / second into the vacuum region of the particle beam column . in this respect , the transfer can be realized by means of differential electric signals or optically by means of glass fibers or free space optics . the demultiplexing of the control data and d - a conversion thereof can then be carried out directly on each deflector chip 55 of the multibeam deflector system 5 . a control of the kind mentioned above is shown schematically in fig3 . two integrated demultiplexer chips 59 supply four integrated multi - da converters 85 on the right - hand and left - hand side , respectively , to control the deflector chip 55 which is positioned almost in the center . two independent deflector boards which are outfitted with identical electronics modules and each of which holds a deflector chip 55 and is supplied with separate control signals are used for two deflector cell arrays 57 arranged one on top of the other in order to realize individually the x - deflection and y - deflection of the separate particle beamlets 118 with pairs of electrodes 574 oriented orthogonally relative to one another in the two planes of the deflector cell arrays 57 situated one above the other . this circuit arrangement solves the problem of the signal feed and also satisfies the requirement for short setting times for the deflector cell arrays 57 through a compact construction and very short , low - capacitance control lines . as is shown in fig4 a and 4 b and in fig5 in specific constructions of the deflector chips 55 , deflector chip cutouts 56 are incorporated in the deflector cell array 57 , and these deflector chip cutouts 56 are associated with the beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 for small - format particle beamlets 118 ( 5 - 20 μm ) of the multiple - format diaphragm array 41 and have identically shaped or larger deflector plate cutouts 56 so that the individual particle beamlets 118 provided by the multiple - format diaphragm array 41 are not cropped but rather are deliberately influenced individually with respect to their beam direction . to this end , an individual deflector cell 571 comprising an electrode pair 573 and two screen electrodes 574 is associated with each individual diaphragm aperture 44 of the beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 of a multiple - format diaphragm array 41 or 42 as is shown schematically in fig5 and in an enlarged section from fig4 a . in this connection , each of the screen electrodes 574 which are located between the parallel - oriented electrode pairs 573 of two deflector cells 571 can simultaneously shield the two neighboring deflector cells 571 . in spite of the screen electrodes 574 , the fields of the individual deflector cells 571 on the multibeam deflector arrays 51 , 52 and the precision positioning array 53 act not only on the particle beamlet 118 passing through its associated individual deflector cell 571 but also on the adjacent particle beamlets 118 ( crosstalk ). this crosstalk is corrected in the following manner : when an 8 × 8 beam - shaping diaphragm group 45 is used in an advantageous manner , it has proven favorable , for example , to outfit the deflector chips 55 with 10 × 10 deflector cells 571 , 572 . in order to present the construction of optimized deflector cell arrays 57 in a simpler and clearer manner , the multibeam deflector arrays 51 and 52 shown in fig4 a and 4 b are arranged with a 6 × 6 deflector cell array 57 with 4 × 4 active deflector cells 571 within an outer frame of one dummy deflector cell 572 , no deflector plate cutout 56 being provided between the electrode pair 573 of the latter . accordingly , the 4 × 4 array of deflector cells 571 is supplemented in such a way that a dummy deflector cell 572 is located on all sides around the field of the sixteen deflector plate cutouts 56 . the following estimates for the crosstalk behavior of the deflector cell array 57 are given for a real 10 × 10 deflector cell array 57 using this scheme in the same way with an 8 × 8 array of active deflector cells 571 . disregarding the crosstalk for the time being , the voltages at the 10 × 10 deflector cells 571 are : the outer rows of the deflector cell array 57 are dummy deflectors 572 to which no voltage is applied , i . e . : u 0j 0 = u 9j 0 = u i0 0 = u i9 0 = 0 i , j = 0 . . . 9 . the actual deflector voltages for the active deflector cells 571 are : by inserting dummy deflectors 572 , every active deflector cell 571 “ sees ” the same surroundings . therefore , the “ active deflector cell array ” 57 comprises only the inner 8 × 8 active deflector cells 571 whose voltages must be corrected owing to crosstalk . let the corrected voltages be : since the outer frames around the active deflector cells 571 are dummy deflectors 572 , then : u 0j = u 9j = u i0 = u i9 = 0 i , j = 0 . . . 9 . the deflecting action of an individual deflector cell 571 is changed by the crosstalk due to the interfering effect of the other deflector cells 571 of the deflector cell array 57 . since the crosstalk effect is small , it can be considered as sufficient to allow for the interfering effect of the eight immediate neighbors of a deflector cell 571 in question . the simplest possibility for correcting crosstalk consists in applying a correcting voltage to the deflector cells 571 in question which compensate for the crosstalk effect of the voltages of the eight directly adjoining deflector cells 571 . 1 . the crosstalk effect on deflector cells 571 situated farther away ( outside of the eight immediate neighbors ) is disregarded . 2 . the fact that the correcting voltages applied to the deflector cell 571 in question are themselves subject to crosstalk ( second - order effect ) is disregarded . 3 . an inside deflector cell 571 is influenced exclusively by the crosstalk from its eight directly adjacent deflector cells 571 . every deflector cell 571 within a field of nine adjacent deflector cells 571 and 572 can be considered sufficiently defined by the exceptions mentioned above . the eight neighboring cells of a selected , inside deflector cell 571 are designated by the symbols lo , lm , lu , mo , mu , ro , rm , ru which identify the positions of the eight neighbors according to the following scheme : assuming that only the inner deflector cell 571 of the nine deflector cells 571 in question are controlled and causes the deflection “ 1 ” for “ its ” particle beamlet 118 , this gives a deflection of the following magnitude due to the crosstalk on the eight adjacent particle beamlets 118 : c lo , c lm , c lu , c mo , c mu , c ro , c rm , c ru . the quantities c lo , c lm , etc . are the crosstalk coefficients . in case of a deflector cell array 57 comprising uniform , structurally identical deflector cells 571 , 572 , these quantities are typically less than 5 %. in theory , they can be determined by suitable modeling or even empirically . it is further assumed that these coefficients are identical for all of the inner deflector cells 571 . let an inner deflector cell 571 in the 10 × 10 deflector cell array 57 considered above have the uncorrected control voltage u ij 0 . the corrected control voltage would then be : u ij = u ij 0 − c ru * u i − 1 , j − 1 0 − c mu * u i − 1 , j 0 − c lu * u i − 1 , j + 1 0 − c rm * u i , j − 1 0 − c lm u i , j + 1 0 − c ro * u i + 1 , j − 1 0 − c mo * u i + 1 , j 0 − c lo * u i + 1 , j + 1 0 i , j = 1 . . . 8 in this respect , it is not taken into account ( according to the first exception mentioned above ) that the correction of the control voltage of an adjacent deflector cell 571 also acts on the next deflector cell but one 571 or 572 due to the crosstalk ( higher - order effects are disregarded ). this appears allowable because the coefficients c lo , c lm , etc . are quantitatively less than 0 . 05 . 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
referring now more specifically to the drawings , and to fig1 in particular , a golf cart accelerator pedal system 10 is shown , which includes a switch actuator 12 in accordance with the present invention . while the present switch actuator 12 is shown with respect to use in a gas powered golf cart , it should be understood that actuator 12 of the present invention can be used for other devices , and for switching apparatuses other than accelerator systems . use in a gas powered golf cart is merely a suitable , advantageous use of the invention . switch actuator 12 is shown disproportionately large in fig1 in comparison to other components of system 10 . actuator 12 is connected to a linkage train 14 including shafts 16 , 18 and 20 , and interconnecting gears and / or linkages depicted schematically by boxes 22 and 24 . a foot pedal 26 is provided connected to shaft 16 , for actuation of system 10 , by depressing or releasing foot pedal 26 . it should be understood that the components in accelerator pedal system 10 , such as shafts 16 , 18 , 20 and gears represented by boxes 22 and 24 and foot pedal 26 depict a suitable environment for use of the invention , and other linkage trains also can be used . switch actuator 12 includes a rotor 30 attached to shaft 20 , for rotation of rotor 30 by shaft 20 upon a user depressing pedal 26 , or releasing pedal 26 from a depressed position . rotor 30 is contained within a housing 32 , and is suitably mounted in housing 32 for rotation therein . rotor 30 rotates upon depressing pedal 26 , or upon releasing pedal 26 from a depressed position , and may rotate through only a relatively small arc less than a complete revolution of rotor 30 . rotor 30 is shaped to include one or more lobes or cams 34 , 36 , and as depicted in the drawings ( fig2 - 4 ) includes two cams 34 , 36 . one or more switches 40 having electrical leads 42 , 44 , 46 attached thereto are operated upon rotation of rotor 30 , via a switch button 48 housed in a switch casing 50 . one such switch 40 is shown in fig2 - 4 . a lever 60 operates switch button 48 , with switch button 48 being depressed or released by movement of lever 60 . lever 60 is caused to move against or away from switch button 48 upon rotation of rotor 30 , as will be described more fully hereinafter . lever 60 is a third class lever , having a first end 62 operatively positioned in association with switch 40 for depressing button 48 , and a second end 64 forming and defining with housing 12 a fulcrum 66 for lever 60 . a cam follower 68 is provided between first end 62 and second end 64 . cam follower 68 is operatively associated with cams 34 , 36 of rotor 30 . fulcrum 66 is created by a knob 70 of housing 32 disposed in an oblong opening 72 formed in lever 60 at second end 64 . knob 70 and opening 72 are operatively associated such that lever 60 can rotate about knob 70 in opening 72 . the shape of opening 72 is oriented with respect to rotor 30 such that opening 72 , and thus second end 64 of lever 60 , can slide slightly away from rotor 30 under conditions to be described subsequently herein . a biasing means in the nature of a spring 74 is provided to urge second end 64 of lever 60 toward rotor 30 . spring 74 is operatively connected between a boss 76 on lever 60 and a spring retainer 78 in housing 32 . a desirable “ at rest ” position for switch actuator 12 is shown in fig2 . lever 60 is moved by cam 36 to depress button 48 . to activate system 10 from the “ at rest ” position , foot pedal 26 is depressed , causing rotor 30 to rotate in a clockwise direction as depicted in fig3 . first end 62 of lever 60 falls away from button 48 as cam follower 68 slides past cam 36 . fig2 and 3 thus illustrate the desired positions when system 10 and actuator 12 thereof are operating within designed conditions . spring 74 urges second end 64 toward rotor 30 , such that knob 72 is engaged against a surface of opening 72 that is furthest from rotor 30 . under desired “ at rest ” conditions , first end 62 of lever 60 gently touches casing 50 of switch 40 , with switch button 48 being fully depressed . however , as illustrated in fig4 through various mispositionings or tolerance stack up , it is possible for casing 50 to be slightly mispositioned relative to first end 62 of lever 60 . the potential relative mispositioning of casing 50 , for example , is illustrated by the dashed line shown in fig4 indicated by numeral 80 . under this condition , as first end 62 of lever 60 bottoms out prematurely against casing 50 , rotor 30 continues to rotate , and the action of cam 36 would , absent the present invention , urge first end 62 of lever 60 more firmly against casing 50 . this condition could result in damage . however , as a result of the present invention , lever 60 adjusts such that opening 72 moves along knob 70 , to effectively absorb the over - force applied against cam follower 68 . lever 60 is allowed to pivot at the contact of end 62 against casing 50 . essentially , a fulcrum 90 is formed at first end 62 , as end 62 bottoms out against casing 50 and the biasing force of spring 74 is overcome . second end 64 moves laterally , as opening 72 is allowed to slide along knob 70 , until knob 70 contacts the area of opening 72 nearest rotor 30 , as shown in fig4 . the present invention compensates for tolerance stack - up or potential component mispositioning by allowing flexibility in the relative position of a lever fulcrum with respect to the force applied to the lever . in the present invention , a third class lever has force applied thereto intermediate first and second ends of the lever . the first end of the lever moves as a spring biased fulcrum is created at the second end . upon the lever first end encountering resistance to continued movement , continued application of force on the lever overcomes the spring biasing force , causing the fulcrum of the lever to occur at the first end , and allowing the second end of the lever to move . variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention . it is understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned , or evident from the text and / or drawings . all of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention . the embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention . the claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art . various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims .	8
referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is seen an exemplary embodiment in which temporary guidance of successive sheets 1 takes place while a lower surface of a sheet 1 is in contact with a guiding element 2 formed as a rotating endless belt of a belt conveyor . the belt - type guiding element 2 winds around a first guide roller 3 which is connected with a non - illustrated drive shaft of a rotary drive as to be fixed against rotation . the guiding element 2 also winds around a freely rotatable second guide roller 4 located in axially parallel relation to the first guide roller 3 . the guiding element 2 rotates in the direction of an arrow indicated at a lower part of the guiding element 2 in fig1 . a suction chamber 5 which is disposed below an upper part or strand of the guiding element 2 is connected with a underpressure , negative pressure or vacuum source 20 . an underpressure can be created in the region of an inner surface of the upper part of the guiding element 2 through the use of the suction chamber 5 . in the present example the guiding element 2 is penetrated by suction openings 6 which are distributed over its length essentially in direct succession , so that an underpressure is created in a respective partial amount of the suction openings 6 while the partial amount of suction openings 6 passes over the suction chamber 5 during operation . in fig1 only two of the suction openings 6 distributed over the length of the guiding element 2 are illustrated . an outer surface of the belt - type guiding element 2 further includes a rib 7 extending over the entire length thereof and being penetrated by the suction openings 6 . an outer surface of the rib 7 facing away from the inner surface of the guiding element 2 is provided with a groove 8 oriented in the direction of rotation of the guiding element 2 . aperture cross sections of the suction openings 6 facing the outer surface of the rib are situated in the groove 8 . devices for feeding the sheets 1 to the guiding element 2 and for their positioning immediately above the guiding element 2 are not directly part of the subject of the present invention . the positioning takes place in such a way that side edges of the sheets 1 are oriented in the direction of rotation of the guiding element 2 . a possible field of application of the device according to the present invention is , for example , its use as a sheet brake between a chain delivery system and a delivery pile of a sheet - fed printing press . in this embodiment the chain delivery system first guides a respective sheet 1 , in accordance with the direction of an arrow indicated at the sheet 1 shown in fig1 into a position located directly above the guiding element 2 and then releases the sheet 1 in such a manner that , particularly in a trailing region of a respective sheet 1 , there is contact between the lower surface of the sheet and the guiding element 2 , due to the suction effect of the underpressure existing in the suction openings 6 . the contact is achieved by temporarily covering the aperture cross sections or mouth profiles of the suction openings 6 and as a result of the revolution of the guiding element , the suction openings 6 preceding each other counter to the direction of revolution successively face the lower surface of the sheet . upon the guidance of sheets 1 of thin paper , the configuration of the aperture cross sections of the suction openings 6 in the groove 8 has the effect of forming a crease or draw 16 in the respective sheet 1 in conformity with the profile of the groove 8 , as is seen in fig4 . this crease 16 has a favorable influence on the guiding characteristics of the device in multiple ways . first of all , with sheets of thin paper , this crease 16 has a stabilizing effect on the position of the sheet 1 in transverse direction with respect to the direction of rotation of the guiding element 2 , thus counteracting a shifting in the transverse direction . furthermore , as a result there is a tendency with sheets 1 of thin paper toward the suction effect exerted on the sheet 1 through the underpressure existing in the suction openings 6 being increased when a compressive force acts on the lower surface of the sheet , due to differences in static pressure in the vicinity of the sheet 1 . the tendencies toward an increase of the suction effect and thereby the holding force with which the sheet 1 is pressed onto the guiding element 2 under this suction effect are based on the fact that a release of a region of the sheet 1 from this crease 16 would result in an enlargement of the region of the lower surface of the sheet that was subjected to the underpressure in the suction openings 6 and would consequently result in an increase of the holding force . according to a further manner of using the device as a sheet brake , an additional favorable influence on the guiding characteristics of the guiding element 2 is provided by the fact that the crease 16 counteracts curling - up of the trailing edge of the sheet 1 which is subjected to the effect of air flow fields that are created , for example , by rotating gripper devices of a chain delivery system . the causes counteracting the curling are found on one hand in the already mentioned tendency toward an increase of the holding force in the case of increased static pressure on the lower surface of the sheet , and on the other hand in the stiffening effect of the crease 16 in the sheet which impedes bending around a bending edge extending transversely with respect to the groove 8 . the exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig1 can be modified into a second variant , particularly by providing a guiding element 2 &# 39 ; which is partially shown in fig2 and corresponds with the guiding element 2 of fig1 to the extent that it is also constructed as an endless rotating belt of a belt conveyor but differs from the guiding element 2 of fig1 in that only a single suction opening 6 is provided . a variant of such a construction can also be used as a sheet brake in the above - described relationship . therefore , it enables in particular the exclusive gripping of a region of the lower surface of the sheet 1 close to the trailing edge of the sheet 1 through the use of the guiding element 2 &# 39 ; during the rotation of the guiding element corresponding to a cycle of conveyance of the successive sheets in a suitable phase position to the chain delivery system . in the illustrated exemplary embodiment , the single suction opening 6 is placed within a cam 9 which is provided on the guiding element 2 &# 39 ; that is constructed as a belt of a belt conveyer . the cam 9 projects from the outer contour of the otherwise flat belt . this cam 9 , in the present exemplary embodiment , has a cross section corresponding to the rib 7 of fig1 and thus has a notch 10 corresponding to the groove 8 of fig1 . in this case , the notch 10 causes the formation of a crease 16 in the sheet 1 when the latter is subjected to the underpressure existing in the suction opening 6 . the groove 8 and the notch 10 , in the exemplary embodiments according to fig1 and 2 , are worked into the rib 7 and into the cam 9 in the form of a prism . this form , however , is not mandatory . the cross sections of the groove 8 and the cam 9 can also have a rounded or rectangular profile , for example . the guiding element 2 &# 39 ; which is partially illustrated in fig2 may be constructed with a plurality of cams 9 having respective suction openings 6 placed therein . in this embodiment the rotational speed of the guiding element 2 &# 39 ; which is constructed as a belt is selected in such a way that a respective one of the successive sheets 1 is gripped with a respective one of the successive cams 9 . in a second exemplary embodiment , a guiding element 2 &# 34 ; shown in fig3 and 4 is constructed as a rotor which rotates during operation around an axis of rotation 11 and has an outer cylindrical surface 12 which is concentric with the axis of rotation 11 . this outer cylindrical surface 12 is penetrated by suction openings 6 &# 39 ; disposed essentially directly one after the other along a circumferential line . the suction openings 6 &# 39 ;, in their entirety , form a row of suction openings extending over the circumference of the rotor . in the present exemplary embodiment the guiding element 2 &# 34 ; which is constructed as a rotor is formed of a disk 13 and a ring 14 fitted on the periphery of the disk 13 . the ring 14 is penetrated by the suction openings 6 &# 39 ; and is preferably made of material that is resistant to wear and tear . the disk 13 has open slits 15 which are worked into the disk 13 so as to be distributed over the circumference of the disk 13 in a radial outer diameter - region and oriented radially outwardly and towards one side surface of the disk 13 . each of the slits 15 communicates with a respective suction opening 6 &# 39 ;. in order to guide the sheets 1 in an upper region of the outer cylindrical surface 12 of the guiding element 2 &# 34 ; of such a construction , a non - illustrated suction chamber engages one side surface of the disk 13 that is interrupted by the slits 15 , i . e . in an upper section thereof including a radial extension of the slits 15 . the suction chamber is connected to an underpressure source . in order to achieve the rotation of the guiding element 2 &# 34 ; of such a construction , the disk 13 is connected with a drive shaft of a non - illustrated rotary drive in such a way as to be fixed against rotation . the suction openings 6 &# 39 ; open out in a radially outward direction in a groove 8 &# 39 ; formed in the ring 14 and are distributed over the circumference thereof . when a sheet 1 of thin paper is guided in the upper region of the outer cylindrical surface 12 of the guiding element 2 &# 34 ; during operational rotation of the guiding element 2 &# 34 ;, the above - described crease 16 is formed in the sheet 1 in a contact region between the outer cylindrical surface 12 and the sheet 1 . depending on the respective dimensions of the guiding elements 2 or 2 &# 39 ; or 2 &# 34 ; according to the illustrated exemplary embodiments , multiple suction openings 6 , 6 &# 39 ; or rows of suction openings that are spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the direction of rotation may open into a respective number of grooves 8 , 8 &# 39 ; or notches 10 . a strict orientation of the grooves 8 , 8 &# 39 ; or the notches 10 in the direction of rotation of the guiding elements 2 , 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ; is not mandatory . the grooves 8 , 8 &# 39 ;, for example , may have a slightly sinusoidal arcuate shape and the notches 10 may be disposed obliquely to a certain extent with respect to the direction of rotation . preferably , a plurality of devices of the kind described herein is used for the guidance of sheets 1 , particularly in dependence on the format of the sheets 1 , whereby these devices are disposed at a distance from one another so as to be positioned transversely to the direction of rotation and be equally oriented to the direction of rotation of the respective guiding element 2 , 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ;. although the subject of the present invention may preferably be used as a sheet brake , general sheet guidance can also be realized with devices of the kind described herein , and in a particularly advantageous way when secure sheet guidance at high sheet speed without lateral drifting of the sheets is to be ensured .	1
the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings . fig1 of the accompanying drawings shows a circuit arrangement of a remote controller apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . as fig1 shows , a remote controller apparatus 5 includes a microprocessor unit ( mpu ) 10 . the mpu 10 comprises a well - known central processing unit ( cpu ) 10a , a read - only memory ( rom ) 10b in which there is stored a control program of the remote controller apparatus , a random access memory ( ram ) for work area , an input / output ( i / o ) interface 10d , and a pulse code generating unit 10e which includes a ceramic vibrator , a frequency - dividing unit or the like , ( not shown ). there is provided a first input terminal ti1 to which there is input a code signal sa1 used when the remote controller apparatus 5 learns a control code from other audio - video apparatus through a connection cable ( not shown ). the mpu 10 is connected with a photo - diode ra which receives a coded infrared signal ra transmitted from other audio - video apparatus and which outputs a code signal sa2 . the remote controller apparatus 5 includes a second input terminal ti2 to which there is supplied a code signal sb1 via a cable connected to audio - video apparatus or the like ( not shown ). the code signal sb1 is input to the mpu 10 through the second input terminal ti2 . the mpu 10 is connected with a photo - diode rb which receives a coded infrared signal rb transmitted from other audio - video apparatus . a code signal sb2 from the photo - diode rb is input to the mpu 10 . the mpu 10 is connected with a keyboard 12 that is operated by the user to effect the function selecting operation such as power - on , power - off , channel selection , volume - up , volume - down or the like and on / off of the transmission of the coded infrared signal . further , the remote controller apparatus 5 includes a memory 14 which includes a lookup table ( conversion table ) that stores the code signals sa1 , sa2 or that in combination with the cpu 10a converts the code signals sb1 , sb2 into predetermined codes , as further indicated below . the mpu 10 has an output terminal to and a light emitting diode td connected thereto . from the output terminal to , there is supplied an output signal so corresponding to codes of the code signals sa1 , sa2 or code signals sb1 , sb2 . the output signal so is transmitted from the light emitting diode td as a coded infrared signal ta . the output signal so can be obtained when the memorized code signals sa1 , sa2 are read out or the conversion code read out from the memory 14 in response to the input code signals sb1 , sb2 under the control of the cpu 10a is coded in , for example , a pulse position modulation ( ppm ) fashion by the pulse code generating unit 10e and the coded conversion code is processed so as to have a predetermined level by the i / o interface 10d or the like . operation of the aforesaid arrangement , i . e ., operation that the remote controller apparatus of the present invention is used as a learning remote controller , a conversion remote controller and an ordinary remote controller will be described below . when the remote controller apparatus of the present invention is operated as the learning remote controller , initially , a learning operation instruction is supplied to the mpu 10 from the keyboard 12 . the code signal sa1 that energizes the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus is supplied to the first input terminal ti1 through a cable ( not shown ) from the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus that cannot be operated by the remote controller apparatus 5 . alternatively , the code signal sa2 output from the photo - diode ra when the photo - diode ra receives the coded infrared signal ra is supplied to the mpu 10 . when the power - on switch on the keyboard 12 is depressed , the mpu 10 stores in the designated write address of the memory 14 the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus code signal sa1 or ppm code of the code signal sa2 as other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus power - on code . then , when the learning switch and the power - on switch are depressed , the mpu 10 reads the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus power - on code from the memory 14 . the read - out code is converted into the output signal so of predetermined level by the i / o interface 10d . the output signal so is transmitted from the light emitting diode td , for example , as the coded infrared signal ta and other the maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus that receives the coded infrared signal ta is energized . aside from the depression of a switch after the code signal is stored in the memory 14 , the aforesaid remote control operation can be automatically effected by a signal input from the apparatus . more specifically , the mpu 10 decodes the code signal sb1 input thereto through the input terminal ti2 from other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus or the code signal sb2 output from the photo - diode rb when the photo - diode rb receives the coded infrared signal rb . by way of example , the output signal so which results from reading the power - on code stored in the memory 14 after the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus power - on instruction was identified may be transmitted to other the maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus as the coded infrared signal ta to operate the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus in a remote control fashion . the remote controller apparatus of the present invention is operated as a learning remote controller as described above . this remote controller apparatus can also be operated as a ordinary remote controller . in this latter case , the pulse code generating unit 10e derives a code signal corresponding to the operation that the power - on switch on the keyboard 12 is pushed . further , the output signal so is output through the i / o interface 10d , thereby effecting the remote control operation . when the remote controller apparatus of the present invention is operated as the conversion remote controller , a conversion operation command is supplied to the mpu from the keyboard 12 . then , from a first audio - video apparatus that can be operated under the control of the remote controller apparatus 5 , e . g ., a tv tuner , the code signal sb1 indicative of the power - on command for a monitor receiver serving as a second audio - video apparatus is supplied to the second input terminal ti2 via a cable ( not shown ). alternatively , in this case , instead of the code signal sb1 , the code signal sb2 that results from receiving the coded infrared signal rb by the photo - diode rb may be supplied to the mpu 10 . then , the mpu 10 decodes the ppm code of the monitor receiver power - on command and supplies the ppm code thus decoded to the memory 14 to thereby read the code that is stored in the memory 14 in advance . the read code is processed by the i / o interface 10d as the signal so of predetermined level . the output signal so is transmitted from the light emitting diode td as the coded infrared signal ta . then , the monitor receiver serving as the second audio - video apparatus that receives the coded infrared signal ta is energized , i . e ., the remote controller apparatus of the present invention is operated as the so - called conversion remote controller . an example that the remote controller apparatus 5 is operated when in use will be described below . fig2 shows a first example that the remote controller apparatus 5 is operated as the conversion remote controller when in use . in this case , the code signal input through the cable is converted and other audio - video apparatus is operated under the remote control of the coded infrared signal . the code signal sb1 output from an output connector 30a of an av apparatus 30 , e . g ., the code signal sb1 representative of the recording operation start command code that energizes a recording - side vtr of an av apparatus 32 when the av apparatus 30 is operated as a source - side vtr in the dubbing mode is supplied to the input terminal ti2 of the remote controller apparatus 5 via a cable 30b . the code signal sb1 is input to the mpu 10 . then , the code signal sb1 is converted under control of the mpu 10 by the conversion table stored in the memory 14 and the output signal so is transmitted to the av apparatus 32 as the coded infrared signal ta from the light emitting diode td . the coded infrared signal ta is received by a photo - diode 32a of the av apparatus 32 to energize the recording - side vtr of the av apparatus 32 so that the recording - side vtr starts the recording operation under the control of its mpu or the like . fig3 shows a second example that the remote controller apparatus 5 is operated as the conversion remote controller when in use . in that case , other audio - video apparatus are operated under the remote control by the coded infrared signal ta which results from converting the received coded infrared signal rb . as shown in fig3 a coded infrared signal rb transmitted from the photo - diode 40a of an av apparatus 40 such as a video cassette recorder ( vcr ) or the like is received by the photo - diode rb and the rest of arrangement and operation is similar to that of fig2 and therefore need not be described . incidentally , the av apparatus 40 can be similarly operated under the remote control of the remote controller apparatus 5 . fig4 shows a third example that the remote controller apparatus 5 of the present invention is operated as the conversion remote controller when in use . in that case , the received coded infrared signal is converted and other audio - video apparatus are operated under the remote control via the cable . as shown in fig4 in addition to the arrangement shown in fig3 the output terminal to of the remote controller apparatus 5 and an input terminal 52a of an av apparatus 52 are coupled together via a cable 52b . a rest of arrangement and operation is similar to that of fig3 . the av apparatus 40 can be similarly operated under the remote control of the remote controller apparatus 5 . the audio - video apparatus having the output terminal from which the remote control operation code signal is transmitted can be operated under the control of the remote apparatus 5 . in addition , the coded infrared signal transmitting unit or the audio - video apparatus operated under the control of other codes from a remote controller apparatus can be operated under the control of the remote controller apparatus 5 . fig5 shows an example that the remote controller apparatus 5 of the present invention is operated as the learning remote controller when in use . that is , a predetermined code signal is controlled in a remote control fashion by a coded infrared signal of a previously - stored code from the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus . initially , the code signal sa1 for commands such as record , stop or the like is supplied to the remote controller apparatus 5 from the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus 62 . in this case , an output terminal 62b of the recording - side vtr in dubbing mode through a cable 62c and then stored in the memory 14 when the corresponding switch on the keyboard 12 is turned on . after the code signal sa1 was stored in the memory 14 , the code signal sb1 representative of the record command , stop command or the like for the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus 60 that is the recording - side vtr , in dubbing mode , is input to the input terminal ti2 of the remote controller apparatus 5 from the output terminal 60a of the source - side audio - video apparatus such as a vcr or the like through a cable 60b . then , the mpu 10 in the remote controller apparatus 5 decodes the code signal sb1 and understands that this code signal sb1 is the recording command or the stop command for the recording - side vtr of the other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus 62 . the mpu 10 reads the code , such as the recording command or the stop command for the recording - side vtr , stored in the memory 14 , and outputs signal so that is processed by the i / o interface 10d so that a predetermined level is transmitted from the light - emitting diode td as the coded infrared signal ta . this coded infrared signal ta is received by a photo - diode 62a of other maker &# 39 ; s audio - video apparatus 62 ( the record side vtr ) to thereby effect the recording or step instruction thereof under the control of an mpu ( not shown ) provided therein . that is , the remote controller apparatus of the present invention is operated as the learning remote controller . the source - side audio - video apparatus 60 is not limited to a vcr , an optical video disc player or the like may be used . fig6 shows an example that the remote controller apparatus 5 of the present invention is applied to other audio - video system . as shown in fig6 audio and video signals are input to an audio and video input terminal 70a of a television monitor 70 from an audio and video output terminal 73b of a television tuner apparatus 73 . the video signal might be an rf signal of 3 and 4 channels modulated to a radio frequency or might be a video signal of a base band . the television tuner apparatus 73 is provided with an antenna 74 . the television monitor 70 includes an infrared signal sensing unit 71 that receives an infrared signal from an infrared signal generating unit 72a of a remote controller 72 . the remote controller 72 generates various commands to control the television monitor 70 and the television tuner apparatus 73 . in the television tuner apparatus 73 , for example , the channel selection command , the selection of rf output of 3 ch / 4 ch and the adjustment of the output level of the audio signal from the television tuner apparatus 73 or the like are effected by the remote controller 72 . the television tuner apparatus 73 might be a tuner box that is commercially available on the market under the trade name of cable box . the command from the remote controller 72 might be an audio - video apparatus communication control command that is standardized as &# 34 ; sircs &# 34 ; ( sony infrared remote control system ). the sircs command sb1 input to the television monitor 70 is output from a communication command output terminal 70b of the television monitor 70 and then input to the cable input terminal ti2 of the remote controller apparatus 5 of the present invention . when the television monitor 70 and the television tuner apparatus 73 are made by different makers similarly to the aforesaid embodiment , the communication command input to the remote controller apparatus 5 , i . e ., &# 34 ; sircs &# 34 ; signal sb1 in this case must be converted into a communication command suitable for controlling the television tuner apparatus 73 . this conversion is carried out by the remote controller apparatus 5 . the communication command thus converted is output from the light - emitting diode td as the coded infrared signal ta and then received by the infrared signal sensing unit 73a of the television tuner apparatus 73 . therefore , according to this embodiment , the command from the remote controller 72 is transmitted to the television monitor 70 made by a certain maker and the television tuner apparatus 73 of the other maker is operated via the television monitor 70 and the remote controller apparatus 5 so that the user can enjoy the television program . fig7 shows an example of a further application of the present invention . as shown in fig7 a video cassette recorder 80 is combined in the aforesaid application shown in fig6 . in fig7 like parts corresponding to those of fig6 are marked with the same references and therefore need not be described in detail . as shown in fig7 the vcr 80 incorporates therein a system controller 81 that controls a mechanical function , a tape drive , cassette sorting , a head tracking or the like and a audio / video signal recording and reproducing circuit 82 . the sircs command signal is supplied to an input terminal 81a of the system controller 80 from a communication output terminal 70b of the television monitor 70 . also , the sircs command signal from an output terminal 81b is supplied to the communication input terminal ti2 of the remote controller apparatus 5 . the audio / video signal is supplied to the input terminal 82a of the recording and reproducing circuit 82 from the av output terminal 73b of the television tuner apparatus 73 . the audio / video signal might be a signal that is converted into the rf signal of 3 and 4 channels . according to the embodiment shown in fig7 by the command signal from the remote controller 72 , a combination of the television monitor 70 and the vcr 80 made by the same maker and the television tuner apparatus 73 made by the different maker can be controlled via the remote controller apparatus 5 . that is , while the av signal from the television tuner apparatus 73 made by a certain maker , e . g ., commercially available cable box , is being recorded by the vcr 80 made by different maker , such av signal can be monitored by the television monitor 70 . while the conversion table is made and stored in the memory 14 and the code signal is converted by using the learning function of the memory 14 in the remote controller apparatus 5 when a power switch of the apparatus is turned on as described above , if command codes of a plurality of makers are all stored in the memory 14 in advance , then the code conversion can be realized without the learning function . in other words , the code conversion table that can be made enough for tuners of all makers is stored in the memory 14 in advance before the remote controller apparatus 5 is shipped to the users . then , at the same time when the user bought the remote controller apparatus 5 , a board switch corresponding to the television tuner 73 might be set in the memory table of a predetermined maker . as described above , the remote controller apparatus 5 according to the present invention can be operated as the learning remote controller , the conversion remote controller or ordinary remote controller serving as the customary means . therefore , a plurality of audio - video apparatus can be controlled only by this remote controller apparatus 5 in a remote control fashion and this remote controller apparatus 5 can be operated more usefully . as is understood from the aforesaid description , according to the remote controller apparatus of the present invention , the input code is stored and the previously - stored code signal is output on the basis of the instruction . further , the conversion code corresponding to the code input thereto from the cable or infrared signal is read out from the memory , and the code signal thus read out is transmitted to the audio - video apparatus that is to be operated under the control of the remote controller apparatus . thus , the remote controller apparatus of the present invention can be simplified in structure . a plurality of different kinds of audio - video apparatus having different codes can be controlled by the single remote controller apparatus of the simplified arrangement in a remote control fashion , or this remote controller apparatus can be effectively utilized as the so - called learning remote controller , the conversion remote controller or ordinary remote controller . thus , the remote control apparatus of the present invention can be utilized more usefully . having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications could be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	7
fig2 is a block diagram of a computer system suitable for the operation of embodiments of the present invention . a central processor unit ( cpu ) 202 is communicatively connected to a storage 204 and an input / output ( i / o ) interface 206 via a data bus 208 . the storage 204 can be any read / write storage device such as a random access memory ( ram ) or a non - volatile storage device . an example of a non - volatile storage device includes a disk or tape storage device . the i / o interface 206 is an interface to devices for the input or output of data , or for both input and output of data . examples of i / o devices connectable to i / o interface 206 include a keyboard , a mouse , a display ( such as a monitor ) and a network connection . fig3 is a schematic diagram of a general inter - orb protocol ( giop ) message 250 for use in embodiments of the present invention . the giop message 250 is structured as is well known in the art , with a giop header 252 and a giop message section including a giop message header 254 ( often referred to as the ‘ message header ’) and a giop message body 256 ( often referred to as the ‘ message body ’). collectively , the giop header 252 and the giop message header 254 can be used by a distribution mechanism to determine an appropriate target server for the giop message 250 . the message header 254 can include service context information , such as security information , and such information can be inserted into the message header 254 by an orb prior to transmission across an iiop network . whilst the message of fig3 and other messages in the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described as being convertible to and from a giop format , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any format for inter - orb communications , such as a giop type format , could be used . fig4 is a schematic diagram of communication of an incoming message 304 from a client computer system 300 to a target server computer system 324 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the client computer system 300 includes client software 300 and an orb 300 ′. the client computer system 300 is communicatively connected to any number of other computer systems via an iiop ® protocol network 302 . the client computer system prepares a message 304 in giop format for dispatch over the iiop ® protocol network 302 via the orb 300 ′. message 304 can be any giop message , such as a request message , and includes a giop header 252 , a giop message header 254 and a giop message body 256 . the message 304 is directed to a distribution mechanism which comprises a first distribution mechanism component 310 and a plurality of second distribution mechanism components 310 ′. each of the plurality of second distribution mechanism components 310 ′ is associated with a target server 324 . the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′ provides a workload balancing facility between a set of target servers , of which target server 324 is a member . the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′ further provides communications facilities between the first distribution mechanism component 310 and the second distribution mechanism component 310 ′. the communications facilities between the components of the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′ can be any effective communications mechanism , such as an open or proprietary networking standard . for example , where the implementation - specific format of a message is a graph of java objects , the communications mechanism provided by the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′ can include serialization of java objects for communication over a suitable transport protocol . the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′ has associated an orb 306 , 354 comprising an external orb element 306 and an internal orb element 354 . the external orb element 306 is associated with the first distribution mechanism component 310 whilst the internal orb element 354 is associated with the target server 324 . in use , the external orb element 306 initially receives the message 304 , which is considered an incoming message 304 from the point of view of the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′. subsequently , the external orb element converts the giop header 252 and the message header 254 of the incoming message 304 into an implementation - specific format at step 308 . the first distribution mechanism component 310 is then able to access the giop header 252 and the message header 254 in order to determine an appropriate target server 324 to receive the incoming message 304 . subsequently , the first distribution mechanism component 310 communicates the incoming message 304 ( having headers 252 and 254 in implementation - specific format and a message body 256 in giop format ) to the appropriate target server 324 where it is initially received by the second distribution mechanism component 310 ′. subsequently , the incoming message 304 is received by the internal orb element 354 which converts the message body 256 into implementation - specific format at step 322 . at this point , the entire incoming message 304 is in implementation - specific format for use by the target server 324 . subsequently , the target server processes the incoming message 304 accordingly , which is provided entirely in the implementation - specific format . thus the orb 306 , 354 associated with the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′ is split between a first distribution mechanism component 310 and a plurality of second distribution mechanism components 310 ′ such that only the headers 252 , 254 of the incoming message need to be converted to implementation - specific format for use by the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′. the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′ itself manages communication of the incoming message 304 ( having headers 252 and 254 in implementation - specific format and a message body 256 in giop format ) using any communications mechanism between the first distribution mechanism component 310 and the second distribution mechanism component 310 ′. allowing the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′ to manage this communication to the target server 324 overcomes a need to convert the incoming message 304 into a giop format for this communication . furthermore , since the orb 306 , 354 is split between an external orb element 306 which undertakes conversion of the headers 252 , 254 only , and an internal orb element 354 which undertakes conversion of the message body 256 only , each part of the incoming message 304 is converted only once . thus , in this way , the message conversion requirement is reduced over that of the prior art . furthermore , since there is no requirement for the client 300 to communicate directly with the target server 324 , the network traffic requirements are reduced over those of the corba approach in the prior art and target server 324 and client 300 need not be accessible to each other . this also provides for the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′ to intervene to implement workload distribution functionality on a per - request basis since all requests are channeled through the distribution mechanism 310 , 310 ′. fig5 is a flowchart of a method of communication of an incoming message 304 from a client computer system 300 to a target server computer system 324 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . at step 402 , the external orb element 306 converts the giop header 252 and the message header 254 of the incoming message 304 to an implementation - specific format . at step 404 , the distribution mechanism 310 identifies a target server 324 for processing the incoming message 304 . at step 406 the target server 324 receives the incoming message 304 via the distribution mechanism 310 ′. at step 408 the internal orb element 354 associated with the target server 324 converts the message body 256 to the implementation - specific format . finally , at step 410 , the target server 324 is able to process the incoming message 304 which is provided entirely in the implementation - specific format . fig6 is a schematic diagram of communication of an outgoing message 642 from an originating server computer system 624 to a client computer system 600 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . many of the elements of fig6 are identical to those described above with respect to fig4 and these will not be repeated here . the originating server 624 is equivalent in many respects to the target server 324 of fig3 , except that in fig6 the originating server 624 acts as a source of an outgoing message 642 as opposed to a recipient of an incoming message 304 . the originating server 624 initially prepares a new outgoing message 642 in implementation - specific format at step 680 . for example , the outgoing message is a request message , and can have a giop header 252 , a message header 254 and a message body 256 , in implementation - specific format . subsequently , message body 256 of the outgoing message 642 is converted to giop format by the internal orb element 654 at step 682 before being provided to the distribution mechanism 610 ′, 610 . the distribution mechanism 610 forwards the outgoing message 642 ( with the headers 252 and 254 in implementation - specific format and the message body 256 in giop format ) to the external orb element 606 at steps 684 and 634 . subsequently , the external orb element 606 determines the target orb 600 ″ for this message at step 636 , and converts the giop header 252 and the message header 254 of the outgoing message 642 into giop format at step 638 . it is necessary for the headers 252 and 254 to be converted to giop format by the external orb element 606 because it is only at this stage that the insertion of appropriate service context information can take place into these headers 252 , 254 . finally , the external orb element sends the outgoing message 642 to the target orb 600 ″ of the client 600 over the iiop network 602 . fig7 is a flowchart of a method of communication of an outgoing message 642 from an originating server computer system 624 to a client computer system 600 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . at step 702 , the originating server 624 generates a new outgoing message 642 . at step 704 the internal orb element 654 converts the message body 256 of the outgoing message 642 into giop format . at step 706 the internal orb element 654 provides the outgoing message 642 with headers 252 and 254 in implementation - specific format and message body 256 in giop format to the distribution mechanism 610 , 610 ′. at step 708 the distribution mechanism forwards the outgoing message 642 to the external orb element 606 , which determines the target orb at step 710 and converts the message headers 252 , 254 to giop format at step 712 . finally , the external orb element 606 sends the outgoing message 642 entirely in giop format to the client 600 . fig8 is a schematic diagram of two - way communication between a client computer system 800 and a target server computer system 824 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . many of the elements of fig6 are identical to those described above with respect to fig4 and 6 , and these will not be repeated here . initially , an incoming message 804 in giop format originating from client 800 is received by external orb element 806 from the iiop network 802 . the external orb element 806 converts the giop header 252 and giop message header 254 of the incoming message 804 into implementation - specific format at step 808 . subsequently , the distribution mechanism 810 identifies an appropriate target server 824 for processing of the message at step 812 , and the incoming message 804 ( with headers 252 , 254 in implementation - specific format and message body in giop format ) is communicated to the target server 824 via the distribution mechanism 810 . subsequently , the internal orb element 854 converts the giop message body 256 of the incoming message 804 to the implementation - specific format at step 822 , and the target server 824 is able to process the incoming message 804 , now entirely in implementation - specific format , at step 826 . subsequently , the target server prepares an outgoing message 842 , such as a reply message , in implementation - specific format at step 880 . the internal orb element 854 converts the message body 256 of the outgoing message 842 into giop format at step 882 . the internal orb element then provides the outgoing message 842 ( with the headers 252 , 254 in implementation - specific format and the message body 256 in giop format ) to the distribution mechanism 810 , 810 ′ for forwarding to the external orb element 806 at steps 884 and 834 . subsequently , at step 836 the external orb element 806 determines a target orb 800 ″ for the outgoing message 842 and converts the giop header 252 and the message header 254 to giop format at step 838 . finally , at step 840 , the external orb element sends the outgoing message 842 , now entirely in giop format , to the client 800 across the iiop network 802 . in this way , the message conversion requirement is reduced over that of the prior art since each element of the incoming message 804 ( i . e . the giop header 252 , the message header 254 and the message body 256 ) is converted only once from giop format to implementation - specific format . similarly , each element of the outgoing message is also converted only once from implementation - specific format to giop format . furthermore , since there is no requirement for the client 800 to communicate directly with the target server 824 , the network traffic requirements are reduced over those of the corba approach in the prior art and target server 824 and client 800 need not be accessible to each other . this also provides for the distribution mechanism 810 , 810 ′ to intervene to implement workload distribution functionality on a per - request basis since all requests are channeled through the distribution mechanism 810 , 810 ′.	6
the following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements . while embodiments of the disclosure may be described , modifications , adaptations , and other implementations are possible . for example , substitutions , additions , or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings , and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting , reordering , or adding stages to the disclosed methods . accordingly , the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure . instead , the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims . fig1 is a block diagram of a user device 100 comprising a processor 105 and a memory 110 . depending on the configuration and type of device , memory 110 may comprise , but is not limited to , volatile ( e . g . random access memory ( ram )), non - volatile ( e . g . read - only memory ( rom )), flash memory , or any combination thereof . memory 110 may store executable programs and related data components of various applications and modules for execution by user device 100 . memory 110 may be coupled to processor 105 for storing configuration data and operational parameters , such as commands that are recognized by processor 105 . user device 100 may comprise , for example , a desktop computer , a laptop computer , a personal digital assistant , a cellular telephone , a set - top box , a music player , a web pad , a tablet computer system , a game console , and / or another device with like capability . basic functionality of user device 100 may be provided by an operating system 115 contained in memory 100 . various programmed software applications may be executed by utilizing the computing resources in user device 100 . applications stored in memory 110 may be executed by processor 105 ( e . g ., a central processing unit or digital signal processor ) under the auspices of operating system 115 . for example , processor 105 may be configured to execute applications such as web browsing applications , email applications , instant messaging applications , and / or other applications capable of receiving and / or providing data . data provided as input to and generated as output from the application ( s ) may be stored in memory 110 and read by processor 105 from memory 110 as needed during the course of application program execution . input data may be data stored in memory 110 by a secondary application or other source , either internal or external to user device 100 , or possibly anticipated by the application and thus created with the application program at the time it was generated as a software application program . data may be received via any of a plurality of communication ports 120 ( a )-( c ) of user device 100 . communication ports 120 ( a )-( c ) may allow user device 100 to communicate with other devices , and may comprise components such as an ethernet network adapter , a modem , and / or a wireless network connectivity interface . for example , the wireless network connectivity interface may comprise one and / or more of a pci ( peripheral component interconnect ) card , usb ( universal serial bus ) interface , pcmcia ( personal computer memory card international association ) card , sdio ( secure digital input - output ) card , newcard , cardbus , a modem , a wireless radio transceiver , and / or the like . user device 100 may also receive data as user input via an input component 125 , such as a keyboard , a mouse , a pen , a stylus , a sound input device , a touch input device , a capture device , etc . a capture device may be operative to record user ( s ) and capture spoken words , motions and / or gestures , such as with a camera and / or microphone . the capture device may comprise any speech and / or motion detection device capable of detecting the speech and / or actions of the user ( s ). data generated by applications may be stored in memory 110 by the processor 105 during the course of application program execution . data may be provided to the user during application program execution by means of a display 130 . consistent with embodiments of this disclosure , display 130 may comprise an integrated display screen and / or an output port coupled to an external display screen . memory 110 may also comprise a platform library 140 . platform library 140 may comprise a collection of functionality useful to multiple applications , such as may be provided by an application programming interface ( api ) to a software development kit ( sdk ). these utilities may be accessed by applications as necessary so that each application does not have to contain these utilities thus allowing for memory consumption savings and a consistent user interface . furthermore , embodiments of this disclosure may be practiced in conjunction with a graphics library , other operating systems , or any other application program and is not limited to any particular application or system . the devices described with respect to the figures may have additional features or functionality . for example , user device 100 may also include additional data storage devices ( removable and / or non - removable ) such as , for example , magnetic disks , optical disks , or tape ( not shown ). user device 100 may store device and / or user - specific information in a data store 150 , such as a device profile and / or a plurality of user preferences . a device profile may comprise an indication of the current position of user device 100 and / or indications of the hardware , software , and security attributes that describe user device 100 . for instance , the device profile may represent hardware specifications of user device 100 , version and configuration information of various software program and hardware components installed on user device 100 , data transmission protocols enabled on user device 100 , version and usage information of various resources stored on user device 100 , and / or any other attributes associated with the state of user device 100 . the device profile may further comprise data indicating a date of last virus scan of user device 100 , a date of last access by an it representative , a date of last service by the it representative , and / or any other data indicating maintenance and usage of user device 100 . furthermore , the device profile may comprise indications of the past behavior of associated users , such as resources accessed , charges for resources accessed , and the inventory accessed from such resources . the user preferences may comprise a listing of factors that may affect the experience of the user . in particular , the user preferences may include indications of the user &# 39 ; s age , gender , bodily traits , preferred resource types , preferred resources , and combinations thereof . fig2 is a block diagram view of an operating environment 200 comprising user device 100 in communication with an application store 210 and a compliance server 220 via a network 240 . the application store 210 and compliance server 220 may comprise , for example , cloud - based solutions , server computers and / or any other system providing application distribution capability . for purposes of convenience , the application store 210 and compliance server 220 are referred to herein in the singular , although it is understood that a plurality of servers may be employed in the arrangements as descried herein . furthermore , in some embodiments , application store 210 and compliance server 220 may operate on the same server computer . the components executed on the application store 210 and / or the compliance server 220 , for example , may comprise various applications , services , processes , systems , engines , or functionality not disclosed in detail herein . the application store 210 may comprise a digital distribution platform for application software , often provided as a component of an operating system on a personal computer , smartphone , or tablet . application stores typically take the form of an online store , where users can browse through different categories and genres of applications ( e . g ., productivity , multimedia , games , etc . ), view information and reviews of then , purchase it ( if necessary ), and then download and install the application on their device . the compliance server may comprise a rules store 230 comprising a plurality of compliance rules that may be applicable to user device 100 . attempts by user device 100 to access various resources on user device 100 or located remotely , such as at application store 210 , may require user device 100 to be in compliance with one and / or more of the compliance rules . depending on the sensitivity of a given resource , different compliance rules may be necessary to ensure that the resource is adequately protected . some resources may only require ensuring that the proper user is requesting the resource . other resources may require compliance with more stringent authorization rules , such as determining whether an appropriate transport protocol is used ( i . e ., http and / or https ) by the requesting device , determining whether access to the resource is permitted for a specified duration or at a given time , determining whether the resource is accessed from a secured device , etc . the compliance server 220 may be operative to determine whether a pairing of the user device 100 and a specific user of user device 100 are authorized to communicate with various resources based at least in part on the compliance rules . in some embodiments , the compliance rules may comprise application white lists comprising a listing of applications allowed to be installed and / or executed on user device 100 . the compliance rules may comprise application black lists comprising a listing of applications forbidden to be installed and / or executed on user device 100 . furthermore , the compliance rules may comprise a list of functions , such as those provided by apis associated with operating system 115 and / or platform library 140 , that may be treated as protected functions . calls to these functions , such as calls to retrieve login credentials , may result in checks for compliance with the compliance rules . the network 240 may comprise , for example , any type of wired and / or wireless network such as a wireless local area network ( wlan ), a wireless wide area network ( wwan ), ethernet , fiber - optic network , and / or any other type of wired and / or wireless network now known or later developed . additionally , the network 110 may be or include the internet , intranets , extranets , microwave networks , satellite communications , cellular systems , pcs , infrared communications , global area networks , or other suitable networks , etc ., or any combination of such networks . fig3 is a flow chart setting forth the general stages involved in a method 300 consistent with embodiments of this disclosure for providing automated restricted software compliance . ways to implement the stages of method 300 will be described in greater detail below . for purposes of illustration , not limitation , method 300 is described with respect to user device 100 in communication with application store 210 and / or compliance server 220 . method 300 may begin at starting block 305 and proceed to stage 310 where user device 100 may receive a request to analyze an application . for example , user device 100 may attempt to install an application from application store 210 . a compliance rule may be triggered that may require the application to be analyzed prior to allowing the installation . for another example , a periodic scan may analyze a plurality of applications installed on user device 100 . the scan may analyze each application and / or some applications installed on user device 100 . for example , applications that have been previously analyzed and found to be in compliance with a plurality of compliance rules may not be re - scanned unless the app changes , such as being updated to a new version , and / or a new or updated compliance rule goes into effect . from stage 310 , method 300 may advance to stage 320 where user device 100 may determine whether the application comprises a restricted application or “ malware ”. as used herein , the terms malicious application and malware may comprise software used to disrupt computer or device operation , gather sensitive information , perform prohibited actions on user device 100 , or gain access to private computer systems . restricted software may encompass malware and / or applications controlled and / or blocked by an administrative or security policy . an application may be determined to comprise restricted software , for example , by determining that the application is on a pre - defined blacklist of applications , by determining which permissions the app seeks from the operating system 115 , as certain permissions are not normally required by and / or accessible to apps , and / or by comparing a data payload associated with the app with a plurality of profiles known to indicate that an app comprises restricted software . such data payloads may comprise , for example , a website address , author , title , email address , icon , text , user interface layout , function calls , and numerous other characteristics associated with applications . malware applications may also be identified according to static analysis of the application &# 39 ; s binary file , such as looking for suspicious function calls or patterns of data access , and / or dynamic analysis during execution of the application on the device and / or on a test , sandbox , and / or emulator environment . information about the application may be retrieved from remote sources such as compliance server 220 and / or from a 3 rd party service that tracks and identifies malicious applications . in some embodiments , user device 100 may provide information about the app to a remote source and receive a determination as to whether the app comprises a restricted application . if the application is determined to comprise restricted software at stage 320 , method 300 may advance to stage 325 where user device 100 may identify at least one action to be performed . for example , upon first identifying the application as restricted , user device 100 may identify a compliance rule associated with notifying the user . if the app continues to be executed or stored on user device 100 , or if the user persists in trying to install the app , further actions may be identified by the compliance rules . in some embodiments , these further actions may comprise escalations in their impact upon the user and / or the operation of user device 100 . the at least one action to be performed may be based at least in part upon a threat level associated with the triggered compliance rule . for example , a compliance rule may simply prevent operation of a restricted app with a low threat level while another compliance rule may require removal of a medium threat level restricted app and yet another compliance rule may delete sensitive data when a high threat level restricted app is detected . from stage 325 , method 300 may advance to stage 330 , where user device 100 may perform the identified action . for example , user device 100 may display a notification to a user that the application is restricted and suggest an appropriate course of action , such as uninstalling the app . user device 100 may notify the user that continuing to attempt to install , execute , or store the application on user device 100 may result in additional actions taken in accordance with a compliance rule . for example , if the app is not removed within 24 hours , access to network resources such as e - mail , web pages , etc . may be revoked . for other examples , data stored on user device may be removed and / or the device may be restored to a factory default state . further examples may comprise limiting access to other apps and / or hardware functionality on user device 100 until the restricted app is removed and / or disabled . in some embodiments , the compliance rules may cause the user device 100 to remove the malicious application automatically , without user intervention . if the application is determined not to comprise a restricted application at stage 320 , method 300 may advance to stage 340 , where user device 100 may designate the app as clean . such a designation may be used in periodic rescans of the apps to skip apps that are known to not comprise restricted software . in some embodiments , the clean designation may be revoked upon receiving a new compliance rule or if the app is updated . method 300 may then end at stage 355 . the embodiments and functionalities described herein may operate via a multitude of computing systems , including wired and wireless computing systems , mobile computing systems ( e . g ., mobile telephones , tablet or slate type computers , laptop computers , etc .). in addition , the embodiments and functionalities described herein may operate over distributed systems , where application functionality , memory , data storage and retrieval and various processing functions may be operated remotely from each other over a distributed computing network , such as the internet or an intranet . user interfaces and information of various types may be displayed via on - board computing device displays or via remote display units associated with one or more computing devices . for example user interfaces and information of various types may be displayed and interacted with on a wall surface onto which user interfaces and information of various types are projected . interaction with the multitude of computing systems with which embodiments of this disclosure may be practiced include , keystroke entry , touch screen entry , voice or other audio entry , gesture entry where an associated computing device is equipped with detection ( e . g ., camera ) functionality for capturing and interpreting user gestures for controlling the functionality of the computing device , and the like . the figures above and their associated descriptions provide a discussion of a variety of operating environments in which embodiments of this disclosure may be practiced . however , the devices and systems illustrated and discussed with respect to the figures are for purposes of example and illustration and are not limiting of a vast number of computing device configurations that may be utilized for practicing embodiments of this disclosure as described herein . the term computer readable media as used herein may include computer storage media . computer storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile , 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 . system memory , removable storage , and non - removable storage are all computer storage media examples ( i . e ., memory storage .) computer storage media may include , but is not limited to , ram , rom , electrically erasable read - only memory ( eeprom ), flash memory or other memory technology , cd - rom , digital versatile disks ( dvd ) or other optical storage , magnetic cassettes , magnetic tape , magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium which can be used to store . the term computer readable media as used herein may also include communication media . communication media may be embodied by 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 includes any information delivery media . the term “ modulated data signal ” may describe a signal that has one or more characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal . by way of example , and not limitation , communication media may include wired media such as a wired network or direct - wired connection , and wireless media such as acoustic , radio frequency ( rf ), infrared , and other wireless media . a number of applications and data files may be used to perform processes and / or methods as described above . the aforementioned processes are examples , and a processing unit may perform other processes . other programming modules that may be used in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure may include electronic mail , calendar , and contacts applications , data processing applications , word processing applications , spreadsheet applications , database applications , slide presentation applications , drawing or computer - aided application programs , etc . generally , consistent with embodiments of this disclosure , program modules may include routines , programs , components , data structures , and other types of structures that may perform particular tasks or that may implement particular abstract data types . moreover , embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced with other computer system configurations , including hand - held devices , multiprocessor systems , microprocessor - based or programmable consumer electronics , minicomputers , mainframe computers , and the like . embodiments of this disclosure may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network . in a distributed computing environment , program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices . furthermore , embodiments of this disclosure may be practiced in an electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements , packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates , a circuit utilizing a microprocessor , or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors . embodiments of this disclosure may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as , for example , and , or , and not , including but not limited to mechanical , optical , fluidic , and quantum technologies . in addition , embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems . embodiments of this disclosure may , for example , be implemented as a computer process and / or method , a computing system , an apparatus , device , or appliance , and / or as an article of manufacture , such as a computer program product or computer readable media . the computer program product may be a computer storage media readable by a computer system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process . the computer program product may also be a propagated signal on a carrier readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process . accordingly , the present disclosure may be embodied in hardware and / or in software ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .). in other words , embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a computer - usable or computer - readable storage medium having computer - usable or computer - readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system . a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific computer - readable medium examples ( a non - exhaustive list ), the computer - readable medium may include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , and a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ). note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . embodiments of this disclosure may be practiced via a system - on - a - chip ( soc ) where each and / or many of the elements described above may be integrated onto a single integrated circuit . such an soc device may include one or more processing units , graphics units , communications units , system virtualization units and various application functionalities , all of which may be integrated ( or “ burned ”) onto the chip substrate as a single integrated circuit . when operating via an soc , the functionality , described herein , with respect to training and / or interacting with any element may operate via application - specific logic integrated with other components of the computing device / system on the single integrated circuit ( chip ). embodiments of this disclosure are described above with reference to block diagrams and / or operational illustrations of methods , systems , and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure . the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart . for example , two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality / acts involved . while certain embodiments have been described , other embodiments may exist . furthermore , although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums , data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer - readable media , such as secondary storage devices , like hard disks , floppy disks , or a cd - rom , a carrier wave from the internet , or other forms of ram or rom . further , the disclosed methods &# 39 ; stages may be modified in any manner , including by reordering stages and / or inserting or deleting stages , without departing from the disclosure . embodiments of the present disclosure , for example , are described above with reference to block diagrams and / or operational illustrations of methods , systems , and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure . the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart . for example , two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality / acts involved . while certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described , other embodiments may exist . furthermore , although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums , data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer - readable media , such as secondary storage devices , like hard disks , floppy disks , or a cd - rom , a carrier wave from the internet , or other forms of ram or rom . further , the disclosed methods &# 39 ; stages may be modified in any manner , including by reordering stages and / or inserting or deleting stages , without departing from the disclosure . all rights including copyrights in the code included herein are vested in and the property of the assignee . the assignee retains and reserves all rights in the code included herein , and grants permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose . while the specification includes examples , the disclosure &# 39 ; s scope is indicated by the following claims . furthermore , while the specification has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts , the claims are not limited to the features or acts described above . rather , the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example for embodiments of the disclosure .	6
referring to fig1 a valve structure 20 is shown that includes a housing 22 . the housing 22 includes ports 22a and 22b through which a fluid flows as indicated by the arrows in fig1 . one side of the housing 22 ( adjacent the port 22a ) includes an insert 24 . the insert which may be of teflon or teflon coated steel , for example , is sealed to the housing 22 by means of an o - ring seal 26 . the material of the housing 22 may be of any suitable metal , for example , aluminum , and the o - ring material may be any suitable sealing material such as viton , for example . the housing 22 is secured to an upper housing part 28 by means of screws 30 . the housing parts 22 and 28 are sealed together by o - ring seal 32 . the valve structure 20 includes a movable valve member 34 . this valve member moves within a cavity 36 within the housing 22 and is driven by a movable stem member 38 . the stem member 38 engages a part of the movable valve member 34 , as will be described in more detail below , and extends upwardly into the upper valve housing 28 . the stem member 38 is positioned inside a bellows 40 and terminates at its upper end in a cap 42 positioned inside a flexible diaphragm 44 . the bellows 40 may be of thin metal , such as bronze , for example , while the diaphragm 42 may be of any suitable flexible material such as rubber , for example . fluid is admitted under pressure to conduit 46 which communicates with the upper surface of the diaphragm 44 , forcing the stem member 38 downwardly against the action of spring 48 . when pressure is removed from the conduit 46 , the spring 48 returns the stem member to its uppermost position , the same as shown in fig1 . the spring 48 is seated in a spring holder 50 which in turn is seated against a wall 52 forming a part of the upper housing 28 . the spring holder 50 is free to slide upwardly and downwardly within the upper housing 28 . by this arrangement shocks are absorbed in the spring 48 upon the actuation of the movable valve member 34 . in particular , as that movable valve member strikes the upper housing 28 on the side of the wall 52 opposite from that against which the spring holder bears , shocks transmitted through the wall 52 cause the holder 50 to move upwardly compressing the spring 48 , thereby to absorb the shock . the movable valve member 34 comprises a first block member 54 of aluminum , for example , which is free to slide within the housing cavity 36 by means of rollers 56 mounted thereto ( see also fig2 and 3 ) free to slide in channels 58 in opposing walls of the lower housing 22 . the first block member 54 includes an opening 60 through which the lower portion of the stem member 38 passes . the first block member 54 is shown in perspective view in fig7 . as noted from that figure , as well as fig1 the block member 54 includes a passage 62 therethrough . this block member is also formed on inside surfaces thereof with v - shaped inclined surfaces 64a and 64b . these inclined surfaces mate with corresponding inclined surfaces 66a and 66b of a second block member 68 . this second block member is a part of the movable valve member 34 as shown in fig1 . the block member 68 includes a cavity 70 at the upper end thereof which is adapted to receive enlarged end 38a of stem member 38 as shown in fig1 . the block member 68 includes a passage 72 therethrough which aligns with the passage 62 through the block member 54 . the two block members 54 and 68 are held together by springs 73 , pinned as at 75 ( fig2 and 8 ). with reference particularly to fig1 the block member 68 carries two parts 74 and 76 . the first part 74 is a fluid blocking structure and consists of a block of material , for example , teflon or teflon coated metal , which is secured to the block member 68 by a retaining ring 78 ( see also fig7 ). this part 74 of the block member 68 includes a sealing means such as an o - ring seal 80 on the face thereof adjacent the port 22a . that part of the insert surface 24 surrounding the port 22a and which is contacted by the o - ring seal 80 constitutes a first valve seating area . the part 74 blocks the valve port and prevents fluid from passing through the valve port . as shown in fig1 this position of the entire valve structure is in the valve &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position . refer now to fig4 of the drawings . this shows the valve structure in the valve &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; position . in this position of the movable valve member 34 in which the o - ring 80 is seating against the surface of the insert 24 surrounding the valve port 22a , the stem member 38 is pulling upwardly directly against the block member 68 by virtue of the enlarged end 38a of the stem member 38 directly contacting one of the surfaces of the cavity 70 of that block member . thus the inclined surface 66b of the block member 68 is in direct contact with and urged against the inclined surface 64b of the block member 54 . the block member 54 is at its uppermost position in which its top surface bears against an insert 82 which is threaded into the wall 52 of the upper housing 28 . the threaded insert 82 determines the uppermost position of the movable valve member 34 and hence the block member 54 . suitable adjustment of the insert 82 results in appropriate positioning of the valve member 34 with respect to the valve port 22a . in the uppermost position of the block member 54 , and with the stem member 38 urging the block member 68 upwardly against the block member 54 as just explained , the block member 68 is displaced transversely to the left with respect to the valve structure orientation shown in fig1 and 4 . such transverse movement of the block member 68 causes the blocking part 74 thereof to impinge against the first valve seating area which is constituted by the surface of the insert 24 that surrounds the valve port 22a . in this fashion the o - ring 80 is forced against the valve seat constituted by this area of the surface of the insert 24 , thereby closing off the valve port 22a and preventing fluid flow therethrough . the force with which the o - ring is seated is determined by the upward force exerted by the stem member 38 urging the block member 68 upwardly which is translated by the engaged inclined surfaces 64b and 66b into a transverse force of the o - ring against the valve seat . this transverse force , ultimately dependent upon the force of the spring 48 which provides the upward bias of the shaft member 38 , is chosen sufficiently great to ensure an appropriate seal closing off the valve port 22a . referring again particularly to fig1 the second part 76 of the block member 68 is transversely movable within the block member by virtue of its being carried out within a cavity 84 therein . this part of the block member essentially constitutes a ring of material having an opening 86 therethrough which is in communication with the opening 72 through the remainder of the block member 68 . the part 76 includes a rim 76a thereon which engages a corresponding rim 68a , limiting the outward or leftward movement of the part 76 with reference to the orientation of parts as shown in fig1 . a spring 88 biases the part 76 in the leftward direction with reference to fig1 so that the part 76 bears against the adjacent surface of the insert 24 . an o - ring seal 90 is included in the part 76 forming a seal between that part and the adjacent surface of the insert 24 . in the position of the valve structure shown in fig1 the part 76 is positioned adjacent an upper section of the insert 24 which is termed herein a second wall portion of the valve structure . this second wall portion of the valve structure is designated 24a in fig1 . the surface of the insert 24 at the lower portion thereof designated 24b in fig1 is designated herein a first wall portion of the valve structure . as noted above , when the movable valve member 34 is in the position shown in fig1 and 4 , the valve structure is in the &# 34 ; valve closed &# 34 ; position with the part 74 blocking the valve port 22a . in this position of the valve structure , the block member 54 is in a first position . the o - rings 80 and 90 are seated against the adjacent surfaces of the insert 24 , the o - ring 90 seating with a light force determined by the force of the spring 88 while the o - ring 80 is seated with a greater force determined by the upward force exerted by spring 48 . assume now that the stem member 38 is moved downwardly so that the valve structure is to be placed within the &# 34 ; valve open &# 34 ; position . refer to fig1 and 5 together . fig5 shows the intermediate position of the valve structure in which the stem member 38 has moved downwardly . in the initial downward movement of the stem member 38 from the position of the valve structure shown in fig4 the enlarged end 38a of the stem member moves downwardly against a spring 92 contained within the cavity 70 of the block member 68 . this compression of the spring 92 and the biasing action of springs 73 ( fig8 ) cause relative longitudinal movement between the block members 54 and 68 , as well as transverse movement . in particular , the block members move relatively along the mating inclined surfaces 64b and 66b until the inclined surfaces 64a and 66a mate as shown in fig5 . thus the block member 68 moves to the right with respect to the orientation of parts shown in fig1 and 5 , moving the o - rings 80 and 90 out of engagement with the surface of the insert 24 . in the initial downward movement of the stem member 38 , the movement of parts is such that the block member 68 moves to the right and slightly downwardly until all inclined surfaces 64a , 66a , and 64b , 66b are engaging . further downward movement of the stem member causes downward movement of the blocks 54 and 68 together to the intermediate position shown in fig5 . the stem member 38 moves downwardly still further until an adjustable stop 94 positioned at the bottom of the block member 54 engages the bottom surface of the lower housing 22 . the stop 94 is adjusted for proper positioning of the valve parts with respect to the port 22a . a slight further downward movement of the stem member 38 causes a compression of the spring 92 urging the block member 68 slightly downwardly and to the left along the mating and engaging surfaces 64a and 66a . the block member 68 thus moves to the left as shown in fig6 until the o - ring 90 ( see fig1 ) is positioned against the portion of the insert 24 surrounding the valve port 22a and constituting a valve seat . in this position of the valve structure , the opening 86 through the part 76 is in fluid communication with the valve port 22a , and fluid can flow from the valve port and through this opening and through openings 72 and 62 outwardly through port 22b . the force with which the o - ring 90 seats against the valve seat is determined by the spring 88 . the force with which the o - ring 80 of the valve part 74 seats against the surface 24b of the insert 24 is determined by the downward force of the compressed spring 92 . it will be noted , then , that the valve part 74 seats in the two positions of the valve structure with different forces . in the upper position of the valve structure , shown in fig1 the seating force of the o - ring 80 is determined by the spring 48 ; in the lower position of the valve structure shown in fig6 the seating force of the o - ring 80 is determined by the spring 92 . in both positions of the valve structure , the seating force of the o - ring 90 is determined by the force of the spring 88 . in the lower most position of the valve structure as shown in fig6 a venting passage 100 provides for a venting of any trapped gases between the insert surface 24b and the surface of the blocking part 74 . it will be noted that the valve seat constituted by the surface of the insert 24 surrounding the valve port 22a is at all times protected by o - ring seals , i . e ., the o - ring 80 or the o - ring 90 . in all positions of the valve , i . e ., valve &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; and valve &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ;, the o - ring seals 80 and 90 are seated against surfaces of the insert 24 . thus the valve seat surrounding the port 22a as well as the o - ring seals are protected in all positions of the valve structure and the fluid passing through the valve is not permitted to harm these structures . fig9 to 11 show an alternative valve structure . reference numerals the same as those used in the preceding figures have been used in fig9 to 11 to designate components that are not changed . movable valve member 34 &# 39 ; is constituted by a first block member 102 that is shaped in the form of a yoke and which carries rollers 56 which move in channels 58 in lower valve housing 22 . the first block member 102 is shaped in the form of a yoke . a hole 104 is included in the top part of the yoke through which the lower portion of the stem member 38 passes . pins 106 attached to links 108 are pinned in corresponding holes 110 in the sides of the yoke - shaped block member 102 . the links 108 are similarly pinned to a part 112 . the part 112 carries o - ring seals 80 and 90 . positioned inside the yoke 102 is a block - shaped part 114 which includes slots 116 along the sides thereof that are aligned with the holes 110 in the yoke 102 . the part 114 also includes holes 120 in the sides thereof which are aligned with corresponding slots 122 in the yoke 102 . links 124 are pinned to the part 112 as are the links 108 and include pins 126 that are loosely received in the slots 122 in the yoke 102 . it will be noted that , with respect to the part 114 , the pins 106 are loosely received in the slots 116 , while the pins 126 are pinned within the holes 120 in that part . by this linkage of parts 102 , 114 and 112 , relative longitudinal movement between the yoke 102 and part 114 causes a corresponding transverse movement between the part 114 and the part 112 . refer again to fig9 and 10 . it will be noted that a spring 128 biases the yoke 102 and the part 114 away from each other . in the uppermost position of the movable valve member 34 &# 39 ; as shown in fig9 the stem member 38 is urging the part 114 upwardly , thereby compressing the spring 128 . in this position the yoke 102 is in its uppermost position within the housing 22 . the upward urging of the part 114 causes a corresponding urging to the left of the part 112 , by virtue of the links 124 which are urged toward a horizontal position from an inclined position . the force with which the o - ring 80 seats against the valve seat is determined by the upward force exerted by the stem member 38 . the force with which the o - ring 90 seats against the adjacent surface of the insert 24 is determined by the force of the spring 88 as in the embodiment of fig1 to 8 . as the stem member 38 is moved downwardly , initially the part 114 moves downwardly within the yoke 102 thereby moving the part 112 away from the insert 24 . thus the o - ring seals 80 and 90 move away from the insert 24 . further downward movement of the stem member 38 continues until the yoke 102 is seated against the bottom of the lower housing 22 . a slight further movement of the stem member 38 is permitted , compressing the spring 92 &# 39 ; and moving the part 114 slightly downwardly . in this case the link 108 is urged to its horizontal position , moving the part 112 toward the left to cause the o - ring seal to seat against the lower part of the insert 24 and the o - ring seal 90 to seat about the valve port 22a . again , the seating pressure of the o - ring seal 90 is determined by the spring 88 . the seating pressure of the o - ring seal 80 is determined by the compressive force of the spring 92 &# 39 ;. as will be noted , as in the case of the valve of fig1 to 8 , the structure of fig9 to 11 involve seating by the o - ring 80 at different pressures , while a uniform seating pressure is exerted by the o - ring seal 90 . again , the valve seat surrounding the port 22a is protected at all times by o - ring seals , and the o - rings seals are in turn protected at all time by virtue of their continuous contact with the insert 24 ( except for those times during which the valve is moving between its &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; positions ). in the structures shown , only the port 22a is closed . although the valve parts 54 and 114 bear against the surface of the housing 22 adjacent the port 22b , in vacuum operations such an engagement of parts does not result in a seal . it will be appreciated that the above presently preferred embodiments of the invention are subject to modification . accordingly , the invention should be taken to be defined by the appended claims .	5
a twelve key alphanumeric keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention is shown in fig1 that resembles a standard telephone keypad but which enables a user to generate : each alphabetic character with two sequentially linked keystrokes and ; each numeric character with only one keystroke . the input of either a single keystroke or a linked pair of keystrokes is effected with a pause following either which is greater than the interval threshold utilized . this pause is recognized by a character - space recognizer , depicted as a char - space recognizer 30 in fig1 which utilizes either a set time value for the interval threshold utilized or a value generated by an adaptive predictive algorithm such as the one depicted in fig2 . a keystroke encoder 40 identifies the keys 10 , 15 stroked for a translator 50 which combines this identification with the recognition provided by the char - space recognizer 30 to generate the alphanumeric characters 12 , 11 represented on the keyboard 20 . to help the users type alphabetic characters 12 intuitively , ten sequentially linkable keys 10 are associated with the 26 alphabetic characters 12 as shown in fig1 wherein each of said alphabetic characters 12 is located between two sequentially linkable keys 10 and indicates that those two sequentially linkable keys 10 may be used in a linked sequence of keystrokes to generate that particular alphabetic character 12 . it is further preferred that the alphabetic character 12 immediately adjacent a particular sequentially linkable key 10 identifies the sequentially linkable key 10 which is stroked first in the linked pair of keystrokes generating that alphabetic character 12 . two function keys 15 having ‘’ and ‘#’ symbols 13 directly thereupon are not utilized for the generation of either numeric characters 11 or alphabetic characters 12 and are reserved for the generation of functions . by means of illustrative example for the operation of the keyboard 20 depicted in fig1 the alphabetic character 12 ‘ a ’ is generated by first striking the key 10 with ‘ 1 ’ upon it and then the key 10 with ‘ 2 ’ upon the same in succession followed by a pause exceeding the threshold interval wherein the time elapsed between these two keystrokes is less than the threshold interval . similarly , the alphabetic character 12 ‘ b ’ is generated with the sequentially linked keystrokes 2 - 1 and the alphabetic character 12 ‘ e ’ is generated with the sequentially linked keystrokes 1 - 4 and the alphabetic character 12 ‘ f ’ is generated with the sequentially linked keystrokes 4 - 1 . during typing , each keystroke is encoded by the keystroke encoder 40 to the element series n e ( k ) that is then sent to the translator 50 . at the same time , the intervals between keystrokes are transmitted as interval space time series n s ( k ) to the char - space recognizer 30 . when an interval exceeds the threshold interval value the interval is recognized as a character - space , i . e . the space for a character , which is opposed to a full , blank , ‘ space ’ which is typically used between words , the recognizer 30 sends a segmentation signal s ( k ) to the translator 50 . based on the segmentation signal , the translator 50 generates a corresponding alphanumeric character 11 , 12 . there are two different methods which can be applied to implement the char - space recognizer 30 . one is a fixed interval threshold mode of recognition whereby the value of the interval threshold is set at a desired level . this mode of recognition will yield a segmentation signal when an interval between keystrokes exceeds the value given the set interval threshold . it is preferred that the set value of the interval threshold may be changed as desired . the second method traces the typer &# 39 ; s speed and automatically changes the value of the threshold interval utilized to adapt to the rate of typing . the char - space recognizer 30 in this case relies upon an adaptive predictive algorithm of the type depicted in fig2 . alternatively , the char - space recognizer 30 may simply rely upon a signal from a single function key 15 such as the one possessing ‘’ thereupon which was reserved for generating a function . fig2 depicts a preferred layout for a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention in which six keys 10 , 15 are arranged in a hexagon . four sequentially linkable keys 10 are used for the generation of numeric characters 11 and two function keys 15 labeled ‘ cancel ’ and ‘ enter ’ are also provided . one keystroke is utilized to generate the numeric characters 11 ‘ 1 ’, ‘ 2 ’, ‘ 3 ’, and ‘ 4 ’. the numeric characters 11 shown in pairs between pairs of the four sequentially linkable keys 10 are generated in the manner described above for the alphabetic characters 12 shown between the sequentially linkable keys 10 depicted in fig1 . to generate the numeric character 11 ‘ 7 ’, for example , the sequentially linkable keys 10 labeled ‘ 1 ’ and ‘ 2 ’ are stroked in the linked sequence 1 - 2 and the numeric character 11 ‘ 8 ’ is generated with the linked sequence 2 - 1 . in the particular case depicted in fig2 the alternative mentioned above with regard to the char - space recognizer 30 is applicable ; a function key 15 , the one labeled ‘ enter ’, is relied upon for indicating completion of sequentially linked keystrokes as well as single keystrokes . however , the char - space recognizer 30 and the keystroke encoder 40 are virtually replaced by the function keys 15 labeled ‘ enter ’ and ‘ cancel ’ and only minimal microprocessor supplied memory , i . e . a register , is required for storage of keystrokes in addition to these two function keys 15 in order to produce the alphanumeric characters 11 , 12 output by the translator 50 in this case . the translator 50 is hence effectively reduced to the memory provided as governed by the ‘ enter ’ and ‘ cancel ’ function keys 15 which , respectively , cause transmission of the content of a register or clear the same . a seven key 10 , 15 keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention is depicted in fig3 which is capable of generating alphanumeric characters 12 , 11 and is intended to enable the same ergonomically . six keys 10 , 15 in a hexagonal pattern surround a central ‘ space ’ key 10 each labeled with a frequently typed alphabetic character 12 followed by a punctuation symbol 13 . a space , as typically effected with a space bar on a full size standard keyboard , and the frequently typed alphabetic characters 12 ‘ a ’, ‘ n ’, ‘ e ’, ‘ t ’, ‘ i ’, and ‘ m ’ are each generated with a single keystroke followed by a pause exceeding the threshold interval utilized . the ‘ enter ’ and ‘ shift ’ functions are generated , as are the numeric characters 11 ‘ 1 ’, ‘ 2 ’, ‘ 3 ’, ‘ 4 ’ with a repeated keystroke of the key 10 , 15 adjacent to the pertinent label followed by a pause . the alphanumeric characters 12 , 11 seen between these keys 10 , 15 are generated by sequentially linked pairs of keystrokes in the manner described previously . each punctuation mark depicted on these keys 10 , 15 is generated with use of the shift function whereby the key 10 , 15 labeled n * is struck twice followed by a pause and then the key 10 , 15 bearing the punctuation symbol 13 desired is struck once followed by a pause . it is also noted that the two keys 10 , 15 bearing ‘ a & amp ;’ and ‘ n ’ serve , as demonstrated in this case , as both sequentially linkable keys 10 and function keys 15 , that the function is obtained by a variation of sequentially linked keystrokes , namely a repeated striking of the same key 10 , 15 followed by a pause . fig4 depicts a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention which resembles a standard telephone keypad with twelve keys 10 , 15 arranged in three columns and four rows with the numeric characters 11 ‘ 1 ’-‘ 0 ’ arranged in the conventional manner and the alphabetic characters 12 ‘ a ’-‘ z ’ arranged alphabetically on and between sequentially linkable keys 10 . the two function keys 15 bearing the ‘’ and ‘#’ symbols 13 are not utilized for sequentially linked keystrokes . one function key 15 , that labeled by the ‘’ symbol 13 , for example , is utilized for a mode change between : ( a ) the generation of numeric characters 11 in one mode effected with single keystrokes requiring neither sequentially linked keystrokes nor the function provided by a char - space recognizer 30 and ; ( b ) the generation of alphabetic characters 12 in the other mode . the alphabetic characters 12 shown on the sequentially linkable keys 10 ; ‘ a ’, ‘ c ’, ‘ e ’, ‘ k ’, ‘ m ’, ‘ o ’, ‘ u ’, ‘ w ’, and ‘ y ’ are generated with single keystrokes in the alphabetic character 12 generation mode . in the same mode the other alphabetic characters 12 , each found between a pair of sequentially linkable keys 10 , are generated by sequentially linked pairs of keystrokes followed by a pause . because only one alphabetic character 12 is utilized between each pair of such keys 10 the order in which the pair of keystrokes is made needn &# 39 ; t matter . in other words , a ‘ b ’ may be generated by the sequentially linked keystrokes 1 - 2 or 2 - 1 and the letter ‘ g ’ generated by 1 - 5 , 5 - 1 , 2 - 4 , or 4 - 2 . a space is generated with a single keystroke striking the key 10 labeled ‘ 0 spc ’ while in the alphabetic character 12 generation mode . furthermore , the lower case alphabetic characters 12 ‘ a ’, ‘ c ’, ‘ e ’, ‘ k ’, ‘ m ’, ‘ o ’, ‘ u ’, ‘ w ’, and ‘ y ’ may be generated with single keystrokes and the upper case alphabetic characters 12 ‘ a ’, ‘ c ’, ‘ e ’, ‘ k ’, ‘ m ’, ‘ o ’, ‘ u ’, ‘ w ’, and ‘ y ’ are generated with repeated keystrokes of the same keys 10 . the other alphabetic characters 12 depicted between the keys 10 may yield upper and lower cases by reversing the sequence of linked keystrokes . for example , a ‘ b ’ may be generated with the sequentially linked keystrokes 1 - 2 while ‘ b ’ may be generated with the sequentially linked keystrokes 2 - 1 and ‘ z ’ generated with the sequentially linked keystrokes 8 - 0 while ‘ z ’ is generated with the sequentially linked keystrokes 0 - 8 . a similar embodiment of the principles relating to the present invention is depicted in fig5 wherein twelve keys 10 , 15 are arranged in a offset diamond pattern of five rows and operation is essentially the same as that discussed above with reference to fig4 except for two differences . first , it is noted that the alphabetic characters 12 shown on the keys 10 are different ; ‘ a ’, ‘ n ’, ‘ e ’, ‘ c ’, ‘ t ’, ‘ i ’, ‘ m ’, ‘ s ’, and ‘ o ’ are generated by a single keystroke because these letters are most frequently typed . this arrangement requires memorization but the optimum typing speed is increased . an average of 1 . 65 keystrokes is achieved with this arrangement . secondly , this arrangement is specially suitable for physically impaired persons because the space between two keys 10 in fig5 is greater than utilized in the keyboard 20 depicted in fig4 . the alphabetic character 12 ‘ r ’, for example is generated with the linked keystrokes 1 - 3 and the alphabetic character 12 ‘ l ’ with 1 - 6 only . fig6 shows a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention similar to the keyboard 20 represented in fig4 with the alphabetic characters 12 generated in the same manner . thirteen punctuation symbols 13 have been added , however , which are generated by repeated sequentially linked keystrokes of the sequentially linked keys 10 bearing the numeric characters 11 ‘ 1 ’-‘ 9 ’. repeated stroking of the key 10 , 15 labeled ‘ 0 ’ effects a backstroke which effectively deletes the previous character entry . a single stroke of this same key 10 in the alphabetic character 12 generation mode effects a space . the alphabetic characters 12 are , as in fig4 noted to be arranged alphabetically to facilitate operation without memorization . it is further noted that both upper and lower case alphabetic character 12 generation is not facilitated by the keyboard 20 depicted in fig6 . fig7 shows a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention similar to the keyboard 20 represented in fig6 with the numeric characters 11 , alphabetic characters 12 , and punctuation symbols 13 generated in the same manner along with the space and backspace being effected in the same manner . the alphabetic characters 12 are arranged , however , in a manner intended to facilitate an increased efficiency in the number of keystrokes necessary for typing text wherein the most frequently typed alphabetic characters 12 are generated with a single keystroke . fig8 shows a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention similar in configuration to the keyboard 20 represented in fig5 but with the numeric characters 11 , alphabetic characters 12 , and punctuation symbols 13 along with the space and backspace functions being generated in the same manner as the keyboards 20 discussed immediately above and depicted in fig6 & amp ; 7 , further generating the same thirteen punctuation symbols 13 in the same manner . fig9 shows a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention similar in configuration to the standard telephone keypad possessing twelve keys 10 , 15 in three columns and four rows bearing the conventional numeric characters 11 ‘ 1 ’-‘ 0 ’ and the ‘’ and ‘#’ symbols 13 . the alphabetic characters 12 , however , are alphabetically grouped in a zone comprising the upper six keys 10 , with the punctuation symbols 13 grouped in a lower zone including the keys 10 bearing the numeric characters 11 ‘ 7 ’-‘ 0 ’. this arrangement is considered superior in facilitating intuitive learning . two alphabetic characters 12 are depicted on a single sequentially linkable key 10 and between horizontally and vertically adjacent sequentially linkable keys 10 . the alphabetic character 12 shown as larger and lower on a key 10 in fig9 is generated with a single keystroke , the other alphabetic characters 12 being generated with a repeated striking of the same key 10 and the alphabetic characters 12 between keys 10 are each generated with a sequentially linked pair of keystrokes in the manner described in relation to the keyboards 20 depicted in fig1 . the single punctuation symbols 13 depicted between pairs of horizontally and vertically adjacent keys 10 are generated with sequentially linked pairs of keystrokes without regard for which key 10 is struck first . for the purpose of more clearly distinguishing between these two types of sequentially linked keystrokes the last type mentioned is considered to be a ‘ bi - directional ’ sequentially linked keystroke while the other , used to generate alphabetic characters 12 in this case , is considered to be a ‘ uni - directional ’ sequentially linked keystroke . the particular case associated with fig9 moreover , as mentioned above , utilizes only bi - directional sequentially linked keystrokes which are between horizontally or vertically adjacent keys 10 for the generation of punctuation symbols 13 . the sequentially linked keystrokes made utilizing these keys 10 may hence be considered , for the purpose of providing clear distinction , to be ‘ rectilinear ’ as opposed to ‘ diagonal ’ sequentially linked keystrokes made utilizing keys 10 , 15 which are diagonally adjacent one another as in the keyboards 20 depicted in fig4 , & amp ; 7 . the keyboards 20 possessing a ‘ diamond ’ configuration with offset rows of keys 10 , such as those depicted in fig3 , & amp ; 8 , are considered to provide sequentially linked keystrokes which are both ‘ rectilinear ’ and ‘ diagonal ’ with horizontal links between keys 10 in the same row , vertical links between keys 10 in alternate rows , i . e . the same column , and diagonal links between pairs of keys 10 in adjacent rows . fig1 shows a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention with keys 10 arranged in a diamond configuration similar the keyboards 20 depicted in fig4 , & amp ; 7 but with the numeric characters 11 , alphabetic characters 12 , and punctuation symbols 13 along with the space and backspace functions being generated in the same manner as the keyboards 20 discussed immediately above and depicted in fig9 except that diagonal as well as rectilinear sequentially linked keystrokes are utilized for the generation of alphabetic characters 12 and the punctuation symbols 13 . fig1 shows a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention similar in configuration to the standard telephone keypad possessing twelve keys 10 , 15 in three columns and four rows bearing the conventional numeric characters 11 ‘ 1 ’-‘ 0 ’ and the ‘*’ and ‘#’ symbols 13 further possessing 29 additional punctuation symbols 13 as well as a full complement of 26 alphabetic characters 12 arranged alphabetically . uni - directional rectilinear and diagonal sequentially linked keystrokes are utilized for most of the alphabetic characters 12 and all of the punctuation symbols 13 . single strokes in the numeric mode generate numeric characters 11 and single strokes in the alphabetic mode generate some alphabetic characters 12 . repeated keystrokes are used for generating a backspace only . fig1 shows a keyboard 20 which operates in the same manner except that the arrangement of keys 10 , 15 is in a diamond configuration with offset rows and the alphabetic characters 12 most frequently used in typing are generated by one keystroke in the alphabetic mode . fig1 shows a keyboard 20 similar to that depicted in fig1 possessing 28 punctuation symbols 13 as well as a full complement of 26 alphabetic characters 12 arranged alphabetically which are additional to the standard numeric keypad used on telephones . in contrast to the operation required of the keyboards 20 depicted in fig9 & amp ; 10 repeated sequentially linked keystrokes of the same key 10 are not utilized . furthermore , both the alphabetic and symbolic characters 12 , 13 are grouped in upper and lower zones , similar to the arrangement utilized in upon the keyboard 20 depicted in fig9 & amp ; 10 . fig1 shows a keyboard 20 similar to that depicted in fig1 with regard to operation except that the keys 10 , 15 are arranged in a diamond pattern with offset rows . fig1 shows a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention which provides the full editing features including direction of a cursor about text viewed on a display screen typically found on a ‘ notebook ’ type computer with only twelve keys 10 , 15 which are arranged in a diamond pattern with offset rows . the symbolic characters 13 each peripherally located adjacent a particular key 10 , 15 , are generated by repeated keystrokes of that key 10 , 15 ; the functions ‘ tab ’, ‘ ctrl ’, ‘ alt ’, ‘ backspace ’, ‘ function ’, ‘ enter ’, ‘ caps lock ’, and ‘ esc ’, along with two punctuation marks 13 , lateral to the keys 10 bearing ‘ a ’ and ‘ n ’. the key 10 , 15 labeled ↑ shift above a solid arrow directed upward effects an alteration between upper case and lower case alphabetic character 12 generation modes with a single keystroke and the same key 10 , 15 effects an upward cursor movement in an arrow , i . e . cursor movement , mode . the arrow mode may be implemented with a repeated keystroke of the key 10 , 15 labeled ‘ m ’ with ‘ del ’, i . e . delete , underneath and ‘ function ’ shown peripherally adjacent . the key 10 labeled simply ‘ 1 !’ might have an adjacent function indication such as ‘ cursor ’ to indicate arrow mode which would allow the last key 10 , 15 to enable another function with repeated keystrokes . the most salient aspect with regard to operation of the keyboard 20 depicted in fig1 , as opposed to the keyboards 20 depicted in the preceding figures and discussed above , is the ability to direct cursor movement upon a screen displaying text . while the size of the screen upon a ‘ notebook ’ type computer is typically of restricted size in comparison with that utilized on a ‘ laptop ’ type computer which , in turn , is relatively restricted in size in comparison with a full size monitor typically utilized for a ‘ desktop ’ computer , the ability to navigate the text being typed enables more effective editing , review , and other abilities associated with word processing which are considered fundamental regardless of screen size . in order particularly to accommodate operation by persons with restricted motor capabilities the basic capabilities of the keyboard 20 depicted in fig1 are retained with a keyboard 20 possessing only ten keys 10 , 15 as depicted in fig1 in which the two central most keys 10 , 15 have been removed . fig1 shows a keyboard 20 with the essential capabilities typical to ‘ laptop ’ type computers in which thirteen keys 10 , 15 are arranged in a diamond pattern of three offset rows including a function key 15 . the alphabetic characters 12 are grouped together on the left hand side with those most frequently typed generated with a single keystroke and the numeric characters 11 are grouped together on the right hand side . fig1 shows a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention which provides the essential features typically found on a ‘ laptop ’ type computer with 16 keys 10 , 15 including a function key 15 arranged in a horizontally extended diamond pattern of three offset rows . the alphabetic characters 12 are generated with respect to upper and lower cases not with different modes of operation but with either single or sequentially linked bi - directional pairs of keystrokes as indicated for lower case and repeated single or sequentially linked bi - directional pairs of keystrokes for upper case alphabetic characters 12 . for example , a single keystroke upon the key 10 labeled ‘ a ’ generates the alphabetic character 12 ‘ a ’ while a repeated keystroke of the same key 10 generates ‘ a ’ and the sequentially linked pairs of keystrokes striking the keys 10 , 15 labeled ‘ a ’ and ‘ e ’ or ‘ e ’ and then ‘ a ’ generate the alphabetic character 12 ‘ q ’ while the repeated sequentially linked pairs of keystrokes striking the keys 10 , 15 labeled ‘ e ’ and ‘ a ’ or ‘ a ’ and then ‘ e ’ generates the alphabetic character 12 ‘ q ’. it is further remarked that numeric characters 11 are generated with sequentially linked unidirectional pairs of keystrokes as are many punctuation symbols 13 as indicated . the keyboard depicted in fig1 is similar to the keyboard depicted in fig1 in operation and arrangement of the keys 10 , 15 except that the numeric characters 11 are grouped along the top row of keys 10 , 15 and the alphabetic characters 12 are alphabetically arranged as shown . the keyboard depicted in fig2 is similar to the keyboard depicted in fig1 in operation and arrangement of the keys 10 , 15 except that the alphabetic characters 12 are grouped together in a zone on the left hand side and the punctuation and other punctuation symbols 13 are grouped together in a zone on the right hand side and the ‘ shift ’ key 10 , 15 is utilized for alternating between lower case and upper case modes of alphabetic character 12 generation . it is additionally mentioned that the keyboards 20 depicted in fig1 - 20 may be arranged in a circular pattern if desired for accommodation of the utilization of a circulating indication of the keys 10 , 15 to be stroked by means of an external switch . such an arrangement and auxiliary device are considered to be useful particularly by people who possess relatively severe physical disabilities and is discussed in detail below with regard to fig2 . it is further considered that a more conventional type of telephonic device lacks a display screen altogether and no means of visual feedback of text input is available and therefore a backspace function , among others associated with word processing capabilities , is of little practicality . with this in mind it is considered that an embodiment of the principles relating to the present invention otherwise similar to many of the keyboards 20 discussed above would have the key 10 , 15 labeled ‘ 0 ’ and ‘ spc ’ which generates a ‘ 0 ’ with a single keystroke and a space with a repeated keystroke would be essential and a backspace would not be essential for the input of text though a backspace would provide of means of deleting the last known character in the case that it is recognized immediately as a mistake . it is also commented that in the case of a communication device in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention lacking a display screen that it may be preferred to utilize a particular key for character recognition rather than a fixed or variable threshold interval recognized by the char - space recognizer 30 . using a keyboard of a type similar to the twelve key 10 , 15 keypad typical of conventional telephones it is recommended in this case to use the key 10 labeled ‘ 0 ’ as a function key 15 wherein a single stroke generates the numeric character 11 ‘ 0 ’ and a repeated stroke effects the entry of keystrokes associated with the sending of a segmentation signal . for an embodiment of the principles relating to the present invention utilizing a fixed threshold interval in conjunction with a char - space recognizer 30 it is recommended that a plurality of fixed values be made available . fixed threshold intervals of approximately 180 msec , 240 msec , 300 msec , and 360 msec are suggested as representing appropriate values for faster to slower typing speeds . it is strongly recommended that the user be able to select one of a plurality of such values for a fixed threshold . it is next considered that both the symbols 14 and the method for formulation of alphabetic characters 12 associated with the morse code might be applied to the principles relating to the present invention with a keyboard 20 such as that depicted in fig2 . the six sequentially linkable keys 10 are preferably arranged in a hexagon with appropriate spacing to enable efficient typing by physically impaired persons . typing with the use of only one hand is , in particular , facilitated . the average number of keystrokes required for all the alphabetic characters 12 is reduced to 1 . 77 . it is further unnecessary to maintain the difference in the length of a tone as providing a distinction between the ‘ dots ’ and ‘ dashes ’ required of true morse code transmission . as further seen in fig2 , the small alphabetic characters 12 shown , ‘ a ’, ‘ n ’, ‘ e ’, ‘ t ’, ‘ i ’, and ‘ m ’, adjacent a key 10 are generated with a single keystroke and the other alphabetic characters 12 shown as larger are generated with a uni - directional sequentially linked pair of keystrokes . an intuitive learning of the morse code is facilitated by locating the alphabetic characters 12 generated in accordance with the single and paired uses of the six basic morse code symbols 14 borne by the six keys 10 . for example , a large ‘ b ’ is seen proximate the key 10 bearing a ‘ dash dot ’ and is oriented in a manner to point to the key 10 bearing ‘ dot dot ’, indicating that the sequentially linked pair of keystrokes dash dot — dot dot will generate the alphabetic character 12 ‘ b ’. the reverse sequence , dot dot — dash dot generates the alphabetic character 12 ‘ f ’. for purposes of training an audio feedback may be provided so that an operator may focus upon the sound and rhythm of the symbolic characters 14 utilized by morse code . aside from the keyboards 20 fig1 & amp ; 21 are similar in representing similar operational schematics for the generation of alphanumeric characters 12 , 11 and punctuation symbols 13 . in accordance with the schematic seen in fig2 , each keystroke is encoded by the dot - dash encoder 70 into the tone element series t ( k ) which is input into the translator 50 . simultaneously , pauses between single and sequentially linked pairs of keystrokes are input as inter - keystroke silent time series n s ( k ) to the char - space recognizer 30 and output as a segmentation signal s ( k ) to the translator 50 which generates the corresponding ascii character . the three methods of implementing the recognition of a character entry discussed above are still applicable . for persons with no or relatively moderate physical handicaps the method of recognition utilizing an adaptive predictive algorithm has proven to be very useful . those who cannot maintain a relatively steady pause between entries will benefit from the use of a function key 15 dedicated to the recognition required . fig2 depicts a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention which provides four operation modes : morse , number , arrow , and mouse . morse is preferred as the default mode which may be changed with selection of mode desired effected by stroking the function key 15 adjacent the appropriate label once with return to the default mode , morse , being effected by a subsequent single stroke of the same key 15 . the morse mode of operation further preferably includes the additional code , as shown , provided by international morse code . the numeric characters 11 and punctuation and other symbolic characters 13 thus added are generated with three sequentially linked keystrokes in a pattern indicated by the directional arrows seen interiorly adjacent to the additional numeric characters 11 and punctuation symbols 13 which are located along the top and bottom edges of the keyboard 20 in six groups each relating to one of the six keys 10 , 15 disposed in the interior hexagonal pattern . the upper left hand group corresponds to the central key 10 , 15 centrally labeled with the morse code symbol 14 ‘ dot dash ’ while the upper right hand group corresponds to the central key 10 , 15 centrally labeled with the morse code symbol 14 dash dot . as an example , a dollar sign , ‘$’ is generated with the sequentially linked keystrokes dot dash — dot dash — dot . in the number mode the numeric characters 11 and punctuation symbol 13 ‘.’, i . e . a period , shown above the morse code symbol 14 and on the left upon each of the six central keys 10 , 15 are generated by means of a single stroke of that key 10 , 15 and the punctuation symbols 13 shown above the morse code symbol 14 and on the right upon each of the six central keys 10 , 15 such as ‘$’ on the dot key 10 , 15 are generated with repeated keystrokes of that same key 10 , 15 . furthermore , in the number mode , other numeric characters 11 and symbolic characters 13 shown in radially oriented pairs extending outward from an alphabetic character 12 are generated by means of a single and repeated strokes of the keys 10 , 15 labeled with the morse code symbols 14 when preceded by stroking the key 15 labeled ‘ shift ’. the symbols 13 ‘,’ for a comma and ‘\’ for a backslash shown in fig2 , for example , are generated by means of a single keystrokes of the keys 10 , 15 labeled with the morse code symbols 14 dot and dash , respectively , when preceded by stroking the key 15 labeled ‘ shift . the numeric character 11 or symbolic character 13 on the right of the pair , e . g . ‘& lt ;’ or ‘\|’, is generated in the number mode with the repeated keystrokes preceded by stroking the key labeled ‘ shift ’. the number mode provides a far more efficient operation for the entering of numerical data in comparison with the number of keystrokes required for true morse code transmission ; less than half the number of keystrokes are required . operation in a word processing or more general computer screen assisted environment is facilitated by the arrow and mouse modes which enable two different means of locating a cursor upon a screen for the purpose of editing text and activating functions available upon the screen . the essential functions provided by these modes are represented both below the morse code symbol on each of the six central keys 10 , 15 and radially interior to certain alphabetic characters 12 . a further function key 15 with the label ‘ morse ⇄ num ’ seen below enables temporary changes in mode which will enable savings in keystrokes required in many instances . for example , a period desired while in morse mode will require the three sequentially linked keystrokes dot dash — dot dot — dot but if the key 10 , 15 labeled ‘ morse ⇄ num ’ is first struck once a single stroke of the key 10 , 15 labeled ‘ dot dot ’ will generate a period . it is further preferred that this mode change revert immediately back to the morse operation mode after input of a single character in number mode . it is also considered that , as mentioned earlier , a circulating indicator utilized in conjunction with an external switch may be utilized . operation with this addition employs what is called a scanning strategy for circulation among the keys 10 , 15 by which each may be selected and stroked with an external switch . for the keyboard 20 depicted in fig2 it is suggested that two scanning cycles be utilized , one for the central six keys 10 , 15 , and another for the peripherally located function keys 15 . in this case an additional key 15 may be utilized to provide a function alternating operation of the scanning strategy between the two circulations . this will enable operation with only one external switch 33 . it is further suggested that the circulating indicator comprise the sequential lighting of a dwell indicators 17 , 19 as discussed in detail with regard to fig2 below . a scanning strategy such as this is considered to be of use particularly by users possessing a physical or neurological disability restricting motor coordination or otherwise adversely affecting the full use of even one hand . fig2 depicts an interface suggested for utilization of the keyboard 20 depicted in fig2 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention . in the lower half of the interface depicted therein one may see a primary computer jack 35 comprising a functional linkage for a primary computer which is labeled ‘ to computer ’, a standard keyboard jack 36 comprising a functional linkage to a standard keyboard for concurrent use of another , standard computer type , keyboard which is labeled ‘ keyboard shared ’, and a morse keyboard jack 37 labeled ‘ morse code output ’ comprising a functional linkage for a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention , particularly a keyboard 20 such as that depicted in fig2 & amp ; 27 utilizing sequentially linkable keys 10 labeled with morse code symbols 14 . in the upper panel of the interface depicted in fig2 a recognition mode selector 31 is seen which enables selection of ‘ adaptive ’, ‘ manual ’ and ‘ fixed ’ modes . these modes utilize : ( 1 ) an adaptive predictive algorithm for automatic and adaptive setting of the value of the threshold interval utilized in character recognition ; ( 2 ) manual character recognition with the stroking of a given key 15 ; ( 3 ) setting of a fixed value for the threshold interval utilized with the interval selector 32 labeled ‘ min char - space ’ which is represented as a dial marked with values in seconds from 0 . 12 minimum to 5 maximum . in the same panel one may see a set of six functional linkages for an external switch 33 each labeled with a morse code symbol 14 with the label ‘ external switch ’ therebetween which enable control of the central six keys 10 , 15 in fig2 with the use of an external switch 33 which is intended to be used with a scanning strategy for selecting keystrokes as discussed below in further detail in relation to fig2 . further present in the upper panel of the interface depicted in fig2 is an annunciator 27 labeled ‘ dot - dash tone ’ below which are seen two control buttons 29 with ‘ volume ’ therebetween which enables audio feedback for the user . operation of the system in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention utilizing a keyboard 20 such as that depicted in fig2 and the interface depicted in fig2 may be pursued as follows . first a user selects one of the three modes of character recognition : adaptive , manual , or fixed . the manual mode is intended for persons who cannot utilize the other two modes and is facilitated by the key 15 labeled ‘ char - space ’ in fig2 wherein the stroking of the said key 15 in the manual mode causes generation of a segmentation signal as shown in fig2 in recognition of the previous keystroke ( s ) as a character . in the fixed mode users can select the threshold interval utilized in character recognition with the interval selector 32 depicted in the upper half of fig2 from among sixteen set values . in the adaptive mode the threshold interval automatically adapts to the user &# 39 ; s typing speed , however , an initial value must be selected for initialization of the adaptive predictive algorithm utilized . fig2 depicts a preferred adaptive predictive algorithm for utilization by the char - space recognizer 30 in adaptive character recognition in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention . in order to analyze a users ’ unstable inter - keystroke space time series , two least mean square ( lms ) predictors are used to predict the unit time period , ( i . e . the interval between keystrokes ), and the difference between link - space and character - space intervals . following is a description of the adaptive predictive algorithm suggested . the input signal of the unit - time - period lms predictor is given as x u  ( k ) = f u  ( n s  ( k ) ) if n s  ( k ) & lt ; n smax = f u  ( n smax ) if n s  ( k ) ≥ n smax ( 1 ) where n smax is the upper limit of n s ( k ); and the transfer function ƒ u (·) is defined by f u  ( n s  ( k ) ) = n s  ( k ) if s  ( k ) = a   ‘ link   space ’ = n s  ( k ) / β  ( k ) if s  ( k ) = a   ‘ character   space ’ ( 2 ) where s ( k ) is the output of the character - space decision rule at iteration k , β  ( k ) = r  ( k ) if r  ( k ) & lt ; β max = β max if r  ( k ) ≥ β max   wherein r ( k ) defined by equation ( 7 ) below is the predicted unstable inter - keystroke space ratio . then , the predicted unit time period u ( k ) at iteration k can be obtained from the output of the predictor , that is for the time - length - difference lms predictor , the input signal is given as x d  ( k ) = f d  ( n s  ( k ) ) if n s  ( k ) & lt ; n smax = f d  ( n smax ) if n s  ( k ) ≥ n smax ( 4 ) wherein the transfer function ƒ d (·) is defined by f d  ( n s  ( k ) ) = d  ( k ) + u  ( k ) - n s  ( k ) if s  ( k ) = a   ‘ link  -  space ’ = n s  ( k ) - u  ( k ) if s  ( k ) = a   ‘ character  -  space ’ ( 5 ) where d ( k ) denotes the predicted difference between link - space and character - space intervals at iteration k and is given by the output of the predictor as follows according to u ( k ) at equation ( 3 ) and d ( k ) at equation ( 6 ), the unstable inter - keystroke space ratio can be predicted by and the adaptive threshold for inter - keystroke space time series at iteration k is expressed as the character - space decision rule is accordingly summarized as s  ( k ) = a   ‘ link   space ’ if n s  ( k ) ≤ h  ( k ) = a   ‘ character   space ’ if n s  ( k ) & gt ; h  ( k ) . ( 9 ) as a result , h ( k ) is the adaptive threshold to distinguish between a ‘ link - space ’ and a ‘ character - space ’, and its value keeps updating by tracing the user &# 39 ; s speed using the adaptive predictive algorithm discussed above . an adaptive recognition method utilizing the adaptive predictive algorithm discussed above is considered superior to certain other methods previously proposed by the present applicant in certain journals : i . e . “ a morse - coded recognition system with lms and matching algorithms for persons with disabilities ”, ching - hsiang shih and ching - hsing luo , international journal of medical infornatics , vol . 44 : 193 , p . 202 , 1997 ; “ chinese morse code communication auxiliary system for the disabled ”, ching - hsing luo , ching - hsiang shih , and ching - tang shih , chinese journal of medical and biological engineering in taiwan , vol . 16 , no . 2 : 175 , p . 186 , 1996 ; “ adaptive morse - coded single - switch communication system for the disabled ”, ching - hsing luo and ching - hsiang shih , international journal of biomedical computing , 41 : 99 , p . 106 , 1996 . detailed descriptions may be found in the above referenced articles . it is generally considered that if a person can keep a stable typing speed normally the chance for incorrect recognition is very little for the adaptive or fixed recognition methods . use of a keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention by someone able to maintain a stable typing speed is therefore considered to be of obvious practicality . for many disabled people , however , maintenance of a stable typing speed is often very difficult and fixed recognition becomes impractical . use of the adaptive recognition operation by a person so disabled has been shown , however , to be practical . following is a description of a case study performed through agency of the applicant . for the experiment , the six key 10 , 15 keyboard 20 depicted in fig2 was utilized to determine improvement in morse code test typing performance of a fifteen year old boy diagnosed as having mild - quadriparesis - athetoid cerebral palsy with noted fluctuating tone and predominate hypertonias of the bilateral upper limbs . the subject &# 39 ; s voluntary movements were accessible , but there was an initial delay before a movement was begun . his involuntary movement was presented with fast and writhing patterns , which were increased by excitement . the effort to make a voluntary movement partially disrupted his willed movement making it uncoordinated . the subject attended a special class for students with developmental disabilities at a junior high school . reports in his school cumulative records indicated that he showed a readiness for learning at the grade - three level , ( equivalent to grade level nine in north america ), so most of the time he attended a grade three class with normal students at the same school . in elementary school , he had been introduced to the computer and early learning software . learning to use a standard keyboard was tiring and unsuccessful due to his athetosis fine motor skills . long afterward , he received four months of morse code typing training with a single telegraph type switch using the thumb of his left hand . his mean typing rate was 3 . 39 words per minute ( wpm ) with an average 84 . 6 % recognition rate by an automatic recognition device . the training program using the keyboard 20 represented in fig2 was conducted eight months after his single - switch training . during the training period , an interactive training system with immediate morse alphabet and dot - dash tone feedback was employed to provide the subject with means for developing a stable and fast typing training . the training system was interfaced with the keyboard 20 . to provide typing rate training , the threshold interval could be set at 240 , 270 , 300 , 360 , 420 , or 480 milliseconds . the pause interval between two adjacent morse alphabetic characters had to be kept longer than the selected threshold interval so that the subject could learn to type both stable sequentially linked keystrokes and pause intervals . because of the poor coordination of the subject &# 39 ; s right hand he preferred practicing with his left hand only . before training the subject was given the layout of the keyboard as shown in fig2 and a half - hour practice lesson to become familiar with the six key 10 , 15 typing method as described above . the recording of baseline data was executed following the practice lesson . after that the training program began with a ten minute learning period in the use of the training system , followed by a six session training program . each session took one hour during which the subject practiced typing the 26 morse alphabetic characters 12 in ascending order and a 100 alphabetic character 12 sentence three times . the training program continued for three weeks . the present character - space interval for the adaptive recognition was set at 480 ms in the first session and reduced step by step to 240 ms in the final session . during the third session , the subject was encouraged to practice without looking at the keyboard 20 . he achieved intuitive typing with maximum comfort and ease after the fifth session . the tests were given during the baseline data recording period and one day after each training session . the 100 alphabetic character 12 sentence was used for the test . each test was repeated three times . the subject &# 39 ; s typing rate was calculated in wpm , with five alphabetic characters 12 considered as one word . the adaptive threshold char - space recognizer 30 as shown in fig2 was utilized to measure the recognition rate of the typing . each measurement was calculated as an average of the three repeated tests in each test period . fig2 shows the improvement in the subject &# 39 ; s typing rate versus training sessions . the subject &# 39 ; s typing rate increased gradually from a baseline 5 . 04 wpm to a final 8 . 4 wpm using the palm of his left hand . a speed drop at the third session occurred mainly because the subject tried at first to type without looking at the keyboard 20 . it was apparent that the subject had also improved in the rate of recognition which increased from a baseline of 97 . 7 % to a final 99 . 7 % as shown in fig2 . fig2 depicts a practice keyboard 20 similar in operation to the keyboard 20 depicted in fig2 with six centrally located keys 10 , 15 which , in contrast to the keys 10 , 15 depicted in fig2 , can be adjusted with regard to proximity with each other . each of the six centrally located keys 10 , 15 seen in fig2 can be radially displaced within a certain range as provided by slots 16 into which each key is slidably mounted . also , the central area 21 , as indicated by an oval dotted line , possesses a lower elevation or height with respect to the surrounding keyboard 20 which compensates for the height of the six central keys 10 , 15 so that the user need not lift their hands uncomfortably while typing . twelve additional function keys 15 are located in the upper corners and along the bottom of the keyboard 20 . an annunciator 27 is also located along the bottom in the middle and a lcd ( liquid crystal diode ) display 22 is seen in the middle of the top of the keyboard 20 and which is intended to be used in training when the keyboard 20 is not connected to a computer and monitor . the annunciator 27 provides the audio feedback mentioned above with regard to learning the morse code . a scanning strategy for circulation among all the keys 10 , 15 as mentioned earlier is similarly facilitated by the use of leds ( light emitting diodes ) as dwell indicators 17 , 19 each associated with one key 10 , 15 . each dwell indicator 17 , 19 indicates that , when lit , closing of an external switch will effect a stroking of that key . two circulation paths or scanning strategies are further recommended : circulation among the six central keys 10 , 15 with a dwell at each indicated by the central dwell indicators 17 each located on a radial axis associated with each of the central six keys 10 , 15 ; and circulation among the twelve function keys 15 with a dwell at each indicated by the peripheral dwell indicators 19 each located proximate one of the peripherally located function keys 15 . alternation between the two different circulation paths is effected with closing of the external switch when indicated by a path indicator 18 which is shown as an led located above the annunciator 27 which is lit in sequence during scanning in either circulation path . it is further noted with regard to the practice keyboard 20 depicted in fig2 that the lower left and right areas upon the same are free of keys . it is recommended that these areas comprise substantially smooth and uninterrupted surfaces to provide the user with a suitable platform 23 for resting the heel of their hands while typing . it is considered that the layout of the keys 10 , 15 in the manner depicted in fig2 and described above including the provision of these two platforms 23 and grouping of the keys 10 , 15 into central and peripheral dispositions achieves an ergonomic keyboard 20 in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention which is effective in combatting fatigue for many users . it is also emphasized that while the generation of alphanumeric characters 12 , 11 and punctuation symbols 13 in the manner described with the keyboard 20 depicted in fig2 is specifically intended for the keyboard depicted in fig2 many of the features described directly above in association with the keyboard depicted in fig2 may be applied to the keyboards 20 depicted in the other figures and discussed earlier . the use of dwell indicators 17 , 19 in conjunction with an external switching device is applicable to all the embodiments in accordance with the principles relating to the present invention as is the use of an lcd display 22 . the use of an annunciator 27 is considered to be especially applicable to those keyboards 20 utilizing six keys 10 , 15 labeled with morse symbols 14 . the ergonomic features pertaining to the keyboard 20 depicted in fig2 are further considered to be applicable to the other keyboards 20 discussed earlier .	7
in a preferred form of the invention , the polyethylenes of the invention are derived from ethylene and up to 15 weight percent of 1 - hexene . preferably , the relation between the modulus and the dart impact strength complies with the formula : where “ e ” is the base napierian logarithm and m is the averaged modulus in psi and dis is the dart impact strength of the polymer in g / mil . advantageously , the polymer may have either one or combination of the following features : the density is from 0 . 915 to 0 . 927 g / ml , the mi is from 0 . 3 to 10 and cdbi is at least 75 %. most preferred is a dis is from 120 to 1000 g / mil , especially less than 800 and more than 150 g / mil . preferably the mw / mn by gpc is from 2 . 5 to 5 . 5 as to the process conditions , the overall conditions described in u . s . pat . no . 08 / 306 , 055 ( wo 96 / 08520 ), incorporated by reference herein , can be adopted . inventors believe that a combination of particular process conditions helps to make the polyethylene of the invention . in particular , it is thought desirable to use a catalyst system in which the metallocene has a pair of bridged cyclopentadienyl groups , preferably with the bridge consisting of a single carbon , germanium or silicon atom so as to provide an open site on the catalytically active cation . the activator may be methyl alumoxane as described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 324 , 800 ; 5 , 580 , 939 ; and 5 , 633 , 394 , incorporated by reference herein , ( ep - 129368 ) or a noncoordinated anion as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 133 , 480 , incorporated by reference herein , ( ep - 277004 ). it also thought desirable that there should be substantially no scavengers which may interfere with the reaction between the vinyl end unsaturation of polymers formed and the open active site on the cation . by the statement “ substantially no scavengers ” and “ substantial devoid or free of lewis acid scavengers ”, it is meant that there should be less than 100 ppm by weight of such scavengers present in the feed gas , or preferably , no intentionally added scavenger , e . g ., an aluminum alkyl scavenger , other than that which may be present on the support . the conditions optimal for the production of the polyethylene of the invention also require steady state polymerization conditions which are not likely to be provided by batch reactions in which the amounts of catalyst poisons can vary and where the concentration of the comonomer may vary in the production of the batch . overall continuous gas phase process for the polymerization of a polyethylene may thus comprise : continuously circulating a feed gas stream containing monomer and inerts to thereby fluidize and agitate a bed of polymer particles , adding metallocene catalyst to the bed and removing polymer particles in which : a ) the catalyst comprises at least one bridged bis cyclopentadienyl transition metal and an alumoxane activator on a common or separate porous support ; b ) the feed gas is substantially devoid of a lewis acidic scavenger and wherein any lewis acidic scavenger is preferably present in an amount less than 100 wt . ppm of the feed gas ; the temperature in the bed is no more than 20 ° c . less than the polymer melting temperature as determined by dsc , at a ethylene partial pressure in excess of 60 pounds per square inch absolute ( 414 kpaa ), and d ) the removed polymer particles have an ash content of transition metal of less than 500 wt . ppm , the mi is less than 10 , the mir is at least 35 with the polymer having substantially no detectable chain end unsaturation as determined by hnmr by the statement that the polymer has substantially no detectable end chain unsaturation , it is meant that the polymer has vinyl unsaturation of less than 0 . 1 vinyl groups per 1000 carbon atoms in the polymer , e . g ., less than 0 . 05 vinyl groups per 1000 carbon atoms , e . g ., 0 . 01 vinyl groups per 1000 carbon atoms or less . the process aims to provide the polyethylene of the invention throughout the use of a single catalyst and the process does not depend on the interaction of bridged and unbridged species . preferably the catalyst is substantially devoid of a metallocene having a pair of pi bonded ligands ( e . g ., cyclopentadienyl compounds ) which are not connected through a covalent bridge , in other words , no such metallocene is intentionally added to the catalyst , or preferably , no such metallocene can be identified in such catalyst , and the process uses substantially a single metallocene species comprising a pair of pi bonded ligands at least one of which has a structure with at least two cyclic fused rings ( e . g ., indenyl rings ). best results may be obtained by using a substantially single metallocene species comprising a monoatom silicon bridge connecting two polynuclear ligands pi bonded to the transition metal atom . the catalyst is preferably supported on silica with the catalyst homogeneously distributed in the silica pores . preferably , fairly small amounts of methyl alumoxane should be used , such as amounts giving an al to transition metal ratio of from 400 to 30 , and especially of from 200 to 50 . in order to obtain a desired melt index ratio , the molar ratio of ethylene and comonomer can be varied , as can concentration of the comonomer . control of the temperature can help control the mi . overall monomer partial pressures may be used which correspond to conventional practice for gas phase polymerization of lldpe . the parameters used in the claims and the examples are defined as follows melt index ratio : this is ratio of 121 over 12 as determined by astm d - 1238 . mw , mn and mw / mn : determined by gpc using a dri ( differential refraction index ) detector . gel permeation chromatography ( gpc ) is performed on a waters 150c gpc instrument with dri detectors . gpc columns are calibrated by running a series of narrow polystyrene standards . molecular weights of polymers other than polystyrenes are conventionally calculated by using mark houwink coefficients for the polymer in question . cdbi is determined as set out in column 7 and 8 of w09303093 as well as in wild et al , j . poly . sci ., poly . phys . ed ., vol . 20 , p . 441 ( 1982 ) and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 008 , 204 , which are incorporated by reference herein . scb ( short chain branching ): this was determined by hnmr ( hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance ) with data collected at 500 mhz . spectra were referenced by setting the polymer backbone signal to 1 . 347 ppm . methyl group contents in ethylene 1 - olefin copolymers were calculated from the hnmr spectrum using the following formula : where i ch3 is the normalized methyl signal area in the region between 0 . 88 and 1 . 05 ppm and i 0 . 5 - 2 . 1 ppm the area between 0 . 50 and 2 . 10 ppm . the amount of methyl groups will correspond to the number of short chain branches in the polymer assuming that the short chain branches contain 1 methyl (— ch 3 ) group and that all methyl groups are a result of short chain branching . the same nmr method can be used to determine vinyl end unsaturation . the “ averaged modulus ” is the sum of the 1 % secant modulus in the machine direction and in the transverse direction divided by two . granular bulk density : the granular polymer particles are poured via a ⅞ ′ diameter funnel into a fixed volume cylinder of 400 ml . the bulk density is measured as the weight of resin divided by 400 ml to give a value in g / ml . particle size : the particle size is measured by determining the weight of material collected on a series of u . s . standard sieves and determining the weight average particle size in micrometers based on the sieve series used . extractability : determined according to fda regulations 21cfr 177 . 1520 ( d ) ( 3 ) ( ii ). a solution of 1300 ml of 30 wt % alumoxane ( mao ) in toluene as determined by reference to the total al content , which may include unhydrolyzed tma was charged to a two gallon ( 7 . 57 liter ), jacketed glass - walled reactor , equipped with a helical ribbon blender and an auger - type shaft . 2080 ml of toluene was added and stirred . a suspension of 31 . 5 g dimethylsilyl - bis -( tetrahydroindenyl ) zirconium dichloride ( me 2 si ( h 4 ind ) 2 zrcl 2 ) in 320 ml of toluene purchased from albemarle labs , was cannulated to the reactor . an additional bottle of dry toluene ( 250 ml ) was used to rinse solid metallocene crystals into the reactor by cannula under nitrogen pressure . a color change from colorless to yellow / orange was noted upon addition of the metallocene to the mao solution . the mixture was allowed to stir at 69 ° f . ( 20 . 6 ° c .) for one hour , before being transferred to a four - liter erlenmeyer flask under nitrogen . silica ( 1040 g , davison ms 948 , 1 . 65 ml / g pore volume was charged to the reactor . half of the solution from the 4 liter erlenmeyer flask was then transferred back to the 2 gallon ( 7 . 57 liter ) stirred glass reactor . the reaction temperature rose from 70 ° f . ( 21 . 1 ° c .) to 100 ° f . ( 37 . 8 ° c .) in a five minute exotherm . the balance of the solution in the 4 liter erlenmeyer was subsequently added back to the glass reactor , and stirred twenty minutes . then , toluene was added ( 273 ml , 238 g ) to dilute the active catalyst slurry , and stirred an additional twenty - five minutes . antistat as - 990 , a surface modifier made from ethoxylated stearylamine sold by witco chemical corp . ( 7 g in 73 ml toluene ) was cannulated to the reactor and the slurry mixed for thirty minutes . removal of solvent commenced by reducing pressure to less than 18 inches of mercury ( 457 mmhg ) while feeding a small stream of nitrogen into the bottom of the reactor and raising the temperature from 74 ° f . ( 23 . 3 ° c .) to 142 ° f . ( 61 . 1 ° c .) over a period of one hour . then five additional hours of drying at 142 ° f . ( 61 . 1 ° c .) to 152 ° f . ( 66 . 7 ° c .) and vacuum which ranged from 5 inches to 22 inches hg ( 127 to 559 mmhg ) were used to dry the support and yield 1709 . 0 g of free - flowing active supported catalyst material . head space gas chromatograph ( hsgc ) measurements showed 13 , 000 weight parts per million ( 1 . 3 wt %) of residual toluene . a second drying step under stronger vacuum conditions , resulted in hsgc analysis measurement of residual toluene at 0 . 18 %. elemental analysis showed 0 . 40 % zr , 10 . 75 % al , 30 . 89 % si , 0 . 27 % cl , 9 . 26 % c , 2 . 05 % h ( all percentages shown herein are weight percent ). a solution of 1125 ml of 30 wt % alumoxane ( mao ) in toluene as determined by reference to the total al content which may include unhydrolyzed tma was charged to a two gallon ( 7 . 57 liter ), jacketed glass - walled reactor , equipped with a helical ribbon blender and an auger - type shaft . 1800 ml of toluene was added and stirred . a suspension of 30 . 8 g dimethylsilyl - bis -( tetrahydroindenyl ) zirconium dichloride ( me 2 si ( h 4 ind ) 2 zrcl 2 ) in 320 ml of toluene purchased from albemarle labs , was cannulated into the reactor . an additional 150 ml of toluene was used to rinse solid metallocene crystals into the reactor by cannula under nitrogen pressure . a color change from colorless to yellow / orange was noted upon addition of the metallocene to the mao solution . the mixture was allowed to stir at 69 ° f . ( 20 . 6 ° c .) for one hour , before being transferred to a four - liter erlenmeyer flask under nitrogen . silica ( 899 g , davison ms 948 , 1 . 65 ml / g pore volume , v .) was charged to the reactor . half of the solution from the 4 l erlenmeyer flask was then transferred back to the 2 gallon ( 7 . 57 liter ) stirred glass reactor . the reaction temperature rose from 70 ° f . ( 21 . 1 ° c .) to 100 ° f . ( 37 . 8 ° c .) in a five minute exotherm . the balance of the solution in the 4 liter erlenmeyer was subsequently added back to the glass reactor , and stirred twenty minutes . then , toluene was added ( 273 ml , 238 g ) to dilute the active catalyst slurry , and stirred an additional twenty - five minutes . antistat as - 990 was cannulated to the reactor and the slurry mixed for thirty minutes . removal of solvent commenced by reducing pressure to less than 18 inches of mercury ( 457 mmhg ) while feeding a small stream of nitrogen into the bottom of the reactor and raising the temperature from 74 ° f . ( 23 . 3 ° c .) to 142 ° f . ( 61 . 1 ° c .) over a period of one hour . then nine and a half additional hours of drying at 142 ° f . ( 61 . 1 ° c .) to 152 ° f . ( 66 . 7 ° c .) at a vacuum which ranged from 5 inches to 22 inches hg ( 177 to 559 mmhg ) were used to dry the support and yield 1291 . 4 g of free - flowing active supported catalyst material . the polymerization was conducted in a continuous gas phase fluidized bed reactor having a 16 . 5 inch ( 41 . 9 cm ) diameter with a bed height of approximately 12 feet ( 3 . 6 m ). the fluidized bed is made up of polymer granules . the gaseous feed streams of ethylene and hydrogen together with liquid comonomer were mixed together in a mixing tee arrangement and introduced below the reactor bed into the recycle gas line . the individual flow rates of ethylene , hydrogen and comonomer were controlled to maintain fixed composition targets . the ethylene concentration was controlled to maintain a constant ethylene partial pressure . the hydrogen was controlled to maintain a constant hydrogen to ethylene mole ratio . the concentration of all the gases were measured by an on - line gas chromatograph to ensure relatively constant composition in the recycle gas stream . the solid catalyst was injected directly into the fluidized bed using purified nitrogen as a carrier . its rate of injection was adjusted to maintain a constant production rate of the polymer . the reacting bed of growing polymer particles is maintained in a fluidized state by the continuous flow of the make up feed and recycle gas through the reaction zone . a superficial gas velocity of 1 - 3 ft / sec ( 0 . 3 to 0 . 9 m / sec ) was used to achieve this . the reactor was operated at a total pressure of 300 psig ( 2068 kpa gauge ). to maintain a constant reactor temperature , the temperature of the recycle gas is continuously adjusted up or down to accommodate any changes in the rate of heat generation due to the polymerization . the fluidized bed was maintained at a constant height by withdrawing a portion of the bed at a rate equal to the rate of formation of particulate product . the product is removed semi - continuously via a series of valves into a fixed volume chamber , which is simultaneously vented back to the reactor . this allows for highly efficient removal of the product , while at the same time recycling a large portion of the unreacted gases back to the reactor . this product is purged to remove entrained hydrocarbons and treated with a small stream of humidified nitrogen to deactivate any trace quantities of residual catalyst and cocatalyst . a larger number of further tests were performed with different samples made according to the invention in a similar manner and the results are shown in the drawing 1 . the function in the claim 1 is shown as a solid line . using the indications and guidance provided in the specification concerning catalyst selection , catalyst support and gas phase process operation it is possible to produce ethylene polymers as specified in the claims which are simultaneously optically clear ; relatively easy to make and to process and have a high strength as measured by the dart impact strength . the films can be used for heavy duty bags , shrink film , agricultural film , particularly which are down - gauged such as garbage and shopping bags with a thickness of from 0 . 5 to 7 mil . the films can be produced by blow extrusion , cast extrusion , co - extrusion and be incorporated also in laminated structures .	8
fig1 is a diagrammatic showing of an injection blow molding machine having a stationary main frame 10 , portions of which are shown at the upper and lower parts of the figure , it being understood that this frame is usually of integral construction . in accordance with the usual type of blow molding machine , there is an indexing or rotating head 12 which rotates about an axis 14 with intermittent angular movement to shift core rods 16 angularly from one operational station to the next . the core rods 16 extend from different faces around the perimeter of the head 12 , and they move up and down with the head 12 to lift the core rods clear of the mold cavities when the molds are open to permit movement of the core rods to the next operational station . fig1 shows an injection station 18 with a mold made in two parts , including a fixed lower part 20 and a movable upper part 22 . the lower mold part 20 is secured to the frame 10 , and the upper mold part 22 is connected with a movable support 24 at the lower end of a piston rod 26 which is a part of a cylinder and piston motor 28 that opens and closes the injection mold . a mold cavity 30 receives the end portion of the core rod 16 and a plastic parison is injected into the cavity 20 and fills the space in the cavity around the core rod , as indicated by the plastic 32 . in conventional machines , the movable mold part 22 or the support 24 have guide means , and there is apparatus for injecting the plastic into the mold cavity 30 , but such apparatus is well known and no illustration or description of it is necessary for a complete understanding of this invention . as illustrated , the injection mold station 18 , and mold parts 20 & amp ; 22 , may be considered as a conventional machine , but it is illustrated in order to bring out the fact that the novel construction of a blow mold station 34 can also be used at the injection mold station 18 . at the blow mold station 34 , there is a fixed mold part 36 , and a movable mold part 38 which is moved toward and from the fixed part 36 to close and open the mold cavity 40 by a cylinder and piston motor 42 . this cylinder and piston motor is representative of motor - operated means for opening and closing the mold . a support 44 is attached to the upper mold part 38 as an integral part of the movable mold section and the motor 42 has a piston rod 46 which is secured to the support 44 . in the construction illustrated , the center of pressure in the cavity 40 is on the line x -- x . if the mold parts 36 and 38 were replaced by other mold parts having a longer cavity , the center of pressure might be shifted as far to the left as the line y -- y . the support for this longer mold would have a unit similar to the support 44 , but with the socket for the piston rod 46 in alignment with the line y -- y . the piston rod 46 would be screwed into this new connection for the new support , and the axis of the motor 42 would be shifted to the left to align with the line y -- y . such an adjustment is made possible with the construction shown in fig2 of flange 48 at the upper end of the motor 42 held between guides 50 and the main frame 10 of the blow molding apparatus . the guides 50 are clamped tightly against the flange 48 by bolts 52 . whenever the motor 42 is to be adjusted to a different position to accommodate a new mold , the bolts 52 are loosened enough to permit the flange 48 to slide along the guides 50 into the new position in alignment with the center of pressure of the new mold cavity . the bolts 52 are then tightened and the motor 42 becomes again an integral part of the blow molding machine . it will be understood that when a cavity of a new size is to be used , it is necessary to replace the mold shown in fig1 with another mold having the different size cavity . if the operating mechanism for opening and closing the mold is in a fixed position on the frame 10 , then every mold has to be designed so as to fit the apparatus of the machine that opens and closes the mold . with the present invention , the the mold designer has much greater choice of design because the motor - operated apparatus that opens and closes the mold can be adjusted to accommodate itself to centers of pressure at different distances from the axis of rotation of the rotating indexing head 12 . fig3 shows another way in which a blow molding machine can be constructed in order to accommodate different molds having their center of pressure along different lines with respect to the frame of the blow molding machine . in fig3 parts corresponding to those of fig1 are indicated by the same reference character with a letter &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; appended . in place of the piston rod 46 , there is a rod 46a which is connected by a pivot 56 at the lower end of a toggle 58 . the upper end of the toggle is connected to an adjustable plate 60 by a pivot connection 62 . a middle pivot 64 of the toggle is at the end of a piston rod 66 which is part of a motor 68 with a pivot connection 70 connecting the head end of the motor 68 to the adjustment plate 60 . the piston rod 66 is made in two parts connected together by a turnbuckle connector 72 which is used to adjust the stroke of the toggle to coincide with the stroke of the piston of the motor 68 . the turnbuckle 72 can be adjusted to bring the toggle to dead center at the end of the motor stroke or just beyond said center . the center of pressure of the mold cavity 40a is on the line x -- x in fig3 . if a new mold is placed on the machine and the center of pressure of the new mold cavity is on the line y -- y , then the toggle 58 must move into position along the line y -- y , and this is done by releasing clamps 72 , which hold the adjustment plate 60 in contact with a portion 10a of the main frame of the blow molding machine . guides , such as the guides 50 of fig2 can be used with the adjustment plate 60 , and the construction shown is representative of releasable means for holding the plate 60 in various adjusted positions to line up the toggle 58 with the line y -- y or any other line which passes through the center of pressure of a new mold which is mounted on the machine . fig5 shows another modification of the invention in which the blow molding machine is a modular machine with the separate operational stations connected with a main frame 76 by detachable fastening means which include spacers 78 . each modular station includes an integral frame 80 which connects with the main frame 76 at the spacers 78 . any conventional connecting means can be used , such as bolts extending through the spacers 78 and through the contiguous portions of the frames 76 and 80 . such constructions are used when a three - station machine must be capable of converting to a four - station machine or to a machine having even more than four stations for special work . the frame 80 has a table 82 , and mold parts are indicated by the same reference characters as in fig1 but with a &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; appended . the lower mold section 32b is connected with an intermediate structure 84 which is clamped to the table 82 by clamps 86 that bear against a flange 88 and that permit the flange 88 to slide along the table 82 to change the spacing of the mold from the main frame 76 . the cylinder and piston motor 42b is attached to the frame 80 by bolts 90 which hold the cylinder and piston motor at a fixed location with respect to the frame 80 . the center of pressure of the cavity 40b is on the line x -- x . the axis of the piston rod 46b is fixed ; and whenever a new mold is placed on the table 82 , it is adjusted to bring its center of pressure in line with the axis of the motor 42b . this may locate the cavity or cavities in the wrong position for receiving the core rod 16b which extends from the indexing head 12b . this problem is solved by shifting the frame 80 toward or from the main frame 76 with wider or narrower spacing blocks 78 between the frames . this modification shown in fig5 can only be used with modular machines where the frame for each operational station can be adjusted as to its spacing with the center main frame which carries the indexing head 12b . it will be understood that the various constructions for adjusting the mold at the blow station to accommodate changes in the center of pressure in different molds which may be used from time to time can also be used at any other operational station such as the injection station 18 described in fig1 . the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described , but changes and modifications can be made , and some features can be used in different combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims .	1
fig1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a signal transmission system for executing a video signal transmitting method according to the present invention . in a video codec 1 of a sending portion , an original video signal is converted into a digital signal ( 4 ) in a video signal processing circuit after a video block is formed ( 3 ) in every horizontal scanning period . bit positions of the digital signal are rearranged . that is , bit positions are shuffled ( 5 ). a packet number , a destination , a parity bit for correction of an error of information in a header and the like are added as a header ( 6 ) to the shuffled signal . a packet block is formed with a plurality of packets , and an error correction code for correcting an error in longitudinal data in the packet block is also formed into a packet block and added ( 7 ). a packet loss priority information is added to a header portion of each packet ( 8 ), which becomes a sending signal . the sending signal reaches a receiving portion through a transmission line ( including a switch 9 ). in the receiving portion , after delay and jitter of a packet are absorbed first ( 11 ), a packet block formed on a sending side is reformed , and a video signal is recovered using a packet loss information from an exchange and an error correction code which has been formed into a packet block ( 12 ). thereafter , decomposition of the packet block and the packet are performed ( 13 ), which are added to a video codec 2 of the receiving portion . in the video codec 2 , an operation reverse to the operation in the video codec 1 of the sending portion is performed . that is , a header and a correction code are removed ( 14 ), and bit positions of a digital signal of video data are deshuffled to an original position ( 15 ) by an operation reverse to shuffling performed on a sending side . the deshuffled digital signal is converted into a receiving video signal through video decoding processing ( 16 ). fig2 shows a data format of a principal part in fig1 . a video block 10 obtained by dividing a series of video signals at a predetermined length is expressed with a series of video signals 0 to k including a video overhead portion included originally in a video signal and a parity bit or an error correction code , and a sampling period of an analog video signal and the number of bits of one sample are determined so that the number of bits of one video block becomes just l times ( l is an integer ) as large as the number of bits of an information field of a packet . an error correction code included originally in a video signal is excluded in consideration sometimes . next , video data 0 to k of the video block data 10 are shuffled ( 5 ), thereby to arrange them in an information field of l pieces of packets 30 - i ( i = 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . , l ). the shuffling may be made at random or classified depending on the significance of the data and the attached rules . when classification is made depending on the significance of the data , information expressing the significance of the data is added to a part of a header 22 as a packet loss priority information 23 in every packet . for example , when it is assumed that the number of bits of the header 22 is 6 , one bit is used for the packet loss priority information 23 . further , the shuffling is made in the same video block taking video regeneration after packet loss . then , one video block data contained in l pieces of packets after shuffling are formed in a packet block 31 in m lines × n columns , and error correction codes 21 for correcting longitudinal errors of a packet block are added in an ( m + 1 ) th column and thereafter . when error correction codes of a plurality of bits m &# 39 ; are added , a packet block size becomes ( m + m &# 39 ;) lines × n columns . a packet signal of a video signal thus formed is transmitted to a receiving portion through the exchange 9 , but a packet is abandoned sometimes due to restriction of traffic volume and delay of a packet in an exchange . when a packet is abandoned , information on a position of a packet to be abandoned is transmitted from an exchange to a receiving portion . when a packet is abandoned , an exchange determines a packet to be abandoned by the packet loss priority information 23 in the embodiment . in this case , a packet having a small influence on picture quality of a video , that is , having the high packet loss priority , such as a packet of lsb only is abandoned with priority . accordingly , when a packet loss information showing that a packet in which line has been lost is obtained from the transmission exchange 9 , the packet loss information is utilized as an internal code , and video data are recovered with a correction code 21 as an external code . in the present embodiment , a parity bit is used as the error correction code 21 . loss of a packet is made in a bursting manner in many cases , but burst errors up to an nth packet may be corrected by making a number n of columns of a packet block to 2 and more . fig3 shows a format showing an embodiment of a signal format in a video signal transmitting method according to the present invention . in fig3 concrete numeric values are given to the embodiment in fig2 . it is assumed that one line ( a horizontal scanning line ) of a video is one image block , and that a number of picture elements in 1 line is at 2 , 112 words ( 1 word is 1 byte = 8 bits ). this number of words is a value including a video overhead portion . ( it is assumed that a video overhead portion includes 16 words , and video data include 2 , 096 words .) on the other hand , when it is assumed that a packet length includes 72 words and a header portion includes 6 words , the information field length in the packet becomes 66 words . thus , a number l of packets required for information transmission of one video block becomes l = 2112 ÷ 66 = 32 packets . further , if it is assumed for example that maximum or average continuous number of packet loss generating in a bursting manner is 4 packets , it is desirable that packet block is formed in a packet block size of 8 line × 4 columns at n = 4 , m = 8 . when parity bits or error correction signals 21 are added by m &# 39 ;= 1 line , the packet block size becomes 9 lines × 4 columns eventually . that is , the total number l &# 39 ; of packets becomes 36 . accordingly , the total packet length when one video block ( 72 words × 36 packets = 2 , 112 words ) is formed into a packet becomes 2 , 112 + 66 × 4 ( error correction code )+ 6 × 32 [ header portion ]= 2 , 592 words . in this case , there is naturally no problem in forming a packet block composition in 36 lines × 1 column at n = 1 and m = 36 . it is possible to allocate 1 bit or 2 bits out of 6 bits of the header 22 to the packet loss priority information 23 . fig4 a and 4b show embodiments of the shuffling method . in either case , a video of one horizontal scanning line is taken as one video block similarly to the embodiment described above . fig4 a shows a case dispersed in a 1st to a 32nd packets in 32 picture element unit . fig4 b shows a case in which 8 bits from msb to lsb of one picture element are distributed bit no . by bit no . in 66 picture element unit . here , a 1st to a 4th columns form msbs , a 5th to an 8th columns form second bits , and a 29th to a 32nd columns form lsbs . fig5 shows a case in which a video signal is converted into a digital signal by conversion coding of discrete cosine transform ( dct ). in conversion by dct , a video signal is converted into a frequency in a unit of 8 lines × 8 picture elements , and data composed of from a dc component to a 64th higher harmonic component are obtained . when it is assumed that 8 lines &# 39 ; worth of data converted by dct are one video block formed into a packet , the total number of words becomes 2 , 112 words × 8 lines = 16 , 896 words assuming 1 line = 2 , 112 words . further , the number of converted blocks for forming into a packet becomes 16 , 894 + 64 converted data = 264 . a number l of packets becomes l = 16 , 896 ÷ 66 = 256 assuming that the number of words of an information field of one packet is 66 . this is formed as a packet block of m × n = 64 lines × 4 columns . when one line &# 39 ; s worth of longitudinal error correction code 21 , that is , 4 packets , are added thereto as an external code , the final number of packets becomes l &# 39 ;= 260 , which is transmitted as a packet block at n = 4 , m = 64 and m &# 39 ;= 1 . that is , since 264 pieces related to dc components only are generated first for 64 pieces of conversion coefficient values from converted dc components to higher - order high harmonic components , they are contained in a first to a fourth packets , conversion coefficient values with respect to the second high harmonic components are contained in a 5th to an 8th packet , thus forming a packet in a similar manner successively , and conversion coefficient values with respect to a 64th high harmonic components are contained in a 253rd to a 256th packets . in such a manner , packet blocks classified with frequency conversion degree are formed . here , since a dc value of a conversion coefficient is very effectual and important , a packet loss including a dc value causes sharp picture quality degradation when a video is regenerated . on the contrary , degradation is minor even if the 253rd to the 256th packets including the 64th order conversion coefficient value are lost . accordingly , it is possible to perform selective abandonment , that is , to abandon a packet including a higher - order coefficient value having little influence exerted on picture quality when packet abandonment is required in an exchange by entering packet loss priority information 41 showing an order that packet loss is allowed to occur in a part of the header portion 22 in transmission . it becomes possible to transmit information for selective loss to a packet transmission system by adding a number showing significance of data to a header portion in a codec of a transmitting portion . next , recovery of video data for a packet block in a receiving portion will be described . a packet loss information which is sent from an exchange only has a meaning of parity which can detect an error , and cannot designate a loss position of an erroneous bit in a packet . therefore , it has no ability of correction with this information only . fig6 a and 6b show a method of recovering a video signal when a parity code is added to an ( m + 1 ) th line . when a packet block consisting of 4 packets in 4 lines × 1 column at 1 line = 66 words is considered for the sake of simplicity , it can be detected that an information field in a third packet is erroneous if a packet loss information showing that a packet in a third line has been lost is input . in case a packet loss is produced , data in a lost packet are replaced with a fixed pattern sometimes in a receiving portion . in this case , it is considered that several bits among 66 pieces of data in one line of &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; are erroneous . as to this error , an error of data in a lost packet can be corrected by inspecting on a receiving side odd - even parity as an error correction code newly added in an ( m + 1 ) th line on a sending side . for example , it is found that data at ( the 3rd line , the 2nd column ) and at ( the 3rd line , the 3rd column ) are in error as shown in fig6 a , thus making it possible to recover data . that is , one error correction is made possible by using odd - even parity check code for both internal and external codes . in the case of fig6 a , however , when two lines of a packet in a third line and a packet in a fourth line are lost in succession , an inspection result showing no error is issued with a result of external code parity check only . thus , it becomes impossible to correct an error . in particular , in the case of an atm ( packet ) transmission line , it happens frequently that packets are abandoned in a bursting manner when circuit traffic starts to get higher , or packets are abandoned eventually by delay of packets for a long time . moreover , it is considered that such a phenomenon occurs much more frequently than random errors . in this case , it is desirable that a packet block having columns in the same number as the maximum number of packet loss that are generated in a bursting manner is formed as shown in fig6 b . in the case of fig6 b , it is possible to correct continuous errors in four packet portions at the maximum . as to a number of lines m , a proportion of a number of packets of error correction codes added as external codes becomes smaller as against the number of packets of video information when a number of lines gets larger . that is , redundancy gets smaller and transmitting efficiency is increased , but error correcting capability gets poorer . accordingly , it is required to determine setting of a number of lines m taking redundancy with error correction codes and error correcting capability into consideration . fig7 shows an example in which m = 4 lines and n = 4 columns , and 3 bits of error correction codes are added as an external code . in the figure , an internal code is parity showing packet loss similarly to fig6 a and 6b , and bch ( 7 , 4 ) code capable of one error detection and correction is used for an external code . bch ( 7 , 4 ) shows that data of 7 bits in total obtained by adding 3 bits of error correction bits to 4 bits of information bits are formed . thus , when a packet in a third line and a second column is corrected in accordance with an external code and errors are detected thereafter , it is found that a packet in a second line and a second column is also erroneous , thus making it possible to correct two errors . it is apparent that effects obtained by using reed solomon or other error correction codes in place of the bch code as an external code are exactly the same as described previously . when bursting errors due to packet loss occur very frequently and in many cases , it is naturally impossible to correct errors even in the cases of fig6 a and 6b and fig7 . even in this case , however , a packet block is composed of data at portions which just form breaks of video lines or conversion blocks , etc . of dct . accordingly , data correction is given up and imaginary data may be produced by performing interpolation with data in packets before and behind or utilizing peripheral blocks , thus making it possible to amend a video easily and to make picture degradation inconspicuous .	7
fig2 shows a space vector pulse width modulation ( svpwm ) controller 210 for a neutral - point clamped ( npc ) inverter 220 . the controller take a reference voltage 211 as input . the outputs of the svpwm are space vector modulation signals a , b , and c 250 , where a , b , and c correspond to the three phase of the ac signal . the inverter is connected between a dc source 221 and an ac load 222 . the source can have n levels ( 0 , 1 , . . . , n − 1 ). in contrast to the prior art where the number of levels is generally 2 , the number of levels that can be specified for the inverter according to the embodiments can be arbitrary , e . g ., 5 , 7 or 25 . space vector pulse width modulation ( svpwm ) in 3 phase coordinate system the most commonly used coordinate system to represent a vector in a two dimensional , or three dimensional space is a cartesian coordinate system , where a vector v can be decomposed into the summation of vectors that are orthogonal to each others , i . e ., v ={ right arrow over ( v )} x + v y + v z . in a three - phase coordinate system , a 2 dimensional vector v is treated as summation of three vectors that have 2π / 3 angle separation : for simplicity , the 3 - phase representation of a vector can be denoted using a 3 - tuple ( q a , q b , q c ). as shown in fig3 , two important properties of the 3 - phase coordinate system serve as the basis for our invention . we realize that unlike the cartesian system , base vectors in the 3 - phase system are not orthogonal to each other . this implies that the representation of a given vector is not unique . we describe the redundancy in the system and how to exploit the redundancy in greater detail below . the two properties 301 - 302 respectively are fig3 shows the redundancy in the 3 - phase coordinate system . clearly , ( a + δ , b + δ , c + δ ) and ( a , b , c ) represent the same vector . equation ( 4 ) allows us to transform a 3 - phase representation of a vector to a cartesian representation . recognizing that we can see that the vector v = v x + iv y has the 3 - phase representation as the main objective for a space vector modulator is to generate a pulse width modulated vector signals that can closely approximate the desired space vector . additionally , it is possible to add additional features for signal conditioning we focus on the procedure for vector generation and pulse width calculation . an arbitrary space vector can be represented in a 3 - phase coordinate system . however , in an inverter , the modulator can only output discrete values . the range of the values are non - negative and has a limited range , where the range is determined by the number of levels , e . g ., the number of switches in the npc . for an n - level inverter , the permissable output vectors are is the nominal voltage across k , m , n are integers of the space vector , and { k , m , n }∈[ 0 , n − 1 ]. if we define a normalized vector v ref = v 0 / v c , then we can omit v c in the our analysis . fig4 shows permissible output vertices for a 5 level inverter . in fig4 , the output voltage v r does not fall on to any of the vertices and therefore , the modulator cannot output exactly v r . therefore , the modulator outputs an approximation of v r . a simple approximation is to find a vertex that is the closest to v r for each v r sample , i . e ., find a { tilde over ( v )} such that that is , we find the vertex that is closest to the true desired output vector . in the example shown in fig4 , p 2 401 appears to be the closest vector . this , however , results in an error in each sample and can product an output waveform that is not acceptable . a more sophisticated approach is approximate each output with three surrounding vertices . in the example in fig4 , the vertices are p 1 , p 2 and p 3 . within the sampling period , the modulator outputs three vectors for corresponding duty cycles , and hence the pulse width modulation . the objectives of the modulator design is to efficiently find the three ( losest ) vertices that surround the designed v r ( v ref ) 401 , and the corresponding duty cycles . we describe the search for vertices and computation of duty cycle below . the duty cycle the proportion of on time . as shown in fig3 , we try to find three vertices that are closest to v r and enclose v r . note that v r can be represented in a cartesian coordinate system as x = re ( v r ), and y = jm ( v r ). assume n →∞, it can be easily seen that all vertices can be represented by either ( k , m ,− m ), or ( k , m ,− m − 1 ). in the cartesian system , the vertices represent the following vertices respectively : we can determine a rectangular region 501 where v r is located . if the region is defined by the lower - left vertex of ( k , m ,− m ) and upper - right vertex ( k + 1 , m + 1 , m − 1 ), then k and m can be determined as if v r is in the rectangle , it falls within one of the six triangles shown in fig4 . the three closest vertices to v r are determined by testing δx and δy against these three boundary conditions . the table 600 in fig6 shows the corresponding vertices . to representing the modulation vector v r with the three space vectors determined following the procedure described above , pulse width modulation is used . in a given period t , the modulator outputs the three vectors v 1 , v 2 and v 3 for fractions of a period . the durations are t 1 , t 2 , and t 3 respectively . the complete fidelity is achieved by selecting the duty cycles such that the average voltage equals the desired output voltage . therefore , the following condition is satisfied : as shown in fig7 , if we define the error vector e i as the difference between a quantized vector v i and the true vector , combining equation ( 17 ) and equation ( 16 ), w i is the solution of the following linear equations where det ( p )= x 1 y 2 − x 1 y 3 − y 1 x 2 + y 1 x 3 + y 3 x 2 − y 2 x 3 is the determinant of square matrix p . the weights w i are real and non - negative . in practice , pulse width modulation is implemented in a clocked circuit with an oversampling rate of k . the clock frequency is k times the sampling frequency of v , or , the duration t is partitioned into k slices . in such as case , the weights are approximated as fig8 shows the steps of a method for generating space vector modulation signals ( a , b , e ) 250 for a multilevel inverter 220 . the signals are generated in the space vector pulse width modulation ( svpwm ) controller 210 . a reference voltage v ref 211 is determined 810 . if the waveform is sinusoidal , then the output is v ref = exp ( jwt ), where j represents an imaginary part , w represents an angular velocity − 2πf ) . . . , f is the frequency , and t is time . next , values of k and in for a vector ( k , m , m − 1 ) are determined 820 using equation ( 9 ) and ( 10 ). a triangle region where v ref belongs is determined 830 using equation ( 11 ), ( 12 ), and ( 13 ). the vertices ( k , m , n ), ( k + 1 , m , n ), and ( k , m , n − 1 ) that are closest to the reference voltage are output . the vertex ( k , m , n ) is adjusted 840 to ( k ′, m ′, n ′)=( k + d , m + d , n + d ) such that k ′, m ′ and n ′ are in a valid region [ 0 , n − 1 ], where n is a level of modulation in the inverter if it is not possible to determine whether the vertex ( k ′, m ′, n ′) is in a valid region , then the output signal ( k , m , n ) is clipped 850 for overmodulation , and the value that exceeds the maximal level of modulation n is replaced by n . the error vectors e i = e 1 , e 2 , and e 3 for each vertex and the weight w i of each vertex are determined 860 using equation ( 18 ) and ( 19 ). based on w i , the duty cycle of each set of output values can be determined , and the modulation signals ( a , b , c ) 250 can be output 870 . the steps of the method can be performed in a processor connected to memory and input / output interfaces as known in the art . we describe a svpwm - based 3 phase inverter by reviewing mathematical foundation of a 3 - phase coordinate system and vector representation in such a coordinate system . we show two important properties of the system , which serve as the basis of the method . by exploiting these two important properties , we provide a method to determine coefficients of the vector efficiently . the method determines the coefficients and modulation duty cycles in a single step and does not involve any complicated non - linear trigonometric functions . as a result , the method is extremely computation efficient . although the invention has been described by way of examples of preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that various other adaptations and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	7
now , referring to the drawings , fig1 fig2 and fig3 depict a typical eccentric planetary traction drive having an eccentric sun roller and three planetary rollers , at least one of which is a loading planetary roller . in this typical traction drive , the present invention of a wedge loading mechanism 1 is a planetary roller that acts as the loading roller in this typical eccentric planetary traction drive . the wedge loading mechanism 1 is located between a first raceway 2 , and a second raceway 3 . the wedge loading mechanism 1 comprises a supporting shaft 4 ( fig5 ), a rubber insert 5 , a bearing 6 , and a loading roller ring 7 . shaft 4 is fixed to the wedge loading mechanism 1 . the wedge loading mechanism 1 is positioned between and in contact with the first and second raceways 2 and 3 . in fig6 the tangential line oa at contact point a between the second raceway 3 and the wedge loading mechanism 1 lies at an angle of δ with respect to the tangential line ob at contact point b between the first raceway 2 and the wedge loading mechanism 1 . thus the two tangent lines form a converged wedge aob . raceway 2 is the driving member and the contact point b on raceway 2 has a tendency to move along the tangent line bo toward point o with respect to the contact point b on the loading roller ring 7 during the operation of the wedge mechanism 1 . a friction force f is thus generated at contact point b . the friction force tends to rotate the roller ring 7 , making the contact point a on the loading roller ring 7 move along the tangent line oa from point o with respect to the corresponding contact point a on the second raceway 3 . similarly , a friction force f at contact a is generated . the friction forces at contact points a and b both drives the loading roller ring 7 further into the converged wedge , making the loading roller ring 7 push firmly against the raceways at the contact points a and b and against the supporting shaft 4 . the friction forces f at contact points a and b are balanced by normal contact forces n at contact points a and b and a supporting force f 0 at supporting shaft 4 . the overall deflection , including surface and structural deflections , normal to the contact surface under normal load can be characterized by an effective stiffness at the contact . the effective stiffness at contact points a and b is denoted by k r and the effective stiffness at the contact area between the loading roller ring 7 and supporting shaft 4 is denoted by k s . thus as the loading roller ring 7 is driven by the friction forces f at contact points a and b into the converged wedge along oc , the normal contact forces n and supporting contact f 0 are estimated as : f 0 = k s · l ( 4 ) n = k r · l   sin   δ * 2 ( 5 ) is a mean value when δ is a variable that varies with l , that is , sin   δ * 2 = 1 l  ∫ 0 l  sin   δ 2   l ( 5a ) and where / is the distance that the center c of loading roller ring 7 ( not the center of the supporting shaft 4 ) moves along line oc under the friction forces at contact points a and b . fig7 is a chart showing the relationship between the stiffness ratio k s / k r and the wedge angle δ . the operating friction coefficient at the contact is μ 0 , the friction force is expressed as f 0 2  n = μ 0 · cos   δ 2 - sin   δ 2 ( 7 ) this equation can be expressed in terms of effective stiffness k s and k r by substituting equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) into this equation . k s k r = 2  ( μ 0  cos   δ 2 - sin   δ 2 )  sin   δ 2 ( 8a ) in cases where variation in δ is small , then δ ∝ δ * and equation ( 8a ) becomes k s k r = μ 0 · sin   δ - 2  sin 2  ( δ 2 ) ( 8 ) [ 0049 ] fig7 shows effective stiffness ratio k s / k r as a function of wedge angle δ for different operating friction coefficients μ 0 . a zero stiffness ratio at a non - zero wedge angle indicates no supporting force f 0 , which leads to the following condition negative stiffness ratio means direction change in force f 0 . in other words , shaft 4 is now pushing the loading roller ring 7 into the converged wedge . it can be appreciated that a traction drive with the current wedge loading mechanism 1 can be operated under any small wedge angle δ while still having the traction drive being operated at or close to the maximum available friction coefficient μ so long as the stiffness ratio is appropriately chosen . that is , k s k r = 2  ( μ 0  cos   δ 2 - sin   δ 2 )  sin   δ * 2 ≤ μ   sin   δ - 2   sin 2  ( δ 2 ) ( 9 ) the proper support stiffness k s of the wedge loading mechanism 1 is achieved through rubber insert 5 ( fig5 ), bearing 6 , and shaft 4 . other means are also possible . for instance , the supporting shaft can be mounted to the traction drive through deflectable mounting devices such as springs , and / or washers . in this case , the loading roller ring 7 may take the form of a solid roller . the flexible support of the wedge loading mechanism 1 can also serve as a device to provide a necessary force pushing loading roller into the wedge contacts thus to improve system dynamic stability . with predetermined allowable travel range of the loading roller , the wedge loading mechanism 1 can also serve as an overload protecting device . when driving torque is at its maximum allowable level , the wedge loading mechanism 1 is pushed into the wedge toward the limit of the predetermined travel range . any additional increase in torque cannot further push the wedge loading mechanism 1 into the wedge , thus limiting the maximum available friction forces . under such conditions , slippage occurs at contacts between the wedge loading mechanism 1 and raceways 2 and 3 . while the above description describes various embodiments of the present invention , it will be clear that the present invention may be otherwise easily adapted to fit any configuration where a wedge mechanism for traction drives may be utilized . as various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	5
in the circuit according to the present invention , the s - shaped correction signal condenser causes the horizontal deflection scanning signal to oscillate in accordance with an inductance value of the horizontal deflection circuit like in the conventional s - shaped correction signal circuit . therefore , the horizontal deflection current has an s - shaped characteristic , so that distortion of a screen image is decreased . in addition , in the present invention , it is possible to control the characteristic of the s - shaped correction signal by changing the capacitance of the correction condenser during a horizontal deflection scanning period . therefore , it is possible to enable a higher precision correction . furthermore , the capacitance of the correction condenser is implemented for independently controlling the correction signal during the front and rear portions of one horizontal scan period . in addition , it is possible to vary the interval of the scanning time by varying the capacitance . therefore , an s - shaped correction of the deflection signal is implemented for balancing the front and rear portions of the horizontal scanning signal . the non - spherical distortion which occurs during the horizontal scanning of the cathode ray tube is different in accordance with the position of the scanning beam in the vertical direction of the cathode ray tube . finally , the range of the non - spherical distortion which occurs in the left and right end portions of the horizontal scan is made wider toward the upper and lower edges of the cathode ray tube and is made narrower toward the center portion thereof . in the present invention , it is possible to decrease the distortion of the screen image which occurs due to the non - spherical distortion of the cathode ray tube by varying the interval of the time of the horizontal scanning period control at every vertical line position . fig3 illustrates a horizontal deflection circuit adapting a horizontal s - shaped correction signal circuit according to the present invention . in the drawing , hd denotes a horizontal driving signal generator , t r denotes a horizontal output transistor , d denotes a damper diode , c r denotes an oscillation condenser , l dy denotes a horizontal deflection coil , c s denotes a main correction condenser , fbt denotes a flyback transformer , and + b denotes a horizontal deflection circuit voltage . since the so far constituted horizontal deflection circuit is well known in the industry , detailed description of the operation thereof will be omitted , and description of the inventive adaptation will be given . as shown in fig3 the s - shaped correction condenser c s is connected in parallel with a front portion correction condenser c s1 and a rear portion correction condenser c s2 for changing the capacitance thereof and switches sw 1 and sw 2 for switching the condensers c s1 and c s2 , respectively . in addition , a discharging high resistance ( high resistance ; not shown ) is connected in parallel with the correction condensers c s1 and c s2 . each of the switches sw 1 and sw 2 is composed of a field effect transistor ( fet ) which is turned on and off in accordance with respective first and second control signals cs - c tl1 and cs - c tl2 generated by a timing pulse generator 11 . a wave form shaping unit 12 receives a flyback pulse signal from an auxiliary winding 13 of the flyback transformer fbt and outputs a shaped signal to the timing pulse generator 11 , which also receives a vertical parabola signal and a pair of control signals da - ct l1 and da - ct l2 . the operation of the horizontal deflection circuit shown in fig3 will now be explained with reference to fig4 . the construction and operation of the elements related to the timing pulse generator 11 will be described later . fig4 a illustrates a current flowing in the deflection yoke , fig4 b illustrates a first control signal cs - c tl1 , and fig4 c illustrates a second control signal cs - c tl2 . during the time interval t1 of the front portion of the horizontal scanning interval , the first control signal cs - c tl1 is outputted , and the switch sw 1 is turned on . in a predetermined time interval t2 in the rear portion , a second control signal csc tl2 is outputted , whereby the switch sw 2 is operated . therefore , during the time interval t1 of the front portion of the horizontal scanning interval , the correction condenser c s is connected in parallel with the front portion correction condenser c s1 . thereafter , the front correction s - shaped condenser c s1 is disconnected , and only the s - shaped condenser c s is connected . at the time t2 in the rear portion , the correction condenser c s is parallely connected with the rear portion correction condenser c s2 . fig5 illustrates the wave form of a voltage signal applied to the s - shaped signal correction condenser c s . in the present invention , in the time intervals t1 and t2 , the straight line characteristic is changed to the broken line characteristic . according to changing the straight line characteristics to the broken line characteristics in each the horizontal scanning interval , the capacitance of the s - shaped correction signal condenser is changed , and thus the oscillation frequency of the horizontal deflection signal l dy is changed . the characteristic of the correction condenser is changed by controlling the parallel connection of the correction c s1 and c s2 in the front and rear portions of the horizontal scan by controlling the time intervals of the first and second control signals cs - c tl1 , and cs - c tl2 , so that it is possible to correct the horizontal distortion of the image and obtain accuracy thereof . in particular , in the front and rear portions of the horizontal scanning interval , it is possible to implement a balanced s - shaped correction . turning back to the embodiment of fig3 the timing pulse generator 11 receives a saw tooth wave form signal as an fbt pulse from the auxiliary winding 13 of the flyback transformer fbt passes through the wave form shaping unit 12 , the vertical parabola wave signal which is used in the circuit of the cathode ray tube , and direct current control signals da - c tl1 and da - c tl2 outputted to externally connected elements such as a microcomputer , etc . as shown in fig6 the timing pulse generator 11 includes first and second direct current voltage adders 15 and 16 , first and second comparators 17 and 18 , and an inverting amplifier 19 . the first direct current voltage adder 15 receives the vertical parabola wave signal and first direct current control signal da - c tl1 . the second direct current voltage adder 16 receives the vertical parabola wave signal and second control direct current signal da - c tl2 . the comparator 17 receives the saw tooth wave form signal the polarity of which is inverted by the inverting amplifier 19 and an output signal from the first direct current voltage adder 15 , respectively , and outputs the first control signal cs - c tl1 . the second comparator 18 receives the saw tooth wave form signal and an output signal from the second direct current voltage adder 16 and outputs the second control signal cs - c tl2 , respectively . the operation of the timing pulse generator 11 will be explained with reference to fig7 a - 7d and 8a - 8d . in the drawings , the wave form shown in fig7 a corresponds to the input signals to the second comparator 18 and denotes the interrelationship between the vertical parabola wave form of one field and the saw tooth wave signal . here , the vertical parabola wave signal is combined with the direct current control signal da - c tl2 by the second direct current voltage adder 16 . in addition , the portion a denotes the value of the vertical parabola wave signal at the upper vertical screen position of the cathode ray tube , the portion b denotes the value of the vertical parabola wave signal at the center vertical screen position of the cathode ray tube , and the portion c denotes the value of the vertical parabola wave signal at the lower vertical screen position of the cathode ray tube . the wave form shown in fig7 b is an enlarged view of the wave form shown in fig7 a showing one horizontal scanning period . the values at the portions a , c and b of the wave form shown in fig7 a correspond to the vertical parabola wave . the second comparator 18 outputs second control signal cs - c tl2 when the value of the saw tooth wave exceeds the value of the vertical parabola wave signal . the wave form of the second control signal cs - c tl2 is shown in fig7 c and 7d and corresponds to the control signal of the rear portion of the horizontal scanning interval . at the portion b , which is the central vertical screen position of the cathode ray tube , since the value of the vertical parabola wave signal is increased , and the interval in which the value of the saw tooth wave exceeds the value of the vertical parabola wave signal , as shown in fig7 c , the output period of the control signal cs - c tl2 is shortened . in addition , at the upper vertical a and lower vertical position c of the cathode ray tube , since the value of the vertical parabola wave signal is decreased , and the interval in which the value of the saw tooth wave signal exceeds the value of the vertical parabola wave signal is decreased , as shown in fig7 d , the output interval of the control signal cs - c tl2 is extended . the wave form shown in fig8 a corresponds to the input signals to the first comparator 17 and denotes the interrelationship between the vertical parabola wave signal of one field and the saw tooth wave signal . here , the saw tooth wave signal is inverted by the inverting amplifier 19 , and the vertical parabola wave signal is combined with the direct current control signal da - c tl2 by the first direct current voltage adder 15 , respectively . in the drawing , the portions a &# 39 ;, b &# 39 ; and c &# 39 ; are the same as the portions a , b and c shown in fig7 a . the wave form shown in fig8 b is an enlarged view of the wave form shown in fig8 a for one horizontal scanning period . the first comparator 17 outputs the control signal cs - c tl1 when the value of the vertical parabola wave signal exceeds the value of the saw tooth wave signal , identically to the second comparator 18 . therefore , the output signal cs - c tl1 as shown in fig8 c and 8d becomes the control signals at the front portion of the horizontal scanning interval . fig9 illustrates the effects of the variations in the pulse widths of the first and second control signals cs - c tl1 and cs - c tl2 during a vertical scanning period on a screen 21 of the cathode ray tube . in the drawing , the arrows denote the pulse widths of the control signals cs - c tl1 and cs - c tl2 during a horizontal scanning period . as shown therein , the pulse widths of the control signals are wider at the upper and lower portions a and c of the screen 21 , and narrower at the central portion b of the same . the range of the non - spherical surface distortion which occurs in the left and right portions ( edges ) in the horizontal direction of the cathode ray tube screen is increased at the upper and lower portions ( edges ) of the cathode ray tube , and is more decreased toward the central portion . in addition , since the pulse widths for which the correction is performed is varied based on the range of the distortion , it is possible to implement a better correction . turning back to fig6 the values of the direct current control signals da - c tl1 and da - c tl2 are controlled by a microcomputer , etc ., as the values of the vertical parabola wave signal shown in fig7 b and 8b are increased , so that the pulse widths of the control signals from the first and second comparators 17 and 18 can be varied . therefore , the values of the first and second direct current control signals da - c tl1 and da - c tl2 are corrected , and thus the s - shape correction characteristic is adjusted . it is possible to variously modify the present invention , the first and second switching means for varying , for example , the number of the switchable correction condensers may be changed , and the interval of their switching may be changed . in addition , it is possible to control the correction width of the s - shape correction signal by using the direct current control signals da - c tl1 and da - c tl2 . furthermore , it is possible to adjust the horizontal scanning distortion over the vertical positions of the screen . in the present invention , the first and second direct current voltage adders 15 and 16 may be omitted . one of the direct current control signals da - c tl1 and da - c tl2 or the vertical parabola wave signal may be inputted into the first and second comparators 17 and 18 , for thus being compared with the value of the saw tooth wave signal . in addition , the signal value used for comparing with the value of the saw tooth wave signal may be a fixed value . in the s - shaped correction signal circuit in which a correction condenser is installed in the horizontal deflection circuit , it is possible to obtain a good accuracy correction effect and to variably adjust the correction . although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications , additions and substitutions are possible , without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as recited in the accompanying claims .	7
with reference to fig1 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention may be described . mems device 5 is constructed using ic / mems fabrication techniques , preferably successive selective deposition and etching using ultraviolet ( uv ) photolithography on a single crystal silicon wafer . electrical signals propagated into device 5 enter through one of bond pads 10 . each bond pad 10 is connected by wirebonding to electrical conductive paths 12 . bond pads 10 and conductive paths 12 may be constructed of metal , highly doped polysilicon , or other conductive materials . conductive paths 12 are , in turn , electrically connected to electrostatic comb - drive actuators 15 . as a result of this arrangement , a signal voltage applied at a bond pad 10 is propagated to one or more electrostatic comb - drive actuators 15 . in the preferred embodiment , device 5 comprises four electrostatic comb - drive actuators 15 . comb - drive actuators operate on the principle of electrostatic repulsion between two “ combs ” having interleaved fingers , with one comb being free to move . imparting charge to such a device causes the free - moving comb to move away from the fixed comb , the effect achieved being that of a microscale linear actuator . mems manufacturing facilities can construct such devices , such as the facilities maintained at sandia national laboratories in sandia , n . mex . such devices are used for a wide variety of applications in the optical communications field , such as in connection with switching elements in optical networks . as will be seen in fig1 , actuators 15 of the preferred embodiment each embody multiple sets of combs in order to achieve the depth of linear movement desired for this application . actuators 15 drive arms 20 , which are pivotally linked to both a corresponding actuator 15 and fiber yoke 25 . arms 20 move about on top of ground plane substrate 30 , which is preferably constructed of polysilicon . arms 20 have pin or flex joints 35 at each end to allow yoke 25 to move freely in the x - y plane above ground plane substrate 30 , including movement at non - orthogonal angles . electrical drive signals reach each of actuators 15 through the corresponding bond pads 10 and the corresponding conducting paths 12 . four different types of signals are employed in the preferred embodiment : up , down , left , and right . these signals are labeled “ u ,” “ d ,” “ l ,” “ r ,” respectively , in fig1 . a ground signal is also required , which is labeled as a down arrow in fig1 . ( note that while only a single ground signal is illustrated in fig1 for clarity , the preferred embodiment would include a ground line connected to each of actuators 15 .) each of the “ u ,” “ d ,” “ l ,” and “ r ” signals may preferably be coded as a voltage applied at the corresponding bond pad 10 . a “ u ” signal causes the activation of the appropriate actuator 15 such that the arm 20 oriented in the y - direction moves in the positive y - direction , that is , in an upward direction , thereby causing yoke 25 to deflect upward . a “ d ” signal causes the activation of that same actuator 15 as activated by the “ u ” signal , but in this case the corresponding arm 20 moves in the negative y - direction , that is , in a downward direction , thereby causing yoke 25 to deflect downward . an “ l ” signal causes the activation of each of the appropriate actuators 15 such that the arms 20 that are oriented in the x - direction move in the negative x - direction , that is , to the left , thereby causing yoke 25 to deflect to the left . it may be noted that this movement requires the leftward arm 20 to retract while the rightward arm 20 extends . conversely , a “ r ” signal causes the activation of each of these actuators 15 such that the arms 20 that are oriented in the x - direction move in the positive x - direction , that is , to the right , thereby causing yoke 25 to deflect to the right . it may be noted that this movement requires the leftward arm 20 to extend while the rightward arm 20 retracts . it may be seen from fig1 and the above description that yoke 25 may be moved about on substrate 30 to any x - y position within its range of motion by a combination of u , d , l , and r signals . for example , a simultaneous “ u ” and “ r ” signal will cause yoke 25 to deflect to the upper - right portion of substrate 30 . in this way , yoke 25 may be moved to any desired position by the proper combination of signals , just as may be performed with gimballed steering and pointing systems . in the preferred embodiment , both the y - axis and x - axis actuation is provided by a pair of actuators 15 oriented to move linearly in the y and x directions , respectively . in alternative embodiments , a different number of actuators 15 may be employed in either direction . for example , in one alternative embodiment the y - axis actuation is provided by a single actuator 15 oriented to move linearly in the y direction . a single actuator 15 was chosen for the y direction in this alternative embodiment due to space requirements in the initial fabrication process . the x - direction movement in this alternative embodiment is provided by two actuators 15 , despite the fact that only one actuator 15 is employed for movement in the y - direction . in still another alternative embodiment , only one actuator 15 may be employed in each of the y and x directions . in the preferred embodiment , each actuator 15 providing drive in the same linear direction is controlled together such that only a single set of “ u ,” “ d ,” “ l ,” and “ r ” drive signal inputs pads 10 is required . for example , only a single “ l ” signal is required in this arrangement to operate both actuators 15 that provide movement in the negative x - direction . alternatively , separate pads 10 and conducting paths 12 could be provided for the drive signals directed to each actuator . in still another embodiment , both combined drive signals and a separate drive signal line to each actuator 15 could be implemented in the same device , providing application flexibility to the designer seeking to integrate device 5 into a desired mechanism . the mems device 5 of fig1 is preferably fabricated as five layers of polycrystalline silicon ( polysilicon ) deposited to form the structural layers of the preferred embodiment , with silicon dioxide ( oxide ) used as the sacrificial material that is fully removed by etching as a final process step , thereby creating the gaps and spacing needed for moving elements to operate . one of these layers is preferably reserved for use as a ground plane to dissipate charge accumulation under moving structures under high potential . each layer of polysilicon and oxide is preferably deposited as a continuous thin film of material on the wafer , and then a uv - sensitive polymer photoresist is used to create a stencil through which the selected material was removed by etching . each layer is patterned by one or more optical masks that may be preferably created from cad artwork and are superimposed upon one other to generate the final working device 5 . it may be noted that while mems features are generally only a few microns along a minimum dimension , they may have very large aspect ratios , with , for example , lengths that exceed their height or width by a factor of 500 or more . although traditional ic fabrication processes such as the uv photolithography of the preferred embodiment are used in the fabrication of mems devices , the processes used in mems are generally larger in footprint , thickness , and pitch . this lower resolution requirement means that older equipment may be utilized in mems manufacturing . this equipment is generally operated much harder per cycle , however , than is required for ic fabrication in order to achieve the thicker , larger films and features . as a result , a preferred fabrication facility may be one that is outmoded for modern ic fabrication , and thus the equipment value may be less and the loss from equipment degradation correspondingly less related to the equipment &# 39 ; s value . thus the cost of producing device 5 may be further reduced relative to alternative technologies for beam steering . referring now to fig2 , fiber yoke 25 and a portion of arms 20 according to a preferred embodiment may be described in greater detail . yoke frame 60 is preferably of a roughly square shape and , like the other mems elements of device 5 , is fabricated from subsequent deposition of polysilicon films . yoke hole 65 is sized to receive an optical fiber ( not shown in fig2 for clarity ). the standard optical fiber outside diameter of 125 microns is employed in the preferred embodiment , such that the size of yoke hole 65 in the preferred embodiment is preferably about 130 microns to snugly receive the 125 micron fiber . arms 20 attach to yoke frame 60 at pivot joints 35 . these joints allow arms 20 to pivot in the x - y plane with respect to yoke frame 60 , thereby allowing yoke frame 60 to move freely within the x - y plane within a defined area passing over substrate 30 . referring now to fig3 , fiber yoke 25 and its related components may be seen in profile , showing the manner in which the polysilicon film layers are built up during the fabrication of device 5 . yoke hole 65 is shown in the center portion of fig3 , with the layered elements on either side being yoke frame 60 . the gaps in the polysilicon layers of yoke frame 60 are filled with silicon dioxide in the preferred embodiment . each layer of yoke frame 60 is preferably about two microns thick . a two - micron clearance 80 is preferably formed between the lower surface of yoke frame 60 and the upper surface of substrate 30 . this clearance allows fiber yoke 25 to glide over substrate 30 as it translates the optical fiber in the focal plane of the transmitter or receiver . as explained above , yoke 25 is drive by actuators 15 , which respond to signals that are sequenced and applied to the various actuators 15 to create the desired motion through the associated arms 20 . turning now to fig4 , the system package assembly for device 5 is shown in profile . device 5 has a substrate passage 100 formed at its center in order to allow the passage and deflection of optical fiber 110 . in the preferred embodiment , substrate passage 100 has a diameter of approximately 250 microns . substrate passage 100 is preferably formed by a standard chemical etching technique to a silicon oxide layer that serves as an etch stop . device 5 is preferably held in place by epoxy or other permanent means on the package or printed circuit board ( pcb ) 95 . substrate passage 100 in device 5 must be properly aligned with pcb passage 105 during attachment . fiber 110 is fed through pcb passage 105 , substrate passage 100 , and into yoke 25 ( not shown for clarity in fig4 ). fiber 110 may preferably be staked into place by means of epoxy or other permanent adhesive 115 at the bottom surface of pcb 95 . the components are sealed and protected by the application of a lid 120 , which may be formed of glass or another sufficiently strong and transparent material . lid 120 is sealed into place with sealing ring material 125 , which may in the preferred embodiment be an epoxy . the resulting assembly may then be mounted into the optical transmitter or receiver , with the fiber pigtail connected to a laser communications signal processor . it may be noted that while the preferred embodiment has been described for use with respect to a dedicated transmitter or receiver , the preferred embodiment may also be employed in a transceiver arrangement , where the same optical fiber is used to both send and receive optical signals . the present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred and alternative embodiments that are intended to be exemplary only and not limiting to the full scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims .	6
in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment , reference is made to the accompanying drawings , which form a part of this application . the drawings show , by way of illustration , specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the following is a listing of the reference numbers included in the original drawings and the element that each reference number corresponds to and a brief description : 1 . light emitting element . the light emitting element 1 is mounted to the base member 5 in the preferred embodiment . 4 . switch . the switch 4 is coupled to the circuit 2 and is positioned on the first lateral side of the base member 5 , thereby allowing the switch 4 to be actuated by the thumb of the hand in the preferred embodiment . 5 . base member . the base member 5 is connected to the light emitting element 1 , and in the preferred embodiment the base member 5 has a top side , a first lateral side , a second lateral side , and a semi - cylindrically curved underside 6 . first strap . in the preferred embodiment , the first strap 6 is connected to the base member 5 such that the first strap 6 , together with the semi - cylindrically curved underside of the base member 5 , form a first loop , the first loop being sized to the index finger of a hand . 1 . light emitting element . the light emitting element 1 is mounted to the base member 5 in the preferred embodiment . 4 . switch . the switch 4 is coupled to the circuit 2 and is positioned on the first lateral side of the base member 5 , thereby allowing the switch 4 to be actuated by the thumb of the hand in the preferred embodiment . 5 . base member . the base member 5 is connected to the light emitting element 1 , and in the preferred embodiment the base member 5 has a top side , a first lateral side , a second lateral side , and a semi - cylindrically curved underside 6 . first strap . in the preferred embodiment , the first strap 6 is connected to the base member 5 such that the first strap 6 , together with the semi - cylindrically curved underside of the base member 5 , form a first loop , the first loop being sized to the index finger of a hand . 1 . light emitting element . the light emitting element 1 is mounted to the base member 5 in the preferred embodiment . 5 . base member . the base member 5 is connected to the light emitting element 1 , and in the preferred embodiment the base member 5 has a top side , a first lateral side , a second lateral side , and a semi - cylindrically curved underside 6 . first strap . in the preferred embodiment , the first strap 6 is connected to the base member 5 such that the first strap 6 , together with the semi - cylindrically curved underside of the base member 5 , form a first loop , the first loop being sized to fit the index finger of a hand . 7 . second strap . in the preferred embodiment , the second strap 7 is connected to the second lateral side of the base member 5 , such that the second strap 7 forms a second loop sized to fit the middle finger of a hand . 1 . light emitting element . the light emitting element 1 is mounted to the base member 5 in the preferred embodiment . 2 . circuit . in the preferred embodiment , the circuit 2 consists of a light emitting element 1 , a portable power supply 3 , and a switch 4 . 3 . portable power supply . in the preferred embodiment , the portable power supply 3 comprises a battery , is coupled to the circuit 2 , and is configured to provide electricity to the circuit 2 . the portable power supply 3 is connected to the light emitting element 1 on one side and to the switch 4 on the other side . 4 . switch . in the preferred embodiment , the switch 4 is coupled to the circuit 2 , and the switch 4 is connected to the light emitting element 1 on one side and to the portable power supply 3 on the other side . 3 . portable power supply . in the preferred embodiment , the portable power supply 3 is attached to a third strap 9 , which is configured to secure the portable power supply 3 to a wrist of the user , thereby allowing a larger portable power supply 3 to be utilized by the user . 9 . third strap . in the preferred embodiment , the third strap 9 secures the portable power supply 3 to a wrist of the user , thereby allowing a larger portable power supply 3 to be utilized by the user . 8 . first breakaway pin . in the preferred embodiment , the first breakaway pin 8 is coupled to a connection point between the base member 5 and the first strap 6 . 11 . second breakaway pin . in the preferred embodiment , the second breakaway pin 11 is coupled to a connection point between the base member 5 and the second strap 7 . disclaimer although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .	5
preferred monophenolic compounds used in the instant invention are phenol , n - formyl - l - tyrosine , n - acetyl - l - tyrosine , l - tyrosine methyl ester , l - tyrosine ethyl ester , n - acetyl - l - tyrosine ethyl ester , and n - methyl - l - p - tyrosine . other monophenolic compounds useful in the present invention can be described in terms of the following formulas : ## str3 ## where r may be hydrogen , hydroxyl , cyclic or acyclic ( c 1 - 6 ) alkyl , ( c 2 - 6 ) alkenyl or c 2 - 6 alkynyl which include , of way of non - limiting examples , methyl , ethyl , cyclohexyl , 3 - pentenyl , and 2 - butynyl , heterocyclic ring system containing 3 - 10 carbon atoms and at least one number of n , o , or s atoms which include , of way of non - limiting examples , pyridine , pyrrolidine , piperidine , azole , oxazole , thiazole , furan , quinoline , halogen , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkoxy , carboxy and its salts , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkoxycarbonyl , carbamoyl , mono - and di -( c 1 - 6 ) alkylcarbamoyl , sulphamoyl , mono and di ( c 1 - 6 ) alkylamino , ( c 1 - 6 ) acyl , ureido , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkoxycarbonyl , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkoxyimino , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkylthio , arylthio , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkylsulphinyl , arylsulphinyl , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkylsulphonyl , or arylsulphonyl ; r &# 39 ; may be hydroxyl , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkyl , or heterocyclic ring system containing 3 - 10 carbon atoms and at least one member of n , o , or s atoms ; r &# 34 ; may be hydrogen and cyclic or acyclic ( c 1 - 6 ) alkyl ; and where r &# 39 ;&# 34 ; may be hydrogen , cyclic or acyclic ( c 1 - 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 - 6 ) acyl , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkylsulphinyl , arylsulphinyl , ( c 1 - 6 ) alkylsulphonyl , or arylsulphonyl , or an amino protecting group such as , by way of non - limiting examples , t - butyl , 1 - methylcyclohexyl -, benzyl -, or ethylacetoacetyl . monophenol monooxygenase enzyme can be prepared from a number of sources including mushroom , potato , bran , mealworm , frog epidermis , and microorganisms . for use in the present invention , the enzyme need not be extensively purified . the enzyme may be prepared by homogenizing the enzyme source in ammonium sulfate ( 20 % of saturation ) to extract the enzyme . the enzyme extract is then partially purified by adding ammonium sulfate to 70 % of saturation to precipitate the monooxygenase . more extensive enzyme purifications are known ( podila , g . k ., biochem , biophys . res . commun . 141 : 697 ( 1986 )), incorporated herein by reference ). highly purified enzyme preparations may prove useful in the practice of the present invention and are within the scope of the present invention . in general , between about 1 u and about 10 u of enzyme ( one unit converts 1 umoles / hr under optimal conditions ) are added for each mg of monophenolic starting material . in principle , the monooxygenase enzyme requires the presence of a reducing agent to maintain the active , reduced form of the enzyme . vitamin c is one of a number of reducing agents which may be added to the reaction mixture of the present invention to maintain the active form of the monooxygenase enzyme . other such reducing agents include derivatives of vitamin c , sulfite and thiosulfate salts . in addition , these reducing agents can convert orthoanthraquinones back to the corresponding pyrocatecholic compounds and further enhance the yield of pyrocatecholic compounds . the metal ions used in the instant invention comprise iron ions , fe + 2 or fe + 3 , and other metal ions which can form complexes with pyrocatecholic compounds . such metal ions which may be used include mn + 2 , ni + 2 , co + 2 , al + 3 , and zn + 2 . the amount of metal ion added to the reaction mixture is generally from about 0 . 1 to 2 mole per mole of the pyrocatecholic compound generated . preferably , the amount of metal added is about 0 . 33 to 1 mole per mole of the pyrocatecholic compound generated . it has been discovered that the complexes between pyrocatecholic compounds and the metal ions form when the ph is from 4 to 11 , preferably from 6 to 10 . accordingly , the reaction in the instant invention is preferably carried out in a aqueous buffer solution suitable for maintaining such a ph . suitable buffer solutions include aqueous solutions of phosphate , borate , carbonate , triethanolamine - hcl and 2 - amino - 2 - hydroxymethyl - 1 , 3 - propanediol - hcl . the buffer concentration is generally 0 . 01m to 0 . 2m . the reaction temperature is in a range of 0 ° c . to 60 ° c ., preferably 4 ° c . to 50 ° c ., and most preferably , 10 ° c . to 45 ° c . the oxygen required for the operation of the method of the invention is , conveniently , supplied by atmospheric oxygen , although oxygen gas from other sources may be used . the oxygen may be mixed into the reaction mixture simply by vigorous agitation or bubbling into the reaction mixture . the method of the present invention can be conducted batchwise , in a series of reaction vessels or in a continuous manner . for instance , the monooxygenase enzyme can be covalently attached to a solid support such as agarose or sepharose ™ ( pharmacia lkb biotechnology , piscataway , n . j .) or immobilized onto membranes or cross - linked matrices such polyacrylamide by a number of known techniques ( e . g . wykes , nature , 230 : 187 ( 1970 ) and leadlay , p . f . the chemical society monograph for teachers no . 32 , 67 ( 1978 )). the monophenolic compound can then be passed over the enzyme - containing solid support in the presence of buffer , metal ions , reductants and oxygen and at an appropriate temperature . in addition , the method can also be conducted in a water miscible ( single phase ) or immiscible ( biphasic ) organic co - solvent system ( findeis , m . a . et al . ann . rep . in med . chem . 19 , 263 ( 1984 )). reaction times in a batchwise process are generally between about 1 hr . and about 10 hrs ., preferably between about 3 hrs . and about 5 hrs . appropriate residence times for a continuous process can be estimated from the batchwise data and optimized by normal experimentation . the pyrocatecholic product of the present invention can be isolated by standard chemical methods , including crystallization and chromatography , as the metal ion salt . the pyrocatecholic product can also be separated from the metal ions by a variety of methods , including , the addition of hydrogen sulfide . the method of the instant invention increases the yield of pyrocatecholic product and simplifies the manufacturing process . the method , thus , lowers the cost of manufacturing pyrocatecholic compounds . the instant invention will be illustrated substantially by the following non - limiting examples . an monooxygenase enzyme was prepared by homogenizing 50 grams of fresh mushrooms , 200 ml water and 20 gram ammonium sulfate in a waring blender . the homogenate was centrifuged at 4 ° c ., 10 , 000 × g for 30 minutes to remove debris , such as fiber . to the supernatant , 100 gram of ammonium sulfate were added and the supernatant was stirred at 4 ° c . for 12 hours to precipitate the monophenol monooxygenase enzyme . the precipitate was recovered by centrifugation ( as above ) to yield about 5 gram of a monophenol monooxygenase - containing preparation . a reaction mixture was formed by dissolving 0 . 5 gram of the monooxygenase enzyme preparation in 10 ml 0 . 1m phosphate buffer , ph 7 , and adding 0 . 045 gram l - tyrosine , 0 . 1 gram vitamin c , and 0 . 022 gram ferric chloride . the reaction mixture was placed in a 35 ° c . water bath ( shaking at 120 rpm ) for 3 hours . the results , in table 1 , show a significant increase in the yield of the product , l - dopa , using the method of the instant invention when compared with the method without adding ferric ion , when a reducing agent is added to this system the oaq is quickly reduced to pc . because the bioconversion reaction was stopped before reducing agent was used up , most of the compounds left in solution were mp and pc . table 1______________________________________ l - tyrosine l - dopa residual reactant ( mg ) ( mg ) l - tyrosine ( mg ) ______________________________________control ( no fe . sup .+ 3 ) 45 13 . 1 31 . 7the instant method 45 25 . 0 20 . 1______________________________________ examples 2 - 8 repeat the procedure in example 1 except l - tyrosine was replaced with the corresponding monophenolic compound listed in table 2 . the results , in table 2 , reveal that the yields of the corresponding pyrocatecholic products ( yield = 100 % x moles pyrophenolic / moles monophenolic in the starting mixture ) are about 3 % to 110 % higher than that of control . table 2______________________________________ percent increase ofexample monophenolic reactant yield (%) ______________________________________2 phenol 9 . 23 n - formyl - l - tyrosine 13 . 94 n - acetyl - l - tyrosine 3 . 65 l - tyrosine methyl ester 16 . 86 l - tyrosine ethyl ester 25 . 87 n - acetyl - l - tyrosine ethyl ester 106 . 48 n - methyl - l - p - tyrosine 64 . 1______________________________________ the procedure described in example 1 was followed except that monophenol monooxygenase was extracted from potato . the results are shown in table 3 , where the yield increasing effect of iron ion is again significant . table 3______________________________________ l - tyrosine l - dopa residual reactant ( mg ) ( mg ) l - tyrosine ( mg ) ______________________________________control ( no fe . sup .+ 3 ) 55 9 . 4 24 . 2the instant method 55 17 . 0 24 . 0______________________________________ the procedure described in example 1 was followed except that borate buffer ( 0 . 05m , ph 8 . 0 ) was used instead of phosphate buffer . the results are shown in table 4 . table 4______________________________________ l - tyrosine l - dopa residual reactant ( mg ) ( mg ) l - tyrosine ( mg ) ______________________________________control ( no fe . sup .+ 3 ) 60 18 . 8 33 . 5the instant method 60 23 . 9 25 . 4______________________________________ the procedure described in example 1 was followed except that carbonate buffer ( 0 . 05m , ph 7 . 0 ) was used instead of phosphate buffer . the results are shown in table 5 . table 5______________________________________ l - tyrosine l - dopa residual reactant ( mg ) ( mg ) l - tyrosine ( mg ) ______________________________________control ( no fe . sup .+ 3 ) 55 13 . 5 34 . 3the instant method 55 14 . 7 30 . 4______________________________________ the procedure described in example 1 was followed except that triethanolamine - hcl ( 0 . 05m , ph 7 . 0 ) buffer was used instead of phosphate buffer . the results are shown in table 6 . table 6______________________________________ l - tyrosine l - dopa residual reactant ( mg ) ( mg ) l - tyrosine ( mg ) ______________________________________control ( no fe . sup .+ 3 ) 55 12 . 4 33 . 3the instant method 55 15 . 3 31 . 6______________________________________ the procedure described in example 1 was followed except that tris ( hydroxymethyl ) aminomethane ( tris ) buffer ( 0 . 05m , ph 7 . 0 ) was used instead of phosphate buffer . the results are shown in table 7 . table 7______________________________________ l - tyrosine l - dopa residual reactant ( mg ) ( mg ) l - tyrosine ( mg ) ______________________________________control ( no fe . sup .+ 3 ) 55 17 . 8 32 . 2the instant method 55 20 . 6 30 . 5______________________________________ additional experiments using buffers such as acetic , citric , succinic and phthalate buffer have shown that as long as the ph was in the range of 4 to 11 , a complex between the iron ion and the pyrocatecholic products would form and stabilize the pyrocatecholic products .	2
fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an implantable stimulation system 10 for alleviation of sexual dysfunction . as shown in fig1 , system 10 may include an implantable pressure sensor 12 , implantable stimulator 14 and external programmer 16 shown in conjunction with a patient 18 . pressure sensor 12 senses a pressure level of penis 22 on urethra 20 distal to bladder 24 , and transmits pressure information based on the sensed pressure level to at least one of stimulator 14 and programmer 16 by wireless telemetry . the sensed pressure level represents a level of tumescence of penis 22 , i . e ., a level of blood flow into the penis and a resulting level of engorgement . in this manner , pressure sensor 12 permits the erectile state of penis 22 to be monitored . sensor 12 , stimulator 14 or programmer 16 may record the pressure information . alternatively , or additionally , stimulator 14 or programmer 16 may generate adjustments to electrical stimulation parameters applied by the stimulator in response to the pressure information , permitting closed loop feedback of erectile state information during the course of sexual activity . in some embodiments , stimulator 14 or programmer 16 may generate adjustments to parameters in response to pressure information to support delivery of electrical stimulation to support distinct phases of sexual activity , and transition between such phases . for example , based on the pressure information obtained by sensor 12 , stimulator 14 or programmer 16 may adjust stimulation parameters to maintain a particular phase of sexual activity , transition from one phase to another , and transition from one phase to a cessation of sexual activity . examples of distinct phases of sexual activity include arousal , e . g ., desire , erection or lubrication , and orgasm or ejaculation . to support distinct phases of sexual activity and progression between phases , sensor 12 , stimulator 14 , and programmer 16 may be configured to operate in conjunction with stimulation devices and techniques described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 441 , 784 , to martin gerber , filed may 19 , 2003 , entitled “ treatment of sexual dysfunction by neurostimulation ,” the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference . fig2 is a side view illustrating implantable pressure sensor 12 implanted within urethra 20 and bladder 24 . as shown in fig1 and 2 , pressure sensor 12 includes a sensor housing 26 and a flexible tube 28 that extends from the housing . flexible tube 28 includes a closed end 32 and an open end ( not shown in fig1 ). sensor housing 26 contains a sensing element ( not shown in fig1 ) adjacent the open end of flexible tube 28 . sensor housing 26 further contains electronics to generate pressure information , and telemetry circuitry for transmission of the information . the sensing element senses the pressure level within flexible tube 28 . flexible tube 28 may contain a fluid , such as a gas or liquid . as further shown in fig1 and 2 , sensor housing 26 may reside within bladder 24 . sensor housing 26 may be temporarily or permanently attached to an inner wall 27 of bladder 24 , such has the mucosal lining , as will be described . alternatively , housing 26 may be implanted sub - mucosally . flexible tube 28 extends away from sensor housing 26 , out of bladder 24 and through urethra 20 . in this manner , flexible tube 28 is positioned to directly sense the pressure level exerted within urethra 20 inside of the shaft of the penis 22 . yet , flexible tube 28 may be sufficiently thin to avoid significant obstruction of urethra 20 or disruption of the function of other urinary or reproductive structures . as a further alternative , housing 26 may reside outside bladder 24 , in which case flexible tube 28 may extend into bladder 24 and through urethra 20 through a hole formed in the bladder . in this case , housing 26 may be surgically or laparoscopically implanted within the abdomen . tubes 28 may be surgically or laparoscopically guided through a hole in the wall of bladder 24 . a cystoscope may be used to grab tube 28 and pull it downward through urethra 20 . in some embodiments , housing 26 and its contents may be integrated with stimulator 14 , in which case flexible tube 28 extend from the stimulator housing and into bladder 24 , much like leads carrying stimulation or sense electrodes . with further reference to fig1 , implantable stimulator 14 includes an electrical lead 15 ( partially shown in fig1 ) carrying one or more electrodes that are placed at a nerve site within the pelvic floor . for example , the electrodes may be positioned to stimulate the prostate parasympathetic nerve , the cavernous nerve , the pudendal nerve , the sacral nerves to support and maintain an erection of penis 22 . in particular , electrical stimulation may be applied to increase penile tumescence , i . e ., blood flow into the penis 22 , that enables the patient to achieve an erection and participate in normal sexual activity . further , the level of stimulation may be modified based on closed - loop feedback from sensor 12 to maintain the tumescence of penis 22 at target level . in this manner , implantable stimulator 14 delivers stimulation therapy to the in order to achieve and maintain desired penile tumescence . at predetermined times , or at patient controlled instances , the external programmer 16 may program stimulator 14 to begin stimulation to achieve an erection . upon the completion of sexual activity or after a predetermined period of time , stimulator 14 may cease stimulation to allow the erection to subside . during the course of stimulation , stimulator 14 may adjust the stimulation delivered to the patient . for example , adjustment of stimulation parameters may be responsive to pressure information transmitted by implantable pressure sensor 12 . external programmer 16 or implantable stimulator 14 may adjust stimulation parameters , such as amplitude , pulse width , and pulse rate , based on pressure information received from implantable sensor 12 . in this manner , implantable stimulator 14 adjusts stimulation to either increase or reduce penile tumescence based on the actual pressure level sensed within urethra 20 . pressure sensor 12 may transmit pressure information periodically , e . g ., every few seconds , during the course of sexual activity . alternatively , each pressure measurement may be obtained by pressure sensor 12 in response to a request from stimulator 14 or programmer . in either case , stimulator 14 or programmer 16 may activate pressure sensor 12 , e . g ., by wireless telemetry , to commence sensing . in some embodiments , pressure sensor 12 may transmit pressure information when there is an abrupt change in sphincter pressure , e . g ., a pressure change that exceeds a predetermined rate threshold , which indicates sexual arousal . in this case , pressure sensor 12 may sense pressure levels at relatively long intervals , and then self - activate sensing at shorter intervals upon detection of the onset of sexual activity . external programmer 16 may be a small , battery - powered , portable device that may accompany the patient 18 throughout the day or only during sexual activity . programmer 16 may have a simple user interface , such as a button or keypad , and a display or lights . patient 18 may initiate an erection , i . e ., a voluntary increase in penile tumescence , via the user interface . in particular , in response to a command from the patient 18 , programmer 16 may activate stimulator 14 to deliver electrical stimulation therapy . in some embodiments , the length of time for an erection event may be determined by pressing a button a first time to initiate stimulation and a second time when the sexual activity is complete , or by a predetermined length of time permitted by programmer 16 or implantable stimulator 14 . in each case , programmer 16 causes implantable stimulator 14 to temporarily stimulate patient 18 to promote penile tumescence . implantable stimulator 14 may be constructed with a biocompatible housing , such as titanium or stainless steel , and surgically implanted at a site in patient 18 near the pelvis . the implantation site may be a subcutaneous location in the side of the lower abdomen or the side of the lower back . one or more electrical stimulation leads 15 are connected to implantable stimulator 14 and surgically or percutaneously tunneled to place one or more electrodes carried by a distal end of the lead at a desired nerve site , such as a prostate parasympathetic , pudendal , sacral , or cavernous nerve site . in the example of fig1 and 2 , sensor housing 26 of implantable pressure sensor 12 is attached to the inner wall 27 of bladder 24 . however , the attachment site for sensor housing 26 could be anywhere with access to urethra 20 . also , although a single tube 28 is illustrated for purposes of example , pressure sensor 12 may include multiple tubes or multiple sensors . with a relatively long flexible tube 28 , for example , sensor housing 26 could be positioned at a greater distance from the exit of bladder 24 . also , in some embodiments , sensor housing 26 may be attached within urethra 20 , e . g ., closer to the section of urethra 20 within penis 22 , although attachment of the sensor housing within bladder 24 may be desirable to avoid obstruction of the urethra . in other embodiments , sensor housing 26 could be surgically or laparoscopically implanted outside of bladder 24 . in this case , flexible tube 28 may be coupled to the sensor housing 26 and tunneled through a hole in the wall of bladder 24 and into urethra 20 , either by introduction of the tube through the urethra and upward into the bladder , or by introduction of the tube into the bladder and downward into the urethra . fig3 is an enlarged schematic diagram illustrating the side view of an implantable pressure sensor 12 with a flexible tube 28 residing within the penis 22 of a patient 18 . in the example of fig3 , sensor 12 and flexible tube 28 are surgically implanted within tissue of penis 22 . some patients may benefit from implantation of sensor 12 and tube 28 within penis 22 when bladder 24 or urethra 20 are not able to carry a device without obstruction or impaired urinary or sexual function . the corpus cavernosa penis 23 and corpus cavernosa urethrae 21 are structures that swell with blood during arousal and erection . therefore , placement of the sensor within or adjacent to corpus cavernosa penis 23 or corpus cavernosa urethrae 21 may provide accurate sensing of tumescence within penis 22 . as shown in fig3 , sensor housing 26 and flexible tube 28 are shown surgically implanted into one of the corpus cavernosa penis 23 segments of penis 22 . sensor housing 26 may simply lie within the tissue or be attached to the outer lining of corpus cavernosa penis 23 . sensor housing 26 may be attached by simple sutures or by any of a variety of fixation mechanisms , which will be described in greater detail herein in the context of attachment of the sensor housing within bladder 24 . once implanted , pressure sensor 12 does not readily move within the tissue . the flexible tube 28 may move with the body of the penis 22 as the penis changes position or expands . flexible tube 28 may vary in length depending on the size of penis 22 or the placement site of sensor housing 26 . in another embodiment , implantable sensor 12 may be surgically implanted into corpus cavernosum urethrae 21 . the corpus cavernosum urethrae 21 of penis 22 surrounds urethra 20 throughout the body of the penis . placement of the sensor 12 in corpus cavernosum urethrae 21 may enable tumescence sensing while further minimizing the impact of the sensor during sexual activity . in either case , implantation of sensor 12 within the body of penis 22 , rather than within urethra 20 , may present less risk of obstruction of urine flow . fig4 is an enlarged , cross - sectional side view of implantable pressure sensor 12 of fig1 and 2 . as shown in fig4 , sensor housing 26 receives an open end 34 of flexible tube 28 . a sensing element 36 is mounted within sensor housing 26 , at open end 34 , to sense a pressure level within fluid tube 28 . sensing element 36 may be coupled to a circuit board 38 within sensor housing 26 . circuit board 28 carries suitable electronics for processing signals generated by sensing element 36 . in particular , circuit board 28 may include circuitry that determines a tumescence level within penis 22 based on the sensed pressure level obtained from sensing element 36 . in the example of fig4 , flexible tube 28 is filled with a fluid to transduce the pressure on the tube to sensing element 36 . inward deformation of flexible tube 28 causes an elevation in the internal pressure of the tube . sensing element 36 senses the elevation in pressure at open end 34 of flexible tube 28 , and generates a pressure signal that represents the pressure level . although end 34 is referred to as “ open ,” it is sealed by sensing element 36 . consequently , deformation of flexible tube 28 causes a change in the tube volume , and hence pressure changes in the fluid 30 within the tube . flexible tube 28 may be formed from a variety of flexible materials , including polyurethane or silicone . the flexibility of tube 28 permits the tube to conform to contours within urethra 20 , or penis 22 , and deform in response to changes in penis 22 and pressure exerted on urethra 20 . in particular , a rise in penile tumescence results in exertion of pressure inward against the outer wall of urethra 20 . in turn , the inner wall of urethra 20 exerts pressure inward against the outer wall of flexible tube 28 , causing the wall of the tube to deform and compress inward , providing an indication of penile tumescence . sensing element 36 may include a strain gauge sensor , e . g ., formed by thin film deposition on a flexible membrane . circuit board 38 may include processing electronics to process signals generated by sensing element 36 , and generate pressure information based on the signals monitoring the pressure level of each tube . in addition , circuit board 38 may include telemetry circuitry for wireless telemetry with stimulator 14 , external programmer 16 , or both . sensing elements 36 , in some embodiments , may be constructed as a membrane that carries a resistive strain gauge or piezoelectric element selected to be effective as a pressure transducer . upon deformation of the membrane , in response to pressure levels within their respective tubes , sensing element 36 produces an electrical signal . when penile pressure increases , the flexible tube 28 deforms and the pressure inside the tube increases . the higher pressure forces the membrane within sensing element 36 to deform , thus producing an electrical signal change and enabling implanted pressure sensor 12 to measure pressure and , indirectly , penile tumescence . fluid 30 contained within the tube may be a liquid or gas , or a combination of liquid and gas . for example , flexible tube 28 could be filled with saline , distilled water , oxygen , air or any other biocompatible fluid . preferably , the fluid 30 within the tubes is generally non - compressible . fluid 30 tends to exhibit an elevation in pressure as the walls of tube 28 are deformed during engorgement of penis 22 . conversely , fluid 30 exhibits a reduction in pressure as penis 22 relaxes . in each case , the pressure level is transduced by sensing element 36 , and can be communicated to stimulator 14 , programmer 16 , or both for analysis or closed loop control of stimulation parameters flexible tube 28 may be provided with different dimensions selected for patients having different anatomical dimensions . in particular , implantable pressure sensor 12 may be constructed with a flexible tube 28 having different lengths of diameters . different tube lengths may be necessary given the distance between the attachment site of sensor housing 26 and urethra within penis 22 , either to ensure that flexible tube 28 reaches the distal urethra or does not extend too far down urethra 20 . it may also be important for tube 28 to remain within urethra 20 while the penis is both flaccid and erect . multiple diameters may also be necessary to allow tube 28 to be placed into both a large or narrow urethra 20 . the dimensions may be fixed for a given pressure sensor 12 , as a complete assembly . alternatively , tubes of different sizes may be attached to a pressure sensor housing 26 by a physician prior to implantation . in general , flexible tube 28 may have a length of less than approximately 9 cm and more preferably less than approximately 7 cm . in some embodiments , flexible tube 28 may have a length of approximately 0 . 5 cm to 3 cm . the lengths of tube 28 may vary according to the anatomy of the patient . in addition , tube 28 may have an outer diameter in a range of approximately 1 to 3 mm . the wall of tube 28 may be relatively thin to ensure sufficient deformation and conformability , yet thick enough to ensure structural integrity . as an example , the thickness of the wall of tube 28 may be in a range of approximately 0 . 1 mm to 0 . 3 mm . sensor housing 26 may be made from a biocompatible material such as titanium , stainless steel , or nitinol , or polymeric materials such as silicone or polyurethane . in general , sensor housing 26 contains no external openings , with the exception of the opening to receive flexible tube 28 , thereby protecting sensing element 26 and circuit board 38 from the environment within bladder 24 . the proximal , open end 34 of flexible tube 28 resides within sensor housing 26 while the distal , closed end 32 resides outside of the sensor housing . the opening in sensor housing 26 that receives open end 34 of flexible tube 28 may be sealed to prevent exposure of interior components . attaching implantable pressure sensor 12 to the mucosal lining of bladder 24 may be accomplished in a variety of ways , but preferably is completed in a manner that will not excessively injure bladder 24 . preferably , attachment should cause limited inflammation no adverse physiological modification , such as tissue infection or a loss in structural integrity of bladder 24 . however , it is desirable that implantable pressure sensor 12 also be attached securely to the attachment site in order to provide an extended period of measurement without prematurely loosening or detaching from the intended location . as an example , sensor housing 26 may contain a vacuum cavity 39 that permits a vacuum to be drawn by a vacuum channel 40 . the vacuum is created by a deployment device having a vacuum line in communication with vacuum channel 40 . the vacuum draws a portion 42 of the mucosal lining 44 of bladder 24 into vacuum cavity 39 . once the portion 42 of mucosal lining 44 is captured within vacuum cavity 39 , a fastening pin 46 is driven into the captured tissue to attach sensor housing 26 within bladder 24 . fastening pin 46 may be made from , for example , stainless steel , titanium , nitinol , or a high density polymer . the shaft of pin 46 may be smooth or rough , and the tip may be a sharp point to allow for easy penetration into tissue . fastening pin 46 may be driven into housing 26 and the portion 42 of mucosal lining 44 under pressure , or upon actuation by a push rod , administered by a deployment device . in some embodiments , fastening pin 46 may be manufactured from a degradable material that the breaks down over time , e . g . in the presence of urine , to release implantable pressure sensor 12 within a desired time period after attachment . in still another embodiment , implantable pressure sensor 12 may be attached without the use of a penetrating rod but with a spring - loaded clip to pinch trapped mucosal lining 44 within cavity 39 . a variety of other attachment mechanisms , such as pins , clips , barbs , sutures , helical screws , surgical adhesives , and the like may be used to attach sensor housing 26 to mucosal lining 44 of bladder 24 . similar attachment mechanisms may be used when implanting sensor 12 within the body of penis 22 , e . g ., within or adjacent to corpus cavernosa penis 23 and corpus cavernosa urethrae 21 . fig5 is functional block diagram illustrating various components of an exemplary implantable pressure sensor 12 . in the example of fig5 , implantable pressure sensor 12 includes a sensing element 36 , processor 48 , memory 50 , telemetry interface 52 , and power source 54 . sensor 36 transforms pressure levels produced by mechanical deformation from tube 28 into electrical signals representative of penile tumescence . the electrical signals may be amplified , filtered , and otherwise processed as appropriate by electronics within sensor 12 . in some embodiments , the signals may be converted to digital values and processed by processor 48 before being saved to memory 50 or sent to implantable stimulator 14 as pressure information via telemetry interface 52 . memory 50 stores instructions for execution by processor 48 and pressure information generated by sensing element 36 . pressure information may then be sent to implantable stimulator 14 or external programmer 16 for long - term storage and retrieval by a user . memory 50 may include separate memories for storing instructions and pressure information . in addition , processor 48 and memory 50 may implement loop recorder functionality in which processor 48 overwrites the oldest contents within the memory with new data as storage limits are met . in some embodiments , sensor 26 may be deployed purely as a diagnostic device to obtain and store penile tumescence measurements over a period of time . in particular , sensor 26 may be used to diagnose a patient &# 39 ; s condition in order to determine whether the patient suffers from erectile dysfunction , the degree the dysfunction , and whether electrical stimulation therapy may be desirable . in each case , sensor 26 is entirely ambulatory and requires little or no setup by the patient 18 . instead , sensor 26 simply accompanies patient 18 throughout his daily routine . loop recorder functionality may be especially desirable for monitoring of penile tumescence over an extended period of time . following implantation of stimulator 14 , sensor 26 may function as both a diagnostic device and a closed loop feedback device for the stimulator . processor 48 controls telemetry interface 52 to send pressure information to implantable stimulator 14 or programmer 16 on a continuous basis , at periodic intervals , or upon request from the implantable stimulator or programmer . wireless telemetry may be accomplished by radio frequency ( rf ) communication or proximal inductive interaction of pressure sensor 12 with stimulator 14 or programmer 16 . power source 54 delivers operating power to the components of implantable pressure sensor 12 . power source 54 may include a battery and a power generation circuit to produce the operating power . in some embodiments , the battery may be rechargeable to allow extended operation recharging may be accomplished through proximal inductive interaction between an external charger and an inductive charging coil within sensor 12 . in some embodiments , power requirements may be small enough to allow sensor 12 to utilize patient motion and implement a kinetic energy - scavenging device to trickle charge a rechargeable battery . in other embodiments , traditional batteries may be used for a limited period of time . as a further alternative , an external inductive power supply could transcutaneously power sensor 12 whenever pressure measurements are needed or desired . fig6 is a functional block diagram illustrating various components of an implantable stimulator 14 . in the example of fig6 , stimulator 14 includes a processor 56 , memory 58 , stimulation pulse generator 60 , telemetry interface 62 , and power source 64 . memory 58 stores instructions for execution by processor 56 , stimulation therapy data , and pressure information received from pressure sensor 12 via telemetry interface . pressure information is received from pressure sensor 12 and may be recorded for long - term storage and retrieval by a user , or adjustment of stimulation parameters , such as amplitude , pulse width or pulse rate . memory 58 may include a single memory , or separate memories for storing instructions , stimulation parameter sets , and pressure information . processor 56 controls stimulation pulse generator 60 to deliver electrical stimulation therapy via one or more leads 15 . processor 56 also controls telemetry interface 62 to send information to stimulator 14 , programmer 16 , or both , and optionally receive information . based on pressure information received from sensor 12 , processor 56 interprets the information and determines whether any therapy parameter adjustments should be made . for example , processor 56 may compare the pressure level to one or more thresholds , and then take action to adjust stimulation parameters based on the pressure level . information may be received from sensor 12 on a continuous basis , at periodic intervals , or upon request from stimulator 14 or external programmer 16 . alternatively , or additionally , pressure sensor 12 may transmit pressure information when there is an abrupt change in the pressure level , e . g ., at the onset of sexual arousal . processor 56 modifies parameter values stored in memory 58 in response to pressure information from sensor 12 , either independently or in response to programming changes from external programmer 16 . in other words , stimulator 14 may directly control its own parameters in response to information obtained from sensor 12 . alternatively , programmer 16 may direct the parameter adjustments . stimulation pulse generator 60 provides electrical stimulation according to the stored parameter values via a lead 15 implanted proximate to a nerve , such as a prostate parasympathetic nerve . processor 56 determines any parameter adjustments based on the pressure information obtained form sensor 12 , and loads the adjustments into memory 58 for use in delivery of stimulation . as an example , if the pressure information indicates an inadequate tumescence pressure during a desired erectile event , processor 56 may increase the amplitude , pulse width or pulse rate of the electrical stimulation applied by stimulation pulse generator 60 to increase stimulation intensity , and thereby increase penile tumescence . if tumescence pressure is adequate , processor 56 may implement a cycle of downward adjustments in stimulation intensity until tumescence pressure becomes inadequate , and then incrementally increase the stimulation upward until tumescence pressure is again adequate . in this way , processor 56 converges toward an optimum level of stimulation . although processor 56 is generally described in this example as adjusting stimulation parameters , it is noted that the adjustments may be generated by external programmer 16 , as mentioned above . stimulator 14 may deliver stimulation pulses with different parameters for different phases of sexual activity , such as arousal and ejaculation . for a first phase of arousal , stimulator 14 may deliver neurostimulation pulses at a frequency in the range of approximately 50 to 150 hz , and more preferably approximately 70 to 100 hz . each pulse for the first phase may have an amplitude in the range of approximately 1 to 10 volts , and more preferably approximately 2 to 5 volts , and a pulse width in the range of approximately 100 to 400 microseconds , and more preferably approximately 200 to 300 microseconds . the duration of the first phase of neurostimulation may depend on a detected transition to the second phase , which may be indicated by sensed tumescence . for a second phase of ejaculation , stimulator 14 may deliver neurostimulation pulses at a frequency in the range of approximately 1 to 5 hz , or in the range of approximately 25 to 35 hz . each pulse for the second phase may have an amplitude in the range of approximately 1 to 10 volts , and more preferably approximately 2 to 5 volts , and a pulse width in the range of approximately 200 to 700 microseconds , and more preferably approximately 400 to 500 microseconds . the adequacy of tumescence pressure is determined by reference to the pressure information obtained from sensor 12 . penile pressure may change due to a variety of factors , such as normal nervous activity or arousal . hence , for a given set of stimulation parameters , the efficacy of stimulation may vary in terms of tumescence pressure , due to changes in the physiological condition of the patient . for this reason , the continuous or periodic availability of pressure information from implantable sensor 12 is highly desirable in order to maintain an optimal level of stimulation in support of sexual activity . with the pressure information provided by sensor 12 , stimulator 14 is able to respond to changes in penile tumescence with dynamic adjustments in the stimulation parameters delivered to the patient 18 . in particular , processor 56 is able to adjust parameters in order to maintain erection of penis 22 and thereby avoid prematurely ceasing sexual activity . in some cases , the adjustment may be nearly instantaneous . if pressure sensor 12 indicates an abrupt change in tumescence pressure , stimulator 14 can quickly respond by more vigorously stimulating one or more selected nerve sites to increase penile tumescence . in general , if the tumescence of penis 22 is not reaching the target pressure , processor 56 may dynamically increase the level of therapy to be delivered . conversely , if the tumescence of penis 22 is consistently achieving target pressure , processor 56 may incrementally reduce stimulation , e . g ., to conserve power resources . as in the case of sensor 12 , wireless telemetry in stimulator 14 may be accomplished by radio frequency ( rf ) communication or proximal inductive interaction of pressure stimulator 14 with implantable pressure sensor 12 or external programmer 16 . accordingly , telemetry interface 62 may be similar to telemetry interface 52 . also , power source 64 of stimulator 14 may be constructed somewhat similarly to power source 54 . for example , power source 64 may be a rechargeable or non - rechargeable battery , or alternatively take the form of a transcutaneous inductive power interface . fig7 is a schematic diagram illustrating cystoscopic deployment of an implantable pressure sensor 12 via the urethra 20 using a deployment device 66 . pressure sensor 12 may be surgically implanted . however , cystoscopic implantation via urethra is generally more desirable in terms of patient trauma , recovery time , and infection risk . in the example of fig7 , deployment device 66 includes a distal head 68 , a delivery sheath 69 and a control handle 70 . deployment device 66 may be manufactured from disposable materials for single use applications or more durable materials for multiple applications capable of withstanding sterilization between patients . as shown in fig7 , distal head 68 includes a cavity 72 that retains sensor housing 26 of implantable pressure sensor 12 for delivery to a desired attachment site within bladder 24 . sensor housing 26 may be held within cavity 72 by a friction fit , vacuum pressure , or a mechanical attachment . in each case , once distal head 68 reaches the attachment site , sensor housing 26 may be detached . sheath 69 is attached to distal head 68 and is steerable to navigate urethra 20 and guide the distal head into position . in some embodiments , sheath 69 and distal head 68 may include cystoscopic viewing components to permit visualization of the attachment site . in other cases , external visualization techniques such as ultrasound may be used . sheath 68 may include one or more steering mechanisms , such as wires , shape memory components , or the like , to permit the distal region adjacent distal head 68 to turn abruptly for access to the mucosal lining of bladder 24 . a control handle 70 is attached to sheath 69 to aid the physician in manually maneuvering deployment device 66 throughout urethra 20 and bladder 24 . control handle 70 may have a one or more controls that enable the physician to contort sheath 69 and allow for deployment device 66 to attach pressure sensor housing 26 to the mucosal lining of bladder 24 and then release the sensor housing to complete implantation . a vacuum source 74 supplies negative pressure to a vacuum line within sheath 69 to draw tissue into the vacuum cavity defined by sensor housing 66 . a positive pressure source 76 supplies positive pressure to a drive a fastening pin into the tissue captured in the vacuum cavity . deployment device 66 enters patient urethra 20 to deliver pressure sensor 12 and implant it within bladder 24 . first , the physician must guide distal head 68 through the opening of urethra 20 in patient 18 . second , distal head 68 continues to glide up urethra 20 and into bladder 24 , for access to an appropriate site to attach pressure sensor 12 . using actuators built into control handle 70 , sheath 69 is bent to angle distal head 68 into position . again , sheath 69 may be steered using control wires , shape memory alloys or the like . as pressure sensor 12 is guided into place against the mucosal wall 44 of bladder 24 , a physician actuates control handle 70 to attach sensor 12 to mucosal wall 44 and then release the attached sensor . upon attachment , pressure sensor 12 is implanted within bladder 24 of patient 18 and deployment device 66 is free to exit the bladder . exemplary methods for attachment and release of sensor 12 , including the use of both vacuum pressure and positive pressure , will be described in greater detail below . although fig7 depicts cystoscopic deployment of pressure sensor 12 , surgical or laparoscopic implantation techniques alternatively may be used . fig8 is a schematic diagram illustrating retraction of deployment device 66 upon fixation of pressure sensor 12 within the urinary tract of patient 18 . once the sensor 12 is released , flexible tube 28 remains attached to sensor housing 26 . during removal of deployment device 66 , tube 28 maintains its position through the neck of bladder 24 . as deployment device 66 is removed , tube 28 passes through a guide channel formed in the deployment device . the guide channel ensures that flexible tube 28 remains pinned between distal head 68 and the wall of bladder 24 . as distal head 68 slides through urethra 20 , however , flexible tube 28 releases from deployment device 66 and is left in place within the urethra in the region of penis 22 . deployment device 66 may then be completely withdrawn past the remainder of urethra 20 . in the example of fig8 , flexible tube 28 is suspended by device housing 26 , which is attached to mucosal wall 44 , and is held in place by pressure exerted against the urethral wall by urinary sphincter 22 . in other embodiments , tube 28 may be kept in place using other techniques such as actively fixing tube 28 to the side of urethra 20 , e . g ., with sutures or other anchor mechanisms . in a preferred embodiment , sheath 69 and distal head 68 may be disposable . disposable devices that come into contact with patient 18 tissues and fluids greatly decrease the possibility of infection in implantable devices . control handle 70 does not come into contact with body fluids of patient 18 and may be used for multiple patients . in another embodiment , the entire deployment device 66 may be manufactured out of robust materials intended for multiple uses . the device would then need to be sterilizable between uses . in still a further embodiment , the features of distal head 68 may be incorporated into pressure sensor 12 . in this configuration , pressure sensor 12 may be larger in size but would include the necessary elements for attachment within the device . after attachment , the entire sensor would detach from sheath 69 , making removal of deployment device 66 easier on patient 18 . after the useful life of implantable pressure sensor 12 is complete or it is no longer needed within patient 18 , it can be removed from patient 18 in some manner . as an example , deployment device 66 may be reinserted into patient 18 , navigated into bladder 24 , and reattached to pressure sensor 12 . deployment device 66 may then be withdrawn from the bladder 24 and urethra 20 , explanting sensor 12 , including housing 26 and flexible tube 28 , from patient 18 . in another embodiment , as mentioned with respect to fig3 , the attachment method of pressure sensor 12 to bladder 24 may involve degradable materials , such as a biodegradable fixation pin . after a certain period of time exposed to urine in the bladder 24 , the fixation material may structurally degrade and allow pressure sensor 12 to be released from the mucosal wall 44 of bladder 24 . in some embodiments , sensor 12 may be sized sufficiently small to follow urine out of the bladder , urethra , and body during an urination event . in other embodiments , sensor housing 26 or tube 28 may carry a suture - like loop that can be hooked by a catheter with a hooking element to withdraw the entire assembly from patient 18 via urethra 20 . in still further embodiments , such a loop may be long enough to extend out of the urethra , so that the loop can be grabbed with an external device or the human hand to pull the sensor 12 out of the patient . fig9 is a cross - sectional side view of distal head 68 of deployment device 66 during deployment and fixation of pressure sensor 12 . in the example of fig9 , distal head 68 includes a vacuum line 78 and a positive pressure line 80 . vacuum line 78 is coupled to vacuum source 74 via a tube or lumen extending along the length of sheath 69 . similarly , positive pressure line 80 is coupled to positive pressure source 76 via a tube or lumen extending along the length of sheath 69 . vacuum line 78 is in fluid communication with vacuum cavity 39 , and permits the physician to draw a vacuum and thereby capture a portion 42 of mucosal lining 44 within the vacuum cavity . although vacuum line 78 is shown as being coupled laterally to vacuum cavity 39 , the vacuum line could access the vacuum cavity from another direction , such as the top of the vacuum cavity . positive pressure line 80 permits the physician to apply a pulse of high pressure fluid , such as a liquid or a gas , to drive fixation pin 46 into sensor housing 26 and through the portion 42 of mucosal lining 44 . pin 46 thereby fixes sensor housing 26 to mucosal lining 44 . in some embodiments , a membrane mounted over an opening of positive pressure line 80 may be punctured by pin 46 . flexible tube 28 resides within a channel of sheath 69 prior to detachment or sensor 12 from distal head 68 . once fixation pin 46 attaches sensor 12 to bladder 24 , vacuum line 78 is no longer needed . however , in some embodiments , vacuum line 78 may be used to detach pressure sensor 12 from distal head 68 of deployment device 66 . by terminating vacuum pressure , or briefly applying positive pressure through vacuum line 78 , for example , head 68 may separate from sensor 12 due to the force of the air pressure . in this manner , vacuum line 78 may aid in detachment of sensor 12 prior to withdrawal of deployment device 66 . as described previously in fig4 , fixation pin 46 punctures mucosal lining 44 for fixation of sensor 12 . while the force of this fixation may vary with patient 18 , deployment device 66 provides adequate force for delivery of pin 46 . in an exemplary embodiment , positive pressure line 80 is completely sealed and filled with a biocompatible fluid , such as water , saline solution or air . sealing the end of positive pressure line 80 is a head 82 on fixation pin 46 . head 82 is generally able to move within positive pressure line 80 much like a piston . force to push fixation pin 46 through the portion 42 of mucosal lining 44 captured in vacuum cavity 39 is created by application of a pulse of increased fluid pressure within positive pressure line 80 . for example , the physician may control positive pressure source 76 via control handle 70 . this simple delivery method may provide high levels of force , allow multiple curves and bends in sheath 69 , and enable a positive pressure line 80 of many shapes and sizes . in some embodiments , a membrane sealing line 80 may be punctured by pin 46 . in an alternative embodiment , a flexible , but generally incompressible , wire may placed within positive pressure line 80 and used to force fixation pin 46 through the captured portion 42 of mucosal lining 44 . this wire presents compressive force from control handle 70 directly to the head 82 of fixation nail 46 . this method may eliminate any safety risk of pressurized fluids entering patient 18 or , in some embodiments , permit retraction of pin 46 after an unsuccessful fixation attempt . the flexible wire may be attached to pin 46 and pulled back to remove the pin from capture mucosal tissue 42 . the flexible wire may be sheared from fixation nail 46 for detachment purposes as distal head 68 releases sensor 12 . this detachment may be facilitated by a shearing element or low shear stress of the wire . in fig9 , deployment device 66 illustrates flexible tube 28 on the same end of housing 26 as sheath 69 , while the fixation structures are located in the opposite , or distal end of distal head 68 . in some embodiments , it may be necessary for pressure sensor 12 to be deployed with tube 28 located at the distal end of head 68 and the fixation structures located near sheath 69 . in still other embodiments , the fixation structures and tube 28 may be located on the same end of pressure sensor 12 . in some embodiments , deployment device 66 may include a small endoscopic camera in the distal head 68 . the camera may enable the physician to better guide deployment device 66 through urethra 20 and to a desired attachment location of bladder 24 in less time with more accuracy . images may be displayed using video fed to a display monitor . fig1 is a cross - sectional bottom view of the deployment device 66 of fig9 before attachment of pressure sensor 12 . as shown in fig1 , distal head 68 includes proximal tube channel 84 to accommodate flexible tube 28 during placement of sensor 12 and distal tube channel 86 to accommodate the flexible tube during retraction of deployment device 66 . in addition , sheath 69 includes a sheath channel 88 to accommodate flexible tube 28 . channels 84 , 86 , 88 serve to retain tube 28 during delivery of sensor 12 to an attachment site . distal head 68 is rounded on both sides at the distal end to permit easier entry of deployment device into areas of patient 18 . head 68 may also be lubricated before delivery to facilitate ease of navigation . on the proximal end of head 68 , proximal tube channel 84 runs through the head for unimpeded removal of tube 28 during detachment of pressure sensor 12 . this channel may be u - shaped , e . g . closed on 3 sides . in some embodiments , proximal tube channel 84 may be an enclosed hole in which tube 28 resides and glides through upon deployment device 30 removal . sheath channel 88 is formed within sheath 69 to allow tube 28 to stay in place during delivery of pressure sensor 12 . in this embodiment , tube 28 is only partially retained within channel 88 . in some embodiments , sheath channel 88 may be deeper to allow tube 28 to lie completely within sheath 69 , whereas others may include a completely enclosed channel that tube 28 must glide out of after attachment . distal channel 86 in distal end of head housing 68 is not used by tube 28 before attachment . the purpose of this open channel is to allow tube 28 to glide through it while head 68 is removed from bladder 24 . as head 68 slides back past pressure sensor 12 , tube 28 will slide through channel 86 and head housing 68 will keep tube 28 between the wall of bladder 24 and head 68 until head 68 has been removed beyond sphincter 22 . tube 28 may then be ensured correct placing through sphincter 22 . some embodiments of tube 28 include multiple length and diameter combinations which would lead to modifications in channels 84 , 86 and 88 . these channels herein may be of different diameters or lengths to properly house tube 28 . one embodiment may include flexible housing channels to accommodate a wide variety of tube 28 dimensions . further embodiments of deployment device 30 may contain modified channel locations in head housing 68 . these locations may be needed to place tube 28 from different locations , particularly if fixing implantable sensor 12 at different sites within bladder 24 or urethra 20 . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating a technique for delivery of stimulation therapy based on closed loop feedback from an implantable pressure sensor . in the example of fig1 , implantable stimulator 14 makes use of information obtained from implantable pressure sensor 12 and external programmer 16 . a patient 18 activates stimulator ( 90 ) by entering a command via a user interface associated with external programmer 16 . the command indicates that the patient would like to commence sexual activity . in response to the command , programmer 16 activates stimulator 14 ( 90 ) to deliver stimulation therapy . during the course of stimulation therapy , sensor 12 senses the tumescence level of penis 22 ( 92 ), and transmits information indicative of the tumescence level to stimulator 14 , programmer 16 or both . the tumescence level correlates with a pressure level sensed by sensor 12 , either within urethra 20 or within the body of penis 22 . if stimulator 14 or programmer 16 determines that the tumescence level is below an applicable threshold ( 94 ), indicating an inadequate erectile state , one or more stimulation parameters are adjusted ( 96 ) to provide more vigorous stimulation . the adjustment may be made directly by stimulator 14 or in response to an adjustment command or reprogramming by programmer 16 . upon delivery of the adjusted stimulation ( 98 ), stimulator 14 or programmer 16 determines whether the patient 18 wants to sustain the erection ( 100 ), or whether sexual activity has terminated . patient 18 may terminate sexual activity by entry of a command via a user interface associated with programmer 16 . if sustained erection is desired , the process continues with tumescence sensing ( 92 ), threshold comparison ( 94 ), adjustment of stimulation parameters ( 96 ) and delivery of adjusted stimulation ( 98 ). in some embodiments , as mentioned previously , pressure sensor 12 may be used exclusively for monitoring pressure without providing feedback for stimulation therapy . in this case , pressure sensor 12 simply collects data and either stores it locally , or sends it to an external programmer . pressure may be measured continuously , intermittently or at the request of external programmer 16 . these embodiments may be used for disease diagnosis or condition monitoring and may allow a patient to avoid frequent clinic visits and uncomfortable procedures while acquiring more extensive and more accurate pressure data during sexual activity . although the invention has been generally described in conjunction with implantable neurostimulation devices , a tube - based tumescence sensor 12 may also be used with other implantable medical devices , implantable drug delivery devices , which may be configured to treat sexual dysfunction . in particular , tumescence levels sensed by a pressure sensor 12 may be used to trigger and control delivery of any of a variety of drugs capable of achieving arousal in a male or female patient . prostaglandin , alprostdil , tadalafil , sildenafil , vardenfil are examples of drugs that could be infused , e . g ., by intracavernous injection , to elicit an erection in a male patient . approximate dosages for some of the above drugs are : alprostdil — 10 to 250 micrograms , sildenafil — 10 to 250 micrograms , and apormorphine — 10 to 250 micrograms . the tumescence levels obtained by sensor 12 may be used to trigger drug delivery , control the rate of delivery of the drug , or control the overall amount of drug delivered to the patient , e . g ., to achieve and maintain an erection during a first phase of sexual activity . a suitable drug delivery system is described in the aforementioned pending application to gerber . various embodiments of the described invention may include processors that are realized by microprocessors , application - specific integrated circuits ( asic ), field - programmable gate array ( fpga ), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuitry . the processor may also utilize several different types of storage methods to hold computer - readable instructions for the device operation and data storage . these memory or storage media may include a type of hard disk , random access memory ( ram ), or flash memory , e . g . compact flash or smart media . each storage option may be chosen depending on the embodiment of the invention . while the implantable stimulator and implantable pressure sensor may contain permanent memory , the patient or clinician programmer may contain a more portable removable memory type to enable easy data transfer for offline data analysis . many embodiments of the invention have been described . various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims . these and other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .	0
turning to the drawings , fig1 illustrates flexure joints 11 and 13 of the present invention . joint 11 is comprised of flexure 15 , structural node 17 , and structural connector 19 . node 17 is attached atop nonarticulating rigid member 20 . node 17 includes cavity 21 and connector 19 includes cavity 23 . flexure 15 is attached at its two ends , respectively , to base region 25 of cavity 21 and base region 27 of cavity 23 . cavity 21 includes curved surface 29 having radius of curvature r 1 . cavity 23 includes curved surface 31 also having radius of curvature r 1 . cavity 21 also includes base 33 and planar , parallel lateral sides , with only side 34 being shown . cavity 23 also includes planar , parallel lateral sides , with only side 36 being shown . node 17 and connector 19 include mating surfaces 37 . member 39 is fixedly attached to connector 19 . joint 13 is comprised of flexure 41 , node 17 , and connector 45 . node 17 also includes cavity 47 , and connector 45 includes cavity 49 . flexure 41 is attached at its two ends , respectively , to base region 51 of cavity 47 and base region 53 of cavity 49 . cavity 47 includes curved surface 55 having radius of curvature r 2 , base 57 , and planar , parallel lateral sides , with only side 59 being shown . cavity 49 includes curved surface 61 also having radius of curvature r 2 , as well as parallel lateral sides , with only side 63 being shown . node 17 and connector 45 include mating surfaces 65 . member 67 is fixedly attached to connector 45 . flexures 15 and 41 are composed of a resilient material such that after each is bent or otherwise deformed from its unstrained or neutral shape , i . e ., the flat shape shown in fig1 , each of them stores as potential energy the work expended to deform them , and thus tends to return to its undeformed , neutral shape . such resilient materials include spring steel , copper - beryllium alloy , unreinforced plastic , polymer fiber reinforced plastic , fiber glass reinforced plastic , carbon fiber reinforced plastic , and various shape memory alloys . the aforementioned materials are well known to those skilled in the mechanical and material arts , and any such material may be used depending upon the desired modulus and strain - to - failure properties , as will become readily apparent from the following discussion . near equiatomic nickel - titanium is an example of a shape memory alloy that may be used to form flexures 15 and 41 . the foregoing alloy , in addition to creating a restoring moment to enable self - deployment , permits the recovery of strains greater than the strain recovery for non - phase changing materials . moreover , near equiatomic nickel - titanium can affect the recovery rate of a single flexure or sequence the strain release for a set of flexures by means of either passive or active manipulation of the alloy &# 39 ; s phase . more particularly , near equiatomic nickel - titanium is capable of a solid state phase transformation between a high and low temperature phase where the latent energy of the transformation is either an addition or subtraction of thermal and / or mechanical energy to or from the alloy . the addition of mechanical energy alone can induce a transformation from the high to the low temperature phase , whereupon the alloy will exhibit a phenomenon known in the art as superelasticity . when in a superelastic state or a thermally and mechanically induced low - temperature state , the alloy can be deformed to a maximum recoverable strain higher than non - phase changing materials , and thus is more compliant . this response is desirable for the present invention because a greater maximum strain would permit flexure 15 to achieve a smaller bend radius for a given cross - section , and thus allow joint 11 to be more compact while having a lower mass . furthermore , the phase of near equiatomic nickel - titanium may be manipulated to retard the strain release of flexure 15 , i . e ., decrease the rate of its return to its neutral shape to a rate less than that of a flexure composed of a non - phase changing material , as well as coordinate the time when the strain release commences relative to other joints , to provide a degree of control over the deployment of member 39 that is not possible with flexures fabricated from non - phase changing materials . for example , phase manipulation may be used to sequence the respective strain release from a set of flexures , and thereby sequence their respective deployments . when the latent energy of the transformation is obtained from the surrounding environment , e . g ., from solar radiation , or transferred to the surrounding environment , e . g ., by conduction , radiation , or convection , the manipulation is considered passive . if this energy is obtained from , or transferred to , ancillary mechanical or thermal actuation systems , the manipulation is considered active . fig1 and 2 show members 39 and 67 in their deployed positions . fig2 also shows deployed members 69 and 71 . to collapse member 39 to facilitate storage and transportation , an external normal force f 1 is applied to it . when the counterclockwise moment about joint 11 created by force f 1 exceeds the restoring moment of flexure 15 , flexure 15 bends and member 39 rotates counterclockwise . the application of a normal force f 2 that exceeds the restoring moment of flexure 41 similarly causes flexure 41 to bend and member 67 to rotate clockwise about joint 13 . as shown in fig3 , mating surfaces 37 abut when member 39 is rotated to its fully collapsed position . this abutment limits the maximum rotation of member 39 to an angle α of 90 ° and , in combination with the radius of curvature r 1 of cavity surfaces 29 and 31 , limits the maximum strain realized in flexure 15 . the radius of curvature r 1 should be adjusted in view of the material used to fabricate flexure 15 to ensure that the design strain limit of flexure 15 is not exceeded . although surfaces 29 and 31 are described as being curved with a constant radius of curvature r 1 , the aforementioned surfaces may , in the alternative , be elliptical or arcuate , in order to provide the desired strain profile for flexure 15 as it bends . when member 39 is in its fully collapsed position , i . e ., at an angle α of 90 °, the work expended to rotate member 39 to this position is stored in flexure 15 . while member 39 is in its collapsed position , flexure 15 is applying a restorative moment tending to rotate member 39 back to its deployed position . thus , to maintain member 39 in its collapsed configuration , a fastening means ( not shown ) well known to those skilled in the mechanical arts , e . g ., a fastener or launch lock , restrains it . in essence , the fastening means serves to apply a normal force f 1 to member 39 sufficient to overcome the restorative moment of flexure 15 . upon release or disengagement of the fastening means , the restraining normal force f 1 is removed and the restorative moment stored in flexure 15 causes member 39 to return to its deployed position , i . e ., the neutral position shown in fig1 , without the aid of an external force . the corresponding elements of joint 13 cooperate in the same manner as described with respect to the elements of joint 11 in changing the deployed position of member 67 shown in fig1 and 2 to the collapsed configuration shown in fig3 and 4 , and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity . however , it is noteworthy that the shape of mating surfaces 65 is different than the shape of mating surfaces 37 due to the different locations of joints 11 and 13 on node 17 . flexures 15 and 41 are nested in node 17 to provide for a more compact profile when the structure is in its collapsed configuration than would be the case without such nesting . more particularly , bases 33 and 57 are separated by a nesting distance d . the width of the profile comprised of node 17 together with joints 11 and 13 decreases as the nesting distance d is increased . fig4 shows members 39 , 67 , 69 and 71 in their collapsed positions . members 69 and 71 are collapsible by means of joints 73 and 75 , respectively , which have corresponding elements cooperating in the manner previously described in detail with respect to joint 11 and member 39 . fig5 is a perspective view of flexure 15 , and shows that flexure 15 has a rectilinear cross - section . also shown is end 77 , which is attached to base region 27 of cavity 23 in connector 19 . alternatively , a joint of the present invention may incorporate arcuate flexure 79 , a perspective view of which is shown in fig6 . flexure 79 has an arcuate cross - section , which provides a restorative moment greater than that of a rectilinear flexure , such as flexure 15 , having a similar cross - section area . flexure 79 would thus be more stable than flexure 15 when the joint is in its deployed configuration . if joint 11 were to incorporate flexure 79 , end 81 would be attached to base region 27 . it is to be understood that the preceding is merely a detailed description of an embodiment of this invention , and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiment can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . the preceding description , therefore , is not meant to limit the scope of the invention . rather , the scope of the invention is to be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents .	8
turning now to fig1 which illustrates the overall view of the filter cleaning apparatus in a frontal view . the cleaning apparatus includes a completely enclosed chamber 1 that contains the filter to be cleaned and the instruments immediately involved in the cleaning process . the filter has been identified as f and has two ends . one end is open and the other end is closed . the closed end is identified as f 1 and is received in a freely rotating cup 20 which will be explained in more detail in fig2 . the other end f 2 is an open end and will be received on a cone - shaped driven element which will be explained in more detail with reference to fig3 below . as will be explained in the operation of the apparatus below , the chamber or cabinet 1 is under a negative pressure to suck off dust or dirt laden air through manifolds 3 into the bottom suction tube 2 . as will be explained in more detail below , there is a filter cleaning assembly carrying two air jets 7 a and 7 b . also on the cleaning apparatus there is mounted a control panel 5 which controls the overall operation of the apparatus . also fig1 illustrates a positive pressure blower 6 which will be explained in more detail below with reference to other figs . and in the operation of the apparatus . fig1 also shows a brush system at 4 which isolates the exterior of the apparatus from the interior in that only an upper plate 41 a passes through the brush system 4 as the upper plate 41 a reciprocates back and forth , again , as will be explained below . turning now to fig2 which shows the freely turning receiving cup 20 of fig1 in more detail . the freely turning cup 20 is supported on a freely turning plate 21 by way of screw threads 21 a . the freely turning plate 21 is supported on a back - up plate 22 which can slide on support shafts 24 . the back - up plate 22 is restrained in its movement by a second support plate 23 by way of air cylinder shafts or pistons 27 a and 27 b which are in a rigid connection with the first support plate 22 . the second support plate 23 can also slide on the support shafts 24 . the second support plate 23 also carries a sleeve 25 having an arresting handle 25 a thereon for the purpose of crudely adjusting a given length of filter first within the chamber 1 and the cup 20 and to thereafter make a fine adjustment by way of the air cylinders 26 a and 26 b and the piston shafts 27 a and 27 b , respectively . the receiving cup has an interior which has an inverted cone shape which will center the close end f 1 of the filter f to be cleaned therein once the air cylinders 26 a and 26 b make their fine adjustment . turning now to fig3 which shows the open end f 2 of the filter f and how the filter f is received on a cone - shaped element 35 . the cone - shaped element 35 is rotatably supported on a second support plate 31 which is supported within the cleaning chamber 1 and includes the support shafts 24 . the cone - shaped element 25 is mounted on a tapered ring 32 that rides in grooved idler wheels 33 which are attached to the second support plate 31 . the cone - shaped element 25 is rotated by way of a ring gear 32 a which is attached to the tapered ring 32 , making up the complete rotating assembly . the ring gear 32 itself is driven by an internal driving pinion 34 which is driven by a motor 38 mounted on the outside of the second support plate 31 which is outside the cleaning chamber 1 . when in operation , the inside of the filter f is under air pressure which is supplied through the internal passage 37 of the cone - shaped element 35 by way of an air hose or duct 36 . [ 0023 ] fig4 illustrates the inside and the outside of the cleaning chamber 1 . the outside of the cleaning chamber 1 shows a sliding carriage 41 . the carriage 41 has two sliding elements 43 ( only one is shown ) which slide in guides 44 which are mounted rigid with the housing . one of the guides 44 has mounted thereon a geared rack 45 which extends with guides 44 the full length of the housing . mounted on the carriage 41 is an electric motor 47 which has mounted on its driven shaft 47 a a pinion 46 which is in mesh with geared rack 45 . an operation of the motor 47 traverses the carriage along the full length and on the outside of the cleaning chamber . other ways can be employed to affect the traversing of the carriage along the outside of the cleaning chamber . in one embodiment a motor driven chain could be used to have the same moving effect . such a chain drive could be a reciprocating chain or a continuously running chain wherein the upper and lower runs alternatingly drive the carriage along . a different embodiment could involve a cable drive running on the same principle as was explained with the chain drive . however , a rack and pinion drive is preferred because of its reliability . continuing now with fig4 the inner cleaning chamber 1 is substantially sealed from the ambient atmosphere by way of two opposing brush elements 4 . extending through the brush elements 4 is an upper support plate 41 a which on the other side of the brush elements 4 is supported at an upper end of the carriage 41 and therefore moves along with the carriage 41 . the upper support plate 41 a has a parallelogram type element supported therefrom which in turn supports a lower support plate 41 b . the four arms of the parallelogram are indicated at 42 . the lower support plate 41 b has depending therefrom two air jets 7 a and 7 b which are oriented toward the filter f in opposite directions . the purpose of the parallelogram is to keep the air jets precisely at dead top center of the filters to be cleaned when different diameter filters are being used . the adjustment to a different size filter can simply be accomplished by using a ball chain 49 with its upper end fastened to the upper support plate 41 a and the lower end adjustably fastened to the lower support plate 41 b which has a forwardly opening slot 50 therein . when , for example , the lower support plate 41 b has to be raised because of a larger diameter filter to be cleaned , the ball chain 49 is slid out of the slot 50 on the lower support plate 41 b and the next higher ball or balls are re - engaged within the slot 50 and the air jets are now supported at a higher elevation while remaining dead center of the outer periphery of the filter . it is again reiterated that the forward part of fig4 including the filter cleaning mechanism are located within the completely enclosed chamber 1 and that this enclosed chamber is under negative air pressure . turning now to fig5 which shows a side view of the cleaning apparatus . like reference characters have been used to identify the same elements as were described in previous figs . the filter f is identified as being pleated and the depending supporting parallelogram type device of fig4 has been changed to a simplified support element . to this end , the upper support plate 41 a has now depending therefrom at a downward slant two plates 52 and 53 which are adjustable relative to each other so as to change their length by way of a bolt 54 passing through both plates and a wing nut 55 to keep the plates 52 and 53 in adjusted position depending upon the outer diameter if the filter f . depending on the length of the filter , a filter f with its closed end is first placed into the receiving cup 20 and a rough adjustment relative to the receiving cone 35 at the other end of the apparatus is made by way of the rough length adjustment 25 and 25 b . the control panel 5 will now give signals to activate the air cylinders 26 a and 26 b to properly seat the filter f with its open end on the cone 35 . as a next step , either the parallelogram type device is properly adjusted by using the ball chain 49 in its correct location to achieve a correct distance of the air jets 7 a and 7 b from the outer circumference of the filter , or as a different embodiment as shown in fig5 the plates 52 and 53 are adjusted relative to each other by way of the wing nut 55 , again to obtain the correct distance of the air jet 7 relative to the outer circumference of the filter . as a next step , the interior of the cleaning chamber 1 is set under negative pressure by way of the suction tube 2 and the interior of the filter f is set under positive pressure by way of the pressure hose 36 . all filters of this type to be cleaned are always dirty on the outside . as a next step , the motor 38 is activated for the rotation of the filter f . this may be in the form of a continuous rotation or incremental rotation depending on how soiled the filter is and what other material has been collected on the filter . next the lateral movement of the air jets is activated by way of the electric motor 47 . the lateral movement may be a continuous sweep back and forth across the filter f or it may be performed in a stepwise motion again depending on how soiled the filter is and again what other material has been collected on the filter . in a stepwise motion the air jets have a chance to momentarily dwell on any particular spot . the air jets are now activated and the operation begins all depending on the settings of the control panel 5 . it should be noted that in fig4 the air jets 7 a and 7 b are slanted downwardly but in opposite directions . in this manner , the air jets have a chance to direct their air streams downwardly but in a slanted mode to dig the dirt out of the pleats rather than blowing directly on top of the dirt . at the same time it should be noted that the internal air pressure within the filter prevents any dirt or dust from being pushed through the filter medium into the interior of the filter .	1
referring to the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a de - rooting apparatus 10 that mounts upon a harvester vessel 12 as illustrated in fig4 . the de - rooting apparatus includes a jib 14 with two parallel jib arms 16 joined by cross members 18 . a lug 20 is mounted on the in - board or free end of each arm 16 . on the underside of each arm is a plate 22 that is pinned to the clevis on the piston rod of a cylinder 24 . the two cylinders 24 are lift cylinders for the jib and for the de - rooting apparatus as a whole . at the outboard of the jib is a hanger 26 . this includes two angle braces 28 converging downwardly from opposite sides of the jib at its free end . a center brace 30 slopes downwardly to below the end of the jib from the center cross - member 18 . these three braces 28 and 30 support a vertical sleeve 32 . sliding in the sleeve is a square tube 34 . a series of holes 36 in the tube and two pins 38 through the sleeve 32 pin the tube adjustably to the sleeve so that the overall length of the hanger 26 can be adjusted . at the bottom end of the tube 34 is a universal joint 40 . this includes two side plates 42 , connected to a yoke 44 by a lateral pin 46 to provide a lateral pitch axis 48 . a longitudinal pin 50 connects the yoke between two laterally extending plates 52 mounted on a base plate 54 . the longitudinal pin 50 has a fore - and - aft oriented roll axis 56 . a lug 58 is mounted on the tube 34 above the yoke 46 and a second lug 60 is mounted on a forward extension of pin 50 , below the lug 58 . these two lugs are linked by a pitch control means in the form of an hydraulic cylinder 62 that may be extended and contracted to control pitch movements about the lateral pitch axis 48 . carried on the base plate 54 are two rotors assemblies 64 . they are arranged side - by - side but converging slightly in the normal direction of travel . each rotor assembly includes a rotor frame 66 with a lateral head 68 and two depending side plates 70 . extending between the side plates is a rotor 72 including a rotor drum 74 and a series of rigid teeth 76 spaced uniformly over the drum surface to radiate from the drum surface . the drive means for the rotor is an hydraulic motor 78 connected to the outer end of the rotor drum at the outer end of the rotor frame 66 . the two motors are independently controllable and reversible . as illustrated most particularly in fig1 the two rotors of the two rotor assemblies have respective rotor axes 80 and 82 that intersect at an obtuse angle . the teeth 76 are flat plates uniformly distributed over the drum surface so that with the convergent drums , the plates will sweep substantially the complete surface being traversed as the rotors are advanced across the surface and simultaneously rotated . fig4 illustrates a vessel carrying the harvester . the vessel includes a superstructure 84 including an operator station with seating and the appropriate controls . the vessel may have mounted on it a harvester head 86 that extends into the water and serves to cut vegetation and to pick up floating vegetation from the surface of the water for delivery to a conveyor - bottom container 88 mounted amidships in the vessel . the vessel also includes an unloading conveyor 90 extending from the container to the rear of the vessel for off - loading the contents of the container . when the harvester head 86 is mounted on the vessel , the de - rooting apparatus 10 is dismounted and its hydraulic controls disconnected for connection to the harvester head . the hydraulic controls for the system are illustrated most particularly in fig6 . as illustrated , the system includes a motor 92 driving an hydraulic pump 94 . a set of controls 96 controls flow to the jib cylinders 24 through a line 98 . hydraulic lines 100 and 102 lead from the controls to the two hydraulic motors 78 for the rotors . lines 104 deliver hydraulic fluid to the pitch cylinder 62 . all of the hydraulic lines are equipped with quick release fittings 106 to enable the de - rooting head to be quickly disconnected when desired . the jib 14 is connected to the vessel by two pins 108 , aligned on a lateral jib axis 109 ( fig1 ) while the lift cylinders 24 are connected to the vessel by respective pins 110 . a similar quick disconnect mechanism is used for the harvester head 86 so that the harvester head and the de - rooter apparatus may be connected to the vessel alternatively . in use of the apparatus , the hanger length is adjusted to accommodate the water depth encountered . the jib lift cylinders act as jib control means to provide further adjustment that may be required during operation . when the de - rooter is lowered to the surface of the hydrosoil and the rotor is actuated , the teeth on the rotors sweep through the soil , loosening the soil and uprooting plants that are present . as the vessel advances , the rotors remain generally parallel to the adjacent hydrosoil surface due to the action of the rotor leveling means , including the roll axis pin 50 and the pitch axis pin 46 with pitch control cylinder 62 . in use , the rotor may encounter underwater obstacles . the free pivoting movement about the roll axis will allow the rotors to clear most such obstacles automatically . this also allows the rotor to follow the lateral contours of the hydrosoil . the pitch movements are controlled by the operator to match , insofar as possible , the contour of the hydrosoil in the direction of travel . where any area has been treated and there is quantity of floating vegetation to be collected , the de - rooter apparatus may be dismounted from the vessel and replaced with the harvester , including the pickup conveyor , for collection of this material . the exchange is quite simple , involving the release and reconnection of a set of pins and a set of quick release hydraulic couplings . while one embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing , it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention . for example , the angle of convergence of the two rotors may vary widely , for example , between 120 ° and 180 ° ( aligned rotors ). the converging rotors arrangement is preferred because it provides improved tracking and allows each tooth to treat a wider swath of vegetation . the present invention in its various aspects is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims .	0
fig1 is a longitudinal section of a preferably synthetic plastics holder 1 , wherein a detection element 2 diagrammatically shown is embedded . at the bottom of the holder there is pivotally provided a flap 3 at one end at 4 , which flap serves for clamping one of the ends of a band 6 . in the closed position of the flap 3 shown , this is secured by lugs 5 ( see also fig2 ). for the purpose of clamping the free end of the band 6 , the flap 3 is fitted adjacent the pivoted end with a boss 7 which , in the closed position of the flap 3 , extends to adjacent a rib 8 of the holder 1 opposite to boss 7 . in the opened position of the flap 3 , the band end can be passed freely between the boss 7 and the rib 8 and be pulled underneath the responder 2 and again be conducted at the other end of the responder through a slot 9 in the holder in outward direction . in closing the flap , the band is fixedly clamped between the boss 7 and the rib 8 . the other end of the band ( at the right - hand side in the drawing ) has a looped form and is passed around a pin 10 installed in the holder , said pin being preferably designed as a shear pin . the embodiment shown in fig3 deviates from the embodiment shown in fig2 in that the flap 3 is fitted with a cavity for receiving the responder 2 . the responder may again be embedded in the cavity of the flap 3 and consequently be integral with the flap , but , as shown in fig3 may also be provided with retaining lugs 11 , which are adapted to detachably retain through snap action a loose responder block . the free band end in this embodiment is conducted along the top of the responder 2 . in the embodiment shown in fig4 and 5 , the responder 2 is embedded in a cavity of the holder 1 or detachably installed therein as a responder block . both ends of the band 6 with associated flaps 40 , 41 , which again are adapted for coaction with corresponding lugs 42 , 43 , can be fastened . to this effect , both band ends are inserted via slots 44 , 45 in the holder , while said ends come to lie on the responder or the responder block . above the slots 44 and 45 , being provided at the opposite ends of the holder , there are provided transverse ribs 46 , 47 of the holder , which are hollow at the bottom . in said cavities fit correspondingly curved half - round end edges 48 of the otherwise flat flaps , as shown in fig5 . the flaps , as shown by arrows 49 , can be swivelled upwardly with their flat ends , while the curved end edges turn in the cavities of the ribs . the band ends , in the upwardly turned position of the flaps , are inserted in the holder and subsequently clamped with the free edge of the curved end edges of the flaps against the lower edge of the slots 44 and 45 by bringing the flaps in the position shown . in order to increase the clamping effect , the free edges of the curved end edges of the flaps may be fitted with teeth 50 , as shown in fig5 . when in this embodiment a loose responder block is employed , the first portions of the flaps are so long that in the closed position they partly lie on the responder block , as shown in fig4 . the maximum band pull force that can be exerted without loosening the band , is determined by the strength of the half - round end edges 48 . fig6 and 7 show a variant of fig4 and 5 , in which the rotary flaps have been replaced by substantially flat slides 60 , each having an end edge 61 bent at an angle slightly more than 90 °. the ribs 62 of the holder corresponding to the ribs 46 , 47 are now flat at the bottom and , together with the opposite lower edges of the slots 44 , form a slightly wedge - shaped space accommodating the slides . the bent edge 61 of each slide is adapted for coaction with an ascending portion 63 of the lower edges of the slots 44 for clamping the band ends . to this effect , the bent edges 61 may again be fitted with teeth 64 , as shown in fig7 . when the band pull force exceeds a given value , the slide passes the ascending portion 63 . fig8 shows a variant , in which instead of a slide 60 , as shown in fig7 there is employed a wedge 80 fitted at the bottom with teeth . the maximum band pull force is now determined by the ribs 62 designed as shear pins . in this embodiment , furthermore the responder block 2 is detachably retained in the appropriate cavity in the holder by retaining lugs 81 , which are comparable with the retaining lugs 11 of fig3 . fig9 finally shows a variant in which the band ends are each provided between and about three ribs 90 , 91 and 92 integral with the holder and designed as shear pins . it is observed that after the foregoing , various modifications are obvious to one skilled in the art . for instance , the responder could be placed e . g . in a different position in the holder . such modifications are deemed not to depart from the scope of the invention .	0
the present invention is directed to a long lasting antimicrobial and antiviral barrier composition for topical application to the proximal anterior nares ( skin surface surrounding the opening of the nostrils ). the antimicrobial and antiviral composition of the present invention incorporates the use of one or more antiseptic solutions in combination with cocos nucifera ( coconut oil ), citrus sinensis ( orange oil ), and simmondsia chinensis ( jojoba ). in one preferred embodiment , the antiseptic solution is usp ethyl alcohol . in another preferred embodiment , the antiseptic solution is hydrogen peroxide . other alcohols and antiseptic agents are contemplated for use in the composition as the antiseptic solution , either alone or as a combination . the essential ingredients of the composition are present according to the following percentages by weight of the composition : the antimicrobial and antiviral composition of the present invention may further include the following additional ingredients , alone or in combination : lauric acid ; simmondsia chinensis ; d - limonene ; soy oil ; emu oil ; grapefruit seed extract ; glycine soja ; and a preservative such as sodium benzoate , benzalkonium chloride , bht , vitamin e . these additional ingredients of the composition may be present according to the following percentages by weight of the composition : a further embodiment of the composition has been proven to help alleviate the body &# 39 ; s immune - response to many allergens and pollutants . the following ingredients have been found to be effective in the composition when present according to the following percentages by weight of the composition : antiseptic solutions such as ethyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide typically evaporate at a rapid rate . for this reason , when antiseptic solutions are used alone , they usually have little to no residual effect . the base oils of the composition , namely citrus sinensis , cocos nucifera , and simmondsia chinensis , are effective to trap the antiseptic solution in a pseudo - emulsion antiseptic that remains active for an extended period of time . this allows the composition to have a long lasting antimicrobial and antiviral protection . the base oils also provide antimicrobial , antiviral and antifungal properties . when the base oils are combined with the antiseptic solution , a synergistic effect is observed . for instance , the efficacy of any one of the base oils or the antiseptic solution , alone , does not exceed 99 . 99 % ( 4 log ). however , when all ingredients are combined in suitable ratios an unexpected removal efficiency rating ( efficacy ) of 99 . 99999 % ( 7 log ) or greater is achieved . this synergism is a key to the novelty of the composition , providing antimicrobial and antiviral kill levels that are significantly greater than those observed in connection with any of the ingredients individually or other known antimicrobials and antivirals . the following examples demonstrate various combinations of ingredients , which have been observed to yield antimicrobial and antiviral kill rates of 7 log or greater . in use , the antimicrobial and antiviral composition is applied to the skin surface surrounding the opening of the nostrils according to the following instructions : 1 ). shake the bottle ( containing the composition ) well to insure complete mixture of the ingredients . 2 ) apply approximately 4 drops of the composition to the cotton tip of a cotton swab so that the cotton tip is fully saturated with the composition . 3 ). place the thumb and index finger on the swab stem directly below the wetted cotton tip of the swab . prepare to apply the composition to the rim of each nostril just past the nasal opening . caution : do not extend the swab into the nasal canal any further than the short length of the cotton tip of the swab ( about 1 cm or 3 . 8 ″). the swab stem should never enter the nose . 4 ). carefully place only the cotton tip of the swab just inside of the nostril opening . using a gentle motion , make 3 or 4 circles to fully apply the composition to the rim of the nostril . repeat this step for the other nostril . 5 ). discard the swab . gently squeeze the nostrils together to ensure even distribution of the solution about the rim surrounding each nostril opening . in order to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of one sample of the composition when applied to the proximal external nares of human volunteers , the test study was conducted at bioscience laboratory , inc . in bozeman , mont . the results of the study are set forth below . this study was designed to evaluate the persistent antimicrobial efficacy of one ( 1 ) test product intended for prevention of airborne illness when applied within the proximal nares ( the first 0 . 25 ″ of a naris ) and one ( 1 ) control material . thirty ( 30 ) human subjects were evaluated in this study . twenty - five ( 25 ) human subjects were used to evaluate the test product , and five ( 5 ) human subjects were used to evaluate the control material ( sterile deionized water ). samples were taken from the proximal nares ( the first 0 . 25 ″ of the nostrilar canal ). baseline samples were collected a minimum of twenty - four ( 24 ) hours apart to allow recolonization of the normal flora . on the test day , the product was applied to each naris . each naris was apportioned on a sagittal plane into two ( 2 ) sample sites , medial and lateral . ten ( 10 ) samples each were taken for the two ( 2 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes and four ( 4 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes post - product exposures to the test product , and for the immediate ( within one [ 1 ] minute of application ) and four ( 4 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes post - product exposures to the control material . twenty ( 20 ) samples each were taken for the immediate ( within one [ 1 ] minute of application ), six ( 6 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes , eight ( 8 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes , and twelve ( 12 ) hour ± fifteen ( 15 ) minutes post - product exposures to the test product . a neutralization study was performed to assure the effectiveness of the neutralizers used in the diluting medium . the neutralization followed guidelines set forth in astm e 1054 - 02 , standard test methods for evaluation of inactivators of antimicrobial agents , except that the microorganism was added to the neutralizers prior to the addition of the test or comparison antiseptic . staphylococcus aureus ( atcc # 6538 ) was used as the challenge species in the neutralizer validation study . the neutralization study demonstrated that the antimicrobial activities of the test and reference products were effectively eliminated . no adverse events were observed during or following completion of this study . table i presents the statistical summary of the log 10 recovery values with relation to use of the test product . table ii presents the statistical summary of the log 10 recovery values with relation to use of the control material ( sterile deionized water ) while the composition of the present invention has been described and exemplified according to several preferred embodiments thereof , it is recognized that departures from the instant disclosure are fully contemplated within the spirit and scope of the invention which is not to be limited except as defined in the following claims as interpreted under the doctrine of equivalents .	0
although this invention is applicable to numerous and various types of information offering systems , it has been found particularly useful in the environment of medical instrument sales . therefore , without limiting the applicability of the invention to medical instrument sales , the invention will be described in such environment . as shown in fig1 a preferred medical instrument sales system 1 of the present invention is illustrated . the system 1 comprises a maker - side system 2 for selling medical instruments and plural user systems 3 ( e . g ., systems for hospitals that are purchasers of medical instruments ) that are interconnected via a wide - area network , such as the internet 4 . the maker - side system 2 comprises plural personal computers 6 ( hereinafter referred to as “ pcs ”) and a server 7 connected to the local - area network 5 ( hereinafter referred to as “ lan ”), and an internet interface device 8 ( hereinafter referred to as “ internet i / f ”) that allows lan 5 to be connected to internet 4 . the maker - side system 2 can transmit and receive information to and from user systems 3 connected to internet 4 via the internet i / f 8 . user lans 9 constructed in the facilities of larger end users , such as hospitals or other facilities can be also connected to the maker - side system 2 via the internet 4 . multiple pc &# 39 ; s 6 are shown by way of example only and not to limit the spirit or scope of the present invention . those skilled in the art will realize that the maker - side system may consist of a single pc 6 connected via the internet 4 to the plural user systems 3 . as shown in fig2 the above - mentioned server 7 comprises a cpu 12 connected to the bus 11 , a data storage device 13 , a display i / f 14 , an input i / f 15 , a network interface 16 , and the like . the above - mentioned network i / f 16 is connected to lan 5 . the input i / f 15 is connected to a data input device 18 such as a keyboard and / or mouse , or an image scanner . the display i / f 14 is connected to the monitor 17 . in the data storage device 13 , are constructed a user file database 19 managing user information and a product file database 20 managing product informnation . cpu 12 controls a variety of processes : constructing these databases , as well as controlling the display i / f 14 , input i / f 15 , and network i / f 16 . in the situation where the maker - side system 2 consists of a single pc and not a lan , the pc &# 39 ; s cpu , storage device , interfaces , monitor , and data input devices provide the same function as the server 7 . as shown in fig3 the above - mentioned user file database 19 comprises plural user files 21 . preferably , on those user files 21 , are recorded , for each user , the user id code , password , user name ( including the position name and the qualification information such as doctor or nurse ), facility ( hospital ) name , section name , facility address , telephone number , e - mail address , facsimile number , career record , keywords ( related information , for example , techniques that he or she is interested in ), code of the used ( purchased ) product , configuration of the used ( purchased ) unit ( unit name and unit code ), name of the responsible sales person , file update history , and the like . among user data , user name ( including the position name and the qualification information such as doctor or nurse ), facility ( hospital ) name , section name , career record , keywords ( related information , for example , techniques that he or she is interested in ), and the like , are the user &# 39 ; s own peculiar data . as shown in fig4 the product file database 20 comprises plural product files 22 . preferably , on those user files , are recorded , for each product , the product name , product code , configuration of the used ( purchased ) unit ( unit name and unit code ), use ( or purchase ) user id code , field in which the product is used , keywords ( related information , for example , techniques that he or she is interested in ), product information , file update history , and the like . furthermore , the user file database 19 and the product file database 20 are preferably linked , such as through user id codes or used ( or purchased ) product id codes . in the case of user files 21 , the used ( purchased ) product code , configuration of the used ( purchased ) unit ( unit name and unit code ), and the like are updated , for example , when a user purchases a product . in the case of user files 22 , use ( or purchase ) user id code , and the like are updated , and the update history for each is rewritten . all pieces of information in the user file database 19 and the user file 21 can be updated as necessary . next , using the processing flow chart shown in fig5 how a user is registered as a member and how a user id code is issued are described . first , in step s 1 , the homepage 31 , as shown in fig6 prepared in the server 4 is opened on internet 4 via the internet i / f 8 . next , when a user accesses the homepage 31 in step s 2 , he or she will be permitted only to access the non - member users &# 39 ; page 32 , as shown in fig7 . for example , when the selection button 31 a for “ articulated instruments ” is pressed ( clicked ) among “ product information ” items displayed on the homepage 31 in fig6 the non - member users &# 39 ; page 32 shown in fig7 will be opened . if the user desires to transmit his or her request or opinion on products to the maker while reading the non - member users &# 39 ; page 32 shown in fig7 he or she should click one of the check boxes 32 a in the non - member users &# 39 ; page 32 next to a corresponding request , or input a comment into the blank space of the box “ others ,” and click the reply button 32 b . this allows the user to transmit his request or opinion to the maker side . on the other hand , clicking the return button 32 c returns the user to the homepage screen 31 shown in fig6 . next , returning to the flow chart shown in fig5 in step 4 , it is determined whether the user desires more detailed product information for members . when the user takes interest in a product on the non - member users &# 39 ; page 32 , or desires that more detailed information should be provided to read , he or she is required to become a member . in the next step , whether the user is a member or not is confirmed . first , when the user clicks the members &# 39 ; information button 32 d on the non - member users &# 39 ; page 32 shown in fig7 whether his or her user id code is registered or not will be determined in step s 5 . alternatively , even when the user checks one of the check boxes 32 a (“ want to purchase it ,” “ want to clinically use it ,” “ want to be explained ,” etc .) on the non - member users &# 39 ; page 32 , and presses the reply button 32 b , whether his or her id code is registered or not will be determined in step s 5 . if his or her id code is not registered , the member registration screen shown in fig8 will be displayed instead of the screen 32 shown in fig7 in step s 7 . if the user id code is registered in step s 5 , his or her id code will be input in step s 6 to jump to step s 71 shown in fig1 . this process is described below in detail . on the other hand , if the user does not desire to read members &# 39 ; information in the above - mentioned step s 4 , the process for step s 3 will be continued . next , if the user desires to register himself or herself as a member in step s 8 on the member registration screen 33 in fig8 displayed in step s 7 , he or she must select a registration manner in step s 9 . preferably , the user must decide to register himself or herself by e - mail or on the homepage 31 . if the user does not desire to register himself or herself , button 33 c is clicked and the process continues back to step s 3 . if “ e - mail ” is selected in step 9 by clicking the e - mail button 33 a , the maker will send an e - mail to the user to ask registration information ( user data ) necessary for the registration process in step s 10 . what the maker asks the user about is necessary to construct the user file 19 shown in fig3 . when the user receives the e - mail from the maker , he or she must answer all the questions that the maker asks . during this time period , the maker side waits for the user &# 39 ; s reply in step s 11 . after the e - mail from the user is received in step s 11 , it is determined whether all pieces of registration information ( user data ) necessary for the sales list is provided . here , this sales list includes the contents of lists prepared by salespersons for users having made contact with the maker via salespersons . therefore , even those users who are not registered for the present system can be checked . if registration information necessary for the sales list is insufficiently provided , required registration information will be asked of the user , for example , through an e - mail questionnaire in step s 14 . an e - mail from the user is waited for again in step s 15 . when an e - mail from the user is received in step s 15 , and that all pieces of registration information ( user data ) necessary for the sales list is provided is judged in step s 13 , the maker side will proceed to member registration in step s 15 , using the data input device 18 . on the other hand , if the user select the “ homepage ” alternative by clicking the homepage button 33 b in step s 9 , he or she will move from the member registration screen shown 33 in fig8 to a registration page on which the member registration process will be conducted in step s 12 . after the member registration process is conducted on the maker side in step s 16 , or on the homepage in step s 12 , the member user will be registered on the user file database in step s 12 , and a user file is prepared . a user id code is preferably given to this user file . preferably , the user id code is issued by e - mail to complete the member registration process . according to the flow chart shown in fig5 the member registration process is started on the homepage 32 shown in fig7 . however , it is also possible to display the user registration button on the homepage 31 displayed in step s 2 shown in fig5 and to jump from this page to the id code registration process starting from step s 8 . completing the member registration process as shown above , the user can access members &# 39 ; pages by inputting his or her user id code and password when accessing the homepage 31 ( see fig6 ), and obtain detailed information about products . next , how a user file 21 and product file 22 are updated , and how information about products is provided are described . first , as shown in fig9 when a responsible person from the maker - side accesses the maker - side system 2 , the maker - side system 2 will wait for an input for newly preparing a user file 21 or product file 22 in step 21 . if a file is newly prepared , the member registration process described in step s 11 in fig5 is carried out on the user files 21 in step s 22 . on the product files 22 , a new file is prepared , and the file update process and the product information offering process for member users are completed . on the other hand , if no file is newly prepared in step s 21 , an input will be waited for updating a user files 21 or product file 22 in step s 23 . if either file is updated , an input is waited for to judge whether a product file 22 should be updated or not in step s 24 . if the file to be updated is a product file 22 , the product code should be input in step s 25 to update a product file 22 in step 26 . on the other hand , if the file to be updated is not a product file , a user file 21 will be updated . for this , the user id code is input in step s 27 , the user file 21 is updated in step s 28 , and the file update process and the product information offering process for the member user are completed . if a product file 22 is updated in step s 26 , an input is waited for to judge whether updated product information should be sent to the member user by e - mail in step s 29 . if no updated product information is sent in step s 29 , the file update process and the product information offering process for member users are completed . on the other hand , if updated product information is sent , step s 33 will be taken . if it is determined that no user file 21 nor product file 22 should be updated , step s 30 will be taken . in step s 30 , an input is waited for to judge whether product information ( for example , about new products ) should be sent to member users by e - mail without updating any file . if no product information is sent in step s 30 , the file update process and the product information offering process for member users are completed . if in step s 30 , updated product information is sent , product information to be sent will be input in step s 31 , and step s 33 will be taken . in step s 33 , the member users &# 39 ; mail address extraction process as described below is carried out . and , in step s 34 , detailed product information based on user information peculiar to member users is , by e - mail , sent to those member users whose mail addresses have been extracted in step s 33 . as described above , the file update process and the product information offering process for member users are completed . detailed product information based on user information peculiar to member users is such information as prepared for each member user and based on one or more keywords consisting of the position information , qualification information ( doctor , nurse , etc ), and related information ( facility or hospital name , section name , career record , interesting techniques , etc ). next , the member users &# 39 ; mail address extraction process in the abovementioned step s 33 will be described using fig1 . first , if a keyword related to product information is input in step s 41 , product files including the input keyword can be retrieved in step s 42 . in the next step s 43 , user files 21 are extracted using the user ids included in retrieved product files . in the next step s 44 , an input is waited for to judge whether member users to whom information is sent should be limited or not . if member users to whom information is sent are limited , the member users &# 39 ; limitation process as described below will be carried out in step s 45 , and the member users &# 39 ; mail address extraction process will be completed . on the other hand , unless member users to whom information is sent are limited , the member users &# 39 ; mail address extraction process will be completed . next , the member users &# 39 ; limitation process in the above - mentioned step s 45 will be described in detail , using fig1 . first , in step s 51 , the purposes for which the product is used are input . in the next step s 52 , member users who belong to sections having the purposes input in step s 52 are taken , and their mail addresses are extracted . in step s 53 , the levels ( for example , doctor or nurse , or special member user who has participated in the product development ) of those member users to whom information should be sent are input . in the next step s 54 , member users are narrowed down according to the levels input in step s 53 , and their mail addresses are extracted again . in the next step s 55 , an input is waited for to judge whether those member users to whom information should be sent should be further limited . if they are further limited , step s 56 will be taken to input limitation items for further narrowing down and limiting member users to whom information should be sent . such limitation items consist of a variety of pieces of information including positions ( professor , assistant professor , etc ), career record , geographical region , etc . of those member users to whom information will be sent . on the other hand , if they are not limited , the process is completed . in step s 56 , if items are input to limit member users to whom information should be sent , member users are narrowed down according to the limitation items input in step s 57 , and their mail addresses are extracted again . thereafter , mail addresses of those member users to whom information should be sent are extracted , and product information based on specific user information will be sent , preferably by e - mail , to member users of those mail addresses extracted in step s 34 shown in fig9 . when a member user on the user system 3 receives such product information , he or she can examine such product information in step s 62 as shown in fig1 . when the member user sends back the examination results to the maker - side system 2 in the next step s 63 , practical sales activities such as selling of products can start . here , how the request of a member user on the user system 3 for product information ( for example , about new products ) is processed on the maker - side system 2 will be described using fig1 . when the maker - side system receives a user id code via the members &# 39 ; homepage on the homepage 31 in step s 71 , a user file 21 will be read out based on the received user id code , and user data will be extracted , in the next step s 72 . in the next step s 73 , product information is to be prepared according to the section that the member user belongs to , or related information ( keyword ) that he or she is interested in . next , in step s 74 , whether the member user desires to receive detailed information is read . if the member user desires to receive detailed information in this step s 74 , technique information will be added to product information in step s 75 , and step s 76 will be taken . on the other hand , if the member user does not desire to receive detailed information , step s 76 will be taken directly . in step s 76 , the disclosure extent of product information is limited according to the level ( for example , doctor or nurse ) of the member user . in the next step s 77 , disclosed information is prepared according to the disclosed scope limited in step s 76 . and , in step s 78 , disclosed information prepared in step s 77 is carried on the homepage ( members &# 39 ; page ) in step s 77 . this process provides member users with product information most suitable and satisfactory to him or her . an example of the member users &# 39 ; detailed information screen 34 is shown in fig1 . on the member users &# 39 ; detailed information screen 34 in fig1 , are shown detailed photographs and detailed specifications of a product are disclosed , as well as for what techniques or diseases it is used , examples of its use ( images , etc . ), examples of unit installation , and examples of facilities in which it is used . open information may be sent to member users by e - mail instead of being carried on the homepage ( members &# 39 ; page ). according to the present embodiment , the most appropriate product information corresponding to the section , level , etc . can be provided for member users on the user system 3 via internet 4 . therefore , not only the sales system and distribution route can be improved , but also expenses for business activities toward selling of products such as medical instruments can be reduced , and product costs can be prevented from increasing . the methods of the present invention are particularly suited to be carried out by a computer software program , such computer software program preferably containing modules corresponding to the individual steps of the methods . such software can of course be embodied in a computer - readable medium , such as an integrated chip or a peripheral device . while there has been shown and described what is considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention , it will , of course , be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . it is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated , but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims .	6
fig1 illustrates a schematic representation of one embodiment of a well system 10 comprising an air filter assembly 12 installed under a well cap 14 on top of a well casing 16 of a well 18 . a submersible pump 20 is installed in the well 18 below the water level to pump water from a water bearing aquifer 22 . a first end 24 of a drop pipe 26 is connected to the output 32 of the submersible pump 20 . a second end 28 of the drop pipe 26 , opposite the first end 24 , is connected to a pitless adapter 30 , which is connected to a discharge pipe 34 for distribution of water from the well . water flows from the submersible pump 20 through the drop pipe 26 and pitless adapter 30 into the discharge pipe 34 . the submersible pump 20 is preferably electrically powered and thus , includes a plurality of electrical wires 36 connected to the pump 20 that extend up through the well casing 16 and out through the well cap 14 for connection to an external electrical power source ( not shown ). in the well cap 14 , the wires 36 travel through a conduit box 38 into a conduit 40 which leads the wires underground for connection to the power source . fig2 shows an enlarged partial cross - sectional view of a top portion 42 of the well casing 16 that extends above the ground . the well casing 16 preferably having a circular sidewall 44 with an inner surface 46 and an outer surface 48 . the air filter assembly 12 is preferably installed under the well cap 14 within the top portion 42 of the well casing 16 . the air filter assembly 12 preferably includes a cylindrically shaped filter housing 50 with a filter cartridge 52 removably inserted within an opening 54 extending through the center of the filter housing 50 . the cylindrically shaped filter housing 50 comprises an outer sidewall 56 , a top surface 58 , a bottom surface 60 , and a doughnut shaped gasket 62 removably attached to the top surface 58 of the housing . the housing gasket 62 extends outwardly from the circular opening 54 past the outer sidewall 56 for sealing the housing 50 to the top of the well casing 16 . in addition , an o - ring seal 64 is formed around the outer sidewall 56 of the housing 50 for sealing the outer sidewall 56 housing against the inner surface 46 of the sidewall 44 of the well casing 16 . the housing gasket 62 attached to the top of the housing 50 preferably includes at least two relatively small openings 66 , 68 extending therethrough for receiving a relief valve 70 and the plurality of pump wires 36 . the relief valve 70 is sealed in the first opening 66 and functions by allowing airflow through the valve 70 once the filter cartridge 52 becomes clogged . as air flows through the relief valve 70 , an alarm 72 incorporated into the relief valve 70 emits an audio signal signifying that the filter cartridge 52 is clogged and should be to replaced . the second opening 68 allows the plurality of pump wires 36 to pass through the filter housing 50 and on to the conduit box 38 and conduit 240 for connection to the power source . both the first and second openings 66 , 68 may include grommets 74 , 76 to assure an airtight seal around the relief valve 70 and plurality of pump wires 36 that extend through the openings 66 , 68 in the housing gasket 62 . the filter cartridge 52 removably inserted within the opening 54 of the filter housing 50 is also preferably cylindrically shaped with an outer sidewall 78 , a top surface 80 , and a bottom surface 82 . a doughnut shaped gasket 84 is preferably removably attached to the top surface 80 of the cartridge 52 for sealing around the opening 54 extending through the housing 50 and allowing air to flow through the cartridge 52 . the cartridge gasket 84 preferably extends outwardly past the outer sidewall 78 for sealing against the housing gasket 62 . once the filter cartridge 52 is installed in the filter housing 50 , an airtight seal is formed between the cartridge gasket 84 and the housing gasket 62 . therefore , all air flowing into and out of the well must flow through the filter cartridge 52 . the cartridge gasket 84 may preferably include a relatively small opening 86 extending therethrough for receiving the plurality of pump wires 36 to pass through . the opening 86 may include a grommet 88 to assure an airtight seal around the plurality of pump wires 36 as they pass through the cartridge gasket 84 . the filter cartridge of the present invention is preferably a canister type filter element that is easily removable from the filter housing for replacement purposes . the filter cartridge is preferably made of special reinforced paper that won &# 39 ; t tear apart and won &# 39 ; t deteriorate and fall into the well . an example filter cartridge that may be used in the present invention is a pharmagard ™ v - ii series filter cartridge manufactured by seitz division of u . s . filter company , or equivalent . the gaskets are also preferably removable from the housing and cartridge , so that they don &# 39 ; t need to be replaced when the cartridge is replaced . the gaskets are preferably made of a neoprene rubber material that won &# 39 ; t deteriorate over time . the air filter assembly of the present invention is designed for use on well casings of various diameters . the type of gaskets used in the present invention may be of several different embodiments . in a first embodiment , gaskets of different diameters are used to fit different diameter well casings . in an alternate embodiment , an adjustable gasket may be used to fit on different diameter well casings . for example , the adjustable gasket could have a plurality of layers , like a roll of tape , that may be removed from the gasket or re - applied to the gasket to vary the diameter of the gasket . in this embodiment , the relief valve and pump wires are sealed between layers of the adjustable gasket . fig3 and 4 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is similar to fig1 except that the well system 90 includes a well seal 92 attached to the top of a well casing 94 instead of a well cap . the well system 90 comprises a submersible pump 96 and a drop pipe 98 connected to the output 100 of the pump 96 that extends up through the top of the well seal 92 to a discharge pipe ( not shown ). a well seal is typically used to cover the top of a well casing to prevent the entry of surface runoff into the well during flooding . a well seal differs from a well cap in that the well seal has a gasket to seal the top of the well casing , whereas a well cap does not include a gasket to seal the top of the well casing . a well seal typically includes a screened vent pipe that extends through the gasket to allow air to flow into and out of the well during changes in pressure . the screen is necessary to reduce contaminant entry into the well . a well seal also typically includes a conduit box and conduit that extends through the gasket to allow a plurality of electrical wires from the submersible pump to pass through for connection to an external power source . referring again to fig3 and 4 , an air filter 102 is preferably installed within a vent pipe 104 extending through the well seal 92 attached to the top of the well casing 94 . the vent pipe 104 allows air to flow into and out of the well 106 . fig4 shows an enlarged partial cross - sectional view of the top of the well casing 94 . the well seal 92 preferably includes a gasket 108 sandwiched between a bottom plate 110 and a top plate 112 . the well seal 92 further includes a conduit box 114 and a conduit 242 that allow a plurality of electrical wiring 116 from the submersible pump 96 to be connected to an external power source ( not shown ). the vent pipe 104 includes a screen 118 and the air filter 102 to remove dirt , dust , bacteria , gaseous chemicals , vocs , insects and other contaminants from entering the well . fig5 and 6 illustrate yet another embodiment of the present invention . fig5 illustrates a schematic representation of a commercial or municipal well system 120 that typically has a larger diameter well casing 122 than residential water wells . the well system 120 comprises an air filter assembly 124 installed within a branch pipe 126 extending from one side of the well casing 122 . similar to fig1 and 3 , a submersible pump 128 is installed in a well 130 below the water level to pump water from a water bearing aquifer 132 . a drop pipe 134 is connected to the output 136 of the submersible pump 128 and extends up through the well casing 122 to a discharge pipe 138 for distribution and use . the top of the well casing 122 is sealed around the drop pipe 134 . a plurality of electrical wires 140 connected to the pump 128 extend up through the well casing 122 for connection to an external electrical power source ( not shown ). fig6 shows an enlarged partial cross - sectional view of a top portion 142 of the well casing 122 that extends above ground level and includes a branch pipe 126 extending from an opening 144 on one side of the well casing 122 for allowing air to flow through the well . the air filter assembly 124 is installed within the branch pipe 126 . the drop pipe 134 extends through the top of the well casing 122 and is connected to the discharge pipe 138 . a well seal 146 seals the top of the well casing 122 around the drop pipe 134 . the branch pipe 126 includes a first section 148 with the air filter assembly 124 installed therein and a second section 150 with a fan assembly 152 installed therein for moving air through the well . the branch pipe 126 preferably includes a circular sidewall 154 with an inner surface 156 and an outer surface 158 . the air filter assembly 124 preferably includes a filter housing 160 with a filter cartridge 162 removably inserted within an opening 164 extending through the center of the filter housing 160 . the cylindrically shaped filter housing 160 preferably comprises an outer sidewall 166 , a top surface 168 , a bottom surface 170 , and a doughnut shaped gasket 172 removably attached to the top surface 168 of the housing 160 . the housing gasket 172 extends outwardly from the circular opening 164 past the outer sidewall 166 for sealing the housing 160 to the first section 148 of the branch pipe 126 . in addition , an o - ring seal 174 is formed around the outer sidewall 166 of the housing 160 for sealing against the inner surface 156 of the sidewall 154 of the branch pipe 126 . the housing gasket 172 preferably includes at least two relatively small openings 176 , 178 extending therethrough for receiving a relief valve 180 and the plurality of pump wires 140 . the relief valve 180 is sealed in the first opening 176 and functions by allowing airflow through the valve 180 once the filter cartridge 162 becomes clogged . as air flows through the relief valve 180 , an alarm 244 incorporated into the relief valve 180 emits an audio signal signifying that the filter cartridge 162 is clogged and should be to replaced . the second opening 178 allows the plurality of pump wires 140 to pass through the filter housing 160 for connection to the fan assembly 152 and a power source ( not shown ). both the first and second openings 176 , 178 may include grommets 182 , 184 to assure an airtight seal around the relief valve 180 and plurality of pump wires 140 . the filter cartridge 162 removably inserted within the opening 164 of the filter housing 160 is also preferably cylindrically shaped with an outer sidewall 186 , a top surface 188 , and a bottom surface 190 . a doughnut shaped gasket 192 is preferably removably attached to the top surface 188 of the cartridge 162 for sealing around the opening 164 extending through the housing 160 and allowing air to flow through the cartridge 162 . the cartridge gasket 192 extends outwardly past the outer sidewall 186 for sealing against the housing gasket 172 . once the filter cartridge 162 is installed in the filter housing 160 , an airtight seal is formed between the cartridge gasket 192 and the housing gasket 172 . therefore , all air flowing into and out of the well 106 must flow through the filter cartridge 162 . the cartridge gasket 192 may preferably include a relatively small opening 194 extending therethrough for allowing the plurality of pump wires 140 to pass through . the opening 194 may include a grommet 196 to assure an airtight seal around the plurality of pump wires 140 . fig7 and 8 illustrate still yet another embodiment of the present invention . fig7 illustrates a schematic representation of a monitoring well 198 that is typically drilled near underground storage tanks for monitoring ground water 246 for possible contaminants leaking from the underground storage tanks . the monitoring well 198 comprises an air filter assembly 200 installed under a well cap 202 on top of a well casing 204 . fig8 shows an enlarged partial cross - sectional view of a top portion 206 of the well casing 204 . the well casing 204 preferably includes a circular sidewall 206 with an inner surface 208 and an outer surface 210 . the air filter assembly 200 is preferably installed under the well cap 202 within the top portion 206 of the well casing 204 . the air filter assembly 200 preferably includes a filter housing 212 with a filter cartridge 214 removably inserted within an opening 216 extending through the center of the filter housing 212 . the filter housing 212 is preferably cylindrically shaped with an outer sidewall 218 , a top surface 220 , a bottom surface 222 , and a doughnut shaped gasket 224 removably attached to the top surface 220 of the housing 212 . the housing gasket 224 extends outwardly from the circular opening 216 past the outer sidewall 218 for sealing the housing 212 to the top of the well casing 204 . in addition , an o - ring seal 226 is formed around the outer sidewall 218 of the housing 212 for sealing the outer sidewall 218 against the inner surface 208 of the sidewall 206 of the well casing 204 . the housing gasket 224 attached to the top of the filter housing 212 preferably includes at least one relatively small opening 228 extending therethrough for receiving a relief valve 230 therein . the opening 228 may include a grommet 246 to assure an airtight seal around the relief valve 230 . the relief valve 230 allows airflow through the valve once the filter cartridge 214 becomes clogged . as air flows through the relief valve 230 , an alarm 244 incorporated within the relief valve 230 emits an audio signal signifying that the filter cartridge 214 is clogged and should be to replaced . the filter cartridge 214 removably inserted within the opening 216 of the filter housing 212 is also preferably cylindrically shaped with an outer sidewall 232 , a top surface 234 , and a bottom surface 236 . a doughnut shaped gasket 238 is preferably removably attached to the top surface 234 of the cartridge 214 for sealing around the opening 216 and allowing air to flow through the cartridge 214 . the cartridge gasket 238 extends outwardly past the outer sidewall 232 for sealing against the housing gasket 224 . once the filter cartridge 214 is installed in the filter housing 212 , an airtight seal is formed between the cartridge gasket 238 and the housing gasket 224 . the well cap 202 is positioned on top of the well casing 204 above the air filter assembly 200 . all air flowing into and out of the well must flow through the filter cartridge 214 . while the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain substitutions , alterations and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . accordingly , the foregoing description is meant to be exemplary only , and should not limit the scope of the invention set forth in the following claims .	1
the following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention . the general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those detailed below without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown , but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed or suggested herein . fig2 shows a block diagram of a typical graphics board 100 that utilizes an embodiment of the invention . as was the case with respect to fig1 , the graphics board 100 includes a graphics processor 105 connected to a ddr ram 106 . different from the prior art of fig1 , however , each of these components are driven by a pwm power supply 210 a , 210 b , and 210 c having respective pwm controllers 220 a , 220 b , and 220 c with integrated plls . the pwm controllers 220 are described below in conjunction with fig6 , and the plls are described below in conjunction with fig3 . the graphics processor 105 is driven by a single pwm power supply 210 a and the ddr ram 106 is driven by a pair of pwm power supplies 210 b and 210 c . in this embodiment , the pwm power supply 210 a is the master and the pwm power supplies 210 b and 210 c are the slaves , although any one of the supplies 210 a - 210 c can be the master with the remaining two supplies being the slaves . the master pwm controller 220 a generates a master pwm signal in a conventional manner , and the slave pwm controllers 210 b and 210 c each include an integrated pll ( not shown in fig2 ) that locks onto the master pwm signal and generates a respective slave pwm signal having the same frequency as the master pwm signal . by precisely synchronizing the pwm frequencies of the slave pwm power supplies 210 b and 210 c with the pwm frequency of the master pwm power supply 210 a , beat frequencies are virtually eliminated . the difference , however , between the plls of the controllers 220 a - 220 c and conventional plls is that they can have a relatively low loop bandwidth approximately 1 to 3 khz in this embodiment — without requiring an external filter element or variable - gain charge pump . furthermore , as discussed below in conjunction with fig3 - 6 , in some embodiments one can program the plls with the desired bandwidth , or can program the slave plls to generate slave pwm signals that have respective phase shifts with respect to the master pwm signal . fig3 is a block diagram of a pll 300 according to an embodiment of the invention . the plls of the pwm controllers 220 a - 220 c of fig2 can be the same as or similar to the pll 300 . but , the pll 300 can be used in virtually any application that calls for a pll . the pll 300 includes a phase frequency detector ( pfd ) 302 , an error - correction signal suppression circuit 321 , a conventional charge pump 310 , a conventional filter 361 , a conventional vco 312 , and an optional frequency divider circuit 313 . as discussed below , the suppression circuit 321 allows one to adjust the loop bandwidth of the pll 300 without the need for the filter 361 to incorporate a large capacitor or other filter element and without the need for the charge pump 310 to have multiple , switchable - output stages for gain control . generally , the pll 300 receives a reference signal 341 and produces an output signal 340 having a frequency that is the same as or that is a multiple of the frequency of the reference signal . furthermore , the reference and output signals are typically in phase with one another , although in one embodiment the divider circuit 313 can impart a predetermined phase shift to the output signal as discussed below in conjunction with fig5 . with the exception of the suppression circuit 321 , each part of the pll 300 will only be described in brief detail as plls are well known in the art . the pfd 302 detects a difference between the phases of the reference signal 341 and a feedback signal 342 , and generates a phase - error signal ( up or down ) that has a duration that is proportional to the phase difference . specifically , the phase - error signal activates the charge pump 310 so as to “ push ” the vco 312 in a direction that will cause the frequency of the output signal 340 to be in phase with the reference signal 341 and to have a frequency equal to n ( the divisor of the circuit 313 ) times the frequency of the reference signal . the “ direction ” of the push depends upon the direction of the phase difference . for example , if the pfd 302 determines that the feedback signal 342 leads the reference signal 341 ( feedback frequency higher than reference frequency ), then the pfd 302 will send a down pulse 306 to the charge pump 310 . the down pulse has a duration that is proportional to the phase difference and causes the vco 361 to reduce the frequency of the output signal 340 . if , however , the pfd 302 determines that the feedback signal 342 lags the reference signal 341 ( feedback frequency lower than reference frequency ), then the pfd 302 will send an up pulse 305 to the charge pump 310 . the up pulse has a duration that is proportional to the phase difference and causes the vco 312 to increase the frequency of the output signal 340 . the charge pump 310 generates a phase - correction pulse having a duration that is equal to that of the received up or down phase - error pulse , and the filter 361 , which is typically a capacitor ( not shown ) coupled in parallel to the output of the charge pump 310 , integrates the pulse to provide a control voltage . the vco 312 generates the output signal 340 having a frequency that is proportional to the level of the control voltage , and the divide circuit 313 generates the feedback signal 342 from the output signal 340 . as discussed below , the suppression circuit 321 allows the filter capacitor to be small enough for integration onto the chip that incorporates the pll 300 , and eliminates the need for the charge pump 310 to have an adjustable gain . the suppression circuit 321 , working in conjunction with other logic circuitry , decreases the loop bandwidth of the pll 300 by introducing programmable error - correction suppression into the loop . the suppression circuit 321 causes a decrease in loop bandwidth by enabling the pfd 341 to generate the error - correction signal only periodically . in one embodiment , the pfd 302 generates error - correction pulses , and the suppression circuit 321 suppresses a pre - determined number of the error - correction pulses . longer periods between successive enablements of the pfd 341 provides for a lower loop bandwidth , and vice versa . consequently , the loop has the highest bandwidth , and thus the pll 300 corrects phase errors at its fastest , when the pulse suppression circuit 321 does not suppress any pulses , i . e ., no error - correction pulses are eliminated . furthermore , because it is programmable , the suppression circuit 321 allows one to change the loop bandwidth without changing the values of the elements that compose the filter 261 , and allows one to set the loop bandwidth to a relatively low value without requiring large , external ( to the chip incorporating the pll 300 ) filter elements . specifically , in one embodiment , the suppression circuit 321 counts the cycles of the reference and feedback signals 341 and 342 ( these signals are virtually identical when the pll 300 is in lock ), and allows the pfd 302 to provide the error - correction signal to the charge pump 310 only every x cycles , where x is the count value with which the suppression circuit 321 is programmed . for example , where x = 5 , the charge pump 310 receives an error - correction signal up or down only once every five cycles of the signals 341 and 342 . as compared with no error - correction signals being suppressed , a suppression rate of x = 5 lowers the loop bandwidth by decreasing the number of error - correction pulses , and thus increases the time required for the pll 300 to correct for phase differences between the reference and feedback signals 341 and 342 . although the suppression rate x is described as being programmable so that one can select the desired loop bandwidth , the suppression circuit 321 may be designed such that the value of x is fixed . furthermore , where the value of x is programmable , one should analyze the loop transfer function of the pll 300 to insure that the programmed value of x does not cause the pll to become unstable . fig4 a is a schematic diagram of the ped 302 and the suppression circuit 321 of fig3 according to an embodiment of the invention . the ped 302 includes a phase - difference detect circuit 401 , enable multiplexers 403 and 405 , optional feed forward circuit 407 , and an optional lock - detect circuit 409 . the suppression circuit 321 includes a programmable counter 411 and a logic circuit 413 . each of these circuits is described in greater detail below . the phase - difference detect circuit 401 includes a pair of flip - flops 415 and 416 for detecting the respective edges — the rising edges in this embodiment — of the reference signal 341 and the feedback signal 342 , and a reset circuit 418 for resetting the flip - flops after they have detected the corresponding edges of both the reference 341 and feedback 342 signals more specifically , in response to the reference signal 341 transitioning from a logic - 0 to a logic - 1 ( rising edge ), the flip - flop 415 generates a logic - 1 for an intermediate - up signal ( iup ). likewise , in response to the feedback signal 342 transitioning from a logic - 0 to a logic - 1 , the flip - flop 416 generates a logic - 1 for an intermediate - down signal ( idown ). consequently , if iup transitions to logic - 1before idown transitions to logic - 1 , the feedback signal lags the reference signal by a phase difference that is proportional to the time difference between the logic - 1 transitions of iup and idown . conversely , if iup transitions to logic - 1 after idown , the feedback signal 342 leads the reference signal 341 by a phase difference that is proportional to the time difference between the logic - 1 transitions of iup and idown . moreover , if iup and idown transition to logic - 1 at the same time , the feedback signal 342 is in phase with the reference signal 341 for that cycle . as discussed above in conjunction with fig3 , the up and down signals provided by the multiplexers 403 and 405 control the charge pump 310 , which in turn controls the vco 312 , to force the feedback signal 342 to have the same phase and frequency as the reference signal 341 . the reset circuit 418 includes an and gate 417 that generates a reset signal 419 for resetting the flip - flops 415 and 416 after the lagging one of the pulses iup and idown transitions to a logic 1 . the flip - flops 415 and 416 , now reset , are then ready for the next logic - 0 - to - logic - 1 transitions of the reference signal 341 and the feedback signal 342 . because during reset there is a finite propagation delay through the and gate 417 , an optional or gate 421 , the flip flops 415 and 416 , and the inverters 422 a and 422 b , the durations of iup and idown at active logic - 1 levels are extended . if iup and idown were passed directly to the charge pump 310 ( fig3 ), then these extended durations would be passed to the charge pump as well . because it is sometimes desired to reduce or eliminate these extended durations , the pfd 302 may include the feed - forward circuits 407 and the multiplexers 403 and 405 to generate the signals up and down having reduced durations . the operation of the feed - forward circuits 407 is further discussed in commonly owned u . s . patent application ser . no . 60 , 359 , 270 , entitled phase detector and method for a shortening phase - error correction pulse , which is incorporated herein by reference . the suppression circuit 321 controls the loop bandwidth of the pll 300 ( fig3 ) by suppressing some of the error - correction pulses , thus reducing the bandwidth of the pll 300 . generally , the counter 411 is programmed with a count value and uses the reset signal from the and gate 417 as a clock signal . the counter 411 counts up or down from the count value for each reset pulse ( which has the same frequency as the reference signal 341 and the feedback signal 342 when the pll is in lock mode ) until the counter reaches a predetermined value such as zero . when the counter reaches the predetermined value , it enables the multiplexers 403 and 405 via the logic 413 to generate the signals up and down . the counter 411 then resets and begins the process again . an embodiment of the suppression circuit 321 is now described in detail . the counter 411 is ripple counter formed from three flip - flops ( not shown individually ). data is loaded into the flip - flops when a load signal 437 is high . the counter 411 counts down when a pulse is detected from the output of the and gate 417 until all flip - flop outputs are low . once the flip - flops have all transitioned to low , the load signal 437 resets the flip - flops and the process begins again . while loading the flip - flops , the multiplexers 403 and 405 are enabled . between loading cycles , however , the multiplexers 403 and 405 are disabled . because sometimes it is desirable to deactivate the suppression circuit 321 until the pll 300 locks the feedback signal 342 onto the reference signal 341 , the lock - detect circuit 409 may be included . for example , to decrease the capture time of the pll 300 — the capture time is the amount of time that the pll 300 requires to locate and lock onto the frequency of the reference signal — one may want the pll 300 to have maximum bandwidth during signal capture . including an adaptive frequency synthesizer ( not shown ) in the pll 300 is one way to reduce the pll &# 39 ; s capture time . the lock - detect circuit 409 combined with the suppression circuit 321 and a programmable loop filter resistor ( not shown ) with a variable value ( the resistor value is dependent upon the pfd gain for loop stability ) can be used to implement the adaptive frequency synthesizer . by deactivating the suppression circuit 321 during signal capture when the adaptive frequency synthesizer is required to change the vco frequency quickly , the pll can locate and lock onto the reference signal within a minimal amount of time . and , by activating the suppression circuit 321 during lock mode , the pll 300 can maintain the superior noise performance of a smaller loop bandwidth . during each cycle of the reference signal when the feedback signal is locked thereto , iup and idown will be the same virtually the entire cycle . therefore , the lock - detect circuit 409 effectively compares the percentage of time that iup and idown are the same to a predetermined threshold . if the measured percentage is greater than the threshold , then the lock - detect circuit 409 declares lock and enables the pulse suppression circuit 321 via a nand gate 430 . otherwise , the lock - detect circuit 409 disables the suppression circuit 321 until lock is achieved . still referring to fig4 a , as discussed above in conjunction with fig3 , the suppression circuit 321 allows the filter 361 to have a smaller capacitance that can be integrated onto a chip when the loop bandwidth of the pll 300 is at a point where conventional plls would require an external capacitor . furthermore , the suppression circuit 321 allows one to use a regular charge pump 310 , i . e ., a charge pump with a single output stage that is not constructed to have multiple , switchable - output stages for gain adjustment . this allows the charge pump 310 to produce a relatively high - valued error - correction pulse when operating and thus to have a relatively high signal - to - noise ratio . further , it often reduces the amount of layout space that would otherwise be required by an adjustable charge pump . fig4 b is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the pfd 302 and the suppression circuit 321 of fig3 . again , the pfd 302 includes a phase - difference detect circuit 401 , enable multiplexers 403 and 405 , optional feed forward circuit 407 , and an optional lock - detect circuit 409 . the suppression circuit 321 includes a programmable counter 411 , a logic circuit , and inverters 490 a and 490 b , which maintain the loop perturbations at a frequency high enough for the low - pass filter 261 ( fig3 ) to filter out . specifically , each error - correction pulse causes perturbations in the loop even if up and down are simultaneously active to indicate zero phase error . one cause of these perturbations is the turning on and off of the charge pump 310 ( fig3 ). when the feedback signal 342 is locked to the reference signal 341 and no error - correction pulses are suppressed , the perturbations have a fundamental frequency equal to the frequency of the reference signal . because the filter 261 typically has a cutoff frequency that is significantly lower than the frequency of the reference signal , the filter removes virtually all of the perturbations . but when the suppression circuit 321 suppresses error - correction pulses , then the perturbations have a lower fundamental frequency . but if the fundamental perturbation frequency is near or significantly below the cutoff frequency of the filter 261 , then the filter may pass some of the perturbation energy , which may cause jitter or other undesirable noise in the vco output signal 340 ( fig3 ). consequently , to maintain the fundamental frequency of the perturbations at a frequency high enough for filter 261 to remove the perturbations , the inverters 490 a and 490 b simultaneously generate up and down from the reset signal — which has the same frequency as the reference signal 341 when the pll 300 is in lock mode — when the circuit 321 is suppressing the error - correction pulses iup and idown from the flip - flops 415 and 416 . specifically , before the counter 411 reaches the predetermined value x , it tristates inverters 492 a and 492 b to uncouple iup an idown from the multiplexers 403 and 405 . at the same time , the inverters 490 a and 490 b couple the reset signal ( generated when both iup and idown are logic 1 ) to the multiplexers 403 and 405 , which simultaneously generate up and down equal to logic 1 for the duration of the reset signal . because up and down are active logic 1 for the same duration , the charge pump 310 imparts a net zero phase correction to the vco 312 . but because the charge pump is active , it does generate a perturbation . consequently , the inverters 490 a and 490 b allow the suppression circuit 321 to suppress error correction without suppressing perturbations . to avoid signal conflict at the multiplexors 403 and 405 , however , the counter 411 tristates the inverters 490 a and 490 b when it reaches the predetermine value x , and thus when it is not suppressing the error - correction pulses up and down . specifically , when the counter 411 reaches the predetermined suppression rate value , a dec_out signal 495 is generated . each inverter 490 a and 490 b is coupled to this signal and is held in tristate while the dec_out signal 495 is present . the dec_out signal 495 goes low after the counter 411 resets and the error - correction signal up or down has been generated . fig5 is schematic diagram of the frequency divider circuit 313 of fig3 according to an embodiment of the invention . the frequency divider 313 receives the output signal 340 as an input to a multiplexor 501 which provides pulses to a series of flip - flops 510 . each flip - flop in the series of flip - flops provides an input for the next flip - flop in the series . as a result , any one of the flip - flop outputs q1 - q6 ( selectable via a multiplexer 511 ) can be used as a frequency divider 313 output that is an exact 1 / n multiple of the output signal 340 . still referring to fig5 , another optional feature of the frequency divider circuit 313 is that it allows one to introduce a predetermined phase shift into the output signal 342 with respect to the reference signal 341 ( fig3 ). delay gates 520 generate signals ph 90 , ph 120 , ph 150 , ph 180 , and ph 210 , which all have a predetermined frequency and have phase shifts with respect to the output signal 340 of 90 , 120 , 150 , 180 , and 210 degrees , respectively . therefore , using a multiplexer 513 to select one of these signals as the feedback signal 342 introduces a corresponding phase shift into the output signal 340 . as discussed above in conjunction with fig2 and below in conjunction with fig6 , offsetting the phases of the slave pwm signals with respect to the master pwm signal may reduce ripple on the main power supply by staggering the times when the pwm supplies draw power from the main supply . in one altemative of this embodiment , the designer pre - selects the phase shifts , which do not change during operation of the pwm supplies . alternatively , the pwm supplies can monitor ripple on the main supply and dynamically shift the relative phases of the slave pwm signals so as to maintain a desired level of ripple on the main power supply . fig6 is a block diagram of one of the pwm controllers 220 a , 220 b , and 220 c of fig3 according to an embodiment of the invention . there are two modes in which the pwm controller 220 operates . in an independent mode , the pwm controller 220 does not lock the output signal 340 to the reference signal 341 or to any other reference . a master pwm controller , such as the pwm controller 220 a of fig2 , typically operates in the independent mode . in a pll - mode , the pll 300 of the pwm controller 220 synchronizes the output frequency 340 to the reference signal 341 received from the master pwm controller 220 a or from another source via the synchronization input 200 . the slave pwm controllers 220 b and 220 c of fig2 typically operate in pll - mode . when in pll - mode , an fs / synch input 601 receives the reference signal 341 from a master pwm controller . in fig2 , the pwm controller 220 a for the graphics processor 105 is an example of a master pwm controller , but , alternatively , some other pwm controller can be the master depending on the design of a particular system . most commercially available pwm controllers 220 make the pwm signal available on a pin , and thus can serve as a master . if not in pll - mode , a resistor 650 is connected between the fs / synch input 601 and either ground ( not shown ) or a power supply 652 . a voltage - to - current converter 651 converts the voltage that the resistor 650 generates at the input 601 into a current that the logic 600 converts into a vco control voltage on the line 602 . therefore , one selects a value for the resistor 650 that causes the vco 312 to generate an output signal 340 having the desired frequency . the pwm controller 220 can automatically determine which mode , independent mode or pll - mode , in which to operate . to make this determination , a reference - signal detector 619 , which may be part of the block logic 600 , senses pulses from a schmitt trigger 603 , which is connected to the fs / synch 601 terminal . if the pll mode is disabled ( default condition ) but the reference - signal detector 619 senses pulses for a first predetermined time , then the reference - signal detector 619 determines that a master reference signal is present at the input terminal 200 and enables the pll 300 via line 620 and a switch 660 . conversely , if the pll - mode is enabled and the reference - signal detector 619 senses pulses of the feedback signal 342 for a second predetermined time without simultaneously detecting pulses from the schmitt trigger 603 , the reference - signal detector 619 disables the pll 300 via line 620 and the switch 660 . the first and second predetermined times may be fixed or may be programmable . the detector 619 detects a signal by discharging a capacitor every time it detects an edge of the signal . in between edges the capacitor charges to a logic level that enables a counter ( not shown ). if the counter reaches a predetermined count value ( corresponding to the first or second predetermined time ), then the reference - signal detector 619 determines that the no signal is present . but as long as edges are present , the counter never reaches the predetermined count value . the reference - signal detector 619 includes at least two of these detect circuits , so there are at least two predetermined count values , a first one corresponding to the first predetermined time and a second one corresponding to the second predetermined time . these predetermined count values may be fixed or programmable . the block logic 600 also detects whether the value of the resistor 650 is either too high or too low , and , if the resistor is out of range , sets the vco 312 to generate a predetermined maximum ( resistor value too low ) or minimum ( resistor value to high ) frequency . the voltage - to - current converter 651 also includes a current limiter so that such an undervalued resistor 650 does not cause an over - current condition . while the pwm controller 220 operates in the pll ( slave ) mode , the pll 300 operates , as discussed above in conjunction with fig3 - 5 , to lock the feedback signal 342 to the reference signal 341 . the frequency divider circuit 313 provides one or more slave pwm signals — here two such signals pwm1 and pwm2 — to a conventional pwm ramp generator ( not shown ), which generate a corresponding number of ramps ( not shown ) for regulating the pwm supply 210 ( fig2 ). as discussed above in conjunction with fig5 , the frequencies of pwm1 and pwm2 are integer multiples — six in one in embodiment — of the frequency of the reference signal 341 . in addition , pwm1 and pwm2 may have predetermined phase shifts with respect to the reference signal 341 . furthermore , in one embodiment , the suppression circuit 321 is programmable to have a count value in the range of 32 - 1024 . moreover , the filter 361 or another portion of the pll 300 may include programmable resistance values that allow one to adjust the loop gain to maintain loop stability for a particular count value . fig7 is a wireless - area - network ( wan ) transmitter / receiver 700 that can incorporate the pll 300 of fig3 according to an embodiment of the invention . in addition to the pfd 302 , charge pump 310 , vco 312 , frequency divider 313 , suppression circuit 321 and the filter 361 ( omitted from fig7 for clarity ), the pll 300 includes a terminal 718 for receiving the reference signal and a local - oscillator ( lo ) distributor 720 for distributing the output of the vco 312 as an lo signal . in addition to the pll 300 , the transmitter / receiver 700 includes a transmitter 704 , and a receiver 706 . the transmitter 704 includes a mixer 722 that modulates the lo with a differential base - band data signal received from a computer ( not shown ) via data terminals 724 and 726 . the transmitter 704 then provides this modulated data signal to a transmit - terminal 728 for wireless transmission to a remote receiver ( not shown ). similarly , the receiver 706 receives a modulated data signal from a remote wireless transmitter ( not shown ) via a terminal 730 , and includes a mixer 732 that demodulates the received data signal with the lo signal and provides a differential demodulated data signal to the computer via the terminals 724 and 726 . the pll 300 is operable to synchronize the lo signal from the vco 312 to the reference signal received on terminal 718 . in one embodiment , the suppression circuit 321 is programmable to implement a count value of 0 - 7 . the transmitter / receiver also includes other circuits that are conventional , and that are thus omitted from fig7 for brevity . fig8 is a block diagram of a general - purpose computer system 820 that incorporates the graphics board 200 of fig2 according to an embodiment of the invention . the computer system 820 ( e . g ., personal or server ) includes one or more processing units 821 , system memory 822 , and a system bus 823 . the system bus 823 couples the various system components including the system memory 822 to the processing unit 821 . the system bus 823 may be any of several types of busses including a memory bus , a peripheral bus , and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures . the system memory 822 typically includes read - only memory ( rom ) 824 and random - access memory ( ram ) 825 . firmware 826 containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system 820 is also contained within the system memory 822 . the computer system 820 may further include a hard disk - drive system 827 that is also connected to the system bus 823 . additionally , optical drives ( not shown ), cd - rom drives ( not shown ), floppy drives ( not shown ) may be connected to the system bus 823 through respective drive controllers ( not shown ) as well . a user may enter commands and information into the computer system 820 through input devices such as a keyboard 840 and pointing device 842 . these input devices as well as others not shown are typically connected to the system bus 823 through a serial port interface 846 . other interfaces ( not shown ) include universal serial bus ( usb ) and parallel ports 840 . a monitor 847 or other type of display device may also be connected to the system bus 823 via an interface such as the graphics card 200 .	7
in the following description , like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views . also , in the following description , it is to be understood that terms such as front , back , inside , outside , and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms . terminology used in this patent is not meant to be limiting insofar as devices described herein , or portions thereof , may be attached or utilized in other orientations . it should be appreciated that any patent , publication , or other disclosure material , in whole or in part , that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions , statements , or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure . as such , and to the extent necessary , the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference . fig1 shows a partial cross sectional view of automatic palletizer 200 , such as the alvey ® 910 palletizer sold by intelligrated located at 7901 innovation way , mason , ohio 45040 . palletizer 200 of the present example is a multi - story unit comprising upper level 202 for receiving and aligning a plurality of articles 40 and lower level 204 for discharging articles 40 as palletized load 20 via discharge conveyor 206 . a feed conveyor not shown feeds individual articles 40 into upper level 202 of palletizer 200 for palletizing . palletizer 200 comprises elevator 208 movable within elevator shaft 210 . elevator 208 is driven within elevator shaft 210 by elevator drive not shown that can be chain or hydraulic driven . in the present example , elevator 208 is centrally located within elevator shaft 210 and is configured to move vertically within elevator shaft 210 . in other versions , elevator 208 is offset within elevator shaft 210 . in still other versions , elevator 208 moves in other suitable directions e . g ., horizontally , obliquely , etc . within elevator shaft 210 . still other suitable configurations for elevator 208 and / or elevator shaft 210 will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein . elevator 208 is configured to receive pallet 28 and to move up and down as sequential layers of articles 40 are discharged from upper level 202 and stacked on top of pallet 28 to create palletized load 20 . as shown in fig1 , upper level 202 is separated from lower level 204 by a pair of movable doors 214 . in the present example , doors 214 are positioned at a top portion of elevator shaft 210 . doors 214 are nominally positioned in a closed position not shown to receive a layer of articles 40 thereon ( see fig6 ). once a layer of articles 40 is positioned on doors 214 , doors translate outwardly to an open position , as shown in fig1 and 8 , to discharge the layer of aligned articles 40 onto an empty pallet 28 or palletized load 20 located beneath doors 214 . wrap ring 216 is positioned within lower level 204 and is motor driven to rotate about elevator shaft 210 . wrap ring 216 is shown sectioned and includes a roll of pallet wrap 218 . accordingly , when actuated , wrap ring 216 is configured to wrap palletized load 20 by rotating around palletized load 20 as palletized load 20 is moved up and down in elevator shaft 210 . wrap ring 216 thereby wraps the sides of palletized load 20 with pallet wrap 218 to stabilize the outer columns of palletized load 20 . while wrap ring 216 of the present example includes a circular configuration , other suitable configurations for wrap ring 216 will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein . upper level 202 of automatic palletizer 200 further comprises stabilizer appliers 50 supported by framework 212 of automatic palletizer 200 and positioned above palletized load 20 to place at least one adhesive load stabilizer 100 onto a top surface of palletized load 20 . load stabilizers 100 thereby hold articles 40 of palletized load 20 together to thereby decrease stability issues within palletized load 20 . stabilizer appliers 50 can place load stabilizers 100 on the uppermost layer of articles 40 on palletized load 20 , or stabilizer appliers 50 can place load stabilizers 100 on top of each layer of articles 40 within palletized load 20 . alternatively , stabilizer appliers 50 can place load stabilizers 100 on a side surface of articles 40 of palletized load 20 . this can be in addition to or instead of using pallet wrap 218 . still other suitable configurations for stabilizer appliers 50 and / or load stabilizers will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein . fig2 is a fragmentary isometric view of load stabilizer 100 used to secure palletized load 20 for transit . load stabilizers 100 are operably configured to remain secured to palletized load 20 during transit , yet allow articles 40 on palletized load 20 to be easily separated when depalletized . as shown in fig2 , load stabilizer 100 comprises stabilizer sheet 102 and adhesive layer 104 attached thereto . stabilizer sheet 102 is non - adhesive . in some versions , stabilizer sheet 102 is a tearable or frangible material , such as paper . in other versions , stabilizer sheet 102 is formed from tyvek , plastic film , fibrous material , foam , elastomerics , or other suitable materials . stabilizer sheet 102 can be cut , perforated , or scored to provide lines of easy tearing in certain directions such as those found during depalletizing . adhesive layer 104 comprises a releasable adhesive such as the low tack adhesive used on post - it ® notes . load stabilizers 100 can be opaque , transparent , or translucent . adhesive layer 104 of load stabilizer 100 is positioned on release liner 105 . the portion of release liner 105 coupled to adhesive layer 104 is formed from a wax or other slick material to provide protection of adhesive layer 104 until release liner 105 is removed prior to the application of load stabilizer 100 to palletized load 20 . fig2 shows release liner 105 as elongated strip 106 to receive a plurality of load stabilizers 100 . alternatively , release liner 105 can be individual sheets applied to a single load stabilizer 100 . in the present example , load stabilizers 100 are spaced equally along the length of elongated strip 106 of release liner 105 for sequential feeding and release of a plurality of load stabilizers 100 . release liner 105 is perforated with rows of equally spaced holes 107 to engage drive pins not shown within stabilizer applier 50 for driving and control of release liner 105 . still other suitable configurations for load stabilizers will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein . fig3 shows a partial cross section of stabilizer applier assembly 50 . fig3 illustrates stabilizer applier assembly 50 as a motorized system that uses the above described elongated strip 106 configuration of release liner 105 to store and dispense load stabilizers 100 . stabilizer applier assembly 50 includes feeder configured to feed load stabilizers 100 to stabilizer applier 55 . arrows are provided to show the feed path of elongated strip 106 of release liner 105 and load stabilizers 100 through feeder 51 . in the present example , feeder 51 comprises feed roll 52 , idler pulley 53 , peel bar 54 , liner guide 57 , and drive pulley 58 positioned within exterior case 50 a . feed roll 52 is rotatably attached to exterior case 50 a and is configured to store a wrapped roll of elongated strip 106 of release liner 105 with load stabilizers 100 . elongated strip 106 is fed from feed roll 52 to wrap around idler pulley 53 , which is rotatably attached to exterior case 50 a . idler pulley 53 is positioned below feed roll 52 . idler pulley 53 is configured to contact and rotate with load stabilizer 100 side of elongated strip 106 . elongated strip 106 is then fed to peel bar 54 , which is fixed to exterior case 50 a . elongated strip 106 passes along a top surface of peel bar 54 and then bends 180 degrees around end 54 a of peel bar 54 . as elongated strip 106 bends around peel bar 54 , the stiffer load stabilizer 100 peels away from elongated strip 106 . when elongated strip 106 of release liner 105 pulls farther around peel bar 54 , more of load stabilizer 100 peels from liner 105 and hangs in the air , as shown in fig3 . stabilizer applier 55 is configured to receive load stabilizer 100 from feeder 51 . stabilizer applier 55 is disposed adjacent to peel bar 54 and comprises a vacuum pad 56 to receive the peeled load stabilizer 100 . with vacuum applied to vacuum pad 56 , load stabilizer 100 is held against vacuum pad 56 . in the present example , stabilizer applier 55 is movable to extend outwardly through opening 59 of exterior case 50 a to place load stabilizer 100 against palletized load 20 . stabilizer applier 55 is then retracted back within exterior case 50 a to receive the next load stabilizer 100 . stabilizer applier 55 is reciprocated up and down by a motor ( not shown ). other suitable configurations for operating stabilizer applier 55 will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein . once load stabilizer 100 is peeled from elongated strip 106 , elongated strip 106 passes around liner guide 57 and wraps around drive pulley 58 . accordingly , idler pulley 53 and liner guide 57 are positioned adjacent peel bar 54 to maintain the alignment of elongated strip 106 relative to peel bar 54 . drive pulley 58 is rotatably driven by a motor ( not shown ) to wrap elongated strip 106 around drive pulley 58 . drive pulley 58 includes a release liner engagement feature such as slot 58 a that is configured to engage with and pull on a free end of release liner 105 as drive pulley 58 rotates . accordingly , drive pulley 58 rotates to thereby rotate liner guide 57 , idler pulley 53 , and feed roll 52 to pull elongated strip 106 from feed roll 52 to drive pulley 58 . drive pulley 58 thereby wraps the empty elongated strip 106 onto drive pulley 58 . fig3 shows drive pulley 58 rotating in a clockwise direction , driven by a drive motor ( not shown ) located on a back side of the case 50 a . other configurations for stabilizer applier 50 will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein . fig4 is a top view of palletized load 20 showing top surface 26 of palletized load 20 . palletized load 20 includes a plurality of contact lines 27 a , 27 b , 27 c where two or more adjacent articles 40 contact each other . articles 40 contact at each of contact lines 27 a , 27 b , 27 c , and in this example , cross at intersection points 42 a , 42 b . each one of contact lines 27 a , 27 b , 27 c and intersection points 42 a , 42 b represent potential shift points that can allow articles 40 to separate or shift away from adjacent articles 40 of palletized load 20 under transit . this can destabilize palletized load 20 . fig5 is an isometric view of palletized load 20 , which comprises layers 22 , 24 , 26 of articles 40 stacked on top of pallet 28 . articles 40 of the present example are placed three wide and two long on each layer 22 , 24 , 26 . of course , other suitable combinations for layers 22 , 24 , 26 will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein . once a predetermined number of layers 22 , 24 , 26 of articles 40 have been received on palletized load 20 , stabilizer appliers 50 place load stabilizers 100 to one or more potential shift points of articles 40 of palletized load 20 to provide transit stability . for example , as shown in fig5 , a first stabilizer applier 50 is positioned above uppermost layer 26 of palletized load 20 and a second stabilizer applier 50 is shown with stabilizer applier 55 extended along axis z - z to apply load stabilizer 100 onto palletized load 20 . while fig5 shows two stabilizer appliers 50 , any suitable number of stabilizer appliers 50 can be used to apply any suitable number of load stabilizers 100 . fig5 further shows that load stabilizer 100 is sized to cover a portion of the top surface of palletized load 20 . in other versions , load stabilizer 100 is sized to cover an entire surface of palletized load 20 . fig1 , 7 , 8 , and 9 will now be referred to describe the operation of automatic palletizer 200 . turning to fig6 , an isometric view of upper level 202 of automatic palletizer 200 is shown with a plurality of articles 40 placed and aligned on top of doors 214 . while the number of articles 40 on a layer differs from fig1 - 5 , the operation of automatic palletizer 200 is the same . turning to fig7 , doors 214 over elevator shaft 210 ( fig1 ) are opened a sufficient amount to drop the central portion of articles 40 on top of palletized load 20 located just beneath doors 214 . in fig8 , doors 214 are fully opened and the remaining articles 40 have dropped on top of palletized load 20 . in this position , articles 40 are stabilized on top of palletized load 20 . with palletized load 20 paused in this position , one or more of stabilizer appliers 50 are actuated to place load stabilizers 100 ( fig1 ) onto palletized load 20 ( see fig5 ) while upper articles 40 are in upper level 202 of automatic palletizer 200 . turning to fig9 , palletized load 20 is dropped below doors 214 and into lower level 204 ( fig1 ) of automatic palletizer 200 and elevator 208 ( fig1 ) is paused . in another embodiment , load stabilizers 100 ( fig1 ) can be dropped down from upper level 202 to extend at least partly into lower level 204 ( fig1 ) to apply load stabilizers 100 ( fig1 ) onto palletized load 20 . doors 214 are then closed to receive another pallet 28 ( fig1 ) and / or layer of articles 40 ( fig9 ), as shown in fig1 . fig1 is a fragmentary isometric view of palletized load 20 being wrapped by wrap ring 216 . while palletized bags are shown , any article 40 may be palletized . once the desired amount of articles 40 and load stabilizers 100 ( fig1 ) are placed on palletized load 20 , elevator 218 moves downward as pallet wrap 208 is rotatably wrapped around palletized load 20 by wrap ring 216 . once palletized load 20 is wrapped , elevator 208 moves downward to align and move the stabilized palletized load 20 onto discharge conveyor 206 ( fig1 ). automatic palletizer 200 then repeats the process as many times as is necessary to palletize a delivery for transit . another example automatic palletizer 300 is shown in fig1 . automatic palletizer 300 is similar to automatic palletizer 200 ( fig1 ) in that automatic palletizer 300 comprises an upper level 302 and a lower level 304 separated by movable doors 314 . lower level 304 is similar to lower level 204 ( fig1 ) and is configured to discharge articles 40 as palletized load 20 via discharge conveyor 206 . upper level 302 is similar to upper level 202 and is configured to receive and align a plurality of articles 40 . accordingly , articles 40 are positioned on pallet 28 on elevator 308 within elevator shaft 310 , load stabilizers 100 ( fig1 ) are applied by stabilizer applier assemblies 350 , and palletized load 20 is wrapped with pallet wrap 318 by wrap ring 316 . stabilizer applier assemblies 350 are similar to stabilizer appliers 50 . alternatively , stabilizer applier assemblies 350 are mounted to a side surface of automatic palletizer 300 instead of framework 312 . stabilizer applier assemblies 350 are positioned within lower level 304 and extend laterally within elevator shaft 310 to apply load stabilizers 100 to palletized load 20 . as shown in fig1 , stabilizer applier assemblies 350 are coupled with a side surface of elevator shaft 310 by extendable arms 352 . when extendable arms 352 are in a retracted position , stabilizer applier assemblies 350 are retracted within elevator shaft 310 such that elevator 308 is free to move past stabilizer applier assemblies 350 . when extendable arms 352 are in an extended position , as shown in fig1 , stabilizer applier assemblies 350 are positioned above palletized load 20 such that stabilizer applier assemblies 350 are able to apply load stabilizers 100 to a top surface of palletized load 20 as described above . other suitable configurations for automatic palletizer 300 will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein . the foregoing description of an embodiment has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . although only a limited number of embodiments of the invention are explained in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the preceding description or illustrated in the drawings . the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways . also , specific terminology had been used for the sake of clarity . it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose . it is intended that the scope of this provisional filing will be better defined by the claims submitted with a later non - provisional filing .	1
an integrated transceiver and sensor are described . in one embodiment , the sensor comprises an acceleration sensor . the integrated transceiver and sensor can be incorporated in a device capable of transmitting and receiving communications . the sensor is capable of generating an acceleration profile from a physical , environmental , or other suitable input or event , and the acceleration profile can be used by the transceiver to generate a cryptographic key . in one embodiment , each of a plurality of devices capable of exchanging communications comprises an integrated transceiver and sensor . the devices , and thereby the integrated transceiver and sensor , can be subjected to a common physical , environmental , or other condition from which the sensor is capable of locally creating a data profile . the data profile can then be used to generate a key within the transceiver in each device . because of the common condition from which each local data profile is created , the keys generated in each transceiver will be identical to one another , for use in symmetrical data encoding and communications exchange between the devices . the invention can be more readily understood by reference to fig1 - 7 and the following description . while the invention is not necessarily limited to the specifically depicted application ( s ), the invention will be better appreciated using a discussion of exemplary embodiments in specific contexts . referring to fig1 , one embodiment of a device 100 is depicted . device 100 can transmit and / or receive communications and can comprise , for example , a mobile phone , a personal digital assistant ( pda ), a remote wireless transmitter , a media device such as a music or game player , or another suitable device . as depicted , device 100 comprises a transceiver 110 , a central processing unit ( cpu ) 120 , and memory 130 , although device 100 can comprise additional or fewer modules in other embodiments . for example , mobile phones and other devices typically comprise user interface features , which are not depicted in fig1 . transceiver 110 comprises transmission and reception circuitry and components ( not shown ) capable of facilitating communications . in other embodiments , transceiver 110 can comprise either a transmitter or a receiver , and corresponding circuitry and components , respectively , depending on device capabilities and functionality . the communications can be wired in one embodiment , or wireless , such as radio frequency ( rf ), infrared , and / or ultrasonic , in other embodiments . transceiver 110 further comprises an integrated sensor 112 . in one embodiment , sensor 112 comprises an acceleration sensor . in other embodiments , integrated sensor 112 comprises a microphone or other acoustic sensor , an infrared sensor , an ultrasonic sensor , a thermal sensor , or another suitable sensor or transducer . in use , integrated sensor 112 is configured to generate or otherwise transduce an electrical signal from a physical or environmental factor . for example , in an embodiment in which integrated sensor 112 comprises an acceleration sensor , applying a physical stimulus to device 100 such as shaking , vibration , or other movement can cause integrated sensor 112 to generate an electrical signal related at least in part to the physical stimulus . in an embodiment in which integrated sensor 112 comprises an acoustic sensor , sound or noise can cause integrated sensor 112 to generate an electrical signal related at least in part thereto . similarly , other types of sensors can generate electrical signals related at least in part to other types of input , stimulus , and / or conditions . transceiver 110 further comprises cryptographic key generation circuitry 114 . circuitry 114 is configured to create a cryptographic key from the electrical signal generated by integrated sensor 112 . the cryptographic key can be used to encode data to be transmitted by transceiver 110 and device 100 . integrated sensor 112 and circuitry 114 as part of transceiver 110 enable device 100 to generate a cryptographic key directly within transceiver 110 , without requiring a separate sensor or transducer external to transceiver 110 and requiring cpu 120 to generate the key . thus , no additional components are required within device 100 to facilitate the generation of cryptographic keys and the transmission of encrypted data . further , transceiver 110 is capable of independently encrypting data without requiring prior configuration . a plurality of devices 100 and 200 are depicted in fig2 . devices 100 and 200 , via transceivers 110 , are adapted to generate identical symmetrical cryptographic keys . the generated identical symmetrical cryptographic keys can then be used for the exchange of encoded data between devices 100 and 200 . in one embodiment , each device 100 and 200 comprises a transceiver 110 as described above with reference to fig1 . sensors 112 comprise three - dimensional accelerations sensors in the example embodiment to be described , although alternate sensors as previously described can be used in one or both of devices 100 and 200 . to generate identical symmetrical cryptographic keys , devices 100 and 200 are together subjected to a physical or environmental stimulus . for example , devices 100 and 200 comprising acceleration sensors can be held or placed together by a user and shaken or moved by hand , subjected to vibration generated by hand or by a machine , or otherwise subjected to a common external physical stimulus . in one embodiment , devices 100 and 200 comprise coupling means ( not shown ) for selectively and removably securing devices 100 and 200 together to further facilitate common physical input . coupling means can comprise , for example , one or more clips , bands , snaps , male and female couplers , magnets , slidably engageable couplers , interlocking couplers , friction couplers , and other similar devices . each sensor 112 independently generates an acceleration profile from the common stimulus . in one embodiment , an acceleration profile comprises a sequence of about 1 , 000 acceleration data points . in other embodiments , acceleration profiles can comprise a range of about 200 acceleration data points to about 100 , 000 data points . experimental results in one embodiment showed an average match of the acceleration profile of device 100 and the acceleration profile of device 200 to be about 95 %. each acceleration profile is stored within transceiver 110 in each of devices 100 and 200 in one embodiment . device 100 and device 200 can then accurately but independently generate identical symmetrical keys from the acceleration profiles because each device 100 and 200 , within transceiver 110 , uses the same algorithm for cryptographic key generation . this cryptographic key generation algorithm is described in more detail below . first , an assumption can be made that each acceleration profile has a common starting time . referring to fig3 , generation of the key can then be divided into two phases , a preprocessing phase 310 and a hash function phase 320 . during preprocessing phase 310 in one embodiment , the acceleration profile a is divided into a sequence of individual segments a i , whereby i = 1 . . . 25 and represents the i - th segment of acceleration sequence a . each individual segment a i comprises forty acceleration data points in one embodiment , such that the entire acceleration profile a does not have to be processed at once . generally , each a i is mapped to one key fragment k i and thus the symmetric cryptographic key k =( k 1 , . . . , k 25 ) is obtained by concatenating all of the k i together . the complexity of each segment a i can be reduced by comparing the segments a i with samples v , as depicted in fig4 . an objective here is to focus the main attributes of all segments a i to the key generation algorithm , to remove outlier components of the acceleration data , and to reduce memory resources for the implementation of the key generation algorithm . the samples v can be computed from a separate training set of acceleration data recorded while shaking devices 100 and 200 together or from an acceleration profile a stored in transceiver 110 . samples v m can now be regarded as either constant for all transceivers 110 when computed from the separate training set or variable when computed from the stored acceleration profile a , which means that the samples v m are computed again for each acceleration profile a . the samples are the eigenvectors of the recorded acceleration data and represent the main components of which the segments a i consist . comparing segments a i with the samples v m , where m = 1 . . . m , can produce m weight factors d for each segment a i . the weight factors d provide an indication of the similarity between the respective segment a i and samples v m . fig5 depicts different samples v m , where m = 5 . the higher the number of samples used for comparison , the more precise the segments can be represented . as the number of samples increases , however , so too do the required memory resources for the implementation of the key generation algorithm . experimental results in one embodiment have shown that five samples are sufficient to represent the segments a i to more than 95 % of the signal energy , although other numbers of samples can be used in other embodiments . a corresponding number of weight factors d m are then provided to the hash function phase . referring again to fig3 and 4 , five weight factors d m are provided to hash function 320 in an embodiment in which m = 5 . this reduces the calculation complexity by a factor of about eight . the objective of hash function 320 is to map similar weight factors d i to the same key fragment k i . to this end , similar weight factors d i of acceleration profile a are then combined into a fixed number of groups . four groups 610 , 620 , 630 , 640 are shown in the embodiment of fig6 , although more or fewer groups can be used in other embodiments . for example , the number of groups can range from about two to about fifteen or more in other embodiments . each group 610 - 640 can be assigned a number , for example 1 to 4 . then , the number of the group 610 - 640 in which the weight factor d . sub . i is combined is assigned to the key fragment k i . a symmetrical cryptographic key k can then be created by concatenating the key fragments k i to the key k =( k 1 , . . . , k 25 ), while maintaining the original order of d i . experimental results in one embodiment generated identical 13 - bit symmetrical keys independently in two devices 100 and 200 in 80 % of cases , although other results may occur in other embodiments . thus , one embodiment of the algorithm implemented by each device 100 and 200 begins with generating a data profile at step 710 in fig7 . the data profile , as described in more detail above , can comprise an acceleration profile , an acoustic profile , or some other suitable data profile . at step 720 , the data profile is divided into a series of segments . the segments are compared with samples to produce weight factors for each segment at step 730 . the weight factors are provided to the hash function and combined into groups at step 740 , and a number is assigned to each group at step 750 . a symmetrical cryptographic key can be generated from the numbers at 760 . in one embodiment , transceiver 110 , comprising integrated sensor 112 and key generation circuitry 114 , is adapted to implement steps 710 - 760 . devices 100 and 200 each comprising a transceiver 110 can vary according to embodiments of the invention . for example , device 100 can comprise a mobile phone , pda , or other handheld communication device , and device 200 a wireless headset , headphones , microphone , data storage device , or other accessory configured for use with device 100 . in another embodiment , device 100 can comprise a credit , debit , bank , or other financial or data card , and device 200 can comprise a key or other access device , such as a car key , office key , home key , keyless remote or other entry system , key fob , or another similar device . various combinations of any of the aforementioned devices are also possible in other embodiments . the relatively small , easy - to - handle size of the example devices mentioned facilitates simultaneous shaking or movement of devices 100 and 200 to generate identical symmetrical cryptographic keys . as previously described , devices 100 and 200 can also comprise coupling means to further aid in the generation of substantially similar acceleration profiles in each of devices 100 and 200 . the devices themselves can also be amenable to implementing embodiments of the invention , given their size , portability , store of potentially vulnerable data and information , and common use , as well as the impracticality of implementing other , more complex encryption and security techniques . in other embodiments , devices 100 and 200 and other similar optional devices comprise devices within a vehicle , aircraft , or other mobile structure . securing some or all of these communications through encryption as described herein can increase the safety and security of the vehicle or aircraft , such as by preventing tampering with communications related to vehicle safety systems and eavesdropping on personal wireless communications within or surrounding the vehicle . devices in vehicles for which encrypted communications may be desirable can include communication devices , such as a vehicle - mounted bluetooth or other personal wireless communication devices ; safety devices , such as tire pressure monitoring system components , airbag and passenger restraint system components , anti - lock braking and vehicle stability system components , and other components and systems ; entertainment devices and systems ; aeronautical communication and operating equipment ; a central processor and / or transceiver device which exchanges and manages communications with other vehicle systems and devices , and other automotive , aeronautic , vehicular , and related systems and components . accordingly , in one embodiment , each device for which encrypted communication is desired in a vehicle , aircraft , or other structure comprises an integrated transceiver and sensor , as described above . in an acceleration sensor embodiment , each sensor can independently generate an acceleration profile from movement of the vehicle . the movement can be , for example , acceleration of the vehicle , general movement , and / or deceleration . in another embodiment in which the sensor comprises a microphone or acoustic sensor , each individual sensor can independently generate a data profile from , for example , the sound of the engine , ambient noise , or other sound related to the operation or use of the vehicle . other types of data profiles can be generated in embodiments with other sensor types . identical symmetrical cryptographic keys can then be generated independently by each device as previously described herein . in other embodiments , such as those in which integrated sensors 112 in devices 100 and 200 comprise acoustic , infrared , ultrasonic , or other compatible sensors , devices 100 and 200 can comprise any of the aforementioned devices , as well as computers , laptops , appliances , telephones , cameras , and other devices . devices 100 and 200 , as well as additional devices , can be part of a home or office automation system , a personal area network ( pan ), or other configuration of devices and systems which communicate with one another and for which identical symmetrical or system - wide cryptographic key generation is needed or desired . thus , the present invention includes integrated data transceivers and sensors . the sensor is adapted to generate a data profile , such as an acceleration profile in an embodiment in which the sensor comprises an acceleration sensor , from which the transceiver is capable of generating a symmetrical cryptographic key from an acceleration profile generated by the sensor . the integrated data transceiver and sensor can comprise a single integrated circuit , reducing the overall complexity and cost of a device which includes the integrated data transceiver and sensor . although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for purposes of description of an example embodiment , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and / or equivalent implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention . those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of embodiments . this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the various embodiments discussed herein , including the disclosure information in the attached appendices . therefore , it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof .	7
an interlock device 20 ( fig3 ) includes a housing 22 formed by opposing housing halves 46 , 48 , a toggle interlock mechanism 24 including an extendable pin 26 , a preassembled micro switch 28 , an electromechanical device 30 , and a lead frame 32 . the lead frame 32 has a plurality of conductors 72 , 74 , 76 , and 78 , all operably attached to the bottom half 46 of the housing 22 between the opposing halves 46 , 48 . when the extendable pin 26 is retracted ( fig9 ), the electromechanical device 30 operates the switch 28 . the lead frame conductors 72 , 74 , 76 , 78 form a terminal that operably interconnects the switch 28 and the electromechanical device 30 to a vehicle control circuit ( not shown ) for operating the electromechanical device and for signaling the vehicle control circuit that the extendable pin has been retracted . the present arrangement , including the lead frame , permits an efficient automated assembly , and further does this using mechanical forming and assembly operations that are controllable and relatively low - cost . thus , the present inventive concepts provide the advantages of reducing manufacturing and assembly costs while increasing the overall reliability and robustness of the interlock device . the housing bottom half 46 ( fig3 ) is a molded polymeric component that includes integral molded - in protrusions 50 adapted to matingly engage “ rosebud ” apertures 106 formed on the lead frame 32 . a plurality of the protrusions 50 and apertures 106 are formed on the housing half 46 and in the conductors 70 , 72 , 74 and 76 of the lead frame 32 , and also various features are formed in the housing to trap and retain the lead frame conductors 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 , so that each conductor is accurately located and retained in the housing 22 . this allows the lead frame 32 to be assembled as a unit by pressing the conductors 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 downwardly , such that tines on the “ rosebud ” apertures flex and bite into the protrusions 50 . this results in a simple assembly that can be easily automated , such as by using a strip advance mechanism and downward pressing plunger . ( see fig1 - 11 .) the electromechanical device 30 includes a coil ( not specifically shown ) and an extendable plunger 56 . conductors extend from the coil for energizing the coil to extend the plunger 56 , the conductors terminate in two contacts 54 adapted to telescopingly mate with contacts 90 , 92 on the lead frame , as discussed below . the plunger 56 is spring - loaded to be in a normally retracted position , and is operably interconnected to the driver 58 of the toggle interlock mechanism 24 by a magnet . the toggle mechanism 24 includes a t - shaped arrangement of interconnected links . it is operably supported in the cavity of housing halves 46 , 48 for movement between an overcenter interlock position ( fig8 ) and an unlocked retracted position ( fig9 ). as noted above , the lead frame 32 includes four conductors or branches 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 ( fig8 ). the first conductor 70 includes a male contact 80 and a female contact 82 ( also called connectors 82 , 86 ). the second conductor 72 further includes a male contact 84 and a female contact 86 . the third conductor 74 includes a male contact 88 and a female contact 90 . finally , the fourth conductor 76 includes female contact ends 92 and 94 . the first , second , and third input male contact ends 80 , 84 , and 88 are arranged and form a terminal shaped to receive a female plug of a wire harness from the main vehicle power train electrical system . the female contacts 82 , 86 , and 94 are arranged to receive and electrically connect to the male connectors 96 , 98 , 100 extending from the switch 28 . further , the female contacts 90 and 92 are configured and arranged to engage the contacts 54 that communicate electrical power to the electromechanical device 30 . up tabs 102 and 104 are formed on the third and fourth conductors 74 and 76 respectively to engage opposite ends of diodes that extend between the third and fourth conductors 74 and 76 . a plurality of apertures 106 with angled retainer tines are formed along the four conductors 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 to retain the branches accurately in place on housing protrusions 50 . the female contacts 82 , 86 , 90 , 92 , 94 are formed to mechanically retain corresponding male connectors . this may be but is not limited to , for example , a spade type of connector or terminal . the female contacts 82 , 86 , 90 , 92 and 94 are similar to each other , such that only the contact 94 need be shown and described . the contact 94 ( fig5 - 7 ) has a c - shaped cross section , and includes opposing sidewalls 120 with inwardly - formed downwardly - angled barbs 122 . the female contact 94 , including the barbs 122 , slidably engage and permit a telescoping engagement in a direction 101 by the male contact 96 , such that the switch 28 can be pressed into position and simultaneously electrically connected . however , the barbs 122 have a relatively sharp pointed tip that digs in and prevents removal of the male contact 96 from the female contact 94 once assembled . the housing bottom half 46 includes a c - shaped wall 124 that receives and supports the c - shaped female contact 94 , providing the support needed to prevent the c - shaped female contact from spreading apart . this maintains a pressure of the barbs 122 on the male contact 96 . this both provides an initial secure assembly , but also reduces warranty problems from connections coming loose and separating when in service . a method of assembly ( fig1 ) for the interlock device 20 may be as follows . a lead frame 32 is stamped into the desired configuration out of a single piece of electrically conductive material . this lead frame may be produced in continuous form as shown in fig1 . the lead frame 32 is then accurately positioned above the housing and then pressed mechanically down into housing 22 onto the housing protrusions 50 . lead frame barbed apertures 106 non - releasably engage and accurately position the lead frame 32 to the housing 22 . the electromechanical device 30 is then positioned in housing 22 , including telescopingly engaging the male contacts 54 into female contacts 90 and 92 . preassembled switch 28 with its associated switch contacts 96 , 98 , 100 is also pressed downward to telescopingly engage the male contacts 96 , 98 , 100 with the associated lead frame female contacts 82 , 86 , and 94 . the four conductors 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 are electrically separated by cutting the frangible tabs 60 , producing an operable interconnection between the lead frame 32 , electromechanical device 30 , switch 28 , and , when connected in a vehicle , to the vehicle control system ( not shown ). the toggle interlock mechanism 24 and retainer spring 44 are then positioned in housing 22 . finally , housing cover 48 is installed over the lower housing half 46 and securely affixed thereto , such as by snap - attachment , screws , adhesive , sonic welding , or other means . interlock device 20 is shown in its natural state ( fig8 ) with the extendable pin 26 engaging a pocket in the shift lever ( 7 ) to prevent the pawl of the shift lever ( 7 ) from being moved , such that the shift lever ( 7 ) cannot be moved out of its park position . in operation ( fig9 ), if the vehicle circuit shows that predetermined vehicle conditions are met , it actuates the coil of device 30 , thereby electromechanically extending the plunger 56 of electromechanical device 30 outward , which causes the toggle mechanism 24 to be driven from an inline position ( fig8 ) to an off - centered position ( fig9 ). the toggle mechanism 24 as it is being driven off - center , acts to retract the extendable pin 26 from any abutment surface or cavity . the extendable pin 26 may be used to prevent relative movement of any parts . in the illustrated arrangement , it is used to lock a vehicle shifter in a park position on its base until the brake is depressed by preventing a pawl on the shifter from being moved out of a park position . simultaneously when the pin 26 is retracted , the toggle mechanism depresses the switch 28 . thus , the switch 28 can be used to input data to the vehicle &# 39 ; s electrical control circuit . it is contemplated that the present interlock device 20 could be used in other automotive or non - automotive applications . for example , it is contemplated that device 20 could be used on hotel door locks , and other locking arrangements using an extendable pin . also , it is contemplated that the pin ( 26 ) of the interlock device ( 20 can engage an irregular surface having multiple locking locations , such that the lever or component being controlled could be held in any one of several different operative positions until predetermined conditions of the control circuit are met and the pin ( 26 ) is retracted . it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concept of the present invention , and further it is understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise .	8
the following description is of the best - contemplated mode of carrying out the invention . this description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense . the scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims . fig1 is a diagram of a usb dock in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . in an embodiment , the usb dock 100 includes a microcontroller ( mcu ) 110 , a plurality of downstream ports 120 , and an upstream port 130 . the upstream port 130 is capable of coupling the usb dock 100 to a portable device 150 , such as a mobile phone , or a tablet pc . the downstream ports 120 are capable of coupling the usb dock 100 to other usb devices , such as a monitor , a keyboard , or a mouse that help to input or output information of the portable device being connected to the usb dock 100 . in an embodiment , the upstream port 130 is a usb micro a / b connector including a differential pair ( d + and d −), a vbus power pin , a ground ( gnd ) pin , and an otg id pin . the microcontroller 110 may detect the operating state of the portable device 150 according to the state of the otg id pin . for example , the microcontroller may know that the portable device 150 is in a working state ( such as a usb otg host mode ) when the state of the otg id pin is in a first state ( e . g . grounded ). in another embodiment , the upstream port 130 is compatible with the usb micro a / b interface which includes a differential pair ( d + and d −), a vbus power pin , a ground ( gnd ) pin , and an otg id pin . specifically , there are various types of usb connectors on the market , but all of them are equipped with the primary usb pins as described above . in a scenario in which when the user attaches the portable device 150 to the usb dock 100 , the usb dock 100 may enable the usb otg host mode on the portable device 150 to enable use of the usb accessories connected to downstream ports 120 of the usb dock 100 , and perform normal data transmission between the portable device 150 and usb accessories . it should be noted that the portable device 150 cannot be charged via the upstream port 130 in the usb otg host mode since the portable device 150 acts as a “ host ” in the usb otg host mode . when the portable device 150 issues a suspend command via the differential pair to the usb dock 100 , the microcontroller in the usb dock 100 may set the state of the otg id pin to a second state ( e . g . floating ) to force the portable device 150 to enter a usb device mode from the usb otg host mode , such that the usb dock 100 may charge the portable device 150 via the upstream port 130 . it should be noted that the portable device 150 may automatically enter a suspend state when the portable device 150 has been idle for a predetermined time period . alternatively , the portable device 150 may also enter the suspend state when the user manually turns off the power to the screen , but the invention is not limited thereto . upon entering the suspend state , the portable device 150 may issue a suspend command to the usb dock 100 . specifically , when the usb dock 100 receives the suspend command from the portable device 150 , the usb dock 100 may disconnect the differential pairs and then short the differential pairs , such that the portable device 150 may detect as if the upstream port 130 has been physically disconnected and re - plugged into the portable device 150 . then , the usb dock 100 may set the state of the otg id pin to a second state to force the portable device 150 to enter the usb device mode from the usb otg host mode . it should be noted that the usb dock 100 may provide various rapid - charging modes to charge the portable device 150 by setting the voltage of the differential pair when the portable device 150 is in the usb device mode . for example , the rapid - charging modes may be a power delivery mode defined in the usb battery charging specification v1 . 2 , an apple mode , or another rapid - charging mode , but the invention is not limited thereto . in an embodiment , the usb dock 100 further includes a button 140 which is a physical button and is configured to switch the usb operation mode of the portable device 150 via a gpio interface . for example , when the user demands to switch the portable device 150 back to the usb otg host mode from the usb device mode , the user may push the button 140 . then , the microcontroller 110 detects the button is pushed and notifies the portable device 150 to enter the usb otg host mode from the usb device mode by setting the state of the otg id pin to the first state ( e . g . grounded ) via the gpio interface . in an alternative embodiment , when the user demands to switch the portable device 150 back to the host mode from the usb device mode , the user may send a trigger signal by utilizing one of the peripheral devices connected to the usb dock 100 , such that the usb dock 100 may disconnect the differential pair to exit the usb device mode . then , the usb dock may activate the differential pair and set the state of the otg id pin to the first state to notify the portable device 150 to enter the usb otg host mode . in another alternative embodiment , instead of waiting for the portable device 150 to enter the suspend state , the usb dock 100 may actively force the portable device 150 to enter the suspend state from the working state by send a specific suspend command from a virtual endpoint which is pre - defined in the usb dock 100 . the specific suspend command may be triggered by the user pushing another button ( not shown in fig1 ). in one embodiment , the virtual endpoint is belonged to a virtual connected device which is coupled to a virtual port of the usb dock 100 . for example , the virtual endpoint is configured to emulate a keyboard and it is capable to send the suspend command to the portable device 150 . that is , this virtual endpoint is a pre - defined endpoint in the usb dock 100 for suspending the portable device 150 . in this way , it is no need to wait for the portable device automatically suspends . in other word , it also provides the flexibility for the user when user needs to charge the portable device anytime . in another embodiment , the specific suspend command may be triggered by the same button 140 which is mentioned previously . in this condition , the button 140 has multiple functions depend on the state of the portable device 150 . when the portable device 150 is in the otg host mode , the portable device is enter the suspend state when pushing the button 140 . when the portable device 150 is in the usb device mode , the portable device is toggled to switch from the usb device mode to the usb otg host mode when pushing the same button 140 . in view of the above , the usb dock 100 is capable of detecting the working state of the portable device 150 while the usb otg host mode is enabled . the usb dock 100 is also capable of controlling the portable device 150 to switch from the usb otg host mode to the usb charging mode by toggling the state of the usb otg id pin . in addition , the usb dock 100 is further capable of charging the portable device 100 from the upstream port 130 . the above - mentioned feature of the usb dock 100 is nontrivial since the feature is not defined in the usb specification . the present invention has specialized hardware and firmware functions that enable the above - mentioned features , allowing the portable device 150 to be rapidly charged when the user no longer needs to use the usb accessories and while the portable device 150 is still attached to the usb dock 100 . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the disclosed embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements ( as would be apparent to those skilled in the art ). therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .	6
there are two contributions to the resistivity of the polysilicon , namely the resistance r g of the grains and the resistance r gb of the grain boundaries , as is shown schematically in fig1 . the total resistance is thus given by r p = r g + r gb . the temperature dependence of the grain resistance is known to be the temperature dependence of the grain boundary resistance is also known and can be written as these two temperature dependences means that the temperature dependence of the total resistance r p varies as , and therefore the change in total resistance with temperature can be written explicitly in general as ( 4 ) ## equ1 ## where φ b is the grain boundary barrier height . this is known to be proportional to the ratio of the trap density q t at the grain boundary to the bulk doping density n , i . e . ## equ2 ## in the general expression of equation 4 , it can be seen that polysilicon has a negative tcr because polysilicon has a large third term in the right hand side of equation 4 . that is , the large trap density q t implies a large value for φ b , and this large value of φ b produces a very large third term on the right side of equation 4 . note that a high bulk doping density n will produce a lower φ b , but , for the doping levels of most interest for polysilicon resistors ( e . g . 10 17 - 10 18 per cubic centimeter ) φ b is still significant . however , for any value of the doping density n , the tcr of a polysilicon resistor can be decreased by decreasing the third term of equation 4 . laser annealing changes the tcr in at least two ways . first , laser annealing increases the grain size . this decreases the number of grain boundaries , and therefore the contribution of r gb to the total resistance r p is reduced . this also means that the contribution of dr gb dt to dr p / dt is reduced , and therefore the tcr becomes closer to zero . secondly , laser annealing also tends to reduce the trap density q t at each grain boundary and thus lowers φ b and again decreases the negative component of the tcr . the present invention teaches use of both laser processing and hydrogen annealing to reduce the negative component of tcr in polysilicon resistors . a polysilicon resistor structure such as shown in fig2 in the as - deposited state will typically have a grain size of 500 angstroms . laser annealing is then applied at a modest energy density , e . g . 0 . 6 joules per square centimeter , to increase the grain size . in the presently preferred embodiment a 1 . 06 micron line from a neodymium : yag laser is used , using 150 nanosecond duration pulses at a pulse frequency of 10 kilohertz and a scan speed of six inches per second . this implies a power density in the neighborhood of 4 megawatts per square centimeter . in another sample embodiment of the invention a seven watt argon laser is operated clockwise , and a 100 micron spot from this laser is scanned at a velocity of 8 - 10 inches per second with a stepping interval of ten microns . other embodiments of laser annealing can be used , and are well known to those skilled in the art . subsequent to the laser annealing step , an ionic hydrogen anneal is applied . it should be noted that this is an atomic hydrogen anneal and not a molecular hydrogen anneal , that is , the hydrogen is preferably exposed to a plasma discharge which causes dissociation . the hydrogen ions diffuse readily into the polysilicon and bind to dangling bonds at the grain boundaries . this lowers the trap density q t at the grain boundaries , and therefore reduces the negative contribution to the tcr . however , hydrogen annealing alone is normally not sufficient to provide a zero or positive tcr in small - grain polysilicon . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention both laser annealing and ionic hydrogen passivation are used . this two step process has been shown to provide polysilicon resistors having a positive tcr . the conditions of hydrogen plasma passivation are not critical . however , in the present invention , passivation is performed at 300 ° c . and a mixture of 50 % hydrogen and 50 % nitrogen at a pressure of one torr . these gases are flowed at about 2000 standard cubic centimeters , and a power of about 600 watts is applied over an electrode area of about 350 - 400 square inches , with an electrode separation of about 2 . 5 inches . the polysilicon thickness used in fig4 and 6 is in the range of 400 - 500 nanometers , and the grain size of the polysilicon is in the range of 3 - 5 microns in annealed material . in a second embodiment of the invention , the hydrogen anneal is performed under the same conditions , except that the gas mixture contains only 10 % of hydrogen rather than 50 %. results measured for actual devices using these conditions are also shown separately plotted in fig4 , and 6 . for precision and data conversion applications , the 10 % hydrogen annealing conditions result in resistors having approximately zero tcr , as seen in fig4 and 6 . for these applications , it is desirable not to continue the hydrogen anneal too long , or the tcr will become positive . it should be noted that the processing steps used in practicing the present invention produce resistors having a lower bulk resistivity , and therefore a lower resistance for the same geometry and processing conditions , than the prior art methods . fig8 shows the dependence of resistance on laser annealing conditions for a sample device . it is also desirable to avoid high temperature steps in processing after the hydrogen passivation anneal since high temperature processing steps may permit some of the hydrogen to escape as molecular hydrogen . that is , it is not necessary to avoid subsequent high temperature steps entirely , but the time spent at high temperatures is preferably minimized . thus , for example , where a polysilicon resistor is covered by a multilevel oxide which must be reflowed , it is preferable to use a low temperature material for the multilevel oxide , such as the spin - on glass ocd or organic materials such as the dielectric polymer . alternatively , transient annealing can be used for reflow of the multilevel oxide . similarly , it is desirable to minimize the total time spent in such steps as contact sintering . however , the difficulty with high - temperature process steps is merely a very gradual escape of hydrogen from the passivated polysilicon . since this is a gradual and not a catastrophic degradation , the sensitivity to high - temperature steps is not extreme , and it is certainly not necessary to avoid high - temperatures altogether . it should be noted that hydrogen is not the only passivating species which can be used . however , any passivating species which is used should preferably exhibit electrical inactivity in silicon and good affinity for dangling bonds at grain boundaries . it is also not necessary to use a plasma reactor for the hydrogen passivation , but a custom apparatus could be used instead . uniformity of the plasma discharge is relatively unimportant , so that a configuration which included , e . g ., an arc across an input gas stream of hydrogen , with all slices positioned downstream at a distance less than the recombination distance for the atomic and ionic hydrogen that is generated , would suffice . fig3 shows a sample embodiment of the present invention in a polysilicon resistor in a bipolar integrated circuit . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the present invention can be embodied in a tremendous variety of bipolar circuits , and is also useful in srams and in mos circuits generally . in particular , as current densities used in mos circuits increase , problems of thermal stability become more important . it should also be noted that laser annealing is not by any means necessary . the primary function of the laser annealing steps referred to above is merely to increase the grain size of the polysilicon , and this can be accomplished by other means . that is , any other transient annealing method , such as flash lamp or flip oven heating or electron beam annealing , can be used instead . it should be noted that the hydrogen passivation can also alternatively be accomplished by ion implantation of protons . optionally , the laser annealing step may be performed with a double - wave length illumination source . in this case , a short wavelength which is strongly absorbed by polysilicon ( e . g ., 1 . 06 microns ) is combined with a longer wavelength , such as 9 . 25 or 10 . 6 microns , which is unattenuated by the polysilicon but which is strongly absorbed by the underlying oxide . both of these longer lines are conveniently available from a co 2 laser . this double wavelength annealing provides a larger grain size in the annealed material . the power ratio of the two wavelengths is approximately 1 -- 1 , and should in any case be within an order of magnitude of 1 -- 1 . in this embodiment , the total energy density is preferably about 3 joules per square centimeter , and in the range between 0 . 1 to 6 joules per square centimeter . in a further aspect of the present invention , the dependence of resistance on temperature for resistors formed in monocrystalline silicon ( or other monocrystalline semiconductors ) can also be modified . to provide a zero - tcr resistor in semiconductor substrates , the resistor is preferably implanted rather than diffused . the implantation process itself will induce a significant amount of amorphization . before this amorphization is annealed out , a reactive gas such as fluorine , chlorine or oxygen is introduced to pin various defects and subgrain boundaries in the silicon . in this case , even after the resistor is annealed , the dr p / dt dependence will still contain a substantial contribution from φ b and therefore the positive tcr will be lowered . as will be apparent to those skilled in the art , the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above , and can be practiced in a wide range of modifications and variations .	7
the present invention will be more specifically explained below with reference to examples . preparation of wild type lysc gene and mutant lysc gene from brevibacterium lactofermentum & lt ; 1 & gt ; preparation of wild type and mutant lysc &# 39 ; s and preparation of plasmids containing them a strain of brevibacterium lactofermentum atcc 13869 , and an l - lysine - producing mutant strain aj3445 ( ferm p - 1944 ) obtained from the atcc 13869 strain by a mutation treatment were used as chromosomal dna donors . the aj3445 strain had been subjected to mutation so that lysc was changed to involve substantial desensitization from concerted inhibition by lysine and threonine ( journal of biochemistry , 68 , 701 - 710 ( 1970 )). a dna fragment containing lysc was amplified from chromosomal dna in accordance with the pcr method ( polymerase chain reaction ; see white , t . j . et al ., trends genet ., 5 , 185 ( 1989 )). as for dna primers used for amplification , single strand dna &# 39 ; s of 23 - mer and 21 - mer having nucleotide sequences shown in seq id nos : 1 and 2 were synthesized in order to amplify a region of about 1 , 643 bp coding for lysc on the basis of a sequence known for corynebacterium glutamicum ( see molecular microbiology ( 1991 ), 5 ( 5 ), 1197 - 1204 ; and mol . gen . genet . ( 1990 ), 224 , 317 - 324 ). dna was synthesized in accordance with an ordinary method by using dna synthesizer model 380b produced by applied biosystems and using the phosphoamidite method ( see tetrahedron letters ( 1981 ), 22 , 1859 ). the gene was amplified by pcr by using dna thermal cycler model pj2000 produced by takara shuzo , and using taq dna polymerase in accordance with a method designated by the supplier . an amplified gene fragment of 1 , 643 kb was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis . after that , the fragment excised from the gel was purified in accordance with an ordinary method , and it was digested with restriction enzymes nrui ( produced by takara shuzo ) and ecori ( produced by takara shuzo ). phsg399 ( see takeshita , s . et al ., gene ( 1987 ), 61 , 63 - 74 ) was used as a cloning vector for the gene fragment . phsg399 was digested with restriction enzymes smai ( produced by takara shuzo ) and ecori , and it was ligated with the amplified lysc fragment . dna was ligated by using dna ligation kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with a designated method . thus plasmids were prepared , in which the lysc fragments amplified from chromosomes of brevibacterium lactofermentum were ligated with phsg399 respectively . a plasmid comprising lysc from atcc 13869 ( wild type strain ) was designated as p399aky , and a plasmid comprising lysc from aj3463 ( l - lysine - producing bacterium ) was designated as p399ak9 . a dna fragment ( hereinafter referred to as “ brevi .- ori ”) having an ability to make a plasmid autonomously replicable in bacteria belonging to the genus corynebacterium was introduced into p399aky and p399ak9 respectively to prepare plasmids carrying lysc autonomously replicable in bacteria belonging to the genus corynebacterium . brevi .- ori was prepared from a plasmid vector phk4 containing brevi .- ori and autonomously replicable in cells of both escherichia coli and bacteria belonging to the genus corynebacterium . phk4 was constructed by digesting phc4 with kpni ( produced by takara shuzo ) and bamhi ( produced by takara shuzo ), extracting a brevi .- ori fragment , and ligating it with phsg298 having been also digested with kpni and bamhi ( see japanese patent laid - open no . 5 - 7491 ). phk4 gives kanamycin resistance to a host . escherichia coli harboring phk4 was designated as escherichia coli aj13136 , and deposited on aug . 1 , 1995 under a deposition number of ferm bp - 5186 in national institute of bioscience and human technology of agency of industrial science and technology of ministry of international trade and industry ( postal code : 305 , 1 - 3 , higashi 1 - chome , tsukuba - shi , ibaraki - ken , japan ). phk4 was digested with restriction enzymes kpni and bamhi , and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . blunt end formation was performed by using dna blunting kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with a designated method . after the blunt end formation , a phosphorylated bamhi linker ( produced by takara shuzo ) was ligated to make modification so that the dna fragment corresponding to the brevi .- ori portion might be excised from phk4 by digestion with only bamhi . this plasmid was digested with bamhi , and the generated brevi .- ori dna fragment was ligated with p399aky and p399ak9 having been also digested with bamhi respectively to prepare plasmids each containing the lysc gene autonomously replicable in bacteria belonging to the genus corynebacterium . a plasmid containing the wild type lysc gene originating from p399aky was designated as p399akyb , and a plasmid containing the mutant lysc gene originating from p399ak9 was designated as p399ak9b . the process of construction of p399ak9b and p399akyb is shown in fig1 . a strain aj12691 obtained by introducing the mutant lysc plasmid p399ak9b into a wild type strain of brevibacterium lactofermentum ( aj12036 strain , ferm bp - 734 ) was deposited on apr . 10 , 1992 under a deposition number of ferm p - 12918 in national institute of bioscience and human technology of agency of industrial science and technology of ministry of international trade and industry ( postal code : 305 , 1 - 3 , higashi 1 - chome , tsukuba - shi , ibaraki - ken , japan ), transferred to international deposition based on the budapest treaty on feb . 10 , 1995 , and deposited under a deposition number of ferm bp - 4999 . & lt ; 2 & gt ; determination of nucleotide sequences of wild type lysc and mutant lysc from brevibacterium lactofermentum the plasmid p399aky containing the wild type lysc and the plasmid p399ak9 containing the mutant lysc were prepared from the respective transformants to determine nucleotide sequences of the wild type and mutant lysc &# 39 ; s . nucleotide sequence determination was performed in accordance with a method of sanger et al . ( for example , f . sanger et al ., proc . natl . acad . sci ., 74 , 5463 ( 1977 )). the nucleotide sequence of wild type lysc encoded by p399aky is shown in seq id no : 3 in sequence listing . on the other hand , the nucleotide sequence of mutant lysc encoded by p399ak9 had only mutation of one nucleotide such that 1051th g was changed into a in seq id no : 3 as compared with wild type lysc . it is known that lysc of corynebacterium glutamicum has two subunits ( α , β ) encoded in an identical reading frame on an identical dna strand ( see kalinowski , j . et al ., molecular microbiology ( 1991 ) 5 ( 5 ), 1197 - 1204 ). judging from homology , it is assumed that the gene sequenced herein also has two subunits ( α , β ) encoded in an identical reading frame on an identical dna strand . an amino acid sequence of the β - subunit of the wild type ak protein deduced from the nucleotide sequence of dna is shown in seq id no : 4 together with the dna sequence . only the amino acid sequence is shown in seq id no : 5 . an amino acid sequence of the β - subunit of the wild type ak protein deduced from the nucleotide sequence of dna is shown in seq id no : 6 together with dna . only the amino acid sequence is shown in seq id no : 7 . in each of the subunits , gtg is used as an initiation codon , and a corresponding amino acid is represented by methionine . however , this representation refers to methionine , valine , or formylmethionine . on the other hand , mutation on the sequence of mutant lysc means occurrence of amino acid residue substitution such that a 279th alanine residue of the α - subunit is changed into a threonine residue , and a 30th alanine residue of the β - subunit is changed into a threonine residue in the amino acid sequence of the wild type ak protein ( seq id nos : 5 , 7 ). a wild type strain of brevibacterium lactofermentum atcc 13869 was used as a chromosomal dna donor . chromosomal dna was prepared from the atcc 13869 strain in accordance with an ordinary method . a dna fragment containing dapb was amplified from the chromosomal dna in accordance with pcr . as for dna primers used for amplification , dna &# 39 ; s of 23 - mers having nucleotide sequences depicted in seq id nos : 8 and 9 in sequence listing respectively were synthesized in order to amplify a region of about 2 . 0 kb coding for ddpr on the basis of a sequence known for brevibacterium lactofermentum ( see journal of bacteriology , 157 ( 9 ), 2743 - 2749 ( 1993 )). synthesis of dna and pcr were performed in the same manner as described in example 1 . pcr - script ( produced by invitrogen ) was used as a cloning vector for the amplified gene fragment of 2 , 001 bp , which was ligated with the amplified dapb fragment . thus a plasmid was constructed , in which the dapb fragment of 2 , 001 bp amplified from chromosome of brevibacterium lactofermentum was ligated with pcr - script . the plasmid obtained as described above , which had dapb originating from atcc 13869 , was designated as pcrdapb . a transformant strain aj13107 obtained by introducing pcrdapb into e . coli jm109 strain has been internationally deposited since may 26 , 1995 under a deposition number of ferm bp - 5114 in national institute of bioscience and human technology of agency of industrial science and technology of ministry of international trade and industry ( postal code : 305 , 1 - 3 , higashi 1 - chome , tsukuba - shi , ibaraki - ken , japan ) based on the budapest treaty . a fragment of 1 , 101 bp containing a structural gene of ddpr was extracted by digesting pcrdapb with ecorv and sphi . this fragment was ligated with phsg399 having been digested with hincii and sphi to prepare a plasmid . the prepared plasmid was designated as p399dpr . brevi .- ori was introduced into the prepared p399dpr to construct a plasmid carrying dapb autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . phk4 was digested with a restriction enzyme kpni ( produced by takara shuzo ), and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . blunt end formation was performed by using dna blunting kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with a designated method . after the blunt end formation , a phosphorylated bamhi linker ( produced by takara shuzo ) was ligated to make modification so that the dna fragment corresponding to the brevi .- ori portion might be excised from phk4 by digestion with only bamhi . this plasmid was digested with bamhi , and the generated brevi .- ori dna fragment was ligated with p399dpr having been also digested with bamhi to prepare a plasmid containing dapb autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . the prepared plasmid was designated as pdprb . the process of construction of pdprb is shown in fig2 . plasmid dna was prepared from the aj13107 strain harboring p399dpr , and its nucleotide sequence was determined in the same manner as described in example 1 . a determined nucleotide sequence and an amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence are shown in seq id no : 10 . only the amino acid sequence is shown in seq id no : 11 . a wild type strain of brevibacterium lactofermentum atcc 13869 was used as a chromosomal dna donor . chromosomal dna was prepared from the atcc 13869 strain in accordance with an ordinary method . a dna fragment containing dapa was amplified from the chromosomal dna in accordance with pcr . as for dna primers used for amplification , dna &# 39 ; s of 20 - mers having nucleotide sequences shown in seq id nos : 12 and 13 in sequence listing respectively were synthesized in order to amplify a region of about 1 . 5 kb coding for ddps on the basis of a sequence known for corynebacterium glutamicum ( see nucleic acids research , 18 ( 21 ), 6421 ( 1990 ); embl accession no . x53993 ). synthesis of dna and pcr were performed in the same manner as described in example 1 . pcr1000 ( produced by invitrogen , see bio / technology , 9 , 657 - 663 ( 1991 )) was used as a cloning vector for the amplified gene fragment of 1 , 411 bp , which was ligated with the amplified dapa fragment . ligation of dna was performed by using dna ligation kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with - a designated method . thus a plasmid was constructed , in which the dapa fragment of 1 , 411 bp amplified from chromosome of brevibacterium lactofermentum was ligated with pcr1000 . the plasmid obtained as described above , which had dapa originating from atcc 13869 , was designated as pcrdapa . a transformant strain aj13106 obtained by introducing pcrdapa into e . coli jm109 strain has been internationally deposited since may 26 , 1995 under a deposition number of ferm bp - 5113 in national institute of bioscience and human technology of agency of industrial science and technology of ministry of international trade and industry ( postal code : 305 , 1 - 3 , higashi 1 - chome , tsukuba - shi , ibaraki - ken , japan ) based on the budapest treaty . brevi .- ori was introduced into the prepared pcrdapa to construct a plasmid carrying dapa autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . phk4 was digested with restriction enzymes kpni and bamhi ( produced by takara shuzo ), and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . blunt end formation was performed by using dna blunting kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with a designated method . after the blunt end formation , a phosphorylated smai linker ( produced by takara shuzo ) was ligated to make modification so that the dna fragment corresponding to the brevi .- ori portion might be excised from phk4 by digestion with only smai . this plasmid was digested with smai , and the generated brevi .- ori dna fragment was ligated with pcrdapa having been also digested with smai to prepare a plasmid containing dapa autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . this plasmid was designated as pdpsb . the process of construction of pdpsb ( km r ) is shown in fig3 . plasmid dna was prepared from the aj13106 strain harboring pcrdapa , and its nucleotide sequence was determined in the same manner as described in example 1 . a determined nucleotide sequence and an amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence are shown in seq id no : 14 . only the amino acid sequence is shown in seq id no : 15 . a wild type strain of brevibacterium lactofermentum atcc 13869 was used as a chromosomal dna donor . chromosomal dna was prepared from the atcc 13869 strain in accordance with an ordinary method . a dna fragment containing args , lysa , and a promoter of an operon containing them was amplified from the chromosomal dna in accordance with pcr . as for dna primers used for amplification , synthetic dna &# 39 ; s of 23 - mers having nucleotide sequences depicted in seq id nos : 16 and 17 in sequence listing respectively were used in order to amplify a region of about 3 . 6 kb coding for arginyl - trna synthase and ddc on the basis of a sequence known for corynebacterium glutamicum ( see molecular microbiology , 4 ( 11 ), 1819 - 1830 ( 1990 ); molecular and general genetics , 212 , 112 - 119 ( 1988 )). synthesis of dna and pcr were performed in the same manner as described in example 1 . phsg399 was used as a cloning vector for the amplified gene fragment of 3 , 579 bp . phsg399 was digested with a restriction enzyme smai ( produced by takara shuzo ), which was ligated with the dna fragment containing amplified lysa . a plasmid obtained as described above , which had lysa originating from atcc 13869 , was designated as p399lysa . a dna fragment containing lysa was extracted by digesting p399lysa with kpni ( produced by takara shuzo ) and bamhi ( produced by takara shuzo ). this dna fragment was ligated with phsg299 having been digested with kpni and bamhi . an obtained plasmid was designated as p299lysa . the process of construction of p299lysa is shown in fig4 . brevi .- ori was introduced into the obtained p299lysa to construct a plasmid carrying lysa autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . phk4 was digested with restriction enzymes kpni and bamhi , and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . blunt end formation was performed by using dna blunting kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with a designated method . after the blunt end formation , a phosphorylated kpni linker ( produced by takara shuzo ) was ligated to make modification so that the dna fragment corresponding to the brevi .- ori portion might be excised from phk4 by digestion with only kpni . this plasmid was digested with kpni , and the generated brevi .- ori dna fragment was ligated with p299lysa having been also digested with kni to prepare a plasmid containing lysa autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . the prepared plasmid was designated as plysab . the process of construction of plysab is shown in fig5 . plasmid dna of p299lysa was prepared , and its nucleotide sequence was determined in the same manner as described in example 1 . a determined nucleotide sequence and an amino acid sequence deduced to be encoded by the nucleotide sequence are shown in seq id no : 18 . concerning the nucleotide sequence , an amino acid sequence encoded by args and an amino acid sequence encoded by lysa are shown in seq id nos : 19 and 20 respectively . a ddh gene was obtained by amplifying the ddh gene from chromosomal dna of brevibacterium lactofermentum atcc 13869 in accordance with the pcr method by using two oligonucleotide primers ( seq id nos : 21 , 22 ) prepared on the basis of a known nucleotide sequence of a ddh gene of corynebacterium glutamicum ( ishino , s . et al ., nucleic acids res ., 15 , 3917 ( 1987 )). an obtained amplified dna fragment was digested with ecot22i and avai , and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . after that , the fragment was inserted into a smai site of pmw119 to obtain a plasmid pddh . next , pddh was digested with sali and ecori , followed by blunt end formation . after that , an obtained fragment was ligated with puc18 having been digested with smai . a plasmid thus obtained was designated as puc18ddh . brevi .- ori was introduced into puc18ddh to construct a plasmid carrying ddh autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . phk4 was digested with restriction enzymes kpni and bamhi , and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . blunt end formation was performed by using dna blunting kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with a designated method . after the blunt end formation , a phosphorylated psti linker ( produced by takara shuzo ) was ligated so that it was inserted into a psti site of phsg299 . a plasmid constructed as described above was designated as ppk4 . next , puc18ddh was digested with xbai and kpni , and a generated fragment was ligated with ppk4 having been digested with kpni and xbai . thus a plasmid containing ddh autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria was constructed . this plasmid was designated as ppk4d . the process of construction of ppk4d is shown in fig6 . a plasmid comprising mutant lysc , dapa , and replication origin of coryneform bacteria was constructed from the plasmid pcrdapa comprising dapa and the plasmid p399ak9b comprising mutant lysc and brevi .- ori . p399ak9b was completely degraded with sali , and then it was blunt - ended , with which an ecori linker was ligated to construct a plasmid in which the sali site was modified into an ecori site . the obtained plasmid was designated as p399ak9bse . the mutant lysc and brevi .- ori were excised as one fragment by partially degrading p399ak9bse with ecori . this fragment was ligated with pcrdapa having been digested with ecori . an obtained plasmid was designated as pcrcab . this plasmid is autonomously replicable in e . coli and coryneform bacteria , and it gives kanamycin resistance to a host , the plasmid comprising a combination of mutant lysc and dapa . the process of construction of pcrcab is shown in fig7 . a plasmid comprising mutant lysc and dapb was constructed from the plasmid p399ak9 having mutant lysc and the plasmid p399dpr having dapb . a fragment of 1 , 101 bp containing a structural gene of ddpr was extracted by digesting p399dpr with ecorv and sphi . this fragment was ligated with p399ak9 having been digested with sali and then blunt - ended and having been further digested with sphi to construct a plasmid comprising a combination of mutant lysc and dapb . this plasmid was designated as p399akddpr . next , brevi .- ori was introduced into the obtained p399akddpr . the plasmid phk4 containing brevi .- ori was digested with a restriction enzyme kpni ( produced by takara shuzo ), and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . blunt end formation was performed by using dna blunting kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with a designated method . after the blunt end formation , a phosphorylated bamhi linker ( produced by takara shuzo ) was ligated to make modification so that the dna fragment corresponding to the brevi .- ori portion might be excised from phk4 by digestion with only bamhi . this plasmid was digested with bamhi , and the generated brevi .- ori dna fragment was ligated with p399akddpr having been also digested with bamhi to construct a plasmid containing mutant lysc and dapb autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . the constructed plasmid was designated as pcb . the process of construction of pcb is shown in fig8 . the plasmid pcrdapa comprising dapa was digested with kpni and ecori to extract a dna fragment containing dapa which was ligated with the vector plasmid phsg399 having been digested with kpni and ecori . an obtained plasmid was designated as p399dps . on the other hand , the plasmid pcrdapb comprising dapb was digested with sacii and ecori to extract a dna fragment of 2 . 0 kb containing a region coding for ddpr which was ligated with p399dps having been digested with sacii and ecori to construct a plasmid comprising a combination of dapa and dapb . the obtained plasmid was designated as p399ab . next , brevi .- ori was introduced into p399ab . phk4 containing brevi .- ori was digested with a restriction enzyme bamhi ( produced by takara shuzo ), and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . blunt end formation was performed by using dna blunting kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with a designated method . after the blunt end formation , a phosphorylated kpni linker ( produced by takara shuzo ) was ligated to make modification so that the dna fragment corresponding to the brevi .- ori portion might be excised from phk4 by digestion with only kpni . this plasmid was digested with kpni , and the generated brevi .- ori dna fragment was ligated with p399ab having been also digested with kpni to construct a plasmid containing dapa and dapb autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . the constructed plasmid was designated as pab . the process of construction of pab is shown in fig9 . the plasmid puc18ddh comprising ddh was digested with ecori and xbai to extract a dna fragment containing ddh . this ddh fragment was ligated with the plasmid p399lysa comprising lysa having been digested with bamhi and xbai with cleaved edges having been blunt - ended after the digestion . an obtained plasmid was designated as p399dl . the process of construction of p399dl is shown in fig1 . next , brevi .- ori was introduced into p399dl . phk4 was digested with xbai and bamhi , and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . after the blunt end formation , a phosphorylated xbai linker was ligated to make modification so that the dna fragment corresponding to the brevi .- ori portion might be excised from phk4 by digestion with only xbai . this plasmid was digested with xbai , and the generated brevi .- ori dna fragment was ligated with p399dl having been also digested with xbai to construct a plasmid containing ddh and lysa autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . the constructed plasmid was designated as pdl . the process of construction of pdl is shown in fig1 . p399dps was degraded with ecori and sphi to form blunt ends followed by extraction of a dapa gene fragment . this fragment was ligated with the p399ak9 having been digested with sali and blunt - ended to construct a plasmid p399ca in which mutant lysc and dapa co - existed . the plasmid pcrdapb comprising dapb was digested with ecori and blunt - ended , followed by digestion with saci to extract a dna fragment of 2 . 0 kb comprising dapb . the plasmid p399ca comprising dapa and mutant lysc was digested with spei and blunt - ended , which was thereafter digested with saci and ligated with the extracted dapb fragment to obtain a plasmid comprising mutant lysc , dapa , and dapb . this plasmid was designated as p399cab . next , brevi .- ori was introduced into p399cab . the plasmid phk4 comprising brevi .- ori was digested with a restriction enzyme bamhi ( produced by takara shuzo ), and cleaved edges were blunt - ended . blunt end formation was performed by using dna blunting kit ( produced by takara shuzo ) in accordance with a designated method . after the blunt end formation , a phosphorylated kpni linker ( produced by takara shuzo ) was ligated to make modification so that the dna fragment corresponding to the brevi .- ori portion might be excised from phk4 by digestion with only kpni . this plasmid was digested with kpni , and the generated brevi .- ori dna fragment was ligated with p399cab having been also digested with kpni to construct a plasmid comprising a combination of mutant lysc , dapa , and dapb autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . the constructed plasmid was designated as pcab . the process of construction of pcab is shown in fig1 . construction of plasmid comprising combination of mutant lysc , dapa , dapb , and lysa the plasmid p299lysa comprising lysa was digested with kpni and bamhi and blunt - ended , and then a lysa gene fragment was extracted . this fragment was ligated with pcab having been digested with hpai ( produced by takara shuzo ) and blunt - ended to construct a plasmid comprising a combination of mutant lysc , dapa , dapb , and lysa autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . the constructed plasmid was designated as pcabl . the process of construction of pcabl is shown in fig1 . it is noted that the lysa gene fragment is inserted into a hpai site in a dna fragment containing the dapb gene in pcabl , however , the hpai site is located upstream from a promoter for the dapb gene ( nucleotide numbers 611 to 616 in seq id no : 10 ), and the dapb gene is not decoupled . construction of plasmid comprising combination of mutant lysc , dapa , dapb , ddh , and lysa phsg299 was digested with xbai and kpni , which was ligated with p399dl comprising ddh and lysa having been digested with xbai and kpni . a constructed plasmid was designated as p299dl . p299dl was digested with xbai and kpni and blunt - ended . after the blunt end formation , a dna fragment comprising ddh and lysa was extracted . this dna fragment was ligated with the plasmid pcab comprising the combination of mutant lysc , dapa , and dapb having been digested with hpai and blunt - ended to construct a plasmid comprising a combination of mutant lysc , dapa , dapb , lysa and ddh autonomously replicable in coryneform bacteria . the constructed plasmid was designated as pcabdl . the process of construction of pcabdl is shown in fig1 . introduction of plasmids comprising genes for l - lysine biosynthesis into l - lysine - producing bacterium of brevibacterium lactofermentum the plasmids comprising the genes for l - lysine biosynthesis constructed as described above , namely p399ak9b ( cm r ), pdpsb ( km r ), pdprb ( cm r ), plysab ( cm r ), ppk4d ( cm r ), pcrcab ( km r ), pab ( cm r ), pcb ( cm r ), pdl ( cm r ), pcab ( cm r ), pcabl ( cm r ), and pcabdl ( cm r ) were introduced into an l - lysine - producing bacterium aj11082 ( nrrl b - 11470 ) of brevibacterium lactofermentum respectively . aj11082 strain has a property of aec resistance . the plasmids were introduced in accordance with an electric pulse method ( sugimoto et al ., japanese patent laid - open no . 2 - 207791 ). transformants were selected based on drug resistance markers possessed by the respective plasmids . transformants were selected on a complete medium containing 5 μg / ml of chloramphenicol when a plasmid comprising a chloramphenicol resistance gene was introduced , or transformants were selected on a complete medium containing 25 μg / ml of kanamycin when a plasmid comprising a kanamycin resistance gene was introduced . each of the transformants obtained in example 13 was cultivated in an l - lysine - producing medium to evaluate its l - lysine productivity . the l - lysine - producing medium had the following composition . the following components other than calcium carbonate ( per 1 l ) were dissolved to make adjustment at ph 8 . 0 with koh . the medium was sterilized at 115 ° c . for 15 minutes , to which calcium carbonate ( 50 g ) having been separately sterilized in hot air in a dry state was thereafter added . glucose 100 g ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 55 g kh 2 po 4 1 g mgso 4 . 7h 2 o 1 g biotin 500 μg thiamin 2000 μg feso 4 . 7h 2 o 0 . 01 g mnso 4 . 7h 2 o 0 . 01 g nicotinamide 5 mg protein hydrolysate ( mamenou ) 30 ml calcium carbonate 50 g each of the various types of the transformants and the parent strain was inoculated to the medium having the composition described above to perform cultivation at 31 . 5 ° c . with reciprocating shaking . the amount of produced l - lysine after 40 or 72 hours of cultivation , and the growth after 72 hours ( od 562 ) are shown in table 1 . in the table , lysc * represents mutant lysc . the growth was quantitatively determined by measuring od at 560 nm after 101 - fold dilution . as shown in table 1 , when mutant lysc , dapa , or dapb was enhanced singly , the amount of produced l - lysine was larger than or equivalent to that produced by the parent strain after 72 hours of cultivation , however , the amount of produced l - lysine was smaller than that produced by the parent strain after 40 hours of cultivation . namely , the l - lysine - producing speed was lowered in cultivation for a short period . similarly , when mutant lysc and dapa , or dapa and dapb were enhanced in combination , the amount of produced l - lysine was larger than that produced by the parent strain after 72 hours of cultivation , however , the amount of produced l - lysine was smaller than that produced by the parent strain after 40 hours of cultivation . thus the l - lysine - producing speed was lowered . on the other hand , when lysa or ddh was enhanced singly , or when lysa and ddh were enhanced in combination , the amount of produced l - lysine was larger than that produced by the parent strain after 40 hours of cultivation , however , the amount of produced l - lysine was consequently smaller than that produced by the parent strain after the long period of cultivation because of decrease in growth . on the contrary , in the case of the strain in which dapb was enhanced together with mutant lysc , the growth was improved , the l - lysine - producing speed was successfully restored in the short period of cultivation , and the accumulated amount of l - lysine was also improved in the long period of cultivation . in the case of the strain in which three of mutant lysc , dapa , and dapb were simultaneously enhanced , the l - lysine productivity was further improved . both of the l - lysine - producing speed and the amount of accumulated l - lysine were improved in a stepwise manner by successively enhancing lysa and ddh . according to the present invention , the l - lysine - producing ability of coryneform bacteria can be improved , and the growth speed can be also improved . the l - lysine - producing speed can be improved , and the productivity can be also improved in coryneform l - lysine - producing bacteria by enhancing dapb together with mutant lysc . the l - lysine - producing speed and the productivity can be further improved by successively enhancing dapa , lysa , and ddh in addition to the aforementioned genes . gtaactgtca gcacgtagat cgaaaggtgc acaaag gtg gcc ctg gtc gta cag 234 aaa tat ggc ggt tcc tcg ctt gag agt gcg gaa cgc att aga aac gtc 282 lys tyr gly gly ser ser leu glu ser ala glu arg ile arg asn val gct gaa cgg atc gtt gcc acc aag aag gct gga aat gat gtc gtg gtt 330 gtc tgc tcc gca atg gga gac acc acg gat gaa ctt cta gaa ctt gca 378 gcg gca gtg aat ccc gtt ccg cca gct cgt gaa atg gat atg ctc ctg 426 act gct ggt gag cgt att tct aac gct ctc gtc gcc atg gct att gag 474 thr ala gly glu arg ile ser asn ala leu val ala met ala ile glu tcc ctt ggc gca gaa gct caa tct ttc act ggc tct cag gct ggt gtg 522 ctc acc acc gag cgc cac gga aac gca cgc att gtt gac gtc aca ccg 570 leu thr thr glu arg his gly asn ala arg ile val asp val thr pro ggt cgt gtg cgt gaa gca ctc gat gag ggc aag atc tgc att gtt gct 618 ggt ttt cag ggt gtt aat aaa gaa acc cgc gat gtc acc acg ttg ggt 666 gly phe gln gly val asn lys glu thr arg asp val thr thr leu gly cgt ggt ggt tct gac acc act gca gtt gcg ttg gca gct gct ttg aac 714 gct gat gtg tgt gag att tac tcg gac gtt gac ggt gtg tat acc gct 762 gac ccg cgc atc gtt cct aat gca cag aag ctg gaa aag ctc agc ttc 810 asp pro arg ile val pro asn ala gln lys leu glu lys leu ser phe gaa gaa atg ctg gaa ctt gct gct gtt ggc tcc aag att ttg gtg ctg 858 cgc agt gtt gaa tac gct cgt gca ttc aat gtg cca ctt cgc gta cgc 906 tcg tct tat agt aat gat ccc ggc act ttg att gcc ggc tct atg gag 954 ser ser tyr ser asn asp pro gly thr leu ile ala gly ser met glu gat att cct gtg gaa gaa gca gtc ctt acc ggt gtc gca acc gac aag 1002 tcc gaa gcc aaa gta acc gtt ctg ggt att tcc gat aag cca ggc gag 1050 ser glu ala lys val thr val leu gly ile ser asp lys pro gly glu gct gcc aag gtt ttc cgt gcg ttg gct gat gca gaa atc aac att gac 1098 atg gtt ctg cag aac gtc tcc tct gtg gaa gac ggc acc acc gac atc 1146 met val leu gln asn val ser ser val glu asp gly thr thr asp ile acg ttc acc tgc cct cgc gct gac gga cgc cgt gcg atg gag atc ttg 1194 thr phe thr cys pro arg ala asp gly arg arg ala met glu ile leu aag aag ctt cag gtt cag ggc aac tgg acc aat gtg ctt tac gac gac 1242 cag gtc ggc aaa gtc tcc ctc gtg ggt gct ggc atg aag tct cac cca 1290 ggt gtt acc gca gag ttc atg gaa gct ctg cgc gat gtc aac gtg aac 1338 gly val thr ala glu phe met glu ala leu arg asp val asn val asn atc gaa ttg att tcc acc tct gag atc cgc att tcc gtg ctg atc cgt 1386 gaa gat gat ctg gat gct gct gca cgt gca ttg cat gag cag ttc cag 1434 ctg ggc ggc gaa gac gaa gcc gtc gtt tat gca ggc acc gga cgc taa 1482 glu met asp met leu leu thr ala gly glu arg ile ser asn ala leu val ala met ala ile glu ser leu gly ala glu ala gln ser phe thr gly ser gln ala gly val leu thr thr glu arg his gly asn ala arg lys ile cys ile val ala gly phe gln gly val asn lys glu thr arg asp gly val tyr thr ala asp pro arg ile val pro asn ala gln lys ser lys ile leu val leu arg ser val glu tyr ala arg ala phe asn ile ala gly ser met glu asp ile pro val glu glu ala val leu thr ser asp lys pro gly glu ala ala lys val phe arg ala leu ala asp arg ala met glu ile leu lys lys leu gln val gln gly asn trp thr gly met lys ser his pro gly val thr ala glu phe met glu ala leu cct gtg gaa gaa gca gtc ctt acc ggt gtc gca acc gac aag tcc gaa 1008 gcc aaa gta acc gtt ctg ggt att tcc gat aag cca ggc gag gct gcc 1056 ala lys val thr val leu gly ile ser asp lys pro gly glu ala ala aag gtt ttc cgt gcg ttg gct gat gca gaa atc aac att gac atg gtt 1104 lys val phe arg ala leu ala asp ala glu ile asn ile asp met val ctg cag aac gtc tcc tct gtg gaa gac ggc acc acc gac atc acg ttc 1152 leu gln asn val ser ser val glu asp gly thr thr asp ile thr phe acc tgc cct cgc gct gac gga cgc cgt gcg atg gag atc ttg aag aag 1200 thr cys pro arg ala asp gly arg arg ala met glu ile leu lys lys ctt cag gtt cag ggc aac tgg acc aat gtg ctt tac gac gac cag gtc 1248 ggc aaa gtc tcc ctc gtg ggt gct ggc atg aag tct cac cca ggt gtt 1296 acc gca gag ttc atg gaa gct ctg cgc gat gtc aac gtg aac atc gaa 1344 thr ala glu phe met glu ala leu arg asp val asn val asn ile glu ttg att tcc acc tct gag atc cgc att tcc gtg ctg atc cgt gaa gat 1392 gat ctg gat gct gct gca cgt gca ttg cat gag cag ttc cag ctg ggc 1440 ggc gaa gac gaa gcc gtc gtt tat gca ggc acc gga cgc taaagttttaa 1490 lys val thr val leu gly ile ser asp lys pro gly glu ala ala lys cys pro arg ala asp gly arg arg ala met glu ile leu lys lys leu aggagcata atg gga atc aag gtt ggc gtt ctc gga gcc aaa ggc cgt 768 gtt ggt caa act att gtg gca gca gtc aat gag tcc gac gat ctg gag 816 val gly gln thr ile val ala ala val asn glu ser asp asp leu glu ctt gtt gca gag atc ggc gtc gac gat gat ttg agc ctt ctg gta gac 864 aac ggc gct gaa gtt gtc gtt gac ttc acc act cct aac gct gtg atg 912 ggc aac ctg gag ttc tgc atc aac aac ggc att tct gcg gtt gtt gga 960 acc acg ggc ttc gat gat gct cgt ttg gag cag gtt cgc gcc tgg ctt 1008 thr thr gly phe asp asp ala arg leu glu gln val arg ala trp leu gaa gga aaa gac aat gtc ggt gtt ctg atc gca cct aac ttt gct atc 1056 glu gly lys asp asn val gly val leu ile ala pro asn phe ala ile tct gcg gtg ttg acc atg gtc ttt tcc aag cag gct gcc cgc ttc ttc 1104 gaa tca gct gaa gtt att gag ctg cac cac ccc aac aag ctg gat gca 1152 glu ser ala glu val ile glu leu his his pro asn lys leu asp ala cct tca ggc acc gcg atc cac act gct cag ggc att gct gcg gca cgc 1200 aaa gaa gca ggc atg gac gca cag cca gat gcg acc gag cag gca ctt 1248 gag ggt tcc cgt ggc gca agc gta gat gga atc cca gtt cac gca gtc 1296 cgc atg tcc ggc atg gtt gct cac gag caa gtt atc ttt ggc acc cag 1344 arg met ser gly met val ala his glu gln val ile phe gly thr gln ggt cag acc ttg acc atc aag cag gac tcc tat gat cgc aac tca ttt 1392 gly gln thr leu thr ile lys gln asp ser tyr asp arg asn ser phe gca cca ggt gtc ttg gtg ggt gtg cgc aac att gca cag cac cca ggc 1440 cta gtc gta gga ctt gag cat tac cta ggc ctg taaaggctca tttcagcagc 1493 glu val val val asp phe thr thr pro asn ala val met gly asn leu phe asp asp ala arg leu glu gln val arg ala trp leu glu gly lys leu thr met val phe ser lys gln ala ala arg phe phe glu ser ala glu val ile glu leu his his pro asn lys leu asp ala pro ser gly leu thr ile lys gln asp ser tyr asp arg asn ser phe ala pro gly cttgaactct atg agc aca ggt tta aca gct aag acc gga gta gag cac 349 ttc ggc acc gtt gga gta gca atg gtt act cca ttc acg gaa tcc gga 397 gac atc gat atc gct gct ggc cgc gaa gtc gcg gct tat ttg gtt gat 445 aag ggc ttg gat tct ttg gtt ctc gcg ggc acc act ggt gaa tcc cca 493 acg aca acc gcc gct gaa aaa cta gaa ctg ctc aag gcc gtt cgt gag 541 gaa gtt ggg gat cgg gcg aac gtc atc gcc ggt gtc gga acc aac aac 589 acg cgg aca tct gtg gaa ctt gcg gaa gct gct gct tct gct ggc gca 637 gac ggc ctt tta gtt gta act cct tat tac tcc aag ccg agc caa gag 685 asp gly leu leu val val thr pro tyr tyr ser lys pro ser gln glu gga ttg ctg gcg cac ttc ggt gca att gct gca gca aca gag gtt cca 733 att tgt ctc tat gac att cct ggt cgg tca ggt att cca att gag tct 781 gat acc atg aga cgc ctg agt gaa tta cct acg att ttg gcg gtc aag 829 asp thr met arg arg leu ser glu leu pro thr ile leu ala val lys gac gcc aag ggt gac ctc gtt gca gcc acg tca ttg atc aaa gaa acg 877 gga ctt gcc tgg tat tca ggc gat gac cca cta aac ctt gtt tgg ctt 925 gct ttg ggc gga tca ggt ttc att tcc gta att gga cat gca gcc ccc 973 aca gca tta cgt gag ttg tac aca agc ttc gag gaa ggc gac ctc gtc 1021 thr ala leu arg glu leu tyr thr ser phe glu glu gly asp leu val cgt gcg cgg gaa atc aac gcc aaa cta tca ccg ctg gta gct gcc caa 1069 arg ala arg glu ile asn ala lys leu ser pro leu val ala ala gln ggt cgc ttg ggt gga gtc agc ttg gca aaa gct gct ctg cgt ctg cag 1117 ggc atc aac gta gga gat cct cga ctt cca att atg gct cca aat gag 1165 gly ile asn val gly asp pro arg leu pro ile met ala pro asn glu cag gaa ctt gag gct ctc cga gaa gac atg aaa aaa gct gga gtt cta 1213 met ser thr gly leu thr ala lys thr gly val glu his phe gly thr val gly val ala met val thr pro phe thr glu ser gly asp ile asp ala his phe gly ala ile ala ala ala thr glu val pro ile cys leu arg arg leu ser glu leu pro thr ile leu ala val lys asp ala lys arg glu leu tyr thr ser phe glu glu gly asp leu val arg ala arg glu ile asn ala lys leu ser pro leu val ala ala gln gly arg leu val gly asp pro arg leu pro ile met ala pro asn glu gln glu leu aca cca gct gat ctc gca aca ttg att aaa gag acc gcg gta gag gtt 583 ttg acc tcc cgc gag ctc gat act tct gtt ctt ccg gag cag gta gtt 631 gtg gag cgt ccg cgt aac cca gag cac ggc gat tac gcc acc aac att 679 val glu arg pro arg asn pro glu his gly asp tyr ala thr asn ile gca ttg cag gtg gct aaa aag gtc ggt cag aac cct cgg gat ttg gct 727 acc tgg ctg gca gag gca ttg gct gca gat gac gcc att gat tct gct 775 gaa att gct ggc cca ggc ttt ttg aac att cgc ctt gct gca gca gca 823 cag ggt gaa att gtg gcc aag att ctg gca cag ggc gag act ttc gga 871 aac tcc gat cac ctt tcc cac ttg gac gtg aac ctc gag ttc gtt tct 919 gca aac cca acc gga cct att cac ctt ggc gga acc cgc tgg gct gcc 967 gtg ggt gac tct ttg ggt cgt gtg ctg gag gct tcc ggc gcg aaa gtg 1015 acc cgc gaa tac tac ttc aac gat cac ggt cgc cag atc gat cgt ttc 1063 thr arg glu tyr tyr phe asn asp his gly arg gln ile asp arg phe gct ttg tcc ctt ctt gca gcg gcg aag ggc gag cca acg cca gaa gac 1111 ggt tat ggc ggc gaa tac att aag gaa att gcg gag gca atc gtc gaa 1159 aag cat cct gaa gcg ttg gct ttg gag cct gcc gca acc cag gag ctt 1207 ttc cgc gct gaa ggc gtg gag atg atg ttc gag cac atc aaa tct tcc 1255 phe arg ala glu gly val glu met met phe glu his ile lys ser ser ctg cat gag ttc ggc acc gat ttc gat gtc tac tac cac gag aac tcc 1303 leu his glu phe gly thr asp phe asp val tyr tyr his glu asn ser ctg ttc gag tcc ggt gcg gtg gac aag gcc gtg cag gtg ctg aag gac 1351 aac ggc aac ctg tac gaa aac gag ggc gct tgg tgg ctg cgt tcc acc 1399 gaa ttc ggc gat gac aaa gac cgc gtg gtg atc aag tct gac ggc gac 1447 gca gcc tac atc gct ggc gat atc gcg tac gtg gct gat aag ttc tcc 1495 cgc gga cac aac cta aac atc tac atg ttg ggt gct gac cac cat ggt 1543 tac atc gcg cgc ctg aag gca gcg gcg gcg gca ctt ggc tac aag cca 1591 gaa ggc gtt gaa gtc ctg att ggc cag atg gtg aac ctg ctt cgc gac 1639 ggc aag gca gtg cgt atg tcc aag cgt gca ggc acc gtg gtc acc cta 1687 gat gac ctc gtt gaa gca atc ggc atc gat gcg gcg cgt tac tcc ctg 1735 atc cgt tcc tcc gtg gat tct tcc ctg gat atc gat ctc ggc ctg tgg 1783 gaa tcc cag tcc tcc gac aac cct gtg tac tac gtg cag tac gga cac 1831 gct cgt ctg tgc tcc atc gcg cgc aag gca gag acc ttg ggt gtc acc 1879 ala arg leu cys ser ile ala arg lys ala glu thr leu gly val thr gag gaa ggc gca gac cta tct cta ctg acc cac gac cgc gaa ggc gat 1927 ctc atc cgc aca ctc gga gag ttc cca gca gtg gtg aag gct gcc gct 1975 leu ile arg thr leu gly glu phe pro ala val val lys ala ala ala gac cta cgt gaa cca cac cgc att gcc cgc tat gct gag gaa tta gct 2023 gga act ttc cac cgc ttc tac gat tcc tgc cac atc ctt cca aag gtt 2071 gly thr phe his arg phe tyr asp ser cys his ile leu pro lys val gat gag gat acg gca cca atc cac aca gca cgt ctg gca ctt gca gca 2119 gca acc cgc cag acc ctc gct aac gcc ctg cac ctg gtt ggc gtt tcc 2167 gca ccg gag aag atg taaca atg gct aca gtt gaa aat ttc aat gaa 2214 ctt ccc gca cac gta tgg cca cgc aat gcc gtg cgc caa gaa gac ggc 2262 leu pro ala his val trp pro arg asn ala val arg gln glu asp gly gtt gtc acc gtc gct ggt gtg cct ctg cct gac ctc gct gaa gaa tac 2310 gga acc cca ctg ttc gta gtc gac gag gac gat ttc cgt tcc cgc tgt 2358 gly thr pro leu phe val val asp glu asp asp phe arg ser arg cys cgc gac atg gct acc gca ttc ggt gga cca ggc aat gtg cac tac gca 2406 arg asp met ala thr ala phe gly gly pro gly asn val his tyr ala tct aaa gcg ttc ctg acc aag acc att gca cgt tgg gtt gat gaa gag 2454 ser lys ala phe leu thr lys thr ile ala arg trp val asp glu glu ggg ctg gca ctg gac att gca tcc atc aac gaa ctg ggc att gcc ctg 2502 gcc gct ggt ttc ccc gcc agc cgt atc acc gcg cac ggc aac aac aaa 2550 ala ala gly phe pro ala ser arg ile thr ala his gly asn asn lys ggc gta gag ttc ctg cgc gcg ttg gtt caa aac ggt gtg gga cac gtg 2598 gtg ctg gac tcc gca cag gaa cta gaa ctg ttg gat tac gtt gcc gct 2646 ggt gaa ggc aag att cag gac gtg ttg atc cgc gta aag cca ggc atc 2694 gaa gca cac acc cac gag ttc atc gcc act agc cac gaa gac cag aag 2742 ttc gga ttc tcc ctg gca tcc ggt tcc gca ttc gaa gca gca aaa gcc 2790 gcc aac aac gca gaa aac ctg aac ctg gtt ggc ctg cac tgc cac gtt 2838 ggt tcc cag gtg ttc gac gcc gaa ggc ttc aag ctg gca gca gaa cgc 2886 gly ser gln val phe asp ala glu gly phe lys leu ala ala glu arg gtg ttg ggc ctg tac tca cag atc cac agc gaa ctg ggc gtt gcc ctt 2934 cct gaa ctg gat ctc ggt ggc gga tac ggc att gcc tat acc gca gct 2982 gaa gaa cca ctc aac gtc gca gaa gtt gcc tcc gac ctg ctc acc gca 3030 gtc gga aaa atg gca gcg gaa cta ggc atc gac gca cca acc gtg ctt 3078 val gly lys met ala ala glu leu gly ile asp ala pro thr val leu gtt gag ccc ggc cgc gct atc gca ggc ccc tcc acc gtg acc atc tac 3126 gaa gtc ggc acc acc aaa gac gtc cac gta gac gac gac aaa acc cgc 3174 cgt tac atc gcc gtg gac gga ggc atg tcc gac aac atc cgc cca gca 3222 arg tyr ile ala val asp gly gly met ser asp asn ile arg pro ala ctc tac ggc tcc gaa tac gac gcc cgc gta gta tcc cgc ttc gcc gaa 3270 gga gac cca gta agc acc cgc atc gtg ggc tcc cac tgc gaa tcc ggc 3318 gly asp pro val ser thr arg ile val gly ser his cys glu ser gly gat atc ctg atc aac gat gaa atc tac cca tct gac atc acc agc ggc 3366 gac ttc ctt gca ctc gca gcc acc ggc gca tac tgc tac gcc atg agc 3414 tcc cgc tac aac gcc ttc aca cgg ccc gcc gtc gtg tcc gtc cgc gct 3462 ggc agc tcc cgc ctc atg ctg cgc cgc gaa acg ctc gac gac atc ctc 3510 val val glu arg pro arg asn pro glu his gly asp tyr ala thr asn ile ala leu gln val ala lys lys val gly gln asn pro arg asp leu ser ala asn pro thr gly pro ile his leu gly gly thr arg trp ala val thr arg glu tyr tyr phe asn asp his gly arg gln ile asp arg leu phe arg ala glu gly val glu met met phe glu his ile lys ser ser leu his glu phe gly thr asp phe asp val tyr tyr his glu asn ser arg gly his asn leu asn ile tyr met leu gly ala asp his his his ala arg leu cys ser ile ala arg lys ala glu thr leu gly val asp leu ile arg thr leu gly glu phe pro ala val val lys ala ala ala gly thr phe his arg phe tyr asp ser cys his ile leu pro lys met ala thr val glu asn phe asn glu leu pro ala his val trp pro gly gly pro gly asn val his tyr ala ser lys ala phe leu thr lys arg ile thr ala his gly asn asn lys gly val glu phe leu arg ala val leu ile arg val lys pro gly ile glu ala his thr his glu phe ile ala thr ser his glu asp gln lys phe gly phe ser leu ala ser asn leu val gly leu his cys his val gly ser gln val phe asp ala glu gly phe lys leu ala ala glu arg val leu gly leu tyr ser gln ala gly pro ser thr val thr ile tyr glu val gly thr thr lys asp gly met ser asp asn ile arg pro ala leu tyr gly ser glu tyr asp atg acc aac atc cgc gta gct atc gtg ggc tac gga aac ctg gga cgc 108 agc gtc gaa aag ctt att gcc aag cag ccc gac atg gac ctt gta gga 156 ser val glu lys leu ile ala lys gln pro asp met asp leu val gly atc ttc tcg cgc cgg gcc acc ctc gac aca aag acg cca gtc ttt gat 204 ile phe ser arg arg ala thr leu asp thr lys thr pro val phe asp tgc atg ggc tcc gcc acc gac atc cct gag cag gca cca aag ttc gcg 300 cys met gly ser ala thr asp ile pro glu gln ala pro lys phe ala cag ttc gcc tgc acc gta gac acc tac gac aac cac cgc gac atc cca 348 gln phe ala cys thr val asp thr tyr asp asn his arg asp ile pro cgc cac cgc cag gtc atg aac gaa gcc gcc acc gca gcc ggc aac gtt 396 gca ctg gtc tct acc ggc tgg gat cca gga atg ttc tcc atc aac cgc 444 ala leu val ser thr gly trp asp pro gly met phe ser ile asn arg gtc tac gca gcg gca gtc tta gcc gag cac cag cag cac acc ttc tgg 492 ggc cca ggt ttg tca cag ggc cac tcc gat gct ttg cga cgc atc cct 540 ggc gtt caa aag gca gtc cag tac acc ctc cca tcc gaa gac gcc ctg 588 gly val gln lys ala val gln tyr thr leu pro ser glu asp ala leu gaa aag gcc cgc cgc ggc gaa gcc ggc gac ctt acc gga aag caa acc 636 cac aag cgc caa tgc ttc gtg gtt gcc gac gcg gcc gat cac gag cgc 684 atc gaa aac gac atc cgc acc atg cct gat tac ttc gtt ggc tac gaa 732 ile glu asn asp ile arg thr met pro asp tyr phe val gly tyr glu gtc gaa gtc aac ttc atc gac gaa gca acc ttc gac tcc gag cac acc 780 ggc atg cca cac ggt ggc cac gtg att acc acc ggc gac acc ggt ggc 828 ttc aac cac acc gtg gaa tac atc ctc aag ctg gac cga aac cca gat 876 phe asn his thr val glu tyr ile leu lys leu asp arg asn pro asp ttc acc gct tcc tca cag atc gct ttc ggt cgc gca gct cac cgc atg 924 aag cag cag ggc caa agc gga gct ttc acc gtc ctc gaa gtt gct cca 972 lys gln gln gly gln ser gly ala phe thr val leu glu val ala pro tac ctg ctc tcc cca gag aac ttg gac gat ctg atc gca cgc gac gtc 1020 tyr leu leu ser pro glu asn leu asp asp leu ile ala arg asp val ser val glu lys leu ile ala lys gln pro asp met asp leu val gly ile phe ser arg arg ala thr leu asp thr lys thr pro val phe asp cys met gly ser ala thr asp ile pro glu gln ala pro lys phe ala gln phe ala cys thr val asp thr tyr asp asn his arg asp ile pro ala leu val ser thr gly trp asp pro gly met phe ser ile asn arg gly val gln lys ala val gln tyr thr leu pro ser glu asp ala leu ile glu asn asp ile arg thr met pro asp tyr phe val gly tyr glu phe asn his thr val glu tyr ile leu lys leu asp arg asn pro asp lys gln gln gly gln ser gly ala phe thr val leu glu val ala pro tyr leu leu ser pro glu asn leu asp asp leu ile ala arg asp val	2
referring to fig1 , the preferred embodiment of a system for implementing a message transaction method according to this invention includes sending and receiving mobile communication devices 1 , 3 . the sending and receiving mobile communication devices 1 , 3 establish a connection therebetween through a conventional communication exchange system 2 . the communication exchange system 2 allocates an appropriate channel for establishing the connection between the sending and receiving mobile communication devices 1 , 3 , and handles transmission of communication signals between the sending and receiving mobile communication devices 1 , 3 . the sending mobile communication device 1 includes a control module 10 , a memory module 14 , an input module 122 , a communication module 13 , and a timer 16 . the memory module 14 is connected electrically to the control module 10 , and stores a program 140 to be executed by the control module 10 for performing steps associated with the message transaction method , in a manner that will be described hereinafter . the sending mobile communication device 1 is configured with a lookup table 142 that is stored in the memory module 14 thereof . in this embodiment , the lookup table 142 , as shown in table i , maps a set of relations between ringing response signal intervals and corresponding messages . the memory module 14 further stores a contact list 141 that maps a relation between the name of the user of the receiving mobile communication device 3 and a corresponding identification code of the receiving mobile communication device 3 , such as a phone number . it is noted that the lookup table 142 configured in the sending mobile communication device 1 includes the identification code of the receiving mobile communication device 3 so that the lookup table 142 can correspond with the receiving mobile communication device 3 . the input module 122 is connected electrically to the control module 10 , and is operable so as to generate control signals , such as for enabling selection of a desired one of the relations in the lookup table 142 by the control module 10 . in this embodiment , the input module 122 may be a touchpad or a keypad . the communication module 13 is connected electrically to and controlled by the control module 10 , and is operable so as to send a connection request and so as to subsequently receive a ringing response signal . the timer 16 is connected electrically to and controlled by the control module 10 , and is operable so as to count an elapsed time starting from receipt of the ringing response signal . the communication module 13 is further operable so as to send a disconnection request when the elapsed time counted by the timer 16 corresponds to the ringing response signal interval in the desired relation selected by the control module 10 . the sending mobile communication device 1 further includes a display 11 that is connected electrically to and controlled by the control module 10 , and that is operable so as to show a main menu and submenus for selection by the user of the sending mobile communication device 1 . the sending mobile communication device 1 further includes a transceiver module 17 that is connected electrically to and controlled by the control module 10 , and that is operable so as to transmit the lookup table 142 . in this embodiment , the transceiver module 17 is a wireless transceiver module that complies with a bluetooth or an infrared data association ( irda ) specification . in an alternative embodiment , the transceiver module 17 is a wired transceiver module . the receiving mobile communication device 3 includes a control module 30 , a memory module 34 , a communication module 33 , and a timer 36 . the memory module 34 is connected electrically to the control module 30 , and stores a program 340 to be executed by the control module 30 for performing steps associated with the message transaction method , in a manner that will be described hereinafter . the receiving mobile communication device 3 is established with a lookup table 342 that is stored in the memory module 34 thereof and that is identical to that of the sending mobile communication device 1 . the memory module 34 further stores a contact list 341 that maps a relation between the name of the user of the sending mobile communication device 1 and a corresponding identification code of the sending mobile communication device 1 , such as a phone number . it is noted that the lookup table 342 established in the receiving mobile communication device 3 , as shown in table ii , includes the identification code of the sending mobile communication device 1 so that the lookup table 342 can correspond with the sending mobile communication device 1 . the communication module 33 is connected electrically to and controlled by the control module 30 , and is operable so as to receive the connection request from the communication module 13 of the sending mobile communication device 1 , so as to generate the ringing response signal to be sent to the sending mobile communication device 1 in response to the connection request , and so as to detect the disconnection request from the communication module 13 of the sending mobile communication device 1 . the timer 36 is connected electrically to and controlled by the control module 30 , and is operable so as to count an elapsed time starting from generation of the ringing response signal , and so as to stop counting the elapsed time in response to the disconnection request . upon detection of receipt of the disconnection request , the control module 30 is configured so as to compare the elapsed time counted by the timer 36 with the lookup table 342 established in the receiving mobile communication device 3 . the receiving mobile communication device 3 further includes a message output unit in the form of a display 31 that is connected electrically to and controlled by the control module 30 of the receiving mobile communication device 3 so as to provide the corresponding message of a matching relation to the user of the receiving mobile communication device 3 via a text output if the control module 30 finds the matching relation in the lookup table 342 . the receiving mobile communication device 3 further includes a speaker 321 that is connected electrically to and controlled by the control module 30 , and that is operable so as to produce an audible call alert . the control module 30 is further operable so as to compare an identification code of the sending mobile communication device 1 in the connection request with the contact list 341 . when a matching identification code is found in the contact list 341 , the control module 30 disables operation of the speaker 321 of the receiving mobile communication device 3 . on the other hand , when the matching identification code is not found in the contact list 341 , the control module 30 processes the connection request as an incoming voice call and controls the speaker 321 to produce the audible call alert . in this case , the control module 30 does not compare the elapsed time counted by the timer 36 with the lookup table 342 . the control module 30 is further operable so as to determine if the elapsed time counted by the timer 36 has reached a predetermined threshold . if the predetermined threshold has not yet been reached , the timer 36 continues the counting of the elapsed time . on the other hand , if the predetermined threshold was reached , the control module 30 processes the connection request as an incoming voice call . in this case , the control module 30 does not compare the elapsed time counted by the timer 36 with the lookup table 342 . the receiving mobile communication device 3 further includes a transceiver module 37 that is connected electrically to and controlled by the control module 30 , and that is operable so as to receive the lookup table 142 from the transceiver module 17 of the sending mobile communication device 1 , thereby establishing the lookup table 342 in the receiving mobile communication device 3 . in this embodiment , the transceiver module 37 is a wireless transceiver module that complies with a bluetooth or an infrared data association ( irda ) specification . in an alternative embodiment , the transceiver module 37 is a wired transceiver module . the preferred embodiment of the message transaction method to be implemented using the aforementioned system according to this invention includes the steps , which are performed by the sending mobile communication device 1 , shown in fig2 a to 2d . in step 21 , the sending mobile communication device 1 is turned on . in step 22 , the display 11 shows a main menu that allows selection of different operating modes of the sending mobile communication device 1 . in step 23 , if the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal such that a telephone operating mode is selected , the flow proceeds to step 24 . otherwise , the flow proceeds to step 25 . in step 24 , the display 11 shows a phonebook . at this time , the user of the sending mobile communication device 1 may proceed to make an outgoing voice call using the phonebook in a conventional manner . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 22 . in step 25 , if the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal such that a short message service ( sms ) operating mode is selected , the flow proceeds to step 26 . otherwise , the flow proceeds to step 27 . in step 26 , the display 11 shows a sms screen for entering a short message . at this time , the user may proceed to create and send a short message using the phonebook in a conventional manner . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 22 . in step 27 , if the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal such that a ring message operating mode is selected , the flow proceeds to step 28 . otherwise , the flow goes back to step 22 . in step 28 , the display 11 shows a submenu that allows selection between a “ contact list ” and a “ lookup table ”. in step 29 , if the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal such that the “ contact list ” is selected , the flow proceeds to step 30 . otherwise , the flow proceeds to step 31 . in step 30 , the display 11 shows the contact list 141 stored in the memory module 14 . at this time , the user of the sending mobile communication device 1 may proceed to add , edit , or delete a relation from the contact list 141 . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 28 . in step 31 , if the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal such that the “ lookup table ” is selected , the flow proceeds to step 32 . otherwise , the flow goes back to step 28 . in step 32 , the display 11 shows a submenu that allows selection between “ configure the lookup table ” and “ send a ring message ”. in step 33 , if the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal such that the “ configure the lookup table ” option is selected , the flow proceeds to step 34 . otherwise , the flow proceeds to step 39 . in step 34 , the display module 11 shows a submenu that allows selection between “ edit the lookup table ” and “ synchronize the lookup table ”. in step 35 , if the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal such that the “ edit the lookup table ” option is selected , the flow proceeds to step 36 . otherwise , the flow proceeds to step 37 . in step 36 , the display 11 shows the lookup table 142 stored in the memory module 14 . at this time , the user of the sending mobile communication device 1 may proceed to edit and save the lookup table 142 . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 34 . in step 37 , if the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal such that the “ synchronize the lookup table ” option is selected , the flow proceeds to step 38 . otherwise , the flow goes back to step 34 . in step 38 , the transceiver module 17 of the sending mobile communication device transmits the lookup table 142 to the receiving mobile communication device 3 . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 34 . in step 39 , if the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal such that the “ send a ring message ” option is selected , the flow proceeds to step 40 . otherwise , the flow goes back to step 32 . in step 40 , the display 11 shows the lookup table 142 . in step 41 , the input module 122 is operated to generate a control signal to enable selection of a desired relation in the lookup table 142 by the control module 10 . in step 42 , the communication module 13 sends a connection request to the receiving mobile communication device 3 . in step 43 , if the communication module 13 receives a busy signal from the receiving mobile communication device 3 , the flow proceeds to step 44 . otherwise , the flow proceeds to step 45 . in step 44 , the communication module 13 sends a disconnection request to the receiving mobile communication device 3 . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 40 . in step 45 , if the communication module 13 receives a ringing response signal from the receiving mobile communication device 3 , the flow proceeds to step 46 . otherwise , the flow goes back to step 43 . in step 46 , the timer 16 counts an elapsed time starting from the receipt of the ringing response signal . in step 47 , when the elapsed time counted by the timer 16 corresponds to the ringing signal interval in the desired relation selected in step 41 , the flow proceeds to step 48 . otherwise , the flow goes back to step 46 . in step 48 , the communication module 13 sends a disconnection request to the receiving mobile communication device 3 . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 22 . the preferred embodiment of the message transaction method further includes the steps , which are performed by the receiving mobile communication device 3 , shown in fig2 e and 2f . in step 49 , the lookup table 342 is established in the receiving mobile communication device 3 . that is , the transceiver module 37 receives the lookup table 142 transmitted in step 38 . in step 50 , the communication device 33 detects receipt of the connection request from the sending mobile communication device 1 . in step 51 , if the communication device 33 detects the connection request , the flow proceeds to step 52 . otherwise , the flow goes back to step 50 . in step 52 , the control module 30 compares the identification code of the sending mobile communication device 1 in the connection request with the contact list 341 . in step 53 , when the control module 30 finds a matching identification code in the contact list 341 , the flow proceeds to step 55 . otherwise , the flow proceeds to step 54 . in step 54 , the control module 30 processes the connection request as an incoming voice call in a conventional manner . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 50 . in step 55 , the control module 30 disables operation of the speaker 321 . that is , the receiving mobile communication device 3 operates in a silent mode . in step 56 , the communication module 33 generates the ringing response signal to be sent to the sending mobile communication device 1 in response to the connection request . in step 57 , the timer 36 counts an elapsed time starting from generation of the ringing response signal . in step 58 , if the control module 30 determines that the elapsed time counted by the timer 36 has reached a predetermined threshold , the flow proceeds to step 59 . otherwise , the flow proceeds to step 60 . in step 59 , the control module 30 processes the connection request as an incoming voice call . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 50 . in step 60 , the communication module 33 detects receipt of a disconnection request from the sending mobile communication device 1 . in step 61 , upon detection of the disconnection request , the flow proceeds to step 62 . otherwise , the flow goes back to step 58 . in step 62 , the control module 30 accepts the disconnection request . in step 63 , the timer 36 stops counting the elapsed time . in step 64 , the control module 30 compares the elapsed time counted by the timer 36 with the lookup table 342 in the memory module 34 . in step 65 , if the control module 30 finds a matching relation in the lookup table 342 , the flow proceeds to step 66 . otherwise , the flow goes back to step 50 . in step 66 , the display 31 shows the corresponding message of the matching relation found in step 65 to the user of the receiving mobile communication device 3 . thereafter , the flow goes back to step 50 . it should be noted herein that the corresponding messages in the lookup table 342 are not limited to text form and may be audio files so that messages are provided to the user of the receiving mobile communication device 3 via an audio output in other embodiment of this invention . from the above description , the message transaction method of this invention translates different intervals of ringing signals into messages using a lookup table . as such , the messages can be sent from the sending mobile communication device 1 to the receiving mobile communication device 3 without incurring any costs on the subscriber of the sending mobile communication device 1 . furthermore , the message transaction method of this invention is implemented as a program that is installed in the sending and receiving mobile communication devices 1 , 3 , and requires no additional hardware to be installed in the sending and receiving mobile communication devices 1 , 3 . while the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements .	7
the preferred embodiment of the stapler of the present invention is illustrated by way of example herein , with the stapler being capable of containing and alternately , selectively dispensing three different staple sizes . as mentioned above , the stapler of the present invention differs from previously known staplers in two principal aspects . first , the stapler of the present invention has a magazine which includes multiple cassettes for holding staples of different sizes -- three cassettes in the example illustrated herein . second , the stapler of the present invention includes a selector mechanism for selecting which of the multiple staple sizes is to be driven . these two aspects will be shown in considerable detail , with other more conventional components and conventional aspects of the stapler of the present invention being shown in much less detail . referring first to fig1 through 3 , a first staple guide member 60 is illustrated . the first staple guide member 60 includes two flat , parallel support rails 62 and 64 which extend upwardly from a base member 66 . the support rails 62 and 64 are of a height which will support staples of a first size ( such as , for example , one - quarter inch high staples ) thereon . note the configuration of the support rails 62 and 64 at the end illustrated on the right side thereof in fig1 . the support rails 62 and 64 have a curved notch located at the right end and the bottom thereof , which curved notch is indicated generally by the reference numeral 68 . the curved notch 68 will be used to provide clearance for the portion of the selector mechanism ( not illustrated in fig1 through 3 ) which selectively will allow staples located on the first staple guide member 60 to extend from the right side of the support rails 62 and 64 , or , alternately , will urge staples located on the first staple guide member 60 to the left away from the right side of the support rails 62 and 64 . projecting outwardly from the sides of the base member 66 of the first staple guide member 60 are a plurality of rectangular projections 70 , which will be used to facilitate mounting the first staple guide member 60 in a magazine housing ( not illustrated in fig1 through 3 ). centrally located in the base member 66 at the end of the first staple guide member 60 opposite the curved notch 68 is an aperture 72 , which will be used be used to facilitate securing a first staple feeding mechanism ( not illustrated in fig1 through 3 ). referring next to fig4 through 6 , a second staple guide member 74 is illustrated . the second staple guide member 74 includes two flat , parallel support rails 76 and 78 which extend upwardly from a base member 80 . the support rails 76 and 78 are of a height which will support staples of a second size ( such as , for example , three - eighth inch high staples ) thereon . note the configuration of the support rails 76 and 78 at the end illustrated on the right side thereof in fig1 . the support rails 76 and 78 have a curved notch located at the right end and the bottom thereof , which curved notch is indicated generally by the reference numeral 82 . the curved notch 82 will be used to provide clearance for the portion of the selector mechanism ( not illustrated in fig1 through 3 ) which selectively will allow staples located on the second staple guide member 74 to extend from the right side of the support rails 76 and 78 , or , alternately , will urge staples located on the second staple guide member 74 to the left away from the right side of the support rails 76 and 78 . projecting outwardly from the sides of the base member 80 of the second staple guide member 74 are a plurality of rectangular projections 84 , which will be used to facilitate mounting the second staple guide member 74 in a magazine housing ( not illustrated in fig4 through 6 ). centrally located in the base member 80 at the end of the second staple guide member 74 opposite the curved notch 82 is an aperture 86 , which will be used be used to facilitate securing a second staple feeding mechanism ( not illustrated in fig4 through 6 ). referring now to fig7 through 9 , a third staple guide member 88 is illustrated . the third staple guide member 88 includes two flat , parallel support rails 90 and 92 which extend upwardly from a base member 94 . the support rails 90 and 92 are of a height which will support staples of a first size ( such as , for example , three - quarter inch high staples ) thereon . note the configuration of the support rails 90 and 92 at the end illustrated on the right side thereof in fig1 . the support rails 90 and 92 have a curved notch located at the right end and the bottom thereof , which curved notch is indicated generally by the reference numeral 96 . the curved notch 96 will be used to provide clearance for the portion of the selector mechanism ( not illustrated in fig1 through 3 ) which selectively will allow staples located on the third staple guide member 88 to extend from the right side of the support rails 90 and 92 , or , alternately , will urge staples located on the third staple guide member 88 to the left away from the right side of the support rails 90 and 92 . projecting outwardly from the sides of the base member 94 of the third staple guide member 88 are a plurality of rectangular projections 98 , which will be used to facilitate mounting the third staple guide member 88 in a magazine housing ( not illustrated in fig7 through 9 ). centrally located in the base member 94 at the end of the third staple guide member 88 opposite the curved notch 96 is an aperture 100 , which will be used be used to facilitate securing a third staple feeding mechanism ( not illustrated in fig7 through 9 ). referring to fig1 through 13 , a first camming element 102 is illustrated , which first camming element 102 is the part of the staple selector mechanism which will be used in conjunction with staples of the first size located on the first staple guide member 60 ( fig1 through 3 ). the first camming element 102 includes a pair of spaced apart , relatively thin cylindrical members 104 and 106 having a single shaft 108 extending therebetween . the thicknesses of the cylindrical members 104 and 106 are identical . the shaft 108 is eccentrically located between the cylindrical members 104 and 106 so that rotation of the cylindrical members 104 and 106 will move the shaft 108 laterally back and forth . the shaft 108 is located slightly to one side of the central axis of the cylindrical members 104 and 106 , as best shown in fig1 . centrally located on the side of the cylindrical member 104 opposite the side from which the shaft 108 extends is a rectangular projection 110 . centrally located in the rectangular projection 110 is a tapped aperture 112 . centrally located on the side of the cylindrical member 106 opposite the side from which the shaft 108 extends is a rectangular projection 114 . centrally located in the rectangular projection 114 is a tapped aperture 116 . the heights of the rectangular projections 110 and 114 are equal . referring to fig1 through 17 , a second camming element 118 is illustrated , which second camming element 118 is the part of the staple selector mechanism which will be used in conjunction with staples of the second size located on the second staple guide member 74 ( fig4 through 6 ). the second camming element 118 includes a pair of spaced apart , relatively thin cylindrical members 120 and 122 having two spaced apart shafts 124 and 126 extending therebetween . the thicknesses of the cylindrical members 120 and 122 are identical , and are identical to the thicknesses of cylindrical members 104 and 106 in the first camming element 102 ( fig1 ). the shafts 124 and 126 are eccentrically located between the cylindrical members 120 and 122 so that rotation of the cylindrical members 120 and 122 will move the shafts 124 and 126 laterally back and forth . the shafts 124 and 126 are both located on the same halves of the cylindrical members 120 and 122 and slightly to one side of the central axis thereof , as best shown in fig1 . the lengths of the shafts 124 and 126 are identical to the length of the shaft 108 in the first camming element 102 ( fig1 ). centrally located on the side of the cylindrical member 120 opposite the side from which the shafts 124 and 126 extend is a rectangular projection 128 . centrally located in the rectangular projection 128 is a tapped aperture 130 . centrally located on the side of the cylindrical member 122 opposite the side from which the shafts 124 and 126 extend is a rectangular projection 132 . centrally located in the rectangular projection 132 is a tapped aperture 134 . the heights of the rectangular projections 128 and 132 are equal , and are greater than the heights of the rectangular projections 110 and 114 of the first camming element 102 ( fig1 ). referring now to fig1 through 21 , a third camming element 136 is illustrated , which third camming element 136 is the part of the staple selector mechanism which will be used in conjunction with staples of the third size located on the third staple guide member 88 ( fig7 through 9 ). the third camming element 136 includes a pair of spaced apart , relatively thin cylindrical members 138 and 140 having a single shaft 142 extending therebetween . the thicknesses of the cylindrical members 138 and 140 are identical , and are greater than the thicknesses of the cylindrical members 104 and 106 in the first camming element 102 ( fig1 ), and the thicknesses of the cylindrical members 120 and 122 in the second camming element 118 ( fig1 ). the shaft 142 is eccentrically located between the cylindrical members 138 and 140 so that rotation of the cylindrical members 138 and 140 will move the shaft laterally back and forth . the shaft 142 is located slightly to one side of the central axis of the cylindrical members 138 and 140 , as best shown in fig2 . the length of the shaft 142 is identical to the length of the shaft 108 in the first camming element 102 ( fig1 ), and the lengths of the shafts 124 and 126 in the second camming element 118 ( figs . 14 and 17 ). centrally located on the side of the cylindrical member 138 opposite the side from which the shaft 142 extends is a rectangular projection 144 . centrally located in the rectangular projection 144 is a tapped aperture 146 . centrally located on the side of the cylindrical member 140 opposite the side from which the shaft 142 extends is a rectangular projection 148 . centrally located in the rectangular projection 148 is a tapped aperture 150 . the heights of the rectangular projections 144 and 148 are equal , and are identical to the heights of the rectangular projections 110 and 114 of the first camming element 102 ( fig1 ). the heights of the rectangular projections 144 and 148 are less than the heights of the rectangular projections 128 and 132 of the second camming element 118 ( fig1 ). referring next to fig2 and 23 , a first gear member 152 is illustrated . the first gear member 152 has a rectangular aperture 154 located therein , which rectangular aperture 154 is for placement onto one of the rectangular projections 110 or 114 of the first camming element 102 illustrated in fig1 through 13 . the height of the rectangular projections 110 and 114 are equal to the thickness of the first gear member 152 . note that two of the first gear members 152 will be used in conjunction with the first camming element 102 . referring now to fig2 and 25 , a second gear member 156 is illustrated . the second gear member 156 includes a first gear element 158 and a second gear element 160 , which are coaxial and adjacent each other . the first gear element 158 is of the same diameter and has the same pitch and number of gear teeth as the first gear member 152 ( fig2 and 23 ). the first gear element 158 is smaller in diameter than the second gear element 160 . the second gear member 156 has a rectangular aperture 162 located therein , which rectangular aperture 162 is for placement onto one of the rectangular projections 128 or 132 of the second camming element 118 illustrated in fig1 through 17 . the second gear member 156 will be mounted onto one of the rectangular projections 128 or 132 of the second camming element 118 with the first gear element 158 located adjacent one of the cylindrical members 120 and 122 , respectively . the height of the rectangular projections 128 and 132 are greater than the thickness of the second gear member 156 . note that two of the second gear members 156 will be used in conjunction with the second camming element 118 . referring next to fig2 and 27 , a third gear member 164 is illustrated . the third gear member 164 is of the same diameter and has the same pitch and number of gear teeth as the second gear element 160 of the second gear member 156 ( fig2 and 25 ). the third gear member 164 has a rectangular aperture 166 located therein , which rectangular aperture 166 is for placement onto one of the rectangular projections 144 or 148 of the third camming element 136 illustrated in fig1 through 21 . the height of the rectangular projections 144 and 148 are equal to the thickness of the third gear member 164 . note that two of the third gear members 164 will be used in conjunction with the third camming element 136 . referring to fig2 and 29 , a staple size selector knob 168 is illustrated which has a greater diameter cylindrical portion 170 and a smaller diameter cylindrical portion 172 . the greater diameter cylindrical portion 170 of the staple size selector knob 168 has a cylindrical recess 174 located axially therein , with a smaller diameter aperture 176 extending through the rest of the greater diameter cylindrical portion 170 of the staple size selector knob 168 and the entire smaller diameter cylindrical portion 172 of the staple size selector knob 168 . located in the smaller diameter cylindrical portion 172 of the staple size selector knob 168 around the aperture 176 is a rectangular aperture 178 . the rectangular aperture 178 is for placement onto the distal end of one of the rectangular projections 144 and 148 of the second camming element 118 ( fig1 through 17 ) after installation of the second gear member 156 ( fig2 and 25 ) onto one of the rectangular projections 144 and 148 . also shown in fig2 is a screw 180 for installation through the cylindrical recess 174 into the aperture 176 in the staple size selector knob 168 to retain the staple size selector knob 168 on the second camming element 118 . referring now to fig3 through 33 , a first driving blade guide member 182 is illustrated ( note that the first driving blade guide member extends further upward from the portion illustrated in the figures ). the first driving blade guide member 182 has an inner side , best shown in fig3 , which will face a driving blade ( not shown in fig3 through 33 ). horizontally located in the first driving blade guide member 182 on the inner side thereof is a laterally extending notch 184 , which will function to limit rotation of the first camming element 102 ( fig1 through 13 ). located on the bottom of the first driving blade guide member 182 and facing the inner side of the first driving blade guide member 182 is a laterally extending beveled edge 186 . mounted onto the outer side of the first driving blade guide member 182 ( best illustrated in fig3 ) is a spring member 188 , which extends below the laterally extending beveled edge 186 of the first driving blade guide member 182 . the spring member 188 will serve a dual function : first , to act as a blade guide when staples of either the first size or the third size are to be dispensed , and second , to inhibit rotation of the second camming element 118 ( fig1 through 17 ) when staples of the second size are to be dispensed . completing the construction of the first driving blade guide member 182 are two threaded apertures 190 and 192 located in one side thereof , and two threaded apertures 194 and 196 located in the other side thereof . referring next to fig3 through 36 , a second driving blade guide member 198 is illustrated . the second driving blade guide member 198 has an inner side , best shown in fig3 , which will face a driving blade ( not shown in fig3 through 36 ). horizontally located in the second driving blade guide member 198 on the inner side thereof is a laterally extending notch 200 , which will function to limit rotation of the third camming element 136 ( fig1 through 21 ). completing the construction of the second driving blade guide member 198 are two threaded apertures 202 and 204 located in one side thereof , and two threaded apertures 206 and 208 located in the other side thereof . referring next to fig3 and 38 , the installation of a number of the components described above into a magazine housing 210 is illustrated . the magazine housing 210 is essentially u - shaped in cross - section , with the u being inverted with the open side being on the bottom in the views depicted in fig3 and 38 . the first staple guide member 60 illustrated in fig1 through 3 , the second staple guide member 74 illustrated in fig4 through 6 , and the third staple guide member 88 illustrated in fig7 through 9 ( all shown in dotted lines ) are installed into the magazine housing 210 . the installation of the staple guide members 60 , 74 , and 88 is facilitated by a plurality of rectangular apertures 212 located in the sides of the magazine housing 210 . the rectangular projections 70 , 84 , and 98 in the staple guide members 60 , 74 , and 88 , respectively , fit into the rectangular apertures 212 in the magazine housing 210 to retain the staple guide members 60 , 74 , and 88 , respectively , in place within the magazine housing 210 . thus , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the staple guide members 60 , 74 , and 88 are oriented in a vertical array , atop each other . the first camming element 102 illustrated in fig1 through 13 , the second camming element 118 illustrated in fig1 through 17 , and the third camming element 136 illustrated in fig1 through 21 are rotatably mounted in the magazine housing 210 . the side of the magazine housing 210 illustrated in fig3 contains three circular apertures 214 , 216 , and 218 therein . the side of the magazine housing 210 illustrated in fig3 contains three circular apertures 220 , 222 , and 224 therein . the circular apertures 214 and 220 are disposed adjacent the curved notch 68 ( fig1 ) in the first staple guide member 60 , the circular apertures 216 and 222 are disposed adjacent the curved notch 82 ( fig4 ) in the second staple guide member 74 , and the circular apertures 218 and 224 are disposed adjacent the curved notch 96 ( fig7 ) in the third staple guide member 88 . the first camming element 102 illustrated in fig1 through 13 is installed with the cylindrical member 104 being rotatably mounted in the circular aperture 214 , and with the cylindrical member 106 being rotatably mounted in the circular aperture 220 . the second camming element 118 illustrated in fig1 through 17 is installed with the cylindrical member 120 being rotatably mounted in the circular aperture 216 , and with the cylindrical member 122 being rotatably mounted in the circular aperture 222 . the third camming element 136 illustrated in fig1 through 21 is installed with the cylindrical member 138 being rotatably mounted in the circular aperture 218 , and with the cylindrical member 140 being rotatably mounted in the circular aperture 224 . also mounted in the magazine housing 210 are the first driving blade guide member 182 ( fig3 through 33 ) and the second driving blade guide member 198 ( fig3 through 36 ). the right side of the magazine housing 210 as illustrated in fig3 contains four countersunk apertures 226 , 228 , 230 , and 232 located therein . the left side of the magazine housing 210 as illustrated in fig3 contains four countersunk apertures 234 , 236 , 238 , and 240 located therein . referring now to fig3 in addition to fig3 and 38 , the first driving blade guide member 182 ( fig3 through 33 ) is retained in the magazine housing 210 by flathead bolts 242 , 244 , 246 , and 248 , which are inserted through the countersunk apertures 226 , 228 , 234 , and 236 , respectively , in the magazine housing 210 , and then are screwed into the threaded apertures 190 , 192 , 194 , and 196 ( fig3 and 33 ), respectively , in the first driving blade guide member 182 . the second driving blade guide member 198 ( fig3 through 36 ) is retained in the magazine housing 210 by flathead bolts 250 , 252 , 254 , and 256 , which are inserted through the countersunk apertures 230 , 232 , 238 , and 240 , respectively , in the magazine housing 210 , and then are screwed into the threaded apertures 202 , 204 , 206 , and 208 ( fig3 and 36 ), respectively , in the second driving blade guide member 198 . referring to fig3 and 40 in addition to fig2 and 38 , the installation of the first gear members 152 ( fig2 and 23 ), the second gear members 156 ( fig2 and 25 ), the third gear members 164 ( fig2 and 27 ), and the staple size selector knob 168 ( fig2 and 29 ) is illustrated . the rectangular aperture 154 in one of the first gear members 152 is placed over the rectangular projection 110 on the first camming element 102 , with a bolt 258 being screwed into the tapped aperture 112 ( fig1 ) to retain the one first gear member 152 in place adjacent the cylindrical member 104 . the rectangular aperture 154 in another of the first gear members 152 is placed over the rectangular projection 114 on the first camming element 102 , with a bolt 260 being screwed into the tapped aperture 116 ( fig1 ) to retain the other first gear member 152 in place adjacent the cylindrical member 106 . the rectangular aperture 162 in one of the second gear members 156 is placed over the rectangular projection 128 on the second camming element 118 , with the first gear element 158 being located adjacent the cylindrical member 120 . the rectangular projection 128 extends from the rectangular aperture 162 in the one second gear member 156 . the first gear element 158 of the second gear member 156 adjacent the cylindrical member 120 engages the first gear member 152 adjacent the cylindrical member 104 . the rectangular aperture 178 ( fig2 ) of one of the staple size selector knobs 168 is then placed over the rectangular projection 128 on the second camming element 118 , and the bolt 180 ( fig2 ) is screwed into the tapped aperture 130 ( fig1 ) to retain both the one staple size selector knob 168 and the one second gear member 156 in place . the rectangular aperture 162 in the other of the second gear members 156 is placed over the rectangular projection 132 on the second camming element 118 , with the first gear element 158 being located adjacent the cylindrical member 122 . the rectangular projection 132 extends from the rectangular aperture 162 in the other second gear member 156 . the first gear element 158 of the second gear member 156 adjacent the cylindrical member 122 engages the first gear member 152 adjacent the cylindrical member 106 . the rectangular aperture 178 ( fig2 ) of the other of the staple size selector knobs 168 is then placed over the rectangular projection 132 on the second camming element 118 , and the bolt 180 ( fig2 ) is screwed into the tapped aperture 134 ( fig1 ) to retain both the other staple size selector knob 168 and the other second gear member 156 in place . the rectangular aperture 166 in one of the third gear members 164 is placed over the rectangular projection 144 on the third camming element 136 . the second gear element 160 of the second gear member 156 adjacent the cylindrical member 120 engages the third gear member 164 adjacent the cylindrical member 138 . a bolt 262 is screwed into the tapped aperture 146 ( fig1 ) to retain the one third gear member 164 in place adjacent the cylindrical member 138 . the rectangular aperture 166 in the other of the third gear members 164 is placed over the rectangular projection 148 on the third camming element 136 . the second gear element 160 of the second gear member 156 adjacent the cylindrical member 122 engages the third gear member 164 adjacent the cylindrical member 140 . a bolt 264 is screwed into the tapped aperture 150 ( fig2 ) to retain the other third gear member 164 in place adjacent the cylindrical member 140 . accordingly , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the camming elements 102 , 118 , and 136 will rotate together . when one of the staple size selector knobs 168 is used to rotate the second camming element 118 a specific angular amount in a first direction , both the first camming element 102 and the third camming element 136 will rotate the same angular amount , but in the opposite direction . referring next to fig4 , a cross - sectional view of the assembly illustrated in fig3 is illustrated . it will be appreciated from fig4 that the rotation of the first camming element 102 is a clockwise direction ( as seen in fig4 ) is limited by contact by the shaft 108 of the first camming element 102 with the laterally extending notch 184 in the first driving blade guide member 182 to the position illustrated in fig4 . however , the first camming element 102 is free to rotate 180 degrees in a counterclockwise direction from the position illustrated in fig4 . similarly , it will be appreciated that the rotation of the third camming element 136 in a counterclockwise direction ( as seen in fig4 ) is limited by contact by the shaft 142 of the third camming element 136 with the laterally extending notch 200 in the second driving blade guide member 198 to a position 180 degrees clockwise from the position illustrated in fig4 . however , the third camming element 136 is also free to rotate 180 degrees in a counterclockwise direction from the position illustrated in fig4 . finally , it will be appreciated that the second camming element 118 is also free to rotate 180 degrees from the position illustrated in fig4 , but in a clockwise direction . additionally , when the second camming element 118 rotates 90 degrees clockwise from the position illustrated in fig4 , further rotation in either direction will be inhibited , but not prevented , by contact of the bend in the spring member 188 with the shafts 142 and 144 of the second camming element 118 . a series of staples of a first size 266 is illustrated as stored in the first staple guide member 60 . the series of staples of the first size 266 is urged to the right as illustrated in fig4 by a first spring biased staple feeding mechanism 268 , which is of conventional design , and which is retained in the aperture 72 in the first staple guide member 60 . note that the first camming element 102 allows the series of staples of the first size 266 to extend to the right adjacent the first driving blade guide member 182 , with one staple of the series of staples of the first size 266 being over the right edge of the first staple guide member 60 . a series of staples of a second size 270 is illustrated as stored in the second staple guide member 74 . the series of staples of the second size 270 is urged to the right as illustrated in fig4 by a second spring biased staple feeding mechanism 272 , which is also of conventional design , and which is retained in the aperture 86 in the second staple guide member 74 . note that the second camming element 118 urges the series of staples of the second size 270 to the left away from the first driving blade guide member 182 and the second driving blade guide member 198 , with no staple of the series of staples of the second size 270 being over ( or even near ) the right edge of the second staple guide member 74 . a series of staples of a third size 274 is illustrated as stored in the third staple guide member 88 . the series of staples of the third size 274 is urged to the right as illustrated in fig4 by a third spring biased staple feeding mechanism 276 , which is also of conventional design , and which is retained in the aperture 100 in the third staple guide member 88 . note that the third camming element 136 urges the series of staples of the third size 274 to the left away from the second driving blade guide member 198 , with no staple of the series of staples of the third size 274 being over ( or even near ) the right edge of the third staple guide member 88 . note also in fig4 the presence of the lower portion of a driving blade 278 . the driving blade 278 will travel from the position illustrated in fig4 in a downward direction adjacent the first driving blade guide member 182 and the second driving blade guide member 198 , until the bottom edge of the driving blade 278 reaches the bottom of the second driving blade guide member 198 and the magazine housing 210 . in this travel , any staple located in a passageway adjacent the first driving blade guide member 182 and / or the second driving blade guide member 198 will be driven from the device . thus , in the position illustrated in fig4 , the right - most staple in the series of staples of the first size 266 will be driven . referring now to fig4 through 44 in addition to fig4 , the three relative positions of the camming elements 102 , 118 , and 136 are illustrated . the position illustrated in fig4 is the same as the - one illustrated in fig4 , in which the series of staples of the first size 266 are located to the right adjacent the first driving blade guide member 182 . in this position , the right - most one of the series of staples of the first size 266 will be driven , while the series of staples of the second size 270 and the series of staples of the third size 274 are located to the left and will not be driven . in the position illustrated in fig4 , the series of staples of the second size 270 will be located to the right adjacent the first driving blade guide member 182 and the second driving blade guide member 198 . in this position , the right - most one of the series of staples of the second size 270 will be driven , while the series of staples of the first size 266 and the series of staples of the third size 274 will be located to the left and will not be driven . finally , in the position illustrated in fig4 , the series of staples of the third size 274 will be located to the right adjacent the second driving blade guide member 198 . in this position , the right - most one of the series of staples of the third size 274 will be driven , while the series of staples of the first size 266 and the series of staples of the second size 270 will be located to the left and will not be driven . referring now to fig4 , the conventional components of the stapler of the present invention are illustrated in schematic form . note that a cover may be disposed to conceal a number of the various components mounted on the magazine housing 210 . the left side of the magazine housing 210 as illustrated in fig4 is pivotally mounted to a base 280 at the left side of the base . located near the right side of the base 280 is an anvil 282 having recesses therein to cause clinching of staples urged into the anvil 282 . in the preferred embodiment , a biasing member 284 urges the magazine housing 210 pivotally away from the base 280 . a driving element 286 is used to drive the driving blade 278 in a downward direction to cause the device to staple a stack of paper 288 . the driving element 286 may be either a flat member which may be driven by the hand of a user , or , alternately , it may be an electromechanical driving mechanism . both such mechanisms are conventional in the art . in the preferred embodiment , a biasing member 290 urges the driving element 286 upwardly to bias the driving blade 278 to a position above the uppermost of the staples contained in the magazine housing 210 when the driving element 286 is not actuated . it may therefore be appreciated from the above detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention that it teaches a stapler which is capable of selectively dispensing a plurality of different staple sizes without requiring staples of different sizes to be unloaded from the stapler , or loaded into the stapler . the stapler of the present invention is also capable of dispensing a wide range of different staple sizes , thereby eliminating the requirement that an office have multiple different staplers for different stapling applications . in addition , a plurality of different size staples are storable in distinct locations in the stapler of the present invention , with each of these distinct locations being independently accessible to allow the particular size of staples accommodated therein to be conveniently reloaded . the particular size of staples to be dispensed by the stapler of the present invention is selectable from among the plurality of sizes of staples stored therein in a simple and easy to accomplish manner . the driving force used to operate the stapler of the present invention may either be the hand of a user in a manual application , or an electromechanically driven mechanism in a power operated application . the stapler of the present invention is quite compact in view of the fact that it contains multiple different sizes of staples , thereby presenting a device which has application either on a desktop where space is at a premium , or in other similar locations . the stapler of the present invention is of fabrication which is both durable and long lasting , and it requires little or no maintenance to be provided by its user throughout its operating lifetime . in order to enhance the market appeal of the stapler of the present invention , it is of inexpensive construction to thereby afford it the broadest possible market . finally , all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives of the present invention are achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage . although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments and applications thereof , it will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes , modifications , or alterations to the invention as described herein may be made , none of which depart from the spirit or scope of the present invention . all such changes , modifications , and alterations should therefore be seen as being within the scope of the present invention .	1
the following definitions and explanations provide background information pertaining to the technical field of the present invention , and are intended to facilitate the understanding of the present invention without limiting its scope : child ( also daughter ): from graph theory , a node pointed to by a path from a parent crawler : a program that automatically explores the world wide web by retrieving a document and recursively retrieving some or all the documents that are linked to it . depth ( level ) of a node : the number of nodes from the root to the node in its tree . distance measure : a numeric metric between 0 and 1 ( inclusive ) that measures how similar two trees are . the lower is the distance measure , the more similar are the two trees . if the distance measure between two trees is below a user - defined threshold , the two trees are considered similar . otherwise , they are considered dissimilar . dtd ( document type definition ) defines a schema of a semi - structured document such as sgml ( standard generalized markup language ), html , or xml documents . flatten : to remove structure , especially from an entity with implicit tree structure , in order to achieve a simple collection of leaves hit : a response to a search query on the www . the response is a document found by the search engine that contains key words or other attributes relevant to the search query . html ( hypertext markup language ): a standard language for attaching presentation and linking attributes to informational content within documents . during a document authoring stage , html . “ tags ” are embedded within the informational content of the document . when the web document ( or “ html document ”) is subsequently transmitted by a web server to a web browser , the tags are interpreted by the browser and used to parse and display the document . in addition to specifying how the web browser is to display the document , html tags can be used to create hyperlinks to other web documents . internet : a collection of interconnected public and private computer networks that are linked together with routers by a set of standards protocols to form a global , distributed network . keyword : a string that spells out the name of a concept . label of a node : the name of the node . it is one of the keywords specified by the user . label path : a label path is the concatenation of the names of the nodes in the path . markup language : a method of adding information to the text indicating the logical components of a document , or instructions for layout of the text on the page or other information which can be interpreted by some automatic system . path : the sequence of nodes encountered in the route between any two nodes ( inclusive ). schema : a set of grammatical rules that define the allowed structure and syntax of a document . dtd is a specific type of schema , which is used to define xml documents . search engine : a remotely accessible world wide web tool that allows users to conduct keyword searches for information on the internet . seed set : an initial set of documents found by a search . semi - structured : implying a loose schema , or not conforming to a fixed schema . server : a software program or a computer that responds to requests from a web browser by returning (“ serving ”) web documents . subpath : path a is a subpath of path b if the sequence of nodes of a is part of the sequence of nodes of b . tags : codes ( as in html or xml ) that give instructions for formatting or action . tree : a hierarchical structure which is made up by nodes . nodes are connected by edges from one node ( parent ) to another ( child ). a single node at apex of the tree is known as the root node , while the terminus of a path in the opposite direction is a leaf . url ( uniform resource locator ): a unique address that fully specifies the location of a content object on the internet . the general format of a url is protocol :// server - address / path / filename . web browser : a software program that allows users to request and read hypertext documents . the browser gives some means of viewing the contents of web documents and of navigating from one document to another . web document or page : a collection of data available on the world wide web and identified by a url . in the simplest , most common case , a web page is a file written in html and stored on a web server . it is possible for the server to generate pages dynamically in response to a request from the user . a web page can be in any format that the browser or a helper application can display . the format is transmitted as part of the headers of the response as a mime type , e . g . “ text / html ”, “ image / gif ”. an html web page will typically refer to other web pages and internet resources by including hypertext links . web site : a database or other collection of inter - linked hypertext documents (“ web documents ” or “ web pages ”) and associated data entities , which is accessible via a computer network , and which forms part of a larger , distributed informational system such as the www . in general , a web site corresponds to a particular internet domain name , and includes the content of a particular organization . other types of web sites may include , for example , a hypertext database of a corporate “ intranet ” ( i . e ., an internal network which uses standard internet protocols ), or a site of a hypertext system that uses document retrieval protocols other than those of the www . world wide web ( www , also web ): an internet client — server hypertext distributed information retrieval system . xlink ( xml linking language ): an xml syntax that allows the specification of hyperlinks within xml documents . the xlink framework makes it possible to target a specific section of a document and adds other options to make linking easier . xml : extensible markup language . a standard , semi - structured language used for web documents . during a document authoring stage , xml “ tags ” are embedded within the informational content of the document . these tags are not predefined and can be interpreted by different applications for different purposes , such as exchange of data , visual display . for example , when the web document ( or “ xml document ”) is subsequently transmitted by a web server to a web browser , the tags are interpreted by the browser and used to parse and display the document . in addition to specifying how the web browser is to display the document , xml tags can be used to create hyperlinks to other web documents . xpointer ( xml pointer language ): an xml syntax that allows the specification of hyperlinks within xml documents . xpointer enables internal xml structures to be referenced rather than referencing the entire page . the syntax is appended to a url from another page to point to an element inside an xml document . fig1 portrays the overall environment in which a schema discovery system 10 for semi - structured documents according to the present invention may be used . the system 10 includes a software or computer program product which is typically embedded within , or installed on a host server 15 . alternatively , the system 10 can be saved on a suitable storage medium such as a diskette , a cd , a hard drive , or like devices . while the system 10 will be described in connection with the www , the system 10 can be used with a stand - alone repository of terms that may have been derived from the www and / or other sources . the cloud - like communication network 20 is comprised of communication lines and switches connecting servers such as servers 25 , 27 , to gateways such as gateway 30 . the servers 25 , 27 and the gateway 30 provide the communication access to the www internet . users , such as remote internet users are represented by a variety of computers such as computers 35 , 37 , 39 , and can query the host server 15 for the desired information . the host server 15 is connected to the network 20 via a communications link such as a telephone , cable , or satellite link . the servers 25 , 27 can be connected via high speed internet network lines 44 , 46 to other computers and gateways . the servers 25 , 27 provide access to stored information such as hypertext or web documents indicated generally at 50 , 55 , and 60 . the hypertext documents 50 , 55 , 60 most likely include embedded hypertext link to other locally stored pages , and hypertext links 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 to other webs sites or documents 55 , 60 that are stored by various web servers such as the server 27 . fig2 illustrates a high - level architecture showing the system 10 used in the context of an internet environment . the system 10 resides between the user and the semi - structured documents available for search on the www 20 . documents judged to fall into a given category by the system will be made available to the user for their perusal and possible use . as a specific example , a user employs a browser or a user interface ( ui ) 140 to enter a search query that is transmitted to a search service provider 100 . in turn , the search service provider 100 , accesses the system 10 . the system automatically searches the semi - structured documents on the www 20 . the search results will be sent to the user via the search service provider 100 . the search results may include a list of urls and associated brief abstracts describing the nature of the resources found . in the first step , a document classification system will be described in more detail with further reference to fig3 . raw html files 300 may be searched for , selected or downloaded and stored according to criteria representing resumes such as keywords such as “ resume ”, “ job application ”, “ job search ”, or a combination of words and phrases such as “ job experience ”, “ university education ” etc . the schematic structures 305 are extracted from the html files by determining common keywords , and section titles in the html files 300 . the html files may hierarchically refer to other files and point to other locations , thus the files may need flattening to incorporate elements from several locations into one file . keywords are also extracted from the html files which will be used to subsequently determine the dtd . the html files are rewritten into xml format . keywords identify important concepts in the html documents . the schematic structures of markup documents are extracted and represented as sets of ordered trees with nodes labeled by a set of keywords input from the user . reordering rules are used to reconfigure the trees so that its structure resembles the semantic structures of the html documents more closely . at step 310 ordered trees are mapped to sets of label paths , therefore ignoring ordering and repetitive information . the assumption is that choosing an imprecise representation helps to reveal common patterns . the technique is to incrementally explore label paths of increasing length which are analyzed by constraint rules to discover frequent label paths at step 315 , for example , as described in the copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 531 , 019 . an exemplary tree 400 is shown in fig4 a where the zero level is the html identifier , followed by the objective label describing the type of job the individual is looking for , and further illustrating the applicant &# 39 ; s educational qualifications such as date , degree , and organizations . an illustration of another common sequence or tree 410 is also shown in fig4 b , where the contact information is the starting information , and education is highlighted in the sequence of education , degree , date , and organization . fig4 c illustrates yet another common configuration or tree 420 , in which the contact information is the starting information and education is highlighted in the sequence of education , organization , degree and date . a possible tree ordering is shown in fig5 which illustrates how the data in fig4 a through 4c may generate several trees t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , and different label paths p 1 , p 2 , p 3 , p 4 , p 5 , p 6 . while it may be relatively easy for a human to find equivalencies among small number of these label paths p 1 , p 2 , p 3 , p 4 , p 5 , p 6 , it is significantly more difficult to do so for a large number of label paths . the present invention addresses the solution to the problem of automating the analysis of equivalencies in the label paths . returning to fig3 the method 300 uses a set of constraints at step 315 to analyze the label paths to determine the most frequent path or paths . prevalent patterns among the trees are label paths that occur frequently among all the html documents . a constraint mechanism for users may be introduced to specify restriction on the forms of schematic structures in the common schema . this helps to reduce the search space and to filter out noise . the set of frequent label paths satisfying the constraints are discovered by finding the most common label paths among the trees at depths of 1 or more , and then reordering the label paths and searching again for common label paths of increasing length . the task is to minimize searching in a simple heuristic . by using constraints to limit the search space the problem of searching may be greatly simplified . an example of two simple constraints that can be used to limit the search space is the following : ( 1 ) a keyword cannot appear more than once along a label path , and ( 2 ) the set of keywords is divided into two sets : title keywords and content keywords . title keywords can for example be the title of a resume , and hence can only occur as first level nodes in the tree . content keywords describe the content of title keywords and hence can only occur at a depth of greater than one in the tree . these simple constraints can significantly reduce the analytical computer processing time . for example , the label paths in the tree 400 of fig4 a of length 5 are : html . objective . education . degree . organization , and the label paths in the tree 410 of fig4 b of length 5 are : with reference to fig3 the method 300 identifies and unifies similar subtree structures at step 320 . since the documents share similar but inexact schematic structures , there are repetitive structures among the common tree structures discovered . these repetitive subtrees are identified by a notion of distance measure . subtrees that are similar have small distance measure and are subsequently merged together by flattening their structures up to certain depth , and by combining the flattened nodes into one level . in a fifth step , once the common label paths 325 have been found , a majority schema describing the xml documents has been determined . the majority schema is translated into an xml dtd 330 by a number of heuristics that can recover information lost in the discovery process , such as order among sibling elements , number of occurrences of an element in another element . minority schematic structures in the html documents are filtered out by the majority schema ( and hence its name ) which are not described in the dtd , resulting in a more concise dtd . an example of an xml dtd schema extracted from an experimental run of the schema on 380 resume documents downloaded from the www in html form is as follows : it is to be understood that the specific embodiments of the present invention that have been described are merely illustrative of certain applications of the principle of the present invention . numerous modifications may be made to the computation scheme of the xml dtd schema described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , while the present invention is described for illustration purpose in relation to the www , it should be clear that the invention is applicable as well to databases and other tables with indexed entries . also , while the present invention is described for illustration purpose only in relation to the resume documents , it should be clear that the invention is applicable as well to various other profiles or structured document types .	8
we now present a traceable private key public component generation process which allows deriving public components which offer a significantly improved decryption speed . previously , we noted that the components γ ( i ) can be computed using the recursive formula eq . ( 3 ); this operation is typically feasible in the broadcasting center , but not in a receiver . we can furthermore note that , working in a usual security configuration of 2 80 operations , the elements of a public component γ ( i ) have all a length of 160 bits . this new method works as follows : in the key generation process described previously , the step 1 is replaced by 1 ′ we compute the i - th fast boneh - franklin traceable private key public component as being the following 2k - valued vector over z / qz : γ ( i ) =( 1 , i mod q , i 2 mod q , . . . , i 2k − 1 mod q ). ( 12 ) the method presented below results in rather small exponent sizes which can drastically speed up the ciphertext decryption in the receiver : re - writing ( 11 ) as we can transform , for instance for l = 2 20 , 2k + 1 modular exponentiations with 160 - bit exponents by 2k modular exponentiations with 20 - bit exponents and one 160 - bit exponentiation . this is more than a 7 - times speedup . according a particular embodiment of the invention , q is higher than 2 127 in order to avoid generic attacks against the discrete logarithm problem . a further advantage of this method is that a receiver can compute the public component of the decryption key without the need to evaluate the recursive formula of eq . ( 3 ). in practical scenarios , there might be a situation where an attacker might have 2k secret components θ i at his disposal . this part of the invention describes specifically how to the system can be protected in such a case . we start by describing an attack that might occur in practice and allow the attacker to derive every private key in the system . let us suppose than an adversary has managed to get 2k private elements θ i , for 1 ≦ s ≦ 2k . the vectors in r / − ={ γ ( 1 ) , γ ( 2 ) , . . . , γ ( l ) } are assumed to be public . then , we can rewrite eq . ( 9 ) over z / qz as with ω j = r j / σr j α j ; note that the ω j are unknown coefficients to an adversary . however , with 2k private elements , we have a system of 2k linear equations with 2k variables with a single solution revealing the values of ω j to the adversary using a simple gaussian reduction . from those coefficients , the adversary can compute any other private key θ i , in the system not only the adversary will be able to create many untraceable combinations of keys , but he will be also able to distribute newly derived keys so that innocent users ( whose keys were a priori never compromised ) will be accused of treachery . we now present a traceable key generation process which allows deriving traceable keys resistant to pirates able to gather 2k keys or more . this new method works as follows : 1 ″ we compute the i - th fast boneh - franklin public component of the traceable private key as being the following 2k - valued vector over z / qz : γ ( i ) =( 1 , ζ 2 mod q , . . . , ζ 2k − mod q ). ( 14 ) where ζ ∈ r z / qz is drawn independently and uniformly at random for each γ ( i ) . in tamper - proof memory and hence the abovementioned public component becomes secret . a possible variant would consist in deriving ζ from i by processing i and / or additional information with a cryptographically secure pseudo - random function ( or permutation ) parametered by a secret key . to encrypt a message m ∈ g q , the standard boneh - franklin encryption procedure requires to generate a random value a er z / qz and the ciphertext is defined as being the ( 2k + 1 )- valued vector in most practical situations , the message m consists in a symmetric session key k , which is then used to encrypt some content , since m is of limited length ( no more than 20 bytes , usually ). furthermore , one possibly needs a hash function mapping a group element to a symmetric key . we propose to bypass these intermediate steps and to use one of the two following possible variants to encrypt any type of message faster than the standard boneh - franklin scheme , but keeping the same tracing and security properties . 1 . to encrypt a message m ∈{ 0 , 1 }* ( i . e ., a bitstring of arbitrary length ), we first generate a random value a ∈ r z / qz and the ciphertext is defined as being the ( 2k + 1 )- valued vector ( m ⊕ prf ( n , y a ), h 1 a , . . . , h 2k a ) ( 17 ) where prf (., .) denotes a cryptographically secure pseudo - random function . for instance , it can be hmac - sha1 , hmac - sha256 or a block cipher evaluated on a counter and where y a is considered as being the symmetric key and n is a nonce value ( e . g ., a counter incremented sufficiently many times to generate enough key stream ). here , the xor operation ⊕ could be replaced by any group law . 2 . to encrypt a message m ∈{ 0 , 1 }*, we first generate a random value a ∈ r z / qz and the ciphertext is defined as being the ( 2k + 1 )- valued vector ( e ( m , y a ), h 1 a , . . . , h 2k a ) ( 18 ) where e (., .) is a block cipher or any symmetric encryption scheme based on a block cipher , and where y a is considered as being the key . a possible variant would consist in mapping the y a value to a key using a hash function . another possible variant is an encryption scheme e (.,.) requiring additional information , like an initial vector . in pay - tv systems , the use of traceable asymmetric keys is an advantage in terms of fighting against piracy . the pay - tv receiver ( or the security module thereof ) is loaded with a private key i . e ., the public component γ ( i ) and the secret component θ i . each pay - tv receiver , such as a set top - box , multimedia device or wireless portable device ( dvb - h ), comprises at least one private key . the secret component is preferably stored in a secure container such as a sim card , smartcard of any type of tamper - proof memory . in a practical example , a video / audio data packet pspacket will be encrypted in the following way , assuming we are working with a multiplicative group and hmac - sha256 as the function prf ( see formula ( 17 )): compute h 1 a , h 2 a , . . . h 2k a using 2k last elements of the public key ( see formula ( 8 )), compute y a using the first element of the public key , divide the pspacket into chunk packets of 256 bits possibly remaining a residual packet of less than 256 bits , for each chunk , computing the hmac - sha256 of the index with y a as key , the index being updated for each chunk , and applying an xor function ( or any group operation ) with the respective chunk in case that a residual chunk exists , adjusting the hmac - sha256 value by extracting the number of bit corresponding to the number of bits of the residual chunk before applying the xor function . transmitting to the receiver , the result values after the xor function and the h 1 a , h 2 a , . . . , h 2k a in the receiver side , the received values h 1 a , h 2 a , . . . , h 2k a are considered as 2k values i . e . ρ 1 , ρ 2 , . . . ρ 2k . in order to extract the audio / video data pspacket , the following steps will be executed : using the γ ( i ) public component of the private key , and θ i is the secret component of the private key , executing the same hmac - sha256 operation as made on the sender side , by defining an index in the same way as defined during the encryption operation . in this way , the broadcasting center can send a global , encrypted version of audio / video packet to all receivers ; those receivers decrypt the packets using their own private key . a pirate willing to implement an unofficial ( unlawful ) receiver will necessarily have to embed a unique private key ( or a mix of several private keys ) in order to decrypt the packets . having such a rogue receiver in hands , the pay - tv operator can then recover the pirate private key ( s ) and possibly revoke it ( them ) using another mechanism and / or possibly take legal or any other action against the person having purchased the original ( broken ) receiver ( s ), provided such a link exists . instead of mixing the packets with hmac result , the packets are encrypted with a standard symmetric encryption scheme using a key k , this key being used at the mixing step with the hmac result . according to another embodiment , the encrypted packet is obtained by encrypting the said packet with a symmetric encryption scheme using the y a value as a key ( e . g . tdes in cbc mode ). according to an alternative embodiment , a hashing function is first applied to the y a value before being used as a key . this is preferably the case when the size of the y a value is different than the size of the symmetric encryption scheme key . another possible field of application concerns the protection of software against piracy . we may assume that a software is sold together with a hardware dongle containing a different private key for every package . this dongle is able to decrypt a global ciphertext contained in the software and getting a piece of information which is necessary to the use of the software . if a pirate is willing to clone dongles and sell them , he must embed at least a private key . getting such a pirate dongle in hands , the software seller can then recover the involved private key ( s ) and take legal or any other action against the person having purchased the original ( broken ) dongle ( s ), provided such a link exists . a . fiat and m . naor , “ broadcast encryption ”, crypto &# 39 ; 93 , lecture notes in computer science 773 , pp . 480 - 491 , springer - verlag , 1994 . b . chor , a . fiat and m . naor , “ tracing traitors ”, crypto &# 39 ; 94 , lecture notes in computer science 839 , pp . 257 - 270 , springer - verlag , 1994 . j . lotspiech , d . naor and m . naor , “ method for broadcast encryption and key revocation of stateless receivers ”, u . s . pat . no . 7 , 039 , 803 . j . lotspiech , d . naor and m . naor , “ method for tracing traitor receivers in a broadcast encryption system ”, u . s . pat . no . 7 , 010 , 125 . a . kiayias and s . pehlivanoglu , “ pirate evolution : how to make the most of your traitor keys ”, crypto &# 39 ; 07 , lecture notes in computer sciences 4622 , pp . 448 - 465 , springer - verlag , 2007 . d . boneh and m . franklin , “ an efficient public - key traitor tracing scheme ”, crypto ∝ 99 , lecture notes in computer sciences 1666 , pp . 338 - 353 , springer - verlag , 1999 .	7
the device which will be described enables the transmission of a calling signal from a telephone exchange towards a subscriber who is connected to it by a carrier connection . fig1 shows a fairly general case of use of such a connection . various lines leave the telephone exchange in the direction of telephone subscribers . two inlets 3 and 4 have been shown . one ( 3 ) is connected by a physical connection i . e . a pair of electric conductors 5 to a telephone subscriber connected at 6 . this is the most usual connection method . both directions of the telephone channel occupy the voice band of 300 - 3400 hz on the pair 5 . the other inlet 4 is connected to a subscriber connected at 7 by means of a carrier connection using as the propagation medium the pair of conductors 5 already used as a physical connection between the inlet 3 and the subscriber connected at 6 . the two directions of the telephone channel connected to the inlet 4 occupy distinct frequency bands on the pair 5 which are above the voice band already occupied by the telephone channel connected to the inlet 3 . in the example described , the transmission direction of the telephone channel connected to the inlet 4 whose origin is the telephone exchange 1 and whose destination is the subscriber connected at 7 has its frequency transposed in the carrier connection by means of a carrier frequency whose transposition is 48 khz , the other direction having its frequency transposed by means of a carrier frequency whose transposition is 24 khz . the carrier connection shows itself by the presence of filter circuits 8 and 9 at the ends of that section of the pair 5 which the connection follows . the filter circuits 8 and 9 separate the telephone channels from said pair , and the modulation devices 10 and 11 ensure the frequency transpositions required for both directions of transmission of the telephone channel connected to the inlet 4 . the telephone exchange 1 sends calling signals towards the subscribers from both of the inlets 3 and 4 . these signals are identical for all the inlets and are constituted by an ac voltage of about 80 volts at a low frequency of 161 / 3 or 25 or 50 hz . in the case of a physical connection between the telephone exchange and a subscriber , the calling signal is transmitted by the pair of conductors without any appreciable loss and activates a bell placed at the subscriber end . in the case of a carrier connection between the subscriber and the exchange , the calling signal must be frequency transposed in order not to be mistaken for a calling signal associated with the telephone channel transmitted in the voice band on the pair of conductors which act as the propagation medium for the carrier connection . this frequency transposition makes it impossible for the exchange to transmit the power necessary for driving the bell at the subscriber end . this power must therefore be supplied by means of an auxiliary supply , for example by means of batteries disposed at the subscriber end of the carrier connection . the transmission and reception circuits shown in fig2 and 3 allow : firstly , the conversion of the calling signal sent from the telephone exchange into a signal which can be transmitted by a carrier connection , and secondly , the detection of this latter signal and its use to generate a calling signal at the subscriber end and having the same frequency and voltage characteristics as that sent from the telephone exchange . fig2 shows the diagram of a transmission circuit as well as its disposition in relation to modulation equipment for the carrier connection . the modulation equipment 10 of the carrier connection is of a known type . it has been very summarily illustrated to show its interconnections with the transmission circuit . it is composed mainly of : two filter circuits 12 and 13 for separating the two transmission directions of the telephone channel ; a modulator 15 in the send direction ; and a detection circuit 14 in the receive direction disposed between the filter circuits 12 and 13 and providing the necessary frequency transpositions ; and an oscillator 17 connected to the modulator 15 and supplying to the latter a carrier frequency . in the transmission direction from the telephone exchange towards the subscriber , the available signals on the inlet 4 in the 300 - 3400 hz voice band are directed by the filter circuit 12 towards the input of the modulator 15 where they are frequency transposed by means of a 48 khz carrier wave supplied by the oscillator 17 . at the output of the modulator 15 , they are recombined with the signals of the other transmission direction by the filter circuit 13 . at the output of the modulation equipment 10 they are injected by means of another filter circuit ( 8 fig1 ) on the pair of conductors ( 5 fig1 ) used as the propagation medium of the carrier connection . in the transmission direction going from the subscriber to the telephone exchange , the signals coming from the subscriber ( connected at 7 fig1 ) which have been frequency transposed by means of a carrier wave at 24 khz in the modulation equipment ( 11 fig1 ) situated at the subscriber end reach the modulation equipment 10 via filter circuit 13 . the latter circuit directs them towards the detection circuit 14 in order to recuperate the 300 - 3400 hz voice band . at the output of the detection circuit 14 , these signals are applied to the filter circuit 12 at the output of the modulation equipment 10 towards the inlet 4 of the telephone exchange 1 . the modulation equipment 10 also comprises a blocking circuit 18 disposed between the filter circuit 12 and the modulator 15 and controlled from the detection circuit 14 to inhibit the access of low - frequency signals to the modulator 15 when there is no 24 khz carrier wave , the latter existing only when the carrier connected subscriber set is off hook . the presence of this blocking circuit 18 is justified by the great difference in level which exists between the transmission and the calling signals sent from the telephone exchange 1 . when a calling signal is sent from the telephone exchange 1 via the inlet 4 , the blocking circuit 18 operates and the modulator 15 which does not receive any signal from the filter circuit 12 , transmits a pure sine wave constituted by the carrier wave supplied by the oscillator 17 . the transmission circuit of the calling signal proper is shown in fig2 surrounded by a rectangle in dotted lines 20 . it comprises mainly : the frequency doubler circuit is formed by a full wave rectifying diode bridge 21 , 22 , 23 and 24 whose ac input is connected in parallel with the input - output of the modulation equipment 10 at the inlet 4 via a series circuit with a resistor 25 and a capacitor 26 . the capacitor 26 blocks a possible dc component and allows the rectification threshold to be fixed about the average zero value of the calling signal sent from the telephone exchange 1 . the resistor 25 enables the calling signal emission circuit to be given a high input impedance so as not to weaken the level of the transmission signals at the input of the modulation equipment 10 . the rectangular shaping circuit is constituted by a component with a voltage threshold , here , a zener diode 28 connected in series with the input of the optical coupler and the rectified output of the diode bridge 21 , 22 , 23 and 24 . it determines the operation threshold of the optical coupler and enables it to be made insensitive to low - level signals . a resistor 29 and a capacitor 30 are also connected in parallel to the rectified output of the diode bridge 21 , 22 , 23 and 24 and are used to prevent the transmission of interference signals by the optical coupler . the light emitting diode 27 of the optical coupler is connected in series with the zener diode 28 to the rectified output of the diode bridge 21 , 22 , 23 and 24 . its output is connected to a control input for the modulation equipment 10 which makes it possible to block or not to block the oscillator 17 which supplies the 48 khz carrier wave used for frequency transposition of the transmission signals in the carrier connection of the telephone line coming from the inlet 4 . in co - operation with the filter circuit 12 of the modulation equipment 10 , it isolates the exchange equipment from the line equipment to which a calling signal is applied . the operation of the calling signal transmission circuit is as follows . when there is no calling signal , the signals available on the inlet 4 of the telephone exchange 1 have an amplitude which is insufficient to unblock the zener diode 28 ; the optical coupler does not transmit any signal and its output allows the oscillator 17 to function permanently . when there is a calling signal , the blocking circuit 18 placed at the input of the modulator 15 operates due to the fact that the subscriber has not gone offhook : the result of this is that the modulator 15 transmits integrally the signal which it receives from the oscillator 17 . when there is a signal , the calling signal rectified by the diode bridge 21 , 22 , 23 and 24 and put in rectangular form by the zener diode 28 , gives rise at the output of the optical coupler to a rectangular voltage having a double frequency , which is used to block and unblock the oscillator 17 . the result of this is the emission from the output of the filter circuit 13 of the modulation equipment , of the 48 khz carrier wave interrupted at a frequency twice that of the calling signal present on the inlet 4 of the telephone exchange . the waveforms a , b , c and d in fig4 illustrate the form , as a function of time , of the signals available at various points of the transmission circuit which has just been described . waveform a represents a calling signal such as it appears on the inlet 4 of the telephone exchange . it is an ac voltage at a low frequency of 50 hz with an amplitude of 80 volts . waveform b shows the form of the signal obtained on the rectified output of the diode bridge 21 , 22 , 23 and 24 when a calling signal is applied to the inlet 4 . it is a rectified sine wave , the straight line δ representing the threshold of the zener diode 28 . waveform c shows the form of the signal obtained at the output of the optical coupler when a calling signal is applied to the inlet 4 . it is an assymmetrical rectangular signal whose transition instants correspond to the blocking and unblocking instants of the zener diode 28 . its frequency is twice that of the calling signal sent from the telephone exchange 1 . waveform d shows the form of the signal transmitted to line by the modulation equipment 10 when a calling signal is applied to the inlet 4 . this signal is the signal of the oscillator 17 interrupted by the signal represented by waveform c . fig3 shows the diagram of the calling signal receiver circuit as well as its disposition in relation to the modulation equipment ( 11 fig1 ) placed at the subscriber end of the carrier connection . the modulation equipment 11 shown in fig3 is of the same type as the modulation equipment 10 shown in fig2 . it likewise comprises : two filter circuits 30 and 31 for separating the two directions of the transmission , a modulator 33 and a detection circuit 32 , disposed between the filter circuits 30 and 31 and ensuring the necessary frequency transpositions and an oscillator 35 connected to the modulator 33 . the operation of this modulation equipment 11 will not be given in detail , since it is similar to that already described with respect to the modulation equipment 10 . the calling signal receiver circuit is shown in fig3 surrounded by a dotted line 40 . it comprises mainly : the divide by two frequency divider 42 is connected to the output of the detection amplifier 32 of the modulation equipment 11 . it is provided for example by means of a bistable flip - flop . when a calling signal is applied to the inlet 4 of the telephone exchange 1 , the divider 42 provides a symmetrical rectangular signal having the same frequency as the calling signal and a mark - space ratio of one , this ratio improving efficiency . this device also enables distorsion to be eliminated which the line 5 may add to the signal generated by the modulation equipment 10 situated at the exchange ( graph d , fig4 ), and consequently to the signal detected at the subscriber end ( waveform e , fig4 ). the divider 42 also includes a blocking control 43 enabling the switch to be neutralized . the voltage multiplier is formed from a frequency changer and two rectifying and filtering circuits . the frequency changer includes a transformer 44 with a secondary winding whose centre tap provides the multiplied voltage . the primary winding of the transformer 44 constitutes the load of an amplifier 45 with complementary transistors which operates in class c and to where there is applied a high - frequency rectangular 12 khz signal coming from a divide by 2 circuit 52 . the amplifier 45 is fed by two symmetrical voltages + v , - v supplied by a power supply which is in general provided by means of storage batteries disposed at the subscriber end of the carrier connection . the relatively high frequency of 12 khz at which the amplifier 45 operates enables the use of a transformer 44 with a light - weight ferrite core with small bulk . two full wave rectifying circuits each formed by pairs of diodes 46 , 47 or 48 , 49 are connected to the secondary winding with a centre tap of the transformer 44 . the diode pairs are disposed in series and in opposition at the end of the secondary winding and connected by their junction point to the centre tap of the secondary winding by a filtering capacitor 50 or 51 . the diodes 46 , 47 of one of the rectifying circuits are disposed in the opposite direction to those 48 , 49 of the other so as to obtain at their outputs voltages of opposite signs . the operation frequency of 12 khz used for driving the frequency changer is obtained from the 24 khz frequency used as a transposition carrier frequency in the carrier connection for transmission of the signals originating at the subscriber end ( connected at 7 fig1 ) and whose destination is the inlet ( 4 fig1 ) of the telephone exchange . this 24 khz frequency is sampled in the modulation equipment 11 at the output of the oscillator 35 and subjected to a divide by two circuit 52 . this frequency divider circuit 52 can be formed by a bistable flip - flop . it includes a blocking control unit 53 which is used for blocking the frequency changer when the carrier - connected subscriber goes off - hook . the switch is formed by means of two complementary transistors 54 and 55 . the one , 54 , of pnp type , has its collector connected to the junction point of the anodes of the diodes 48 and 49 and its emitter connected via the earth to one of the conductors 56 of the line connecting the modulation equipment 11 to the subscriber connected at 7 . since the other conductor 57 of this line is connected to the centre tap of the secondary winding of the transformer 44 , it enables ; when it is conductive , the positive polarization of the conductor 57 in relation to the conductor 56 . the other transistor 55 of npn type has its collector connected to the junction points of the cathodes of the diodes 46 and 47 and its emitter connected , like the previous one , to one of the conductors 56 of the line connecting the modulation equipment 11 to the subscriber connected at 7 . it enables , when it is conductive , the negative polarization of the conductor 57 in relation to the conductor 56 . the bases of the two preceding transistors 54 and 55 are connected to the output of a pre - amplifier with complementary transistors whose input is connected via a resistor and a capacitor disposed in series , to the output of the frequency divider circuit 42 . waveforms e and f in fig4 illustrate the waveforms as a function of time of the signals available at various points of the reception circuit which has just been described . the waveform e represents the form of the signal obtained at the output of the detection amplifier 32 when a calling signal is applied to the inlet 4 of the telephone exchange 1 . it is an assymmetrical rectangular signal at twice the frequency of the calling signal and having the same form as the rectangular signal coming from the optical coupler in the signal transmission circuit , this signal being represented by the waveform c . however , as we have seen previously , this waveform may be deformed because of the distorsions caused by the line ( 5 fig1 ). the waveform f represents the form of the signal obtained at the output of the frequency divider circuit 42 placed after the circuit 32 . it is a symmetrical rectangular signal having the same frequency as the calling signal sent from the telephone exchange . this rectangular signal is also found , but with a very much greater amplitude ( 60 volts ) on the conductors 56 and 57 of the line connecting the modulation equipment 11 to the subscriber connected at 7 ( fig3 ). the blocking control units of the frequency divider circuits 42 and 52 ( fig3 ) of the calling signal receiver circuit are used to block the frequency changer and the switch when the subscriber connected at 7 is off - hook . the idle consumption of the calling signal receiver circuit is very low , since it is reduced to the consumption of the detection circuit and of the frequency dividers which can be formed by c . mos circuits and to that of the transistors in the blocked state of the various amplifiers and of the switch . the calling signal generated by the signal receiver circuit has a frequency which is determined by that sent out by the telephone exchange . it can be adjusted precisely to the same level as the calling signal emitted by the exchange by an appropriate choice of the turns ratio of the transformer 44 . the device which has just been described was described within the scope of an application in which it is used to transmit the calling signal sent from a telephone exchange via a carrier connection . but it is quite evident that it can be used more generally for the transmission to one end of a carrier connection of a high - voltage low - frequency signal in response to a low - frequency signal applied to the other end . likewise , without going beyond the scope of the invention , some dispositions can be modified or some means can be replaced by equivalent means .	7
in one embodiment the dyes of the invention serve as probes for continuous monitoring of renal function , especially for critically ill patients and kidney transplant patients . in another embodiment , the dyes of the invention are useful for dynamic hepatic function monitoring , especially for critically ill patients and liver transplant patients . in another embodiment , the dyes of the invention are useful for real - time determination of cardiac function , especially in patients with cardiac diseases . in another embodiment , the dyes of the invention are useful for monitoring organ perfusion , especially for critically ill , cancer , and organ transplant patients . in another embodiment , the dyes are useful for assessing the functional status of tumors and for monitoring tumor perfusion , such as in renal or hepatic cancer patients . the novel dyes of the present invention are prepared according to the methods well known in the art , as illustrated in general in fig1 - 7 and described for specific compounds in examples 1 - 11 . in one embodiment , the novel compounds , also called tracers , of the present invention have the formula 1 , wherein r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 and r 7 , and y 1 are independently selected from the group consisting of — h , c1 - c5 alkoxyl , c1 - c5 polyalkoxyalkyl , c1 - c10 polyhydroxyalkyl , c5 - c20 polyhydroxyaryl , mono - and disaccharides , nitro , hydrophilic peptides , arylpolysulfonates , c1 - c5 alkyl , c1 - c10 aryl , — so 3 t , — co 2 t , — oh , —( ch 2 ) a so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a nhso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a co 2 ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oco ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , — ch 2 ( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) c — ch 2 — oh , —( ch 2 ) d — co 2 t , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) e — ch 2 — co 2 t , —( ch 2 ) f — nh 2 , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) g — ch 2 — nh 2 , —( ch 2 ) h — n ( r a )—( ch 2 ) i — co 2 t , and —( ch 2 ) j — n ( r b )— ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) k — ch 2 — co 2 t ; w 1 is selected from the group consisting of — cr c r d , — o —, — nr c , — s —, and — se ; a , b , d , f , h , i , and j independently vary from 1 - 5 ; c , e , g , and k independently vary from 1 - 20 ; r a , r b , r c , and r d are defined in the same manner as y 1 ; t is a negative charge . in another embodiment , the novel compounds of the present invention have the general formula 2 , wherein r 8 , r 9 , r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , r 14 , and y 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of — h , c1 - c5 alkoxyl , c1 - c5 polyalkoxyalkyl , c1 - c10 polyhydroxyalkyl , c5 - c20 polyhydroxyaryl , mono - and disaccharides , nitro , hydrophilic peptides , arylpolysulfonates , c1 - c5 alkyl , c1 - c10 aryl , — so 3 t , — co 2 t , — oh , —( ch 2 ) a so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a nhso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a co 2 ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oco ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , — ch 2 ( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) c — ch 2 — oh , —( ch 2 ) d — co 2 t , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) e — ch 2 — co 2 t , —( ch 2 ) f — nh 2 , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) g — ch 2 — nh 2 , —( ch 2 ) h — n ( r a )—( ch 2 ) i — co 2 t , and —( ch 2 ) j — n ( r b )— ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) k — ch 2 — co 2 t ; w 2 is selected from the group consisting of — cr c r d , — o —, — nr c , — s —, and — se ; a , b , d , f , h , i , and j independently vary from 1 - 5 ; c , e , g , and k independently vary from 1 - 20 ; r a , r b , r c , and r d are defined in the same manner as y 2 ; t is a negative charge . in another embodiment , the novel compositions of the present invention have the general formula 3 , wherein r 15 , r 16 , r 17 , r 18 , r 19 , r 20 , r 21 , r 22 , r 23 , y 3 , and z 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of — h , c1 - c5 alkoxyl , c1 - c5 polyalkoxyalkyl , c1 - c10 polyhydroxyalkyl , c5 - c20 polyhydroxyaryl , mono - and disaccharides , nitro , hydrophilic peptides , arylpolysulfonates , c1 - c5 alkyl , c1 - c10 aryl , — so 3 t , — co 2 t , — oh , —( ch 2 ) a so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a nhso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a co 2 ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oco ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , — ch 2 ( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) c — ch 2 — oh , —( ch 2 ) d — co 2 t , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) e — ch 2 — co 2 t , —( ch 2 ) f — nh 2 , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) g — ch 2 — nh 2 , —( ch 2 ) h — n ( r a )—( ch 2 ) i — co 2 t , and —( ch 2 ) j — n ( r b )— ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) k — ch 2 — co 2 t ; w 3 and x 3 are selected from the group consisting of — cr c r d , — o —, — nr c , — s —, and — se ; v 3 is a single bond or is selected from the group consisting of — o —, — s —, — se —, and — nr a ; a , b , d , f , h , i , and j independently vary from 1 - 5 ; c , e , g , and k independently vary from 1 - 50 ; a 3 and b 3 vary from 0 to 5 ; r a , r b , r c , and r d are defined in the same manner as y 3 ; t is either h or a negative charge . in another embodiment , the novel compounds of the present invention have the general formula 4 , wherein r 24 , r 25 , r 26 , r 27 , r 28 , r 29 , r 30 , r 31 , r 32 , r 33 , r 34 , r 35 , r 36 , y 4 , and z 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of — h , c1 - c5 alkoxyl , c1 - c5 polyalkoxyalkyl , c1 - c10 polyhydroxyalkyl , c5 - c20 polyhydroxyaryl , mono - and disaccharides , nitro , hydrophilic peptides , arylpolysulfonates , c1 - c5 alkyl , c1 - c10 aryl , — so 3 t , — co 2 t , — oh , —( ch 2 ) a so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a nhso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a co 2 ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oco ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , — ch 2 ( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) c — ch 2 — oh , —( ch 2 ) d — co 2 t , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) e — ch 2 — co 2 t , —( ch 2 ) f — nh 2 , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) g — ch 2 — nh 2 , —( ch 2 ) h — n ( r a )—( ch 2 ) i — co 2 t , and —( ch 2 ) j — n ( r b )— ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) k — ch 2 — co 2 t ; w 4 and x 4 are selected from the group consisting of — cr c r d , — o —, — nr c , — s —, and — se ; v 4 is a single bond or is selected from the group consisting of — o —, — s —, — se —, and — nr a ; a 4 and b 4 vary from 0 to 5 ; a , b , d , f , h , i , and j independently vary from 1 - 5 ; c , e , g , and k independently vary from 1 - 50 ; r a , r b , r c , and r d are defined in the same manner as y 4 ; t is either h or a negative charge . in another embodiment , the novel compounds of the present invention have the general formula 5 , wherein r 37 , r 38 , r 39 , r 40 , r 41 , r 42 , r 43 , r 44 , r 45 , y 5 , and z 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of — h , c1 - c5 alkoxyl , c1 - c5 polyalkoxyalkyl , c1 - c10 polyhydroxyalkyl , c5 - c20 polyhydroxyaryl , mono - and disaccharides , nitro , hydrophilic peptides , arylpolysulfonates , c1 - c5 alkyl , c1 - c10 aryl , — so 3 t , — co 2 t , — oh , —( ch 2 ) a so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a nhso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a co 2 ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oco ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , — ch 2 ( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) c — ch 2 — oh , —( ch 2 ) d — co 2 t , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) e — ch 2 — co 2 t , —( ch 2 ) f — nh 2 , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) g — ch 2 — nh 2 , —( ch 2 ) h — n ( r a )—( ch 2 ) i — co 2 t , and —( ch 2 ) j — n ( r b )— ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) k — ch 2 — co 2 t ; w 5 and x 5 are selected from the group consisting of — cr c r d , — o —, — nr c , — s —, and — se ; v 5 is a single bond or is selected from the group consisting of — o —, — s —, — se —, and — nr a d 5 is a single or a double bond ; a 5 , b 5 and e 5 may be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of — o —, — s —, — nr a , — cr c r d , cr c , and alkyl ; a 5 , b 5 , d 5 , and e 5 may together form a 6 or 7 membered carbocyclic ring or a 6 or 7 membered heterocyclic ring optionally containing one or more oxygen , nitrogen , or sulfur atom ; a , b , d , f , h , i , and j independently vary from 1 - 5 ; c , e , g , and k independently vary from 1 - 50 ; a 5 and b 5 vary from 0 to 5 ; r a , r b , r c , and r d are defined in the same manner as y 5 ; t is either h or a negative charge . in yet another embodiment , the novel compounds of the present invention have the general formula 6 , wherein r 46 , r 47 , r 48 , r 49 , r 50 , r 51 , r 52 , r 53 , r 54 , r 55 , r 56 , r 57 , r 58 , y 6 , and z 6 are independently selected from the group consisting of — h , c1 - c5 alkoxyl , c1 - c5 polyalkoxyalkyl , c1 - c10 polyhydroxyalkyl , c5 - c20 polyhydroxyaryl , mono - and disaccharides , nitro , hydrophilic peptides , arylpolysulfonates , c1 - c5 alkyl , c1 - c10 aryl , — so 3 t , — co 2 t , — oh , —( ch 2 ) a so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a nhso 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a co 2 ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , —( ch 2 ) a oco ( ch 2 ) b so 3 t , — ch 2 ( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) c — ch 2 — oh , —( ch 2 ) d — co 2 t , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) e — ch 2 — co 2 t , —( ch 2 ) f — nh 2 , — ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) g — ch 2 — nh 2 , —( ch 2 ) h — n ( r a )—( ch 2 ) i — co 2 t , and —( ch 2 ) j — n ( r b )— ch 2 —( ch 2 — o — ch 2 ) k — ch 2 — co 2 t ; w 6 and x 6 are selected from the group consisting of — cr c r d , — o —, — nr c , — s —, and — se ; v 6 is a single bond or is selected from the group consisting of — o —, — s —, — se —, and — nr a ; d 6 is a single or a double bond ; a 6 , b 6 and e 6 may be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of — o —, — s —, — nr a , — cr c r d , cr c , and alkyl ; a 6 , b 6 , d 6 , and e 6 may together form a 6 or 7 membered carbocyclic ring or a 6 or 7 membered heterocyclic ring optionally containing one or more oxygen , nitrogen , or sulfur atom ; a , b , d , f , h , i , and j independently vary from 1 - 5 ; c , e , g , and k independently vary from 1 - 50 ; a 5 and b 5 vary from 0 to 5 ; r a , r b , r c , and r d are defined in the same manner as y 6 ; t is either h or a negative charge . the compounds of the invention can be formulated into diagnostic and therapeutic compositions for enteral or parenteral administration . these compositions contain an effective amount of the dye along with conventional pharmaceutical carriers and excipients appropriate for the type of administration contemplated . for example , parenteral formulations advantageously contain the inventive agent in a sterile aqueous solution or suspension . parenteral compositions may be injected directly or mixed with a large volume parenteral composition for systemic administration . such solutions also may contain pharmaceutically acceptable buffers and , optionally , electrolytes such as sodium chloride . formulations for enteral administration may vary widely , as is well known in the art . in general , such formulations are liquids , which include an effective amount of the inventive agent in aqueous solution or suspension . such enteral compositions may optionally include buffers , surfactants , thixotropic agents , and the like . compositions for oral administration may also contain flavoring agents and other ingredients for enhancing their organoleptic qualities . the compositions are administered in doses effective to achieve the desired effect or result . the dosage of the tracers may vary according to the clinical procedure contemplated and generally ranges from 1 picomolar to 100 millimolar . the compositions may be administered to a patient , typically a warm - blooded animal either systemically or locally to the organ or tissue to be imaged , and the patient then subject to the imaging procedure . the tracers may be administered to the patient by any suitable method , including intravenous , intraperitoneal , or subcutaneous injection or infusion , oral administration , transdermal absorption through the skin , aerosols , or by inhalation . the detection of the tracers is achieved by optical fluorescence , absorbance , or light scattering methods known in the art ( muller et al . eds ., medical optical tomography , spie volume is11 , 1993 , which is expressly incorporated herein by reference ) using invasive or non - invasive probes such as endoscopes , catheters , ear clips , hand bands , surface coils , finger probes , and the like . physiological function is correlated with the clearance profiles and rates of these agents from body fluids ( r . b . dorshow et al ., non - invasive fluorescence detection of hepatic and renal function , bull . am . phys . soc . 1997 , 42 , 681 , which is expressly incorporated by reference herein ). the inventive composition may be administered for imaging by more than one modality . as one example , the composition may be used for imaging by optical imaging alone , by nuclear imaging alone , or by both optical and nuclear imaging modalities when a radioactive isotope is included in the chemical formula , such as replacing a halogen atom with a radioactive halogen , and / or including a radioactive metal ion such as tc 99 , in 111 , etc . as another example , the composition may be used for imaging by optical imaging alone , by magnetic resonance ( mr ) alone , or by both optical and mr modalities when a paramagnetic metal ion such as gadolinium or manganese is included in the chemical formula . it will also be appreciated that the inventive compositions may be administered with other contrast agents or media used to enhance an image from a non - optical modality . these include agents for enhancing an image obtained by modalities including but not limited to mr , ultrasound ( us ), x - ray , positron emission tomography ( pet ), computed tomography ( ct ), single photon emission computed tomography ( spect ), optoacoustic ( e . g . u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 840 , 023 and 5 , 977 , 538 which are expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entirety ), etc . both optical and non - optical agents may be formulated as a single composition ( that is , one composition containing one , two , or more components , for example , an optical agent and a mr agent ), or may be formulated as separate compositions . the inventive optical imaging contrast agent and the non - optical contrast agent are administered in doses effective to achieve the desired enhancement , diagnosis , therapy , etc ., as known to one skilled in the art . the inventive compositions , either alone or combined with a contrast agent , may be administered to a patient , typically a warm - blooded animal , systemically or locally to the organ or tissue to be imaged . the patient is then imaged by optical imaging and / or by another modality . as one example of this embodiment , the inventive compounds may be added to contrast media compositions . as another example , the inventive compositions may be co - administered with contrast media , either simultaneously or within the same diagnostic and / or therapeutic procedure ( for example , administering the inventive composition and administering a contrast agent then performing optical imaging followed by another imaging modality , or administering the inventive composition and administering a contrast agent then performing another imaging modality followed by optical imaging , or administering the inventive composition and optical imaging , then administering a contrast agent and mr , us , ct , etc . imaging , or administering a contrast agent and imaging by mr , us , ct , etc ., then administering the inventive composition and optical imaging , or administering the inventive composition and a contrast agent , and simultaneously imaging by an optical modality and mr , us , ct , etc .). as another example , an optical imaging agent may be added as an additive or excipient for a non - optical imaging modality . in this embodiment , the optically active component , such as the dyes disclosed herein , could be added as a buffering agent to control ph or as a chelate to improve formulation stability , etc . in mr contrast media , ct contrast media , x - ray contrast media , us contrast media , etc . the mr , ct , x - ray , us contrast media would then also function as an optical imaging agent . the information obtained from the modality using the non - optical contrast agent is useful in combination with the image obtained using the optical contrast agent . in one embodiment , the agents may be formulated as micelles , liposomes , microcapsules , or other microparticles . these formulations may enhance delivery , and localization of the inventive compounds to / at the desired organ or site . the target specificity of these formulations can be enhanced by using suitable targeting molecules such as peptides , saccharides , fatty acids , etc . preparation and loading of these are well known in the art . as one example , liposomes may be prepared from dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine ( dppc ) or egg phosphatidylcholine ( pc ) because this lipid has a low heat transition . liposomes are made using standard procedures as known to one skilled in the art ( e . g ., braun - falco et al ., ( eds . ), griesbach conference , liposome dermatics , springer - verlag , berlin ( 1992 )). polycaprolactone , poly ( glycolic ) acid , poly ( lactic ) acid , polyanhydride or lipids may be formulated as microspheres . as an illustrative example , the optical agent may be mixed with polyvinyl alcohol ( pva ), the mixture then dried and coated with ethylene vinyl acetate , then cooled again with pva . in a liposome , the optical agent may be within one or both lipid bilayers , in the aqueous between the bilayers , or with the center or core . liposomes may be modified with other molecules and lipids to form a cationic liposome . liposomes may also be modified with lipids to render their surface more hydrophilic which increases their circulation time in the bloodstream . the thus - modified liposome has been termed a “ stealth ” liposome , or a long - lived liposome , as described in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 277403 ; 6 , 610 , 322 ; 5 , 631 , 018 ; 5 , 395 , 619 ; and 6 , 258 , 378 , each of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety , and in stealth liposomes , lasic and martin ( eds .) 1995 , crc press , london . encapsulation methods include detergent dialysis , freeze drying , film forming , injection , as known to one skilled in the art and disclosed in , for example , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 406 , 713 which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the agent formulated in liposomes , microcapsules , etc . may be administered by any of the routes previously described . in a formulation applied topically , the optical agent is slowly released over time . in an injectable formulation , the liposome capsule circulates in the bloodstream and is delivered to a desired site . as another example , microparticles such as ultra small iron oxide particles ( uspio ) and other metallic particles such as silver or gold particles coated with or attached ( covalently or non - covalently ) with the inventive compounds may be used for optical imaging and / or mri . such particles are known to one skilled in the art as disclosed in , for example , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 492 , 814 and journal of biomedical optics 8 ( 3 ), 472 - 478 ( july 2003 ) which are expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entirety . organ function can be assessed either by the differences in the manner in which the normal and impaired cells remove the tracer from the bloodstream , by measuring the rate or accumulation of these tracers in the organs or tissues , or by obtaining tomographic images of the organs or tissues . blood pool clearance may be measured non - invasively from convenient surface capillaries such as those found in an ear lobe or a finger , for example , using an ear clip or finger clip sensor , or may be measured invasively using an endovascular catheter . accumulation of the tracer within the cells of interest can be assessed in a similar fashion . the clearance of the tracer dyes may be determined by selecting excitation wavelengths and filters for the emitted photons . the concentration - time curves may be analyzed in real time by a microprocessor . in order to demonstrate feasibility of the inventive compounds to monitor organ function , a non - invasive absorbance or fluorescence detection system to monitor the signal emanating from the vasculature infused with the compounds is used . indole derivatives , such as those of formulas 1 - 6 , fluoresce at a wavelength between 350 nm and 1300 nm when excited at the appropriate wavelength as is known to , or readily determined by , one skilled in the art . in addition to the noninvasive techniques , a modified pulmonary artery catheter can be used to make the necessary measurements ( r . b . dorshow , j . e . bugaj , s . a . achilefu , r . rajagopalan , and a . h . combs , monitoring physiological function by detection of exogenous fluorescent contrast agents , in optical diagnostics of biological fluids iv , a . priezzhev and t . asakura , editors , procedings of spie 1999 , 3599 , 2 - 8 , which is expressly incorporated by reference herein ). currently , pulmonary artery catheters measure only intravascular pressures , cardiac output and other derived measures of blood flow . critically ill patients are managed using these parameters , but rely on intermittent blood sampling and testing for assessment of renal function . these laboratory parameters represent discontinuous data and are frequently misleading in many patient populations . yet , importantly , they are relied upon heavily for patient assessment , treatment decisions , and drug dosing . the modified pulmonary artery catheter incorporates an optical sensor into the tip of a standard pulmonary artery catheter . this wavelength specific optical sensor can monitor the renal function specific elimination of an optically detectable chemical entity . thus , by a method analogous to a dye dilution curve , real - time renal function can be monitored by the disappearance of the optically detected compound . modification of a standard pulmonary artery catheter only requires making the fiber optic sensor wavelength specific , as is known to one skilled in this art . catheters that incorporate fiber optic technology for measuring mixed venous oxygen saturation currently exist . the present invention may be used for rapid bedside evaluation of renal function and also to monitor the efficiency of hemodialysis . the invention is further demonstrated by the following examples . since many modifications , variations , and changes in detail may be made to the described embodiments , it is intended that all matter in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . synthesis of indole disulfonate ( fig1 , compound 5 , y 7 ═ so 3 − ; x 7 ═ h ; n = 1 ) a mixture of 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone ( 25 . 2 ml ), and p - hydrazinobenzenesulfonic acid ( 15 g ) in acetic acid ( 45 ml ) was heated at 110 ° c . for 3 hours . after reaction , the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature and ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ) was added to precipitate the product , which was filtered and washed with ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ). the intermediate compound , 2 , 3 , 3 - trimethylindolenium - 5 - sulfonate ( fig1 , compound 3 ) was obtained as a pink powder in 80 % yield . a portion of compound 3 ( 9 . 2 g ) in methanol ( 115 ml ) was carefully added to a solution of koh in isopropanol ( 100 ml ). a yellow potassium salt of the sulfonate was obtained in 85 % yield after vacuum - drying for 12 hours . a portion of the 2 , 3 , 3 - trimethylindolenium - 5 - sulfonate potassium salt ( 4 g ) and 1 , 3 - propanesultone ( 2 . 1 g ) was heated in dichlorobenzene ( 40 ml ) at 110 ° c . for 12 hours . the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature and the resulting precipitate was filtered and washed with isopropanol . the resulting pink powder was dried under vacuum to give 97 % of the desired compound . other compounds prepared by a similar method described above include polyhydroxyl indoles such as synthesis of indole disulfonate ( fig1 , compound 5 , y 7 ═ so 3 − ; x 7 ═ h ; n = 2 ) this compound was prepared by the same procedure described in example 1 , except that 1 , 4 - butanesultone was used in place of 1 , 3 - propanesultone . synthesis of benzoindole disulfonate ( fig2 , compound 8 , y 7 , y 8 ═ so 3 − ; x 7 ═ h ; n = 2 ) this compound was prepared by the same procedure described in example 1 , except that hydrazinonaphthalenedisulfonic acid was used in place of hydrazinobenzenesulfonic acid . other compounds prepared by a similar method include polyhydroxyindoles such as : synthesis of benzoindole disulfonate ( fig2 , compound 8 , y 7 , y 8 ═ so 3 − ; x 7 — oh ; n = 4 ) this compound was prepared by the same procedure described in example 1 , except that 3 - hydroxymethyl - 4 - hydroxyl - 2 - butanone was used in place of 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone . a mixture of 1 , 1 , 2 - trimethyl -[ 1h ]- benz [ e ] indole ( 9 . 1 g , 43 . 58 mmoles ) and 3 - bromopropanoic acid ( 10 . 0 g , 65 . 37 mmoles ) in 1 , 2 - dichlorobenzene ( 40 ml ) was heated at 110 ° c . for 12 hours . the solution was cooled to room temperature and the red residue obtained was filtered and washed with acetonitrile : diethyl ether ( 1 : 1 ) mixture . the solid obtained was dried under vacuum to give 10 g ( 64 %) of light brown powder . a portion of this solid ( 6 . 0 g ; 16 . 56 mmoles ), glutaconaldehyde dianil monohydrochloride ( 2 . 36 g , 8 . 28 mmoles ) and sodium acetate trihydrate ( 2 . 93 g , 21 . 53 mmoles ) in ethanol ( 150 ml ) were refluxed for 90 minutes . after evaporating the solvent , 40 ml of 2 n aqueous hcl was added to the residue and the mixture was centrifuged and the supernatant was decanted . this procedure was repeated until the supernatant became nearly colorless . about 5 ml of water : acetonitrile ( 3 : 2 ) mixture was added to the solid residue and lyophilized to obtain 2 g of dark green flakes . the purity of the compound was established with 1 h - nmr and liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry ( lc / ms ). a mixture of 2 , 2 , 3 - trimethyl -[ 1h ]- benz [ e ] indole ( 20 g , 95 . 6 mmoles ) and 6 - bromohexanoic acid ( 28 . 1 g , 144 . 1 mmoles ) in 1 , 2 - dichlorobenzene ( 250 ml ) was heated at 110 c for 12 hours . the green solution was cooled to room temperature and the brown solid precipitate formed was collected by filtration . after washing the solid with 1 , 2 - dichlorobenzene and diethyl ether , the brown powder obtained ( 24 g , 64 %) was dried under vacuum at room temperature . a portion of this solid ( 4 . 0 g ; 9 . 8 mmoles ), glutaconaldehyde dianil monohydrochloride ( 1 . 4 g , 5 mmoles ) and sodium acetate trihydrate ( 1 . 8 g , 12 . 9 mmoles ) in ethanol ( 80 ml ) were refluxed for 1 hour . after evaporating the solvent , 20 ml of a 2 n aqueous hcl was added to the residue and the mixture was centrifuged and the supernatant was decanted . this procedure was repeated until the supernatant became nearly colorless . about 5 ml of water : acetonitrile ( 3 : 2 ) mixture was added to the solid residue and lyophilized to obtain about 2 g of dark green flakes . the purity of the compound was established with 1 h - nmr , hplc , and lc - ms . synthesis of polyhydroxyindole sulfonate ( fig3 , compound 13 , y 7 , y 8 ═ o 3 − ; x 7 ═ oh ; n = 2 ) phosphorus oxychloride ( 37 ml , 0 . 4 mole ) was added dropwise with stirring to a cooled (− 2 ° c .) mixture of dimethylformamide ( dmf , 0 . 5 mole , 40 ml ) and dichloromethane ( dcm , 40 ml ), followed by the addition of acetone ( 5 . 8 g , 0 . 1 mole ). the ice bath was removed and the solution refluxed for 3 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the product was either partitioned in water / dcm , separated and dried , or was purified by fractional distillation . nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectral analyses showed that the desired intermediate , 10 , was obtained . reaction of the intermediate with 2 equivalents of 2 , 2 , 3 - trimethyl -[ h ]- benz [ e ] indolesulfonate - n - propanoic acid and 2 equivalents of sodium acetate trihydrate in ethanol gave a blue - green solution after 1 . 5 hours at reflux . further functionalization of the dye with bis ( isopropylidene ) acetal protected monosaccharide is effected by the method described in the literature ( j . h . flanagan , c . v . owens , s . e . romero , et al ., near infrared heavy - atom - modified fluorescent dyes for base - calling in dna - sequencing application using temporal discrimination . anal . chem ., 1998 , 70 ( 13 ), 2676 - 2684 ). synthesis of polyhydroxyindole sulfonate ( fig4 , compound 16 , y 7 , y 8 ═ so 3 − ; x 7 ═ h ; n = 1 ) preparation of this compound was readily accomplished by the same procedure described in example 6 using p - hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid in the place of the monosaccharide , and benzoindole instead of indole derivatives . synthesis of polyhydroxyindole sulfonate ( fig5 , compound 20 , y 7 , y 8 ═ h ; x 7 ═ oh ; n = 1 ) the hydroxyindole compound was readily prepared by a literature method ( p . l . southwick , j . g . cairns , l . a . ernst , and a . s . waggoner , one pot fischer synthesis of ( 2 , 3 , 3 - trimethyl - 3 - h - indol - 5 - yl )- acetic acid derivatives as intermediates for fluorescent biolabels , org . prep . proced . int . briefs , 1988 , 20 ( 3 ), 279 - 284 ). reaction of p - carboxymethylphenylhydrazine hydrochloride ( 30 mmol , 1 equiv .) and 1 , 1 - bis ( hydroxymethyl ) propanone ( 45 mmol , 1 . 5 equiv .) in acetic acid ( 50 ml ) at room temperature for 30 minutes and at reflux for 1 gave ( 3 , 3 - dihydroxymethyl2 - methyl - 3 - h - indol - 5 - yl )- acetic acid as a solid residue . the intermediate 2 - chloro - 1 - formyl - 3 - hydroxymethylenecyclo - hexane was prepared as described in the literature ( g . a . reynolds and k . h . drexhage , stable heptamethine pyrylium dyes that absorb in the infrared . j . org . chem ., 1977 , 42 ( 5 ), 885 - 888 ). equal volumes ( 40 ml each ) of dimethylformamide ( dmf ) and dichloromethane were mixed and the solution was cooled to − 10 ° c . in acetone - dry ice bath . under argon atmosphere , phosphorus oxychloride ( 40 ml ) in dichloromethane was added dropwise to the cool dmf solution , followed by the addition of 10 g of cyclohexanone . the resulting solution was allowed to warm up to room temperature and heated at reflux for 6 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the mixture was poured into ice - cold water and stored at 4 ° c . for 12 hours . a yellow powder was obtained . condensation of a portion of this cyclic dialdehyde ( 1 equivalent ) with the indole intermediate ( 2 equivalents ) was carried out as described in example 5 . further , the functionalization of the dye with bis ( isopropylidene ) acetal protected monosaccharide was effected by the method described in the literature ( j . h . flanagan , c . v . owens , s . e . romero , et al ., near infrared heavy - atom - modified fluorescent dyes for base - calling in dna - sequencing application using temporal discrimination . anal . chem ., 1998 , 70 ( 13 ), 2676 - 2684 ). synthesis of polyhydroxylbenzoindole sulfonate ( fig6 , compound 22 , y 7 , y 8 ═ h ; x 7 ═ oh ; n = 1 ) a similar method described in example 8 was used to prepare this compound by replacing the indole with benzoindole derivatives . synthesis of rigid heteroatomic indole sulfonate ( fig7 , compound 27 , y 7 , y 8 , x 7 ═ h ; n = 1 ) starting with 3 - oxo - 4 - cyclohexenone , this heteroatomic hydrophilic dye was readily prepared as described in example 8 . a laser of appropriate wavelength for excitation of the dye chromophore was directed into one end of a fiber optic bundle and the other end was positioned a few millimeters from the ear of a rat . a second fiber optic bundle was also positioned near the same ear to detect the emitted fluorescent light , and the other end was directed into the optics and electronics for data collection . an interference filter ( if ) in the collection optics train was used to select emitted fluorescent light of the appropriate wavelength for the dye chromophore . sprague - dawley or fischer 344 rats were anesthetized with urethane administered via intraperitoneal injection at a dose of 1 . 35 g / kg body weight . after the animals had achieved the desired plane of anesthesia , a 21 gauge butterfly with 12 ″ tubing was placed in the lateral tail vein of each animal and flushed with heparinized saline . the animals were placed onto a heating pad and kept warm throughout the entire study . the lobe of the left ear was affixed to a glass microscope slide to reduce movement and vibration . incident laser light delivered from the fiber optic was centered on the affixed ear . data acquisition was then initiated , and a background reading of fluorescence was obtained prior to administration of the test agent . the compound was administered to the animal through a bolus injection in the lateral tail vein . the dose was typically 0 . 05 to 20 μmole / kg of body weight . the fluorescence signal rapidly increased to a peak value , then decayed as a function of time as the conjugate cleared from the bloodstream . this procedure was repeated with several dye - peptide conjugates in normal and tumored rats . representative profiles are shown in fig6 - 10 . while the invention has been disclosed by reference to the details of preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be understood that the disclosure is intended in an illustrative rather than in a limiting sense , as it is contemplated that modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art , within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims .	0
set forth below is a description of what are believed to be the preferred embodiments and / or best examples of the invention claimed . future and present alternatives and modifications to the preferred embodiments are contemplated . any alternatives or modifications which make insubstantial changes in function , in purpose , in structure , or in result are intended to be covered by the claims of this patent . referring first to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in fig1 , a detailed description of this example follows , it being recognized that various other examples may be provided that are within the principles of the invention and intended to be covered by the claims . in the preferred example , lattice boom 2 may be attached to the mobile crane &# 39 ; s revolving upper frame or base 1 by two pivot pins 3 , which form the bottom boom pivot point , and at the top by pendent cables 4 , spreader bar 5 , live mast 6 , multi - part cable 7 and gantry 8 . cable 7 may be spooled in and out by one of the crane &# 39 ; s winches and may be used to raise and lower the lattice boom assembly . hydraulic spotter 9 may be attached to the crane &# 39 ; s revolving upper frame 1 by pivot pins 10 , allowing spotter 9 to be raised and lowered by cable 11 , which is carried by the boom &# 39 ; s top sheaves 12 , located at the tip of the lattice boom 2 . cable 11 may also be spooled in and out by one of the crane &# 39 ; s winches . three - axis boom box 14 may be attached to the top of the lattice boom 2 by pin 13 , and may be fitted with rubber springs . pin 13 may be used to allow the boom box to rotate in the “ z ” axis ( allowing the pile lead &# 39 ; s bottom end to be extended or retracted by the hydraulic spotter ). boom box slider 15 may be attached to boom box 14 . slider 15 may be mounted on two sets of pivot pins ( not shown in the drawings ), allowing the slider to rotate in both the “ x ” ( horizontal ) and “ y ” ( vertical ) axes . most known boom boxes do not allow the slider to pivot in the “ y ” axis . boom box slider 15 restrains the rear flange of pile lead 16 but allows the pile lead to slide in a generally vertical plane ( raised and lowered in relationship to the ground ). cable 17 may run between two sheave blocks , one of which may be attached to boom box slider 15 , while the other may be attached to pile lead 16 . cable 17 may be carried by top sheaves 12 , which may be located at the tip of the lattice boom 2 and may be spooled in and out by one of the crane &# 39 ; s winches . spooling in the cable raises pile lead 16 . hydraulic spotter 9 may be equipped with an extendable stinger 18 , which may be moved in and out by a hydraulic cylinder , for example . outer steering arm 19 may be attached to stinger 18 . arm 19 may be pivoted in the “ y ” axis by two hydraulic cylinders . bottom slider 20 may be attached to steering arm 19 , and may be used to restrain the rear flange of pile lead 16 , allowing the pile lead to slide in a generally vertical plane ( raised and lowered in relationship to the ground ). bottom slider 20 may also be permitted to pivot in the “ x ” and “ z ” plane on outer steering arm 19 . the “ y ” plane of the bottom slider may be the only plane that is hydraulically controlled . the pile lead may be raised and lowered by cable 17 or may remain stationary . the spotter assembly , including the lower slider , may be raised and lowered in relationship to the pile lead by cable 11 . the hydraulic spotter may also be swung from side to side ( e . g ., by two hydraulic cylinders ), allowing the crane &# 39 ; s operator to position the bottom of the pile lead to either side of the crane &# 39 ; s centerline . as spotter 9 is swung ( in the “ y ” plane ), the outer steering arm must also be rotated in the “ y ” plane ( in the opposite direction and equal in degrees ) in order to keep the pile lead &# 39 ; s front face at a constant 90 degrees to the crane and boom &# 39 ; s centerline . a more detailed description of hydraulic spotter 9 and boom box 14 with rubber springs is provided below . diesel hammer 22 and pile guide 23 may each be attached to the front face of pile lead 16 by sliders 21 . a two - part steel cable 24 may run between a sheave block attached to the top slider of diesel hammer 22 , and top sheave assembly 25 located at the top of pile lead 16 . the cable may be spooled in ad out by one of the crane &# 39 ; s winches . spooling in the cable raises diesel hammer 22 . still referring to fig1 , diesel hammer 22 is shown , together with anvil 23 driving pile 26 into the ground . the operator may spool out cable 24 as the hammer drives the pile . referring to fig2 , pile lead 16 and diesel hammer 22 may be fully swung to one side of the crane &# 39 ; s centerline by spotter 9 . as shown , boom box slider 15 has pivoted on boom box 14 , while bottom slider 20 has also pivoted on outer steering arm 19 as the spotter was swung . fig3 shows pile lead 16 and a cfa drill attachment . the only attachment changes required when changing from pile driving to cfa drilling are the sheave assembly 25 attached to the top of pile lead 16 , sheave block 27 ( six part line ) and hydrostatic - driven reduction drive box 28 . drive box 28 may be attached to pile lead 16 by sliders 29 . cfa auger 30 may be attached to drive box 28 . auger guide 31 may be attached to the pile lead and may be used to guide the auger into the ground , thus preventing the auger from wandering . an auger cleaner ( not shown ) may be attached close to the auger guide ( or may constitute part of the guide ) and may be used to clean the auger &# 39 ; s flights . when cfa drilling , the spotter &# 39 ; s operation may be as described above . preferably , the pile lead &# 39 ; s angle is generally close to the vertical position as shown in fig3 . cable 24 may be spooled out as the auger screws itself into the ground . spooling in pulls the auger and material , contained in the auger &# 39 ; s flights , out of the ground . the auger may be reversed when out of the ground to throw off any remaining material not removed by the auger cleaner . as mentioned before , the spotter may be physically attached to the crane and to the bottom of the pile lead . it is preferably designed to take full reactive torque when cfa drilling . it may be seen that when drive box 28 is towards the top of its travel , as shown in fig3 , the reactive torque transmitted to the pile lead will twist the pile lead to a greater degree than when it is towards the bottom of the pile lead , closer to the spotter . fortunately , reactive torque is generally lower when the drive box is towards the top of the pile lead , and generally increases as the auger is screwed deeper into the ground . known standard boom boxes only pivot in the “ x ” and “ z ” planes , and such two - axis boom boxes will transmit reactive force to the crane &# 39 ; s boom . a three - axis boom box ( x , y and z ) with rubber springs and electronic position sensor , which forms a preferred embodiment of the present invention , prevents reactive forces from damaging the crane &# 39 ; s boom . rubber springs ( e . g ., rectangular convolution type ) such as those manufactured by timbren are preferably progressive in rate and allow the reactive force to rotate the boom box by a few degrees without overloading the crane &# 39 ; s boom . various rubber grades may be selected to control the amount of force transmitted to the boom . in some conditions , the rubber springs may be removed , allowing the boom box free , unrestricted movement in all directions . this is not generally recommended as it makes assembly ( rigging ) and disassembly tricky , as the boom box may flop over on its side . the rubber springs are also beneficial in dampening reactive torque spikes when cfa drilling . they may have a rated capacity ranging from 6 , 000 to 110 , 000 lbs . force , for example . for cfa drilling , a timbren a300 - 75 progressive rate rubber spring with a rated capacity of 45 , 000 lbs . and a bump load capacity of 110 , 000 lbs . may be selected , for example . the electronic position sensor preferably monitors the deflection in the rubber springs in both the clockwise ( cw ) and counterclockwise ( ccw ) directions . the ecm may be programmed to monitor the position of the sensor . as pile lead deflection increases to a programmable set point , the ecm preferably energizes the hydraulic valve for the spotter &# 39 ; s outer - steering arm 19 . the outer - steering arm rotates the pile lead in the opposite direction to the reactive force , rotating boom box 14 and returning the electronic sensor to its null ( 0 ) position . programming and rubber spring selection may be fine - tuned for various auger diameters , maximum auger lengths , and varying soil types and drive box powers ( maximum output torque ). returning to fig1 and 2 , it may be seen that when driving piles at an acute angle ( front or sideways ), the diesel hammer may be positioned in front of the vertical centerline of pile lead 16 . when operating ( fig2 ) for long periods of time , hydraulic drift in the spotter &# 39 ; s hydraulic system ( cylinders and valves ) can cause the pile lead to be rotated by the offset weight of the hammer , anvil and to some degree , the pile . this will transmit torque into the crane &# 39 ; s boom when using a standard two - axis boom box . with a three - axis boom box of the preferred embodiment , fitted with rubber springs , and the electronic position sensor , the ecm can compensate for hydraulic drift and any other outside force that tends to influence the pile lead assembly . until now , it has been up to the skill of the operator , gained through many years of experience , which has compensated for reactive and outside forces by using the hydraulic spotter and crane &# 39 ; s controls . even the most experienced operator has no way of knowing how much stress is being transmitted to the boom during pile driving or cfa drilling . exceeding the boom &# 39 ; s structural load limits can result in boom failure . fig4 a - 4d show the boom box assembly 14 that attaches to the pile lead assembly . pivot bushings 32 may be attached to the upper frame of boom box 33 . pivot bushings 32 may be attached to the top pivot pin ( not shown ) of the crane &# 39 ; s lattice boom , allowing rotation of the boom box in the “ z ” axis . rotation in the “ z ” axis is typical when extending or retracting stinger 18 of spotter 9 . upper frame 33 may be attached to lower frame 34 by two in - line pivot pins 35 , allowing the lower frame to pivot in the “ y ” axis in relation to the upper frame , thereby reducing any side loading and twisting to the crane &# 39 ; s boom . pivoting slider 15 , which allows the pile lead 16 to be raised and lowered , may be attached to the lower frame 34 by pivot pin 36 , allowing rotation in the “ x ” axis . it may be seen , now , that boom box 14 functions as a universal joint . lower frame 34 has an extended arm 37 , to which a pivoting spring seat 38 may be attached using a pivot pin 39 . spring seat 38 may be sandwiched between two hollow rubber springs 40 that are attached to upper frame 33 . an electronic position sensor 41 may be attached between upper frame 33 and lower frame 34 . fig5 a - 5b show boom box assembly 14 with pivoting slider 15 offset ninety degrees to the centerline of the crane / boom and tilted 14 degrees ( maximum deflection ) from the crane &# 39 ; s centerline . this amount of deflection would generally never be reached by the preferred embodiment of the invention described here due to the operation of the electronic control system . a preferred distance between the spherical joints of position sensor 41 at zero deflection was found to be 16 inches . the sensor &# 39 ; s output voltage at 16 inches was determined to be 2 . 5 volts . at maximum ccw deflection the sensor may be extended to 18 inches ( 4 . 5 volt max .). at maximum cw deflection , the sensor was found to measure 14 inches ( 0 . 5 volts min .). rubber springs 40 provide a dampened and controlled movement , allowing the position sensor to accurately provide a feedback signal to the fcm . spring - seat 38 pivots on pivot pin 39 , keeping the forces on the rubber spring in - line with the spring &# 39 ; s centerline . if extended arm 37 were allowed to push directly on the rubber spring , the spring would be unevenly loaded ( a wedge would be formed ), pushing the spring out of alignment and causing overloading to one side . as mentioned before , the springs may be removed , allowing the boom box to function as an unrestricted universal joint . alternatively , the spring rate may be changed to increase or decrease the amount of force transmitted to the crane &# 39 ; s boom . it is also possible to fit a high and a low rate spring set when torque requirements are greater in one direction , such as during cfa drilling . further , it is possible to operate with one spring , allowing free movement in one direction and restricted movement in the other . it can be seen that this design innovation , using removable rubber springs of various compressive rates , offers considerable adjustability in operation . the springs can also be removed and substituted with mechanical spacers ( stops ), thereby converting the boom box into a standard two - axis unit . referring now to fig6 a - 6c , the spotter &# 39 ; s mainframe 42 may be attached to the crane &# 39 ; s revolving mainframe , shown in fig1 , by two pivot pins 43 . a cable may be used to raise and lower the outer end of the spotter , located at the furthest end from the crane , allowing the spotter to pivot on pins 43 . outer box 44 may be attached to the spotter &# 39 ; s mainframe 42 ; box 44 may be allowed to pivot on pivot pin 45 , allowing the two hydraulic cylinders 46 to swing the outer box from side to side . mounted inside outer box 44 is stinger 18 , which may be attached to hydraulic cylinder 47 . hydraulic cylinder 47 may also be attached to mainframe 42 and may be used to extend or retract the stinger . outer steering arm 19 may be attached to stinger 18 , and may be pivoted around pin 48 by using , for example , two hydraulic cylinders 49 . pivoting of the outer steering arm (“ y ” axis ) may be accomplished under the complete control of the ecm and may constitute the only function over which the operator generally has no or only limited direct control . limited direct control allows the operator control over the “ y ” axis movement of the pile lead and may be limited to a few degrees by measuring the deflection of the upper boom box rubber springs via position sensor 41 . programming of the ecm together with rubber spring rates , determines the actual “ y ” axis movement allowed . direct control of the “ y ” axis movement of the pile lead by the operator may be allowed ( by ecm programming ) if the upper boom box is configured without the two rubber springs , and thus acts as a universal joint . bottom slider 20 may be attached to the outer steering arm 19 using double pivot link 50 . slider 20 may be attached to the bottom of the pile lead . double pivot link 50 may be attached to the outer steering arm using , for example , two pivot pins 51 , and may be attached to bottom slider 20 using pivot pin 52 . this allows unrestricted movement in the “ x ” and “ z ” axis while still allowing powered movement in the “ y ” axis via outer steering arm 19 . two electronic position sensors may be used in the spotter . the “ master ” position sensor 53 may be attached between mainframe 42 and outer box 44 , and may be used to monitor the outer box &# 39 ; s swing angle to the left and to the right , as controlled by the operator . “ slave ” position sensor 54 may be attached to stinger 18 and outer steering arm 19 , and may be used to monitor the angular position of the automatically pivoted outer steering arm , whose movement is controlled by the ecm . referring now to fig7 a - 7b , the spotter assembly is shown in a fully extended , straight - ahead position , along the centerline of the crane and boom , with bottom slider &# 39 ; s 20 front face positioned parallel to the front face of the spotter &# 39 ; s mainframe 42 ( 90 degrees to the crane and boom &# 39 ; s centerline ). shown at the top of fig7 is the spotter assembly fully swung to the right ( 45 degrees ) and fully retracted . the ecm has maintained the bottom slider &# 39 ; s 20 front face parallel to the front face of the spotter &# 39 ; s mainframe ( both have turned 45 degrees , but in opposite directions ). the centerline of the pile lead may be positioned parallel to the centerline of the crane . in the straight - ahead position , sensors 53 and 54 preferably measure , for example , 16 inches between their attached spherical ball joints . in the preferred embodiment this was found to equal a reference voltage , supplied by both of the sensors to the ecm , of 2 . 5 volts . if the outer steering arm is not in the straight - ahead position , the voltage may be slightly more or less than 2 . 5 volts . the ecm ray be used to energize the electro / hydraulic system and supply hydraulic oil to hydraulic cylinders 49 , which may be used to rotate outer steering arm 19 in the correct direction until ( e . g .) 2 . 5 volts are reached . when the crane &# 39 ; s operator swings the spotter to the left or right , the position sensor &# 39 ; s 53 (“ master ”) length may be decreased ( e . g ., swing left , 0 . 5 volts min .) or increased ( e . g ., swing right 4 . 5 volts max .). the ecm may be designed to always turn outer steering arm 19 so that position sensor 54 matches the same voltage as position sensor 53 . this works due to the fact that sensor 53 is positioned to the left of the spotter &# 39 ; s centerline , while sensor 54 is positioned to the right of the centerline . when the spotter is fully swung to the left , position sensors 53 and 54 , in the preferred embodiment described here , measure 14 inches in length , and when the spotter is fully swung to the right , position sensors 53 and 54 measure 18 inches in length . as mentioned above , external forces and / or hydraulic drift in cylinders 49 due to hydraulic circuit leakage may cause outer steering arm 19 to rotate , changing the length of position sensor 54 , which will result in a change in voltage output . in this event , the ecm may be used to signal the hydraulic control valve to supply correction oil to hydraulic cylinders 49 , thereby returning the outer steering arm to the correct position . referring back to fig5 a - 5b , the ecm monitors position sensor 41 , which is mounted in boom box 14 . the voltage output of sensor 41 may be used to correct twist in the pile lead assembly , which may be caused by offset loads or drilling torque . deflection of the rubber springs may change the sensor &# 39 ; s length , so that its voltage output changes from 2 . 5 volts . using proper programming , the ecm may be caused to compare the input from sensor 41 to the input from sensor 54 , and then to turn outer steering arm 19 in the correct direction until sensor 41 is again at ( e . g .) 2 . 5 volts , when boom box 14 is being used as a universal joint , with no rubber springs , position sensor &# 39 ; s 41 input to the ecm may be ignored , allowing position sensor 54 to monitor the position of outer steering arm 19 . the ecm may be programmed to accommodate all of the various setups . setups may be electronically displayed on a touch screen located in front of the crane &# 39 ; s operator ; readouts from the various sensors may be displayed on this screen as well , or on an alternative screen . other sensors may be added to monitor auger speed , hydraulic drive pressure ( auger torque ), boom angle , cable - tension , winch position ( depth of drilling or pile driving depth ), etc ., as desired . angles may be displayed on the screen , in real time , from all three position sensors . referring back to fig7 a - 7b , it may be useful to attach to the spotter &# 39 ; s mainframe 42 a spring retractable hose reel 55 with two hydraulic hoses 56 for supplying hydraulic oil for the cylinders 49 , and one electrical cable 57 for position sensor 54 . the hoses and electrical cable may be molded together and attached to the outer end of stinger 18 . the reel may be wrapped several times , against spring tension , with the molded cable assembly . extending the stinger pulls the hose assembly , rotating reel 55 and further tensioning the hose reel &# 39 ; s tension spring . thus , the tensioned spring may be caused to pull on the hose assembly when stinger 18 is retracted , keeping the hose assembly tensioned . the ecm program may be programmed to perform an automatic setup of the three position sensors . the calibration mode , preferably password - protected , may be selected on the touch screen when setting up or rigging the crane , pile lead , spotter and boom box . boom box sensor 41 may be attached to its electrical cable before the boom box is attached to the crane &# 39 ; s boom tip . referring back to fig5 a - 5b , rubber springs 39 may be employed to retain position sensor 41 in the zero deflection position which , in the preferred embodiment , should theoretically be 2 . 5 volts . due to rubber spring compression , as affected by age , electrical on the position sensor , and normal wear on the mechanical components , reference voltages may shift . zero or the straight - ahead position , as an example , may have shifted from 2 . 5 volts to 2 . 3 volts . a mechanical lock pin ( not shown ) may be inserted between upper frame 33 and lower frame 34 to establish the correct alignment or straight - ahead position . in the calibration mode , the actual voltage may be stored in the memory of the ecm . position sensors 53 and 54 attached to spotter 9 may also be tested in the calibration mode . referring to fig1 , the spotter may be suspended by cable 11 before being attached to pile lead assembly 16 . the crane &# 39 ; s operator may swing the spotter fully to the left and hold this position for 5 seconds , as displayed on the touch screen . the spotter may then fully swing the spotter to the right and again hold this position for 5 seconds . the ecm may be programmed to calculate the center point of the minimum and maximum voltage from position sensor 53 and store this value into memory . this is the straight - ahead position . calibration of position sensor 54 , which monitors the position of outer steering arm 19 , is identical to position sensor 53 . in the calibration mode , the ecm may be programmed to allow the operator direct control of the outer steering arm , allowing it to be swung fully to the left and right . the ecm may also be programmed to monitor the position of all the sensors and to warn the crane &# 39 ; s operator of out - of - limits operation . the fault may be shown on the operator &# 39 ; s screen . some faults may be displayed as warnings , while other faults may result in the shut down of the system until repairs are made to correct the problem . it will be appreciated that one or more pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders may be used in place of the rubber springs . the hydraulic cylinder option would be more viable , as the cylinder &# 39 ; s size would be relatively small and generally hydraulic oil is readily available from the crane . the cylinders could be single or double acting and in both cases the air / oil flow could be restricted in and out of both cylinders to provide dampening . at least one accumulator could be used to provide a rising rate similar to the rubber springs . another option when using air or hydraulic cylinders would be to set the cylinder &# 39 ; s control pressure ( air or oil pressure ) to a fixed pressure setting ( no rising rate or accumulators ( s )), thereby limiting the amount of induced torque applied to the cranes boom to a constant fixed value . rubber springs may be preferred , however , as maintenance and cost will likely be lower than cylinders requiring air / hydraulic control systems . the present invention could also be adapted for use with a stationary crane such as one mounted to a pedestal . even devices not typically termed “ cranes ” could be used with the present invention . for example , a hydraulic excavator could be fitted with a spotter and a boom box , rather than using a crane . an excavator boom may be fabricated out of steel plates and may be manufactured in various shapes . further , a “ lattice boom ” need not be used with the present invention . while lattice booms are generally constructed from alloy hollow section tubing or angle steel and are triangulated in construction , the boom structure could also consist of a tubular or boxed section which may not be termed a “ lattice boom ” in common industry usage . the above description is not intended to limit the meaning of the words used in the following claims that define the invention . other systems , methods , features , and advantages of the present invention will be , or will become , apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the foregoing drawings , written description and claims , and persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that a variety of other designs still falling within the scope of the following claims may be envisioned and used . it is contemplated that these or other future modifications in structure , function or result will exist that are not substantial changes and that all such insubstantial changes in what is claimed are intended to be covered by the claims .	4
the present invention provides a high yield method of pre paring soluble dietary fiber with a low viscosity . ( i ) removing starch and protein from corn hulls ; ( ii ) extracting starch - and protein - removed the corn hulls with an alkaline solution , and filtering the alkaline extract through a filter cloth ; ( iii ) treating the filtrate of step ( ii ) with cellulase and cellobiase ; ( iv ) treating the solution reacted with enzyme of step ( iii ) with an adsorbent , and then filtering it through a membrane filter ; and ( v ) purifying the filtrate . as desired , to further improve the transparency and filterability , step ( iii ) further comprises a step of treatment with xylanase . preferably , before the to enzymatic reaction , the alkaline extract is further desalted and decolorized with an ion exchange resin . the corn hulls used in the present invention are commercially available . as long as the corn hulls are commercially available , all corn hulls can be used without considering their quality level . in the present invention , the generally known methods for removing starch and protein can be used . for example , in the enzymatic method , the corn hulls can be treated with a starch degrading enzyme such as amylase and glucoamylase , and protease . treatment with the starch degrading enzyme and the protease can be done simultaneously or sequentially . in the invention , after removal of starch and protein from corn hulls , the resultant can be filtered through a filter cloth , thereby increasing the recovery rate of corn hulls . to extract hemicellulose , which constitutes 70 % or more of corn hulls , the corn hulls are stirred with the addition of an alkaline solution at a high temperature . the alkaline solution can be naoh , or a mixture of naoh and ca ( oh ) 2 . when only the sodium hydroxide is used , a higher yield , a higher content of dietary fiber , and more advantages in the preparation process can be expected compared to using sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide together . in considering the efficient extraction of hemicellulose , it is preferable to use sodium hydroxide at a low concentration . the maximal recovery rate of the extract can be reached by filtering the extract with a filter cloth after alkaline extraction . after neutralizing the extract with acid , the resultant solution is simultaneously treated with cellulase and cellobiase , or cellulase , cellobiase and xylanase . the addition of cellulase , cellobiase , and xylanase makes the extract less viscous , more transparent , and more filterable , thereby making the production process more advantageous . in addition , when the alkaline extract is treated by desalting and decolorization with a cation or anion exchange resin before the enzyme treatment , it is possible to reduce the amount of the enzyme which is required in the following step to produce the same quality of soluble dietary fiber . the solution obtained from the enzyme reaction is treated with an adsorbent such as activated carbon , filtered by membrane filtration , treated with an ion exchange resin , concentrated , and dried , to produce the water - soluble dietary fiber . the preparing method of the soluble dietary fiber from corn hulls is more specifically described in the following . corn hulls obtained from corn starch production are dried to about 5 % of water content . the dried corn hulls are mixed with distilled water in the amount of 10 to 20 times , preferably 15 times by weight of the corn hulls , and the ph is adjusted to ph 5 . 8 to 6 . 0 by the addition of a 3 to 5 % naoh standard solution . after the resultant solution is heated by stirring in a water bath so that the temperature of the solution is 90 to 100 ° c ., the solution is stirred for 1 to 5 hours with the addition of alpha - amylase in the amount of 0 . 05 to 5 %, preferably 0 . 1 to 3 % to the dried corn hulls , and then filtered through a filter cloth , and the corn hulls are then sufficiently washed with water . the alpha - amylase , for example termamyl ( novo nordisk ltd . ), is preferably heat - resistant . the filter cloth can be a generally used one that is made from polyester and polyamide with an internal pore size of 36 to 100 , and preferably 44 to 53 micrometers . destarched corn hulls are then suspended in distilled water in the same ratio as above , and the ph of the solution is adjusted to ph 7 . 0 by the addition of a sodium hydroxide solution . after the resultant solution is heated by stirring in a water bath so that the temperature of the solution is 45 to 55 ° c ., it is stirred for 1 to 5 hours with the addition of protease in the amount of 0 . 05 to 5 %, preferably 0 . 2 to 2 %, filtered through the filter cloth , and washed by the same method as above , to obtain starch - and protein - removed corn hulls . the proteases include fungi enzymes such as flavourzyme derived from asperfillus oryzae , alkalase derived from bacillus licheniformis , and the like . when filtration is performed with the filter cloth , the recovery rate of corn hulls is higher than with centrifugation , which is shown in example 1 . the hemicellulose is extracted from the starch - and protein - removed corn hulls with an alkaline solution . the corn hulls filtered can be used directly , or after being dried to some extent . the resultant corn hulls can be mixed with a sodium hydroxide solution at a low concentration of 0 . 1 to 3 %, preferably 0 . 5 to 0 . 7 % in the amount of 15 to 25 times , preferably 20 to 25 times by weight of the corn hulls . then the hemicellulose is extracted by heating the mixture in a water bath , and stirring at 70 to 90 ° c . for 1 to 5 hours . the resultant is then cooled to room temperature , and filtered by vacuum filtration with a filter cloth to is produce the extract . the same type of filter cloth as used in the first step can be used . as shown in example 3 , when filtering with a filter cloth , the recovery rate and transparency of the alkaline extract increases , thereby improving the filterability and final yield in the following process , compared to centrifugation . after preparing the alkaline extract , the solution can be directly treated with enzymes such as cellulose , cellobiase , and xylanase , etc . however , before the enzyme treatment , the alkaline extract can be further desalted and decolorized with an ion exchange resin . this case has advantages in that a smaller amount of enzymes is required in the enzyme reaction , and it results in a higher yield than with direct enzyme treatment without desalting and decolorization . the ion exchange resin which is generally used for preparation of starch sweetner can be used in the desalting and decolorizing step . as examples , a strongly acidic cation exchange resin or a weakly basic anion exchange resin can be used . the ion exchange resins can be added in the amount of 1 to 10 times , and preferably 4 times the volume of the dried corn hulls . for example , a cation exchange resin including the strongly acidic styrene resin sk1b can be used , and the anion exchange resin s that can be used include a strongly basic cl - type and a weakly basic oh - type styrene resin . the ph of the alkaline extract , or the desalted and decolorized alkaline extract , is adjusted to ph 4 . 0 to 5 . 5 , preferably 4 . 7 to 5 . 0 , which is optimum for enzymes . then the temperature of the resultant solution is adjusted to an appropriate temperature for the active enzymes by heating it in a water bath , and it is treated with cellulase and cellobiase while stirring . preferably , xylanase may be used for treatment together with the cellulase and cellobiase , thereby obtaining an enzyme hydrolysate with an improved filterability , low viscosity , and high transparency . in regard to the preferred dosage content of the enzymes , when the alkaline extract is directly treated with enzymes , the dosage of cellulase and cellobiase are the same , at 0 . 1 to 5 %, preferably 0 . 1 to 3 %, respectively . when the amount of the enzymes is lower , it is difficult to perform the following processes , such as the filtering step . when the amount of the enzymes is higher , the reaction time is reduced , but the production costs increase . when the alkaline extract is treated with enzymes after a desalting and decolorizing step , 10 to 90 parts by weight of cellobiase to 100 parts by weight of cellulase can produce a final product with a quality level equivalent to that of an enzyme reaction on an alkaline extract lacking the desalting and decolorizing step . the content of cellulase can be 0 . 1 to 5 wt % to weight of lo dried corn hulls . the cellobiase can be used in the amount of 0 . 1 to 5 wt %, preferably 0 . 1 to 3 wt %, to weight of the dried corn hulls . the enzyme reaction mixture is treated with an adsorbent , and then filtered . the adsorbents include activated carbon , an adsorbing resin such as polystyrene , and the like . to obtain a transparent extract , the filtration process can be performed with a membrane filter with a pore size of 0 . 5 micrometer or less , and preferably 0 . 45 to 0 . 2 micrometer or less . the final purification of the extract can be performed by desalting and decolorizing with an ion exchange resin which is generally used in the preparation process of dietary fiber . for example , the ion exchange resins include a strongly acidic cation exchange resin , a weakly basic anion exchange resin , and a mixed ion exchange resin . the mixed resin can be a mixture of an activated strongly acidic cation exchange resin and a strongly basic anion exchange resin , in the volume ratio of 1 : 2 . for example , the cation exchange resins include a strongly acidic styrene resin sk1b , and the anion exchange resins include a strongly basic cl - type styrene resin and a weakly basic oh - type styrene resin . the finally purified enzyme hydrolysate is concentrated to a 10 % solution under vacuum , and is then freeze - dried or spray - dried to produce powder . the employment of the third step in the preparation process for the dietary fiber can omit the purification process with the cation exchange resin or to anion exchange resin , resulting in simplifying the preparation process . the following examples are intended only to illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims . dried corn hulls ( 2 . 8 % of water content ) were added to distilled water in the amount of 15 times by weight of the dried corn hulls , and the ph was adjusted to 5 . 8 with 1n naoh while mixing with a mechanical stirrer . the mixture was heated in a 95 ° c . water bath , reacted for 2 hours with the addition of heat - resistant alpha - amylase ( novo nordisk ltd ., termamyl 120 ls , denmark ) in the amount of 2 . 0 % to the dried corn hulls , filtered by a polyester filter cloth ( samsung canvas , 55 - 5528 , korea ), and washed with distilled water . the destarched corn hulls were added to distilled water in the amount of 15 times by weight of the dried corn hulls , and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 0 with 1n naoh while mixing with a mechanical stirrer . the mixture was reacted with the addition of protease ( novo nordisk ltd ., flavourzyme , denmark ) in the amount of 2 . 0 % to the dried corn hulls for 2 hours in a 50 ° c . water bath , filtered by a polyester filter cloth ( samsung canvas , 55 - 5528 , korea ), and washed with distilled water . the resultant was dried in an oven at 50 ° c ., to produce starch - and protein - removed corn hulls . the yield of corn hulls is shown in table 1 . the same method as in example 1 was used , except that instead of flavourzyme , alkalase ( novo nordisk ltd ., alkalase , denmark ) in the amount of 2 . 0 % to the dried corn hulls was reacted for 2 h ours in a 55 ° c . water bath , to produce starch - and protein - removed corn hulls . the yield of corn hulls is shown in table 1 . the same method as in example 1 was used , except that after the treatment of alpha - amylase and protease , the resultant solution was centrifuged at 3 , 000 rpm instead of filtering with the filter cloth , to produce starch - and protein - removed corn hulls . the yield of corn hulls is shown in table 1 . 37 g of starch - and protein - remvoed corn hulls prepared according to example 1 were mixed with 1 l of a 0 . 5 % naoh solution , and stirred in an 80 ° c . water bath for 3 hours , and filtered through a filter cloth to produce a primary alkaline extract . the yield and transparency as measured with a spectrophotometer are shown in table 2 the corn hulls obtained in comparative example 1 were treated with an alkaline solution as in example 3 , and then they were centrifuged instead of filtered , to produce an alkaline extract . the yield and transparency as measured with a spectrophotometer are shown in table 2 . the results show that the yield and transparency with vacuum filtration are higher than with the centrifugation method . the ph of 1 . 2 l of the primary extract obtained in example 3 ( 27 . 7 g of solid content ) was adjusted to ph 4 . 8 by the addition of 10 % hcl , and cellulase ( novo nordisk ltd , celluclast , denmark ) and cellobiase ( novo nordisk ltd ., to novozyme 188 , denmark ) were added in the amount of 3 % by weight of the dried corn hulls in a 50 ° c . water bath . then , the viscosity , filterability , and transparency of the resultant solution were measured , and the results are shown in table 3 . to compare the results , the above process was repeated , except that only 3 . 0 % by weight of the cellulase was used . in addition , the ph of the same primary extract as above was adjusted to ph 4 . 8 by the addition of 10 % hcl , and cellulase ( novo nordisk ltd , celluclast , denmark ), cellobiase ( novo nordisk ltd ., novozyme 188 , denmark ), and xylanase ( biocatalyst co ., depot 333p , uk ) in the amount of 3 % by weight of the dried corn hulls were added simultaneously to the extract , reacted in a 60 ° c . water bath for 3 hours . then , the viscosity , the filterability , and the transparency of the resultant solution were measured , and the results are shown in table 3 . 2 . 5 g of activated carbon ( norit co ., kb - b , holland ) were added to an enzyme hydrolysate of three enzymes , it was heated to 95 ° c . for 30 seconds , and cooled to room temperature . the resultant was primarily filtered into filter paper ( advantec co ., toyo 5a , japan ), and then secondly into filter paper ( whatman international ltd ., gf / b , uk ) in a glass filter under vacuum . then , the resultant was filtered through a membrane with a pore size of 0 . 45 micrometers ( gelman co ., metricel , usa ) and a membrane with a pore size of 0 . 2 micrometers ( gelman co ., super - 200 , usa ). the obtained filtrate was treated with a strongly acidic cation exchange resin ( samyang co ., sk - 1b , korea ), a weakly basic and strongly basic anion exchange resin ( samyang co ., wa 30 ; pa 408 , korea ), and a resin mixture ( strongly acidic cation exchange resin and strongly basic anion exchange resin in the ratio of 1 : 2 ) at each step , it was stirred in a 40 ° c . water bath for 1 . 5 hours , filtered , and desalted and decolorized . finally , the resultant was concentrated with a vacuum evaporator ( eyela , ne - 1v , japan ), so that the concentration of the soluble dietary fiber was measured to be 10 % ( w / w ). the final yield of soluble dietary fiber to raw corn hulls was 23 . 1 %. as a result of measurement of the fiber with a prosky - aoac method , the content of soluble dietary fiber was 91 . 9 %, and the results of typical analysis are shown in table 4 . to perform the desalting and decolorizing process , the ph of 1 . 2 l of primary extract obtained in example 3 ( 27 . 7 g of solid content ) was adjusted to ph 6 . 0 by adding 10 % hcl , and 200 ml of the strongly acidic cation exchange resin ( samyang co ., sk - 1b , korea ) and the weakly basic anion exchange resin ( samyang co ., wa 30 , korea ) were added sequentially , it was stirred in a 40 ° c . water bath for 1 . 5 hours , and then filtered . the ph of the resultant solution was adjusted to ph 4 . 8 , cellulase ( novo nordisk ltd , celluclast , denmark ) and cellobiase ( novo nordisk ltd ., novozyme 188 , denmark ) were added in the amount of 2 % and 0 . 4 % by weight of the dried corn hulls respectively , and it was reacted for 3 hours in a 50 ° c . water bath . then , the viscosity , the filterability , and the transparency of the resultant solution were measured , and the results are shown in table 5 . to compare the results , the above process was repeated , except that only 2 . 0 % of the cellulase was used . in addition , the ph of the same primary extract as above was adjusted to ph 6 . 0 , and then it was desalted and decolorized according to the method as mentioned above . then , the ph of the resultant solution was adjusted to 4 . 8 , cellulase ( novo nordisk ltd , celluclast , denmark ), cellobiase ( novo nordisk ltd ., novozyme 188 , denmark ), and xylanase ( biocatalyst co ., depol 333p , uk ) were added simultaneously in the amount of 2 . 0 %, 0 . 4 %, and 2 . 0 % by weight of the dried corn hulls respectively , and it was reacted in a 55 ° c . water bath for 3 hours . then , the viscosity , the filterability , and the transparency of the resultant solution were measured , and the results are shown in table 5 . 2 . 5 g of the activated carbon ( norit co ., kb - b , holland ) were added to an hydrolysate of three enzymes , it was heated to 95 ° c . for 30 seconds , and cooled to room temperature . the resultant was primarily filtered into filter paper ( advantec co ., toyo 5a , japan ), and then secondly into filter paper ( whatman international ltd ., gf / b , uk ) in a glass filter under vacuum . then , the resultant was filtered into a membrane with a pore size of 0 . 45 micrometers ( gelman co ., metricel , usa ) and a membrane with a pore size of 0 . 2 micrometers ( gelman co ., super - 200 , usa ). the obtained filtrate was added to 200 ml of a resin mixture of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin ( samyang co ., sk - 1b , korea ) and a weakly basic anion exchange resin ( samyang co ., wa 30 ; pa 408 , korea ) in the volume ratio of 1 : 2 , and stirred in a 40 ° c . water bath for 1 . 5 hours to complete the final purification process . finally , the resultant solution was concentrated with a vacuum evaporator ( eyela , ne - 1v , japan ), so that the concentration of the soluble dietary fiber was measured be to 10 % ( w / w ). the final yield of soluble dietary fiber to raw corn hulls was 24 . 5 %. as a result of measurement of the fiber with a prosky - aoac method , the content of soluble dietary fiber was 92 . 1 %, and the results of typical analysis are shown in table 6 . this example was produced according to the same method of example 4 , except that xylanase derived from aspergillus niger ( novo nordisk ltd ., shearzyme 500 l , denmark ) was used instead of xylanse . the final yield of dietary fiber to raw corn hulls was 20 . 4 %, and the content of dietary fiber was 90 . 7 %. 200 g of corn hulls ( 5 . 7 % of water content ) were mixed with distilled water so that the final concentration was 8 %, 1n naoh solution was added while mixing with an a mechanical stirrer , to a ph of 5 . 8 . the mixture was heated in a 95 ° c . water bath , reacted with the addition of the heat - resistant alpha - amylase of example 1 in the amount of 1 . 0 % ( v / w ) to the dried corn hulls , for 2 hours , and filtered with a filter cloth . the destarched corn hulls were added to 3 . 0 l of distilled water , and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 0 with 1n naoh solution . the mixture was reacted with protease ( novo nordisk ltd ., flavourzyme , denmark ) in the amount of 1 . 0 ( w / w ) % to the dried corn hulls for 3 hours in a 50 ° c . water bath , filtered with a filter cloth , and dried in an oven at 50 ° c ., to produce starch - and protein - removed corn hulls . the yield of corn hulls was 74 . 0 %. to perform alkaline extraction , the starch - and protein - removed corn hulls were mixed with 3 l of a 0 . 5 % naoh solution , and stirred in a 40 ° c . water bath for 24 hours and filtered through a filter cloth to produce a primary alkaline extract . the ph of the primary extract was adjusted to ph 4 . 8 by addition of 10 % of hcl , and cellulase ( novo nordisk ltd , celluclast , denmark ) and cellobiase ( novo nordisk ltd ., novozyme 188 , denmark ) in the amount of 1 . 0 % by weight of the dried corn hulls were respectively added , and reacted in a 50 ° c . water bath for 5 hours . after the reaction , 10 % ( w / w ) of the activated carbon ( norit co ., kb - b , holland ) to corn hulls was added to the hydrolysate of three enzymes , it was heated to 95 ° c . for 30 seconds , and cooled to room temperature . the resultant was finally filtered with a membrane with a pore size of 0 . 45 micrometers ( gelman co ., metricel , usa ). as in the method of example 3 , the desalting and decolorizing steps were performed with three steps of ion exchange resin treatment . the resultant solution was concentrated so that the final concentration was 10 % ( w / w ), and then the final yield of soluble dietary fiber to the raw dried corn hulls was calculated . as a result , the yield was 21 . 5 %, and the content of the fiber was 86 . 4 %. according to the method of example 1 , 300 g of corn hulls were added to distilled water in the amount of 15 times by weight of the corn hulls , and then starch and protein were removed with enzyme sequentially . the yield of starch - and protein - removed corn hulls was 68 . 6 %. alkaline extraction was performed on the corn hulls with 5 l of 0 . 5 % naoh , and then the resultant solution was divided into two groups . 5 % of cellulase and 5 % ( v / w ) of cellobiase to the dried corn hulls were added to one group , and reacted at 50 ° c . for 5 hours . 5 % ( v / w ) of cellulase , 5 % ( v / w ) of cellobiase , and 5 % ( v / w ) of xylanase to the dried corn hulls were added simultaneously to the other group and reacted at 60 ° c . for 5 hours . the two groups were treated according to the purification process as above . then , the concentrations of dietary fiber solution were adjusted to 5 % ( w / w ) at room temperature , and the viscosities were measured . as a result , with the treatment of cellulase and cellobiase , the viscosity was 10 . 0 cps . with the treatment of cellulase , cellobiase , and xylanase , the viscosity was 9 . 0 cps . for reference , arabic gum ( msc co ., no . 10308 , korea ), which is usually used as an emulsion stabilizer for food , had a viscosity of 6 . 7 cps . after the starch and protein were removed from the corn hulls according to the method of example 1 , the resultant was divided into two groups . one group was treated with 0 . 5 % of an alkaline mixture which included naoh and ca ( oh ) 2 in the same ratio in the amount of 20 times by weight of corn hulls . the other group was treated with 0 . 5 % of a naoh solution in the same amount , and reacted at 80 ° c . for 3 hours . as disclosed in example 4 , the resultant solutions were treated with the three kinds of enzymes in the amount of 3 % respectively , reacted , purified , and the yield was calculated . as a result , in the case of treatment with naoh and ca ( oh ) 2 , the yield was 15 . 1 %, and the content of dietary fiber was 72 . 7 %. in the case of treatment with naoh , the yield was 20 . 1 %, and the content of dietary fiber was 84 . 3 %. after the starch and protein were removed from the corn hulls according to the method of example 1 , the resultant was divided into three groups . the groups were treated with a 0 . 1 %, 0 . 5 %, and 1 . 0 % naoh solution in the amount of 20 times by weight of corn hulls , respectively . as disclosed in example 4 , the resultant solutions were treated with the three kinds of enzymes in the amount of 3 % respectively , reacted , purified , and the yield was calculated . as a result , when treating with 0 . 1 %, 0 . 5 %, and 1 . 0 % naoh , the yields were 3 . 3 %, 30 . 0 %, and 33 . 4 %, respectively . however , the treatment with 1 . 0 % naoh caused the formation of salt in a relatively large amount during neutralizing process , resulting in a high load during the purification process . after the starch and protein were removed from the corn hulls according to the method of example 1 , the resultant was divided into three groups . the groups were treated with a 0 . 5 % naoh solution in the amount of 20 times by weight of corn hulls for 1 , 3 , and 10 hours , respectively . as disclosed in example 4 , the resultant solutions were treated with the three kinds of enzymes in the amount of 3 % respectively , reacted , purified , and the yield was calculated . as a result , when treatment time was 1 , 3 , and 10 hours , the yields were 24 . 9 %, 27 . 9 %, and 26 . 7 %, respectively . after the starch and protein were removed from the corn hulls according to the method of example 1 , the resultant was divided into three groups . the groups were treated with a 0 . 5 % naoh solution in the amount of 20 times by weight of corn hulls for 3 hours at 40 , 60 , and 80 ° c ., respectively . as disclosed in example 4 , the resultant solutions were treated with the three kinds of enzymes in the amount of 3 % respectively , reacted , purified , and the yield was calculated . as a result , when treatment temperature was 40 , 60 , and 80 ° c ., the yields were 8 . 5 %, 15 . 4 %, and 21 . 7 %, respectively . lecithin powder ( central soya co ., centrolex d , usa ), arabic gum ( msc co ., 10308 , korea ), and two kinds of dietary fiber extracted from corn hulls at 2 % ( w / w ) respectively were added to a mixture of soy bean oil and distilled water , emulsified with a homogenizer at 20 , 000 rpm for 5 minutes , and the viscosity of the emulsion was measured . as a result , the viscosity was 23 cps for lecithin powder , 35 cps for arabic gum , 55 cps for dietary fiber obtained by treating with cellulase and cellobiase , and 50 cps for dietary fiber obtained by treating with cellulase , cellobiase , and xylanse . in addition , the state of emulsion in a 100 ml mass cylinder was investigated . as a result , all the samples showed good emulsion stability . after 10 days , a lower aqueous layer separation occurred for all the samples . after 30 days , a lower aqueous layer completely separated from the upper oil layer for the sample including lecithin , but the emulsion of the samples including arabic gum and dietary fiber extracted from corn hulls kept comparatively stable .	0
referring now to fig1 of the accompanying drawings which set forth the present invention in greater detail and in which like numerals designate like features , a high pressure mixing and spray nozzle apparatus is generally comprised of a pressure / back pressure module 12 , an expulsion chamber module 14 , an accelerator module 16 , each module having a secondary component inlet ( 20 , 24 and 56 , respectively ), a diversion member 6 , and a diversion control valve 4 . a primary component , usually water under pressure , is introduced to the nozzle apparatus in the direction of the flow 8 . module 12 is termed pressure / back pressure due to the fluid mechanics action involved within module 12 . in particular , the primary component is a pressurized fluid that is received within module 12 that has its flow restricted downstream by the narrower outlet end of module 12 . this restriction creates a backpressure on incoming fluid . as best shown in fig2 the pressure / back pressure module 12 contains a secondary component inlet 20 for introducing a small amount of air which circumferentially surrounds the flow of the primary component fluid through the feedline . the pressure / back pressure module 12 also provides a pressure inlet / outlet 22 for diversion of excess pressure to the accelerator module 16 . the secondary component inlet 24 of the expulsion chamber 14 provides a unidirectional fluid jet orifice 30 . fluid jet orifice 30 , in combination with inlet 30 , provides a means of pushing ( or driving ) the fluid through module 14 , hence the term expulsion chamber module . the diameter of the unidirectional orifice 30 may be sized according to the viscosity of fluids to be used . the secondary component inlet 24 can be formed in a circular orifice 30 , as shown in fig2 and 3 . in another embodiment , the unidirectional jet orifice 30 can also consist of two adjacent circular outlets as best shown in fig6 and 8 , this embodiment allows for the introduction of an additional secondary component through another secondary component inlet 24 &# 39 ; and another unidirectional jet orifice 30 &# 39 ;. the secondary component inlet 24 is mounted on the expulsion chamber module 14 which is larger in diameter than the fluid line of the pressure / back pressure module 12 feeding it . the inner boundary of expulsion chamber module 14 is cylindrical in shape proceeding to a hemispheric - shaped portion 50 and an outlet which is of a significantly smaller diameter than the main portion of the expulsion chamber module 14 . the hemispheric - shaped portion 50 serves to develop a linearly compressed shock - type wave , the import of which is discussed herein . the accelerator module 16 contains a secondary component inlet 56 and a pressure inlet / outlet 28 which is operably coupled to the diversion member 6 . the accelerator module 16 also contains an inner member 52 which includes , in one embodiment , a plurality of radially oriented circular openings 26 located along the length of the inner member 52 ( see fig4 ). inlet 56 and inner member 52 provide a means for compressing and sharpening the wave as it leaves expulsion chamber module 14 to increase the velocity and range of the oncoming fluid , hence to term accelerator module . in another embodiment best shown in fig7 the inner member 52 may contain a plurality of slit shaped openings 54 instead of circular openings 26 . the slit shaped openings 54 are angular cuts made on the wall of inner member 52 , commencing with a series of slit shaped openings 54 cut at a predetermined angle with the wall of inner member 52 . subsequent series of slits 54 that are cut along the direction of the fluid flow are then cut having an angle with the wall of the inner that is lesser than the angle made with the wall of the inner member 52 of the previous series of slits 54 . as shown in fig7 and within the cross - section area of the inner wall member 52 , the slits 54 are angular cuts that are formed by a cut having the outer surface of inner wall 52 cut slightly upstream of the inner terminating end of the slit 54 on the inner wall surface of inner wall member 52 . this decrease in angle sharpens and accelerates the fluid waveform as it passes through the accelerator module 16 . the accelerator module 16 further comprises a circumferential wall 72 , as shown in fig2 and 7 . the circumferential wall 72 serves to separate the secondary component inlet 56 from the pressure inlet / outlet 28 . in the pressure / back pressure module 12 , a small amount of air surrounds the flow of fluid by 360 degrees , adding momentum and pressure directionally into the expulsion chamber module 14 . if the desired pressure level is exceeded the pressure can be diverted out of the pressure / back pressure module 12 and into the accelerator module 16 . the secondary component inlet 24 of the expulsion chamber module 12 aid in pushing the fluid through the expulsion chamber module 14 and towards the accelerator module 16 . the unidirectional orifice 30 is centrally located to allow acceleration of the fluid and may be larger for use with a solid fluid and smaller for use with a gas or liquid fluid . the unidirectional orifice 30 may also be eccentrically located , but directed at an angle toward the center line , to prevent clogging in the expulsion chamber module 14 when heavier materials are used . the unidirectional orifice 30 may be formed in a delta - wing shape 32 to further dampen any wave action around the secondary component inlet 24 by directing the fluid linearly through the expulsion chamber module 14 . the expulsion chamber module 14 is larger in diameter than the fluid line feeding it from the pressure / back pressure module 12 . the required diameter of the expulsion chamber module 14 increases in relation to the increase in desired fluid volume and pressure . this increase in volume and decrease in pressure creates a draw from the secondary component inlet 24 . the expulsion chamber module &# 39 ; s 14 hemispherically - shaped portion 50 reduces a bell - shaped shock - type wave into a linearly compressed wave . the hemispherically - shaped portion 50 also limits the perpendicular lines of force thereby allowing directional acceleration through the expulsion chamber module 14 . as the fluid enters the expulsion chamber module 14 from the pressure / back pressure module 12 the fluid waveforms tend to diverge outward . simultaneously , the fluid input from the unidirectional orifice 30 produces waveforms which tend to converge as they enter the expulsion chamber 14 . these converging waveforms serve to offset and compress the angle of the diverging waveforms produced by the pressure / back pressure module 12 , thereby producing a linearly compressed waveform . the outwardly expanding forces of the linearly compressed waveform further accelerates the fluid flow . the accelerator module 16 is pressurized through the input 56 , providing a unidirectional flow . the accelerator module 16 compresses and accelerates the mixture leaving the expulsion chamber module 14 , further sharpening the wave leaving the expulsion chamber module 14 and increasing the velocity and range of the final output . the accelerator module 16 utilizes pressure and vacuum to draw the shock wave through the hemispherically - shaped portion 50 of the expulsion chamber module 14 . the inner member 52 of the accelerator module 16 contains plurality of slits 54 or openings 26 which create a reduction in friction against the fluid flow which and accelerates the fluid flow . the decrease in angle of the slits 54 or openings 26 serves to further sharpen and accelerate the final output . each module performs the same function of sharpening and accelerating the nozzle output , but each produces different results . therefore the modules can be used separately or in any combination which will produce the desired result for the required application . depending on the amount of back pressure required , back pressure from any module can be diverted to any other module . each module can also accommodate a gas , liquid , or solid fluid depending on the distinct needs and requirements of the function to be performed . further , the primary and secondary components may be varied to suit different situations . for example , for some fire - fighting situations , water would be the primary component with a dry chemical flame retardant being a secondary component and carbon dioxide being another secondary component . it will be understood that although the secondary components introduced in the pressure / back pressure module or the accelerator module are usually in gaseous form , such as air , liquid and solid fluids may likewise be introduced . while the invention has been particularly shown and described in reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	1
referring to fig2 a temperature sensor is shown which includes resistors r1 and r t , along with processing circuitry for amplifying the output of the sensor , and correcting circuitry for measuring errors present in the processing circuit and for compensating for the measured errors so as to develop a corrected sensor output signal . the ability of the illustrated system to measure and compensate for such errors is due in part to the structure of the illustrated system and in part to a software program to be described later . referring again to the resistors r1 and r t , the resistor r1 is preferably a metal film resistor having a one percent tolerance and a temperature coefficient of 50 ppm ( parts per million ). the resistor r t has a resistance which varies with temperature . for example , the value of the resistor rt may be approximately 1580 ohms at a temperature of - 40 ° centigrade , and about 3100 ohms at a temperature of + 150 ° centigrade . the resistors r1 and r t are coupled as shown in series between a dc supply voltage + v and ground to develop at their junction ( node 18 ) a sensor output signal v t that varies as a function of temperature . it is this signal v t which is to be amplified , processed and corrected as described later herein to provide a sensor signal with high resolution and high accuracy . the illustrated system is designed to accommodate a plurality of sensors , as illustrated by the inclusion of resistors 20 and 22 which are connected in series with each other and in parallel with resistors r1 and r t . the resistor 20 may be similar to or identical to the resistor r1 and the resistor 22 may be similar to or identical to the resistor r t so as to develop an additional sensor output signal v t1 at the juncture of resistors 20 and 22 ( node 24 ). the remainder of the circuitry shown in fig2 essentially comprises circuitry to amplify the output of a selected sensor and to compensate for any errors which are introduced . in parallel with the sensor comprising resistors r1 and r t is a voltage divider made up of resistors r2 and r3 which are connected in series with each other to develop a reference voltage ( v of ) at their juncture ( node 26 ). the resistors r2 and r3 may be of the same type as the resistor r1 described earlier . the reference voltage developed at the node 26 is a voltage against which the sensor voltage v t ( and other sensor voltages v t1 , etc .) will be compared to develop an amplified sensor output signal . to amplify a selected sensor output signal , an amplifier 28 is included which has a first input terminal 30 coupled to receive the reference signal v of . a second input terminal 32 is coupled to the output of a switch which preferably takes the form of a multiplexer 34 which has multiple inputs . referring again to the amplifier 28 , it includes an output terminal 36 at which an amplified signal v o ( n ) is developed . referring to the multiplexer 34 , its multiple inputs are shown as including a first input designated as h and additional inputs which are designated as a through g . each of the inputs a - g receives a different sensor output signal . as will be discussed in more detail later , the input designated h is selected and used for calibration purposes when the processing circuit is in a calibration mode . when an operational mode is in effect , a selected one of the inputs a - g is amplified and corrected under the control of a programmed microprocessor 40 . more specifically , the microprocessor 40 is programmed to enable the multiplexer 34 via an address bus 42 so as to cause the multiplexer 34 to couple its channel h input to the output terminal 38 when the processing circuit is in a calibration mode during which errors in the processing circuit are detected . when the processing circuit is in the operational mode , a selected one of the other channel inputs a - g becomes coupled to the output terminal 38 , and the selected channel input becomes amplified by amplifier 28 and further processed to compensate for any errors detected during the calibration mode . it is preferred to include a protective impedance network between the output of each sensor and the input to the multiplexer 34 to protect against voltage spikes and the like . in this embodiment , the protective impedance network between the multiplexer and the node 24 is shown as a resistor 44 . likewise , a resistor 46 is coupled the channel a input to the multiplexer 34 and the node 18 . for reasons which will be described later , another resistor 4 is coupled between the node 26 and the input 30 to the amplifier 28 . preferably , the resistors 44 , 46 and 48 are of substantially equal values . referring again to the amplifier 28 , its output ( node 36 ) is coupled to an input of an a / d converter 50 which accepts the analog input from node 36 , converts it to a digital value , and inputs it to the microprocessor 40 in the conventional manner . although the a / d converter 50 is illustrated as being a separate item from the microprocessor 40 , the a / d converter 50 may be included in the microprocessor 40 . there are two further inputs to the converter 50 . one is the reference voltage v of which is coupled to an input of the converter 50 via a line 52 . the other input to the converter 50 is the signal which appears on the output terminal 38 of the multiplexer 34 . this input is coupled to the converter 50 via a lead 54 and the voltage thereon is referred to herein as v t ( n ). the voltage v t ( n ) will correspond to the signal on the one input h or a - g which is selected by the microprocessor to be coupled through the multiplexer 34 . before describing the operation of the system shown in fig2 and how it compensates for errors , it is appropriate to first discuss some of the errors that arise in such a system and which of those errors are compensated for in the illustrated embodiment . one type of error which arises in any such system is the error which is associated with the accuracy of the sensor itself . this type of error is not treated by the present system . contact and wiring resistant errors are also errors which are not corrected by the present system . on the other hand , an error which is corrected by the present system is referred to as &# 34 ; offset resistor ratio error &# 34 ; ( referred to later as dk3 ) and is created by the tolerances associated with the resistors r2 and r3 . this error gives rise to an offset voltage error in v of and is corrected as described below . &# 34 ; amplifier offset error &# 34 ; is an error which is created by the offset voltage associated with the amplifier 28 , and this error is also corrected as described later . bias current error arising from bias currents from the input pins of the amplifier 28 is another form of error which is corrected as described later . another error which is corrected is that due to leakage current through the multiplexer 34 . this leakage has two distinct components . one such leakage occurs between each input pin of the multiplexer and ground and may be approximately 1 microampere . the other component is due to leakage between input pins and is also in the range of about 1 microampere . finally , the gain error associated with amplifier 28 is another error which is corrected by the present system . having described the type of errors the present system corrects for , reference is now made to fig3 which depicts equations 1 - 4 which are mathematical expressions useful in describing some of the errors discussed above and in describing the type of correction which takes place as described later . referring first to equation 1 , v o ( n ) corrected indicates a sensor output voltage which has been amplified at terminal 36 , measured , and compensated for by multiplying the measured voltage at terminal 36 by a factor a and combining the result with a correction factor b . a and b are corrective factors which are calculated by the microprocessor 40 in response to measurements made during a calibration cycle . once the calibration cycle is completed , a sensor output voltage is present on the terminal 36 , is measured , and is then corrected by use of the factors a and b as illustrated by equation 1 . the corrective factor a is defined by equation 2 in which gvi is the ideal voltage gain of the amplifier 28 and dk2 is the gain error as defined by equation 3 . in equation 3 , v o ( x ) indicates any voltage appearing at the node 36 other than a voltage due to channel h being coupled through the multiplexer to its output terminal 38 . in other words , v o ( x ) is any amplified sensor output voltage . c off is a measure of the amplifier offset error plus leakage effects . the calculation of the c off is described later . v t ( x ) is a voltage which appears on the lead 54 at the same time that the voltage v o ( x ) appears on the lead 36 . v of is the reference voltage shown at the node 26 in fig2 and v ofi is the ideal reference voltage which would be developed by resistors r2 and r3 in the case where the ratio of r 2 and r 3 has its ideal value . the additive corrective factor b is defined by equation 4 where dk3 is the error in the ratio of the resistances of r2 and r3 . the other factors in equation 4 have already been defined . some of the factors such as gvi , v ofi and the like are constants which are preferably included in the memory of the microprocessor 40 . the variables such as v t ( x ) and v o ( x ) are variables which are sensed by the a / d converter 50 , digitized , and input to the microprocessor 40 for use in calculating the corrective factors a and b . having described the types of errors which the present system corrects and having briefly described , in connection with the equations shown in fig3 the nature of the corrections , the corrective method which is employed will now be described in more detail by way of the flow charts shown in fig4 and 5 and the structure which is shown in fig2 . the flow chart shown in fig4 illustrates a software program which is stored in the microprocessor 40 . this particular program constitutes a calibrate routine by which the a / d converter 50 senses and digitizes selective signals developed by the processing circuit and transfers the digitized information to the microprocessor 40 . the microprocessor 40 uses the information received from the converter 50 to calculate the corrective factors a and b ( see equations 2 and 4 ). the system then goes into its operational mode to initiate a correction routine during which the output of a selective sensor is amplified , the amplified signal is sensed and digitized by the converter 50 , and the microprocessor 40 combines the corrective factors a and b with the measured output of the amplifier 28 to provide a corrected output signal as shown by equation 1 . that output signal may be stored in the microprocessor &# 39 ; s memory for further use or may be coupled to an output port ( not shown ) for transmission to other circuitry as required . referring now to fig4 the calibrate routine begins with an instruction 54 which causes the multiplexer 34 to connect its channel h input terminal to its output terminal 38 . this is accomplished by the microprocessor 40 sending the appropriate address to the multiplexer 34 via the bus 42 . as a consequence of this action , the input lead 32 of the amplifier 28 receives the channel h signal which comprises the reference voltage v of plus any voltage drops across the resistor 48 due to leakage currents . the same signal is applied to the other input terminal 30 of the amplifier 28 . in addition , the same signal is applied as an input to the converter 50 via the lead 54 . the other two inputs to the converter 50 are the amplified output of the amplifier 28 and the reference voltage which is coupled to the converter via the lead 52 . referring again to fig4 the next step of the calibration routine , as indicated by instruction 56 , causes the microprocessor to store the digitized values of the signals v of , v o ( h ), and v t ( h ) [ v o ( h ) is the value of v o ( n ) when channel h is selected and v t ( h ) is the value of v t ( n ) when the channel h is selected ]. next , instruction 58 causes the microprocessor to filter the signals v of and v o ( h ) to reduce system noise and quantizing error . such filtering is preferably accomplished by the conventional technique of taking a rolling average which uses a time constant much lager than the sample time of v of and v o ( h ). next , instruction 60 causes the microprocessor to calculate dk3 which is the error in the ratio of the resistances of r2 and r3 . the microprocessor computes the value of this error by subtracting from v of ( the reference voltage ) the stored value of the ideal reference voltage v ofi which would be developed in the case where r2 and r3 would have their ideal values . the calculated value of dk3 is used later to compute the value of the corrective factor b . the next instruction 62 causes the microprocessor to calculate the value of c off which is a measure of the offset of the amplifier 28 times its gain plus leakage effects . as shown , the value of c off is calculated by subtracting the filtered value of v of ( measured per instruction 56 and filtered per instruction 58 ) from the filtered value of v o ( h ) ( also measured per instruction 56 and filtered per instruction 58 ). the calculated value of c off will be used later to compute the gain error of the amplifier 28 and also to compute the value of the corrective factors a and b . instruction 64 now causes the microprocessor to select any other sensor channel a - g . the channel which is selected is identified as ( x ). this causes the multiplexer 34 to couple one of the channel inputs a - g to its output terminal 38 so that the output of the amplifier 36 , now identified v o ( x ), is an amplified sensor signal as opposed to an output resulting from the calibration mode of operation . with the sensor channel ( x ) now selected , the next instruction 66 causes the microprocessor to measure the values of v o ( x ) ( the signal now at mode 36 ) and v t ( x ) ( the signal now on lead 54 ). the measured values are then filtered ( as by the rolling average method mentioned above ) per instruction 68 . at this point , the microprocessor has sufficient information , either measured in accordance with the previous instructions or stored in its memory , to calculate the value of dk2 which is the value of the gain error associated with the amplifier 28 . instruction 70 causes this calculation to occur as expressed by equation 3 of fig3 . proceeding to instruction 72 , the microprocessor 40 calculates the value of the multiplier corrective factor a in accordance with equation 2 of fig3 . next , instruction 74 causes the microprocessor to calculate the value of the additive corrective factor b as set forth in equation 4 . note that in equation 4 the term &# 34 ; dk2 &# 34 ; ( the gain error ) becomes multiplied times dk3 ( the error in the offset voltage v of resulting from the tolerances in r2 and r3 ). this is the cross product term that has been referred to hereinabove . thus , the additive factor b will compensate for errors due to the cross products of gain error and offset error . referring back to fig4 the next instruction 56 causes the microprocessor to save the calculated values for a and for b so that they may be used in the correction routine which will now be described . referring to fig5 the illustrated flow chart depicts the steps used by the microprocessor to correct the measured value of an amplified sensor output signal on one of the channels a - g so as to compensate for the above mentioned errors in the processing circuit . first , instruction 78 causes the microprocessor to enable the multiplexer 34 to select a channel n which will be one of the channels a - g requiring measurement . next , instruction 80 causes the microprocessor to measure the signal at the output of amplifier 28 . the measured value of that signal is then multiplied times the corrective factor a which was calculated by the calibrate routine shown in fig4 . the result of that multiplication is then , per instruction 84 , added to the corrective factor b which was also calculated during the calibrate routine . thus , the execution of instructions 82 and 84 have corrected the measured value of the output of amplitude 28 in accordance with equation 1 ( fig3 ). the corrected result is then saved by the microprocessor as required by the next instruction 86 . the system as thus far described has gone once through its calibrate routine and once through its correction routine . next , the system may execute its calibrate routine again or it may select a different sensor output signal to process . the frequency with which the calibrate routine is used will depend on the environment and other factors associated with a particular application . suffice it to say that the microprocessor 40 may be programmed to execute the calibrate routine only so often as it is desired to update the information needed to calculate the corrective factors a and b . to illustrate the extent to which errors are corrected by the embodiment shown in fig2 reference is now made to fig6 , and 8 . in fig6 the theoretically worst case errors are shown for the case in which the error correction scheme is not utilized ( i . e ., the correction routine is disabled ). note that the total error varies from about 7 . 5 degrees to about 13 degrees as the temperature of the sensor varies between - 40 ° c . and + 150 ° c . this excludes errors in the sensor itself . turning now to fig7 which depicts the theoretically worst case errors for the case in which the correction routine is used , one can see that the errors have been substantially reduced . over the temperature range of - 40 ° c . to + 150 ° c ., the errors vary only between about 1 . 9 degrees and 2 . 3 degrees . the tracking errors between channels have also been substantially reduced as indicated by fig8 . over the temperature range of - 40 ° c . to + 150 ° c ., the theoretically worst case errors vary from about 1 . 5 degrees to about 1 . 8 degrees . having described the preferred embodiment of the invention , its advantages will be apparent . high resolution is achieved by virtue of having an amplified sensor output signal , and high accuracy is achieved because the errors commonly encountered with the amplifier and its associated circuitry are automatically compensated for . further , the system is capable of amplifying and processing a number of different sensor channels such that the channels track with each other because each channel is subject to the same amplification and error correction . although the invention has been described in terms of its preferred embodiment , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many alterations and variations made be made without departing from the invention . for example , the illustrated temperature sensors may be replaced by other types of sensors which develop output signals representative of a measured variable . other examples of changes will be apparent . accordingly , it is intended that all such alterations and variations be considered as within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	6
as required , detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms . the figures are not necessarily to scale ; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention . evaluating the real world fuel consumption of a vehicle is one method of developing algorithms for low - cost routing and distance - to - empty . this calculation enables vehicle features that can result in significant fuel and travel time savings . with advances in digital systems , there is an explosion of inputs available to electronic vehicle features that can influence emissions , energy consumption and travel time . making use of this data will eventually result in cost savings for a consumer . traffic simulation tools help in replicating real life traffic and driver behavior . different scenarios can be analyzed to understand the most important influencers on real world fuel economy . the energy consumption under different traffic and road conditions can also be evaluated using traffic simulation . the illustrative embodiment reflect development of software modules for embedded and cloud - based applications that receives inputs such as driver characteristics , road topology , vehicle characteristics , weather , traffic , etc . and output energy consumption for route optimization and distance to empty computations . this can also enable applications on embedded platforms such as sync , mobile platforms such as smart phones and in web - based applications in the cloud . the illustrative embodiments enable vehicle features that can eliminate range anxiety by presenting real - world estimates of distance to empty and also ensure the best fuel economy by presenting low energy routes . the illustrative embodiments include a laboratory method of computing real - world fuel consumption from external data available in digital formats . the external data available in digital formats is used as an input into a traffic simulator called vissim2 , which can generate realistic drive cycles . drive cycles are then input into a powertrain simulation to compute energy along a specific route for a specific vehicle . the energies for the entire set of vehicles are statistically analyzed for average energy consumption and the expectation interval energy consumption along the route . a method of computing energy from drive cycles called modefrontier is introduced and makes the energy consumption analysis much simpler and more suitable for embedded processors and cloud - based applications . four dimensional energy tables are populated with energy values using cvsp , with the dimensions being vehicle weight , speed , road gradient and accessory loads . actual road gradient and vehicle acceleration from the vissim drive cycle are combined into a singled variable for use in the tables . throughout any simulated drive only the speed and vehicle acceleration vary , so the table was divided into sub - tables for each accessory load and vehicle weight . a cubic spline surface was created in the speed and road gradient dimensions for each sub - table to more accurately estimate the fuel consumption . scvsp was also used to compute the maximum acceleration the vehicle is capable of at a specific weight , road gradient and speed . this was passed into vissim manually as an acceleration - velocity curve . if this curve was incorrect the accelerations would be either too large for the vehicle to achieve or never large enough to represent maximum vehicle acceleration . vissim is a simulation package that can analyze private and public transport operations under constraints such as lane configuration , traffic composition , traffic signals , public transportation stops , etc ., thus making it a useful tool for the evaluation of various alternatives based on transportation engineering and planning measures of effectiveness . vissim can be applied as a useful tool in a variety of transportation problem settings . the following list provides a selective overview of previous applications of vissim : evaluation and optimization of traffic operations in a combined network of coordinated and actuated traffic signals . feasibility and traffic impact studies of integrating light rail into urban street networks . easy comparison of design alternatives including signalized and stop sign controlled intersections , roundabouts and grade separated interchanges . capacity and operations analysis of complex station layouts for light rail and bus systems . with its built - in dynamic assignment model , vissim can answer route choice dependent questions such as the impacts of variable message signs or the potential for traffic diversion into neighborhoods for networks up to the size of medium sized cities . modeling and simulating flows of pedestrians — in streets and buildings — allow for a wide range of new applications . vissim can also simulate and visualize the interactions between road traffic and pedestrians . the traffic simulator is a microscopic traffic flow simulation model including the car following and lane change logic . the signal state generator is a signal control software pooling detector information from the traffic simulator on a discrete time step basis ( down to 1 / 10 of a second ). it then determines the signal status for the following time step and returns this information to the traffic simulator . the accuracy of a traffic simulation model is mainly dependent on the quality of the vehicle modeling , e . g . the methodology of moving vehicles through the network . in contrast to less complex models using constant speeds and deterministic car following logic , vissim uses a psycho - physical driver behavior model . the basic concept of this model is that the driver of a faster moving vehicle starts to decelerate as he reaches his individual perception threshold when approaching a slower moving vehicle . since he cannot precisely determine the speed of the other vehicle , his speed will fall below that vehicle &# 39 ; s speed until he starts to slightly accelerate again after reaching another perception threshold . this results in an iterative process of acceleration and deceleration . stochastic distributions of speed and spacing thresholds replicate individual driver behavior characteristics . vissim &# 39 ; s traffic simulator not only allows drivers on multiple lane roadways to react to preceding vehicles ( 4 by default ), but also neighboring vehicles on the adjacent travel lanes are taken into account . the alertness of drivers approaching a traffic signal is increased within 100 meters of a stop line . rules to define the relationship between vehicles in adjacent travel lanes the ability of the simulator to depict real life traffic scenarios and driving behavior is extremely useful in understanding the different road or traffic or driver characteristics that affect the energy consumption of a battery electric vehicle . scvsp is the corporate standard tool for vehicle performance and fuel economy modeling and simulation . among its main features are : used on ford vehicle programs to set performance & amp ; fuel economy targets . model architecture and subsystem interfaces allow interchange subsystem and component models based on vehicle hardware . a global bus enables the communication between the vehicle system control ( vsc ) and vehicle components . includes extensive set of component models that have been developed over the years and are validated with test data . includes extensive vehicle and component parameter database . these parameters can be calibrated and optimized to improve vehicle performance . supported by company - wide processes to generate vehicle and component parameter data for new programs . includes standard test management and report generating capabilities that allow design engineers understand the behavior of components , subsystems and the vehicle . in order to have a on - line capability to predict the distance to empty in bevs , scvsp energy usage results are computed in advance and recorded in a table as shown below . each entry in the table is the work needed for locomotion in wh / mile for a given speed , acceleration , ground grade , accessory load and vehicle weight . the vehicle weight was simplified and parameterized by the number of passengers in the vehicle assuming 150 lbs for a passenger . the work is provided at the battery terminals as well as at the wheels the former value includes parasitic losses in the powertrain but not parasitic losses in the battery . in the calculation the large table is reduced to separate 2 - dimensional sub - tables for a specific accload and number of passengers . the sub - tables have two variables remaining , % grade and vehspeed , that are the only variables that change during a single drive cycle . the sub - tables are further reduced to a cubic spline surface dimensioned by % grade and vehicle speed . the values computed by scvsp become the corner nodes for each value in the table . these cubic - spline surfaces are then used to estimate the power from the drive cycle , with vehicle acceleration and actual road grade combined into the single % grade value . scvsp was also used to compute the maximum acceleration verses time as an input into vissim . scvsp simulations of the three epa cycles demonstrate the extremes of maximum accelerations imposed by the scvsp model of the vehicle . it is necessary that vissim and scvsp have the same acceleration limits or vissim will generate accelerations that can not be achieved by the vehicle . the lower bound of acceleration ( maximum deceleration ) was − 0 . 85 at zero mph , varying linearly to − 0 . 75 at 80 mph ; theoretically it may be possible to have greater decelerations . fig1 shows an illustrative example of a fuel efficiency testing process . in this illustrative embodiment , a road network model is first established 201 . in at least one example , the model is established in a vissim environment . next , a plurality of scenarios are setup under which testing conditions can be performed on the road model 203 . multiple replications of the scenarios are run to establish baseline results 204 , providing aggregate data with a high degree of accuracy . for each relevant virtual vehicle in a given scenario , speed , acceleration , distance traveled , etc . are obtained 205 , and this data is fed into calculation software 207 . fuel consumption for that vehicle is then calculated based on the inputs 208 . from this data , total energy consumption can then be determined 209 . after a given scenario is completed , the process can advance to a next scenario 211 . fig2 shows an illustrative example of a road network modeling process . the road network under consideration is set - up in the traffic simulator . the geometry 301 and length of the road 303 , number of lanes 305 , vehicle flows 307 , vehicle compositions 309 , desired speeds 311 , traffic signal data 313 , the driver model 315 , etc . are some of the inputs that may need to be set - up before running the simulation . additional inputs may be added to the simulator as desired , and not all of the previously mentioned inputs need to be used . fig3 shows an illustrative example of a scenario setup process . in this illustrative example , a particular scenario is selected for initialization 401 . road characteristics may be input 403 if desired . for example , without limitation , gradient 405 and / or number of lanes 407 may be adjusted . also , in this embodiment , traffic characteristics 409 may be input for the scenario . this may include , but are not limited to , a vehicle flow rate 411 and a vehicle mix 413 . further , in this illustrative embodiment , driver characteristics may be input 415 to represent certain driving behaviors . these characteristics may include , but are not limited to , driver speeds 417 and cruise control usage data 419 . also , in this example , weather data may be input for the scenario 421 . this data may include , but is not limited to , visibility adjustments 423 and temperature adjustments 425 . fig4 shows an illustrative example of an energy consumption determination process . the parameters used to calculate the energy consumed by a particular battery electric vehicle during a simulation run may include : speed 503 , acceleration 505 , distance travelled 507 , accessory loads and number of passengers . vissim can output the speed , acceleration and distance travelled by all the vehicles in the simulation at every instant ( every second in this case ). the number of passengers is fixed at one and the accessory loads are assumed to remain fixed throughout the simulation run . it should be noted that the accessory loads affect only the eventual energy consumption and not the drive cycle . using the energy tables from scvsp the outputs from vissim are processed in matlab ( or c - code on board the vehicle ) 509 to get the energy consumption by the battery electric vehicles in a given scenario 511 . the acceleration / deceleration values from vissim are mapped into corresponding gradient values and thereby taking into account the regenerative ability of a battery electric vehicle during braking 513 . a matlab / c code calculates the energy consumed at each and every time instant for each electric vehicle and sums them to give the total energy consumption 515 . regenerative capability of a battery electric vehicle is considered in the energy tables . the models used by the traffic simulator are stochastic in nature . hence , for a given scenario and a particular simulation run , each of the battery electric vehicles will have a different drive cycle and therefore different energy usage . a characteristic of a particular simulation is the statistical variance of the energy utilization of large samples of vehicle . the sample size can be determined by plotting the variance ( or standard deviation ) verses sample size and observing the point at which the variance approaches a steady state . based this analysis 120 vehicles was selected as a reasonable sample size . it was observed that , in this example , variation in standard deviation is negligible once the sample size is more than 120 . hence , averaging the energy values of 120 vehicles for each scenario would provide good statistics . in order to get a sample size of at least 120 vehicles , the simulation needs to be run multiple times depending on the scenario being tested . for example , assuming the flow to be 2000 vehicle per hour with 2 % battery electric vehicles and a simulation time of one hour , at least 4 simulation runs need to be performed to get a good sample of 120 vehicles . it should be noted that in a particular run , only those vehicles are chosen which traverse the whole road length . vehicles which are unable to complete the whole trip are excluded from the energy calculations . presenting the mean energy consumed in a given scenario is not enough . it is important to know the variation in the values . hence , the mean energy values are associated with a ‘ confidence interval ’. a confidence interval is a range of numbers relevant to the parameter of interest . for example , a 95 % confidence interval means that if we repeatedly draw samples of a given size n from a certain population and we construct a confidence interval for each sample , then 95 % of these intervals on average will contain the true value of the unknown parameter as an interior point . it is incorrect to interpret a 95 % confidence interval to mean that there is a 95 % chance that the interval contains the true value of the unknown parameter as an interior point . this is because there is one value of the unknown parameter , and the confidence interval either contains this value or does not contain it . thus , confidence intervals should not be interpreted as probabilities but should rather be interpreted in the context of repeated sampling . through testing , it can be seen that gradient has a prominent effect on the energy consumption of a battery electric vehicle . there is a rapid increase in the energy values as we move from a gradient of − 4 % to 4 %. this is because , the vehicle needs more energy to climb uphill ( positive gradient ) and it can gain energy through regenerative braking while going downhill ( negative gradient ). relatively , congestion doesn &# 39 ; t seem to have a big effect on the energy usage . there is a slight reduction in energy as the flow conditions approach a congested scenario . this effect is directly related to the decrease in the speeds for congested flows . also , speed of the vehicles has a big impact on the energy consumption . a vehicle travelling at around 100 km / hr will consume about 30 % more energy than a vehicle travelling at around 80 km / hr . also , the number of lanes on the freeway doesn &# 39 ; t seem to have an effect on the overall energy consumption . it can be seen that the vehicles travelling in cruise control use significantly lower energy than the vehicles travelling without cruise . the fluctuations in acceleration / deceleration and hence the speed results in higher energy consumption for vehicles which are not using cruise control . the drop in energy consumption with increase in flow values is directly related to the drop in speeds as the flow conditions become congested . it should also be noted that the energy consumption and its variation remains fixed across different flow values when the cruise control is set to 80 km / hr . but , in the case of cruise control at 100 km / hr , there is a larger statistical variance in energy usage ( dotted lines diverge ) as the flow values increase . this is because at high flows , the vehicles are unable to maintain a cruise speed of 100 km / hr due to the increase in flow density . but , the vehicles seem to maintain a cruise speed of 80 km / hr even when the traffic flow increases . the effect of accessory loads is comparable to the effect of flow conditions . for example , a vehicle travelling in a congested road ( 6000 vehicles per hour ) and a hot weather ( 2000 w accessory load ) uses almost the same energy as that used by a vehicle travelling in free flow ( 2000 vehicles per hour ) and a cold weather ( 800 w accessory load ). for a given accessory load the energy usage is the lowest for a residential road and highest for a freeway , mainly because of low speeds and stop - go nature of traffic on a residential road . in fact , the energy usage per mile with 400 w accessory load is more than halved from a freeway to a residential road . but , the travel time on a residential road is almost four times that on a freeway . this shows a trade - off between travel times and energy usage . increase in the accessory loads has very little impact on the energy usage on a freeway where high speed is the primary driver of energy consumed . on the other hand , the accessory loads drastically affect the energy usage on a residential road to such an extent that , the energy used per mile with 2000 w accessory load is almost the same as that on an urban road . the energy consumption results from various scenarios across different road types have been analyzed to understand the various factors that affect energy consumption of a battery electric vehicle . the results show that road gradient has a very significant effect on the energy usage across all the three road types — freeway , urban roads and residential roads . accessory loads have a strong effect across different road types . the results show that at very high accessory loads the energy usage on a residential road is equal to the energy used on an urban road , although there is a difference in the desired speeds on these road types . the speed of the vehicles also has a prominent effect on the energy usage . cruise control on freeways helps in reducing the energy cost . also , significant energy gains are possible in stop - go traffic scenarios because of regenerative braking in a battery electric vehicle . hence , urban roads with traffic signals and residential roads are likely to be preferred over freeways to achieve lower energy consumption . but , it should be noted that there is a trade - off here , between energy consumed and travel times . the results can be used to develop cost functions that can evaluate the total energy consumed along various possible routes between an origin and destination and finally give the customer the minimum energy route . one way of using the results in the cost function is through the use of energy look - up tables and polynomial curve fitting . for example , any route can be broken up into segments which have the same characteristic , ( either road type or gradient or speed limits etc ) and each segment can be assigned a cost which is equal to the energy consumed by the vehicle to travel that segment . adding up the costs across all the segments will give the overall cost to travel that particular route . this can be done for all possible routes between two locations and the final output could be the route which uses the lowest amount of energy . energies on different segments can be calculated by fitting a polynomial curve to available data . accessory loads can be related to the weather and temperature conditions . hence , overall , accessory loads will have a significant effect in deciding which road type to choose while making a certain trip . there is hardly any change in the energy consumption of a battery electric vehicle when the % of heavy goods vehicles is increase from 4 % to 10 %. a significant change in energy consumption ‘ might ’ occur when the % of heavy goods vehicles is increased to an even higher value . while exemplary embodiments are described above , it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention . rather , the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation , and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . additionally , the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention .	6
the present invention is related , in part , to a lubricating oil composition . more particularly , the present invention relates to a low phosphorus lubricating oil composition employing a mixture of zinc dithiophosphates containing a zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate , a zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate and a zinc diaryl dithiophosphate wherein the respective ratio , based on the phosphorus content , of the zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate to zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate is from about 2 : 1 to about 1 : 2 and the ratio of the mixture of zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate and zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate to zinc diaryl dithiophosphate is from about 6 : 1 to 1 : 1 and wherein the lubricating oil composition has less than about 0 . 06 wt % total phosphorus content , based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition . the low phosphorus lubricating oil composition of the present invention is effective in lead corrosion control when used as a lubricating oil in internal combustion engines . each of these components in the claimed composition will be described in detail herein . however , prior to such a description , the following terms will first be defined . the term “ alkyl ” refers to both straight - and branched - chain alkyl groups . the term “ aryl ” refers to a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group , such as the phenyl , tolyl , xylyl , ethylphenyl and cumenyl groups . the term “ low phosphorus ” refers to the phosphorus content of the lubricating oil composition of the present invention . the phosphorus content is in the range of about 0 . 005 weight percent to about 0 . 06 weight percent based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition . the term “ total phosphorus ” refers to the total amount of phosphorus in the lubricant composition regardless of whether such phosphorus is present as part of an oil - soluble , phosphorus - containing , anti - wear compound or in the form of a contaminant in the lubricant composition such as residual phosphorus remaining due to the presence of p 2 s 5 used to prepare metal dihydrocarbyl dithiophosphates . in either event , the amount of phosphorus permitted in the lubricant composition is independent of source . preferably , however , the phosphorus is part of a lubricant additive . the lubricating oil composition of the present invention will employ , in part , a mixture of zinc dithiophosphates . the zinc dithiophosphates are independently characterized by formula i : wherein each r is independently a group containing from about 1 to about 30 carbon atoms . the r groups in the dithiophosphate can independently be about c 1 to about c 13 primary alkyl , about c 3 to about c 13 secondary alkyl , and about c 6 to about c 30 aryl group . preferably , the r groups in the dithiophosphate can independently be about c 3 to about c 10 primary alkyl , about c 3 to about c 8 secondary alkyl , and about c 6 to about c 24 aryl group . more preferably , the r groups in the dithiophosphate can independently be about c 6 to about c 8 primary alkyl , about c 3 to about c 6 secondary alkyl , and about c 6 to about c 20 aryl group . the r groups may be a substantially hydrocarbon group . by “ substantially hydrocarbon ” is meant hydrocarbons that contain substituent groups such as ether , ester , nitro , or halogen which do not materially affect the hydrocarbon character of the group . the r group of the zinc dithiophosphate may be derived , for example , from a primary alcohol such as methanol , ethanol , propanol , butanol , pentanol , hexanol , heptanol , octanol , nonanol , decanol , dodecanol , octadecanol , propenol , butenol , 2 - ethylhexanol : a secondary alcohol such as isopropyl alcohol , secondary butyl alcohol , isobutanol , 3 - methylbutan - 2 - ol , 2 - pentanol , 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanol , 2 - hexanol , 3 - hexanol , amyl alcohol , an aryl alcohol such as phenol , substituted phenol ( particularly alkylphenol such as butylphenol , octylphenol , nonylphenol , dodecylphenol ), disubstituted phenol . preferably the r group will be independently a primary alkyl , a secondary alkyl or an aryl group . for the present invention it is contemplated that the mixture of a zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate , a zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate and a zinc diaryl dithiophosphate will be in a respective ratio , based on the phosphorus content , in the lubricating oil composition of the present invention . the ratio of zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate to zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate will be from about 2 : 1 to about 1 : 2 and the ratio of the mixture of zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate and zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate to zinc diaryl dithiophosphate is from about 6 : 1 to about 1 : 1 . preferably , the respective ratio , based on the phosphorus content , of zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate to zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate is a range from about 3 : 2 to about 2 : 3 , more preferably about 1 : 1 . preferably , the respective ratio , based on the phosphorus content , of the mixture of zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate and zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate to zinc diaryl dithiophosphate is a range from about 4 : 1 to about 1 : 1 , more preferably about 2 : 1 . most preferably , the respective ratio , based on the phosphorus content , of the mixture of zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate to zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate to zinc diaryl dithiophosphate is 1 : 1 : 1 . many of the zinc dithiophosphates useful in the present invention are available commercially . however , zinc dithiophosphates are widely known in the art and a skilled artisan can readily synthesize such compounds for the purposes of the present invention . typically , zinc dithiophosphates can be made by initial reaction of phosphorous pentasulfide and an alcohol or phenol or mixtures of alcohols and / or phenols such as those illustrated above for the r group . the reaction involves four moles of the alcohol or phenol per mole of phosphorous pentasulfide , and may be carried out within the temperature range from about 50 ° c . to about 200 ° c . thus , the preparation of o , o - di - n - hexyl phosphorodithioic acid , for example , involves the reaction of phosphorous pentasulfide with four moles of n - hexyl alcohol at about 100 ° c . for about two hours . hydrogen sulfide is liberated and the residue is phosphorodithioic acid . the preparation of the metal salt of this acid may be affected by reaction with either zinc oxide or zinc hydroxide to yield the zinc dithiophosphate . simply mixing and heating these two reactants is sufficient to cause the reaction to take place and the resulting product is sufficiently pure for the purposes of the present invention . patents describing the synthesis of such zinc dithiophosphates include u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 680 , 123 ; 3 , 000 , 822 ; 3 , 151 , 075 ; 3 , 385 , 791 ; 4 , 377 , 527 ; 4 , 495 , 075 and 4 , 778 , 906 . each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . the mixture of zinc dithiophosphates of the present invention is typically added to a base oil in sufficient amounts to provide lead corrosion control in internal combustion engines . generally , the lubricating oil composition of the present invention will contain a major amount of base oil of lubricating viscosity and a minor amount of the mixture of zinc dithiophosphates of the present invention . base oil as used herein is defined as a base stock or blend of base stocks which is a lubricant component that is produced by each manufacturer to the same specifications ( independent of feed source or manufacturer &# 39 ; s location ); that meets the same manufacturer &# 39 ; s specification ; and that is identified by a unique formula , product identification number , or both . base stocks may be manufactured using a variety of different processes including but not limited to distillation , solvent refining , hydrogen processing , oligomerization , esterification , and rerefining . refined stock shall be substantially free from materials introduced through manufacturing , contamination , or previous use . the base oil of this invention may be any natural or synthetic lubricating base oil fraction particularly those having a kinematic viscosity at 100 ° centigrade (° c .) and about 4 centistokes ( cst ) to about 20 cst . hydrocarbon synthetic oils may include , for example , oils prepared from the polymerization of ethylene , polyalphaolefin or pao , or from hydrocarbon synthesis procedures using carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases such as in a fisher - tropsch process . a preferred base oil is one that comprised little , if any , heavy fraction ; e . g ., little , if any , tube oil fraction of viscosity about 20 cst or higher at about 100 ° c . oils used as the base oil will be selected or blended depending on the desired end use and the additives in the finished oil to give the desired of engine oil , e . g . a lubricating oil composition having an sae viscosity grade of 0w , 0w - 20 , 0w - 30 , 0w - 40 , 0w - 50 , 0w - 60 , 5w , 5w - 20 , 5w - 30 , 5w - 40 , 5w - 50 , 5w - 60 , 10w , 10w - 20 , 10w - 20 , 10w - 30 , 10w - 40 , 10w - 50 , 15w , 15w - 20 , 15w - 30 , 15w - 40 . the base oil may be derived from natural lubricating oils , synthetic lubricating oils or mixtures thereof . suitable base oil includes base stocks obtained by isomerization of synthetic wax and slack wax , as well as hydrocrackate base stocks produced by hydrocracking ( rather than solvent extracting ) the aromatic and polar components of the crude . suitable base oils include those in all api categories , i , ii , iii , iv and v as defined in api publication 1509 , 14th edition , addendum i , december 1998 . saturates levels and viscosity indices for group i , ii and iii base oils are listed in table i . group iv base oils are polyalphaolefins ( pao ). group v base oils include all other base oils not included in group i , ii , iii , or iv . group iii base oils are preferred . all others not included in groups i , ii , iii , or iv natural lubricating oils may include animal oils , vegetable oils ( e . g ., rapeseed oils , castor oils and lard oil ), petroleum oils , mineral oils , and oils derived from coal or shale . synthetic oils may include hydrocarbon oils and halo - substituted hydrocarbon oils such as polymerized and inter - polymerized olefins , alkylbenzenes , polyphenyls , alkylated diphenyl ethers , alkylated diphenyl sulfides , as well as their derivatives , analogues and homologues thereof , interpolymers , copolymers and derivatives thereof wherein the terminal hydroxyl groups have been modified by esterification , etherification , etc . another suitable class of synthetic lubricating oils comprises the esters of dicarboxylic acids with a variety of alcohols . esters useful as synthetic oils also include those made from about c 5 to about c 12 monocarboxylic acids and polyols and polyol ethers . tri - alkyl phosphate ester oils such as those exemplified by tri - n - butyl phosphate and tri - iso - butyl phosphate are also suitable for use as base oils . silicon - based oils ( such as the polyalkyl -, polyaryl -, polyalkoxy -, or polyaryloxy - siloxane oils and silicate oils ) comprise another useful class of synthetic lubricating oils . other synthetic lubricating oils include esters of phosphorus - containing acids , polymeric tetrahydrofurans , polyalphaolefins , and the like . the base oil may be derived from unrefined , refined , rerefined oils , or mixtures thereof . unrefined oils are obtained directly from a natural source or synthetic source ( e . g ., coal , shale , or tar sand bitumen ) without further purification or treatment . examples of unrefined oils include a shale oil obtained directly from a retorting operation , a petroleum oil obtained directly from distillation , or an ester oil obtained directly from an esterification process , each of which may then be used without further treatment . refined oils are similar to the unrefined oils except that refined oils have been treated in one or more purification steps to improve one or more properties . suitable purification techniques include distillation , hydrocracking , hydrotreating , dewaxing , solvent extraction , acid or base extraction , filtration , and percolation , all of which are known to those skilled in the art . rerefined oils are obtained by treating used oils in processes similar to those used to obtain the refined oils . these rerefined oils are also known as reclaimed or reprocessed oils and often are additionally processed by techniques for removal of spent additives and oil breakdown products . base oil derived from the hydroisomerization of wax may also be used , either alone or in combination with the aforesaid natural and / or synthetic base oil . such wax isomerate oil is produced by the hydroisomerization of natural or synthetic waxes or mixtures thereof over a hydroisomerization catalyst . it is preferred to use a major amount of base oil in the lubricating oil composition of the present invention . a major amount of base oil as defined herein comprises about 40 wt % or more . preferred amounts of base oil comprise about 40 wt % to about 97 wt %, preferably greater than about 50 wt % to about 97 wt %, more preferably about 60 wt % to about 97 wt % and most preferably about 80 wt % to about 95 wt % of the lubricating oil composition . ( when weight percent is used herein , it is referring to weight percent of the lubricating oil unless otherwise specified . the amount of the mixture of zinc dithiophosphates employed in the lubricating oil composition of the present invention will be in a minor amount compared to the base oil of lubricating viscosity . generally , it will be in an amount from about 0 . 1 wt % to about 1 . 5 wt %, preferably from about 0 . 3 wt % to about 1 . 2 wt % and more preferably from about 0 . 5 wt % to about 1 . 0 wt %, based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition . the lubricating oil composition of the present invention will contain from about 0 . 05 wt % to about 1 . 2 wt %, preferably from about 0 . 1 wt % to about 0 . 7 wt %, and more preferably from about 0 . 2 wt % to about 0 . 5 wt % of a zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate , based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition . the lubricating oil composition of the present invention will contain from about 0 . 05 wt % to about 1 . 2 wt %, preferably from about 0 . 1 wt % to about 0 . 7 wt %, and more preferably from about 0 . 2 wt % to about 0 . 5 wt % of a zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate , based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition . the lubricating oil composition of the present invention will contain from about 0 . 02 wt % to about 0 . 7 wt %, preferably from about 0 . 05 wt % to about 0 . 5 wt %, and more preferably from about 0 . 1 wt % to about 0 . 3 wt % of a zinc primary diaryl dithiophosphate , based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition . in a preferred embodiment , the lubricating oil composition of the present invention will have a phosphorus content preferably less than about 0 . 05 wt %, based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition . in another embodiment , the lubricating oil composition of the present invention will further have a sulfur content less than about 0 . 5 wt % and , preferably less than about 0 . 2 wt %, based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition and the total sulfated ash content in the lubricating oil composition of the present invention is less than about 1 . 2 wt %, preferably , less than about 1 . 0 wt %, and more preferably less than about 0 . 8 wt %, based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition . the following additive components are examples of components that can be favorably employed in combination with the lubricating additive of the present invention . these examples of additives are provided to illustrate the present invention , but they are not intended to limit it . ( a ) detergents are additives designed to hold the acid - neutralizing compounds in solution in the oil . they are usually alkaline and react with the strong acids ( sulfuric and nitric ) which form during the combustion of the fuel and which would cause corrosion to the engine parts if left unchecked . examples are carboxylates , sulfurized or unsulfurized alkyl or alkenyl phenates , alkyl or alkenyl aromatic sulfonates , sulfurized or unsulfurized metal salts of multi - hydroxy alkyl or alkenyl aromatic compounds , alkyl or alkenyl hydroxy aromatic sulfonates , sulfurized or unsulfurized alkyl or alkenyl naphthenates , metal salts of alkanoic acids , metal salts of an alkyl or alkenyl multiacids and chemical and physical mixtures thereof . ( b ) dispersants are additives that keep soot and combustion products in suspension in the body of the oil and therefore prevent deposition as sludge or lacquer . typically , the ashless dispersants are nitrogen - containing dispersants formed by reacting alkenyl succinic acid anhydride with an amine . examples are alkenyl succinimides , alkenyl succinimides modified with other organic compounds , e . g ., ethylene carbonating post - treatment and alkenyl succinimides modified with boric acid , polysuccinimides , alkenyl succinic ester . ( c ) oxidation inhibitors : 1 ) phenol type ( phenolic ) oxidation inhibitors : 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( 2 , 6 - di - tert - butylphenol ), 4 , 4 ′- bis ( 2 , 6 - di - tert - butylphenol ), 4 , 4 ′- bis ( 2 - methyl - 6 - tert - butylphenol ), 2 , 2 ′- methylenebis ( 4 - methyl - 6tert - butyl - phenol , 4 , 4 ′- butyldienebis ( 3 - methyl - 6 - tert - butylphenol ), 4 , 4 ′- isopropylidenebis ( 2 , 6 - di - tert - butylphenol ), 2 , 2 ′- methylenebis ( 4 - methyl - 6 - nonylphenol ), 2 , 2 ′ isobutyldiene - bis ( 4 , 6 - dimethylphenol ), 2 , 2 ′- methylenebis ( 4 - methyl - 6 - cyclohexylphenol ), 2 , 6 - di - tert - butyl - 4 - methylphenol , 2 , 6 - di - tert - butyl - 4 - ethylphenol , 2 , 4 - dimethyl - 6 - tert - butyl - phenol , 2 , 6 - di - tert - α - dimethylamino - p - cresol , 2 , 6 - di - tert - 4 ( n , n ′ dimethylaminomethylphenol ), 4 , 4 ′- thiobis ( 2 - methyl - 6 - tert - butylphenol ), 2 , 2 ′- thiobis ( 4 - methyl - 6 - tert - butylphenol ), bis ( 3 - methyl - 4hydroxy - 5 - tert - butylbenzyl )- sulfide and bis ( 3 , 5 - di - tert - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzyl ). 2 ) diphenylamine type oxidation inhibitor : alkylated diphenylamine , phenyl - α - naphthylamine and alkylated α - naphthylamine . 3 ) other types : metal dithiocarbamate ( e . g ., zinc dithiocarbamate ) and methylenebis ( dibutyldithiocarbamate ). ( d ) rust inhibitors ( anti - rust agents ) 1 ) nonionic polyoxyethylene surface active agents : polyoxyethylene lauryl ether , polyoxyethylene higher alcohol ether , polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether , polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether , polyoxyethylene octyl stearyl ether , polyoxyethylene oleyl ether , polyoxyethylene sorbitol monostearate , polyoxyethylene sorbitol mono - oleate and polyethylene glycol monooleate . 2 ) other compounds : stearic acid and other fatty acids , dicarboxylic acids , metal soaps , fatty acid amine salts , metal salts of heavy sulfonic acid , partial carboxylic acid ester of polyhydric alcohol and phosphoric ester . ( e ) demulsifiers : addition product of alkylphenol and ethyleneoxide , polyoxyethylene alkyl ether and polyoxyethylene sorbitane ester . ( f ) extreme pressure agents ( ep agents ): sulfurized oils , diphenyl sulfide , methyl trichlorostearate , chlorinated naphthalene , benzyl iodide , fluoroalkylpolysiloxane and lead naphthenate . ( g ) friction modifiers : fatty alcohol , fatty acid , amine , borated ester and other esters . ( h ) multifunctional additives : sulfurized oxymolybdenum dithiocarbamate , sulfurized oxymolybdenum organo phosphorodithioate , oxymolybdenum monoglyceride , oxymolybdenum diethylate amide , amine - molybdenum complex compound and sulfur - containing molybdenum complex compound . ( i ) viscosity index improvers ( vii ): polymethacrylate type polymers , ethylene - propylene copolymers , styrene - isoprene copolymers , hydrogenated styrene - isoprene copolymers , hydrogenated star - branched polyisoprene , polyisobutylene , hydrogenated star - branched styrene - isoprene copolymer and dispersant type viscosity index improvers . ( j ) pour point depressants : polymethyl methacrylates , alkylmethacrylates and dialkyl fumarate - vinyl acetate copolymers . ( k ) foam inhibitors : alkyl methacrylate polymers and dimethyl silicone polymers . the present invention will be further illustrated by the following examples , which set forth particularly advantageous method embodiments . while the examples are provided to illustrate the present invention , they are not intended to limit it . the low phosphorus lubricating oil composition of the present invention was prepared by blending a 0 . 78 wt % mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate ( 0 . 24 wt %, primary ), zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl ) dithiophosphate ( 0 . 15 wt %, secondary ) and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate ( 0 . 39 wt %, aryl ) with a group ii base oil of lubricating viscosity . the ratio of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate to zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl ) dithiophosphate was about 1 : 1 , based on the phosphorus content . the ratio of the mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl ) dithiophosphate to zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate was about 2 : 1 , based on the phosphorus content . the resulting ratio of the three - way mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate to zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2phenyl ) dithiophosphate to zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate was 1 : 1 : 1 , based on the phosphorus content . the wt % of phosphorus in the prepared lubricating oil composition was less than about 0 . 06 wt % based on the total weight of the lubricating oil composition . further , the sulfur content and sulfated ash content 0 . 2 wt % and 0 . 8 wt % balance of the lubricating oil composition containing a 1200 molecular weight ( mw ) isobutylene bis - succinimide dispersant , a 2300 mw isobutylene bis - succinimide dispersant , a neutral sulfonate detergent , an overbased calcium phenate , a molybdenum oxidation inhibitor , diphenylamine oxidation inhibitor , a phenolic oxidation inhibitor , anti - foam agent , pour point depressant and a viscosity index improver to complete the 100 wt % lubricating oil composition . comparative example a was prepared according to example 1 except only about 1 . 16 wt % aryl zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate was added , instead of the mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate , zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2pentyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate . comparative example b was prepared according to example 1 except only about 0 . 46 wt % zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl ) dithiophosphate was added , instead of the mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate , zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate . comparative example c was prepared according to example 1 except only about 0 . 71 wt % zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate , zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate . comparative example d was prepared according example 1 except about 0 . 81 wt % of a mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate in about a 1 : 1 ratio were added , instead of the mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate , zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2pentyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate . comparative example e was prepared according to example 1 except about 0 . 94 wt % of a mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate in about a 1 : 1 ratio were added , instead of the mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate , zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate . comparative example f was prepared according to example 1 except about 0 . 59 wt % of a mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2 - pentyl ) dithiophosphate in about a 1 : 1 ratio were added , instead of the mixture of zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexyl ) dithiophosphate , zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( 2 - butyl / 4 - methyl - 2pentyl ) dithiophosphate and zinc bis ( o , o ′- di -( dodecylphenyl ) dithiophosphate . each formulation according to example 1 and comparative example a - f were tested for lead corrosion using the high temperature corrosion bench test ( htcbt )( astm d6594 ) which is an industry standard bench test to measure corrosion performance of a motor oil . briefly , four metal specimens of copper , lead , tin , and phosphor bronze are immersed in a measured amount of engine oil . the oil , at an elevated temperature , is blown with air for a period of time . when the test is completed , the lead specimen and the stressed oil are examined to detect corrosion and corrosion products , respectively . a reference oil is tested with each group of tests to verify test acceptability . these results demonstrate that the low phosphorus lubricating oil composition of the present invention ( example 1 ) containing a mixture of zinc primary dialkyl dithiophosphate , zinc secondary dialkyl dithiophosphate and zinc diaryl dithiophosphate in a 1 : 1 : 1 ratio , and wherein the phosphorus content of the lubricating oil composition is less than 0 . 06 wt %, provides excellent lead corrosion performance when compared to the comparative examples not having a mixture of all three dithiophosphates . the amount of lead corrosion is significantly reduced by the lubricating oil composition of the present invention .	2
the apparatus is coupled to the conventional three - point linkage of a tractor 20 ( shown only partly , in , phantom line , in fig1 a , 1b and 2 ), by a cross - beam 43 having two spaced forwardly extending brackets 44 which are pivotally connected at 45 to the lower draft links 18 of the tractor . a further inverted v - shaped bracket 46 extends upwardly from the cross - beam 43 and is pivotally connected at 47 to the central top link 19 by intermediate link 100 of the tractor . the tractor carries a hydraulic pump , fed from twin hydraulic reservoirs ( not shown ) and driving various parts of the apparatus to be indicated later . the cross - beam 43 supports two gathering drums 49 , which are symmetrically disposed one on either side of the central longitudinal axis of the tractor and are tilted upwardly of the direction of travel and the apparatus by an angle of between 10 and 20 ° to the vertical . the two drums 49 are substantially identical and only one will be described in detail . each drum is journalled , at its upper part , in a transmission casing 50 having bearings in which is rotatable a horizontal shaft 51 . a bevel gear transmission , not shown , coupled to the shaft 51 with a vertical shaft 52 ( see fig4 ) which extends down through a further casing 53 and to which gathering sweeps are pivotally connected in a manner which will be described later . the shaft 51 has mounted on the rear end thereof a pulley 54 . an endless drive belt 55 encircles the pulley 54 and another pulley 56 is driven through an overload clutch 48 mounted on a shaft 57 which is rotatable in bearings mounted on the beam 43 . the end of this shaft 57 remote from the pulley 56 is connected through universal couplings 59 with the power take - off shaft 60 of the tractor . as best seen in fig1 the pulley 54 of the two transmission assemblies and the pulleys 56 are staggered fore - and - aft . the power take - off thus transmits a drive through the endless belt transmission to the two vertical shafts 52 . as best seen in fig4 the lower end of each shaft 52 is rotatable in bearings 61 within the lower end of the tube 53 . a hub 62 is keyed onto the lower end of the shaft 52 being clamped by a clamping nut 63 between a washer 64 and a spacer 65 which engages the inner race 66 of the bearing 61 . the race 66 of the bearing is retained on the shaft 52 by a spring clip 67 . the spacer 65 includes an upstanding flange 68 which rotates within a recess 69 in an annular ring 61a which surrounds the bearing 61 within the tube 53 . the flange 68 thus protects the bearing 61 and prevents foreign matter finding its way up onto the bearing . the hub 62 has pivotally mounted within it three equally spaced horizontal and tangential shafts 70 . a respective spring 71 acts indirectly on each shaft 70 so that pivotal movement of the shaft in a clockwise direction takes place against the action of the spring 71 : the upper end of the spring ( not shown ) engages one of several spaced abutments on the drum 85 , and selection of the appropriate abutment allows the spring loading to be varied . the hub is formed in two parts 62a and 62b which are clamped together by bolts 72 , the two parts 62a and 62b being enclosed between the two parts 73 and 74 of a two part metal casing . the upper part 74 of the casing is welded to the spacer 65 . the opposite ends of each shaft 70 project into a cut - away portion of the hub , and secured to the ends of each shaft by screws 76 are the limbs 77 of the forked end of a gathering sweep 78 . a shaped member 79 welded to each limb of the sweep partially embraces each end of the shaft . each sweep 78 extends outwardly and downwardly away from its associated shaft 70 and is formed at its outer extremity with an inclined gathering portion 78a . each sweep 78 carries a pair of spaced upstanding lugs one of which being indicated at 77a , which together support a peg 77b parallel to shaft 70 . the peg 77b engages a shaped block 77c against the upper surface of which the lower end of spring 71 abuts . each sweep 78 is urged downwardly by the action of spring 71 . the lowermost part of each gathering drum comprises a domed cap 80 which is welded to a plate 81 which is clamped to the hub 62 by the aforementioned bolts 72 . disposed above the cap 80 is a ring 82 of equal diameter . the ring 82 and cap 80 are cut - away to provide apertures , as at 83 through which the sweeps 78 project and which are of sufficient size to permit up - and - down pivoting movement of the sweeps on the shafts 70 . the ring 82 and cover 80 are secured together between the sweeps 78 by welded spacing pieces 84 . the ring 82 has welded to it the lower end of a drum 85 which encircles the tube 53 . the upper end of the drum 85 is located by three ball races ( not shown ) triangularly disposed and riding inside a ring 86 ( see fig3 ) carried by the cross - beam 43 . the sweeps of the two gathering drums are oppositely handed and the transmission to the drums causes them to contra - rotate in synchronism . as best seen in fig5 the sweeps rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows when the apparatus is moving in the direction of the arrow x . since the sweeps 78 are capable of flexing up - and - down resiliently relatively to the rotating drum it is possible for them to follow the contours of uneven ground without digging into the ground or riding over any cane stalks . this is an extremely important feature of the apparatus since , as has already been mentioned , sugar cane is normally grown on ground formed into ridges and furrows . during operation of the drums the links at the rear of the tractor are put in their &# 34 ; floating &# 34 ; condition so that the weight of the gathering assemblies is taken by a ground - following roller 26 and the sweeps 78 are free follow the contours of the ground . counterbalancing springs ( not shown ) may be provided to take some of the weight of the gathering assemblies in this &# 34 ; floating &# 34 ; condition , and thus relieve some of the load on the ground - following roller 26 . should the front end of the apparatus rear up during use , the pivot 47 will automatically move to the right ( in fig1 ) until it hits a stop pad 91 on the main frame 42 ; thus further upward movement is prevented and the apparatus tends automatically to right itself . in an alternative construction the springs 71 are replaced or assisted by other forms of resilient restraint acting to resist upward pivoting movement of the sweeps . for example each sweep may be biassed downwardly by a rubber bush connected between each sweep and its associated shaft . in this case the bushes are shaped as and replace the bearings which receive the shafts 70 . in a preferred arrangement the shafts and bushes are in threaded engagement since in such an arrangement the threads will absorb the axial loads on the bearings . to elevate and clean a swath of at least partially flattened sugar cane , the apparatus follows an apparatus of the kind described and claimed in british pat . no . 1 , 424 , 511 which has flattened the cane into a swath and severed the stalks of flattened cane approximately at ground level by breaking the stalks at their weak base points . the apparatus of the present invention is passed over the swath of flattened cane in a direction opposite to that in which the flattening and severing apparatus has passed . the swath of cane is approached tops - first , lifted from the ground by the contra - rotating sweeps , guided between the drums and , the canes are then accelerated tops first across a gap 25 and up an inclined elevating plate or ramp 23 by a belt conveyor 27 , which is driven from shaft 57 by drive 101 ( see fig1 a ) and drive 102 ( see fig1 b ). the plate 23 and belt conveyor 27 are mounted on the main frame 42 of the apparatus . the conveyor 27 accelerates the cane from the trashy swath and across gap 25 leaving trash unsupported by cane toward the bottom of the swath . this trash therefore collapses into the gap being swept back as it falls down and eventually is trapped beneath a full width ground following roller 26 so that it cannot be swept up plate 23 by canes being pulled onto conveyor 27 . it will be appreciated that the stalks of cane as they are accelerated will have their leaves broken back against their direction of growth , and will be stripped off the stalk . thus , leafy material is stripped from the canes as they are pulled from the swath and falls , together with trash and leaves broken during the flattening process , to the ground as the canes are accelerated rearwardly . when the canes are short , the initial gathering and lifting is aided by lightly pressing down the swath in front of the gathering sweeps by a resilient sheet ( not shown ). as the stalks are elevated , freely rotatable rollers 28 on pivoted swinging arms 28a which are in turn pivotably connected to the main frame 42 press the elevated material against the elevating conveyor 27 . the second gap 29 is of sufficient width for any remaining leafy material and trash to fall downwards onto the ground , whilst being sufficiently short in width to allow all but the very shortest lengths of cane stalk to travel across it and up a ramp 106 and enter a nip indicated generally at 30 . the nip 30 is defined by two contra - rotating elements 38 , driven from shaft 57 , via drive 110 and gear box 111 , by drives 101 and 103 ( see fig1 a ), and fig6 shows these elements in greater detail in end elevation . the elements 38 are of four - fingered design , and two strips of flexible belting 38a are secured in the manner shown to each four - fingered paddle 38b with an overlap at 39 , and polyurethane foam 40 is adhered to its respective strips of belting 38a and is packed between two opposed quadrants of each cylindrical drum so formed . the elements are so synchronised that portions 39 form the nip , and it will be appreciated that this particular form of drum deals effectively with rocks , stones and similar obstructions which may be elevated with the swath , by allowing each drum to assume non - circular profiles during operation and hence allowing the creation of a nip of varying size . the elements are so synchronised that respective portions 39 of the two elements approach one another to grip the cane stalks of the elevated swath individually and accelerate them rearwardly through the nip . it will be appreciated that this rearward pulling of individual cane stalks from the swath increases the stripping and cleaning effect . the cleaned cane stalks pass through the nip and the leafy material and trash which cannot be accelerated like the cane , drops through the gap 29 . as the cane stalks come through the nip 30 , spaced contro - rotating paddle fans 31 , which are rotatably mounted on the main frame 42 by means ( not shown ) and which are driven from shaft 57 by drives 101 and 102 ( see fig1 a ) and respective drives 104 ( see fig1 b ), create air draughts in directions against and at an angle to the direction of travel 33 of the stalks . fig7 shows these fans in end elevation ; the extremeties of each four - fingered paddle are overlaid with flexible rubber flaps , and the fans are driven . as the cane stalks enter the nip 30 the outer flexible leaves ( such as , for example the leaves growing from the weak point at the base of the cape top ) are frictionally engaged by the surface of the drums 38 and hence tend to curl around the drums as the cane stalks come through the nip . the air currents from the fans confirm the leaf wrap around the drums . the outer leaves of the top , of each cane , and hence the top are restrained whilst the drums 38 continue to drive the respective stalk through the nip causing the top to break off at its weak point as the cane emerges from the nip . the rubber paddles 38b act as moving edges against which the top can break off . those tops , which are on the top of the canes , may be thrown into an optional collecting cage 17 above the main frame 42 of the apparatus by the uppermost of fans 31 and by the uppermost of drums 38 . thus with an apparatus embodying the present invention , a separate cane topper ( such as that described and claimed in british pat . no . 1 , 427 , 930 could be dispensed with . the cleaned and topped canes are finally guided through fan shrouds 41 and deposited into a bin 36 which travels on wheels 37 and is vertically and horizontally hinged at 87 to the main frame 42 of the apparatus . as shown in fig1 c , the lower section 88 of the bin is split into two halves 88a , 88b , each of which can be swung about pivots 89 by hydraulic rams 90 into a position shown in fig1 c in phantom outline , to discharge the cane stalks downwardly . although the apparatus described is used for gathering and cleaning leafy green unburnt sugar cane , an apparatus embodying the invention could be used to gather , elevate and clean a swath of at least partially flattened sugar cane which has first been burnt to remove most of the leafy material from the sugar cane . in either case , the apparatus on its propelling vehicle may be passed over the swath of cane in the same direction as that of the cutting apparatus which flattens and severs the cane ; although the separation of leaf and cane would then be inferior and it may be necessary to first &# 34 ; top &# 34 ; the canes using , for example , the apparatus of british pat . no . 1 , 427 , 930 . in this case , an apparatus embodying the present invention may comprise simply the contra - rotating drums , ground - following supporting means and nip elements . the cane swath would be individually nipped as before and flung rearwardly behind such a machine , and to help the gathering effect the gap 25 would be eliminated and the plate 23 extend forward under the sweeps . it will be appreciated that in any of the embodiments described above , the rotating sweeps will tend to break off any unsevered cane at its weak base point . they may be deliberately used to do this if the swath of cane has been merely flattened , and not separately severed , by whatever apparatus previously passed over it .	0
the pressure - sensitive adhesive compositions of this invention are particularly suitable for sealing the faceplate of an ostomy appliance to skin surfaces surrounding a patient &# 39 ; s stoma , with such compositions having physical characteristics especially advantageous for that use . for such purposes , the composition would be formed into a wafer having a thickness of about 0 . 010 to 0 , 090 inches backed by a thin , flexible , thermoplastic backing layer along one of its faces , with such backing layer then being directly or indirectly secured to a pouch . the opposite side or face of the wafer -- its bodyside surface -- would be covered by a removable protective covering , such as a siliconized release sheet , until use . ideally , the backing would be composed of a thermoplastic elastomer such as a polyurethane film , or a copolyester film of the type marketed under the designation hytrel by dupont ( wilmington , del .) or polyether - block amide film marketed under the designation pebax by elf atochem ( philadelphia , pa . ), but other non - elastomeric films , foams and non - woven materials may be used . the composition is a substantially homogeneous mixture of selected components forming an adhesive viscoelastic continuous phase in which water - absorbing and swellable hydrocolloid particles are dispersed . an essential component of the continuous phase is a blend of elastomers composed substantially entirely of about 2 to 15 percent ( preferably 3 to 7 percent ) by weight of one more high molecular weight polyisobutylenes and about 5 to 20 percent by weight ( preferably 7 to 14 percent ) of one or more styrene block copolymers . &# 34 ; high molecular weight &# 34 ; here refers to a polyisobutylene having a viscosity average molecular weight within the range of about 750 , 000 to 2 , 350 , 000 ( preferably about 1 , 000 , 000 to 1 , 900 , 000 ) as determined from intrinsic viscosity measurement in diisobutylene at 20 degrees c . such polyisobutylenes are commercially available and are known , for example , under the designations vistanex mm - l80 , mm - l100 , mm - l120 , and mm - l140 from exxon corp ., houston , tex . a styrene block copolymer or copolymers suitable for blending with such high molecular weight polyisobutylene ( s ) may be identified generally as styrene - olefin - styrene block copolymers . particularly suitable for this purpose are styrene - isoprene - styrene and styrene - butadiene - styrene block copolymers , both of which are commercially available , for example , from shell chemical and other suppliers . a styrene - isoprene - styrene block copolymer marketed as kraton 1107 ( shell chemical ) is believed particularly suitable , but other kraton copolymers , such as kraton 1100 , 1101 , 1102 are also considered suitable . petrolatum is most advantageously used as the hydrocarbon plasticizer component in the adhesive barrier composition of this invention , although it has been found that mineral oil may also be used . petrolatum is relatively viscous and non - flowing at room temperature , as compared to mineral oil , and these properties are believed desirable in achieving a pliant viscoelastic , and cohesive skin barrier composition . in general , the composition should contain about 6 to 20 percent by weight of petrolatum or mineral oil plasticizer , the preferred range being about 8 to 15 percent by weight . the skin barrier compositions of this invention also include one or more water soluble hydrocolloid gums which are capable of absorbing moisture and preventing such moisture from disrupting adhesion to skin surfaces . the preferred hydrocolloid gums are sodium carboxymethylcellulose and pectin , although minor amounts of other hydrocolloid gums such as gelatin , guar gum , locust bean gum , sodium - calcium alginates , gum karaya and mixtures thereof , may be included . the hydrocolloid content of the composition should fall generally within the range of about 35 to 65 percent ( preferably about 40 to 55 percent ) by weight , with the preferred hydrocolloid content consisting essentially of pectin and sodium carboxymethylcellulose in a ratio of approximately 2 to 1 . the barrier composition should also contain one or more hydrocarbon tackifier resins homogeneously distributed in and forming part of the continuous phase of the composition . particularly effective results have been obtained with an aliphatic hydrocarbon resin tackifier commercially available from hercules inc . ( wilmington , del .) as piccotac 95 , although other tackifiers such as the trimethylol propane esters of rosin ( staybelite ester 10 from hercules ) or the pentaerythritol esters of rosin ( pentalyn h from hercules ) might also be used . other tackifiers that are believed suitable for use in the barrier composition of this invention are beta pinene or cyclopentadiene resins that are also commercially available . in general , the tackifier content should fall within the range of about 10 to 35 percent by weight , preferably about 20 to 30 percent by weight . in addition , the barrier composition may include up to about one percent by weight of a suitable antioxidant such as irganox 1010 or irganox 1076 ( ciba geigy ). other commercially - available antioxidants might also be used . the barrier compositions of this invention are prepared by first blending the elastomers -- the high molecular weight polyisobutylenes and styrene block copolymers -- with antioxidant in a heavy duty mixer , such as a high shear sigma blade mixer , with heating at a temperature of about 120 degrees c . to 150 degrees c . blending is continued with the addition of plasticizer , preferably petrolatum and , in a final blending stage , the hydrocolloids are mixed with the continuous - phase components at a temperature of about 80 degrees c . to 100 degrees c . until a homogeneous adhesive skin barrier mixture is produced . the adhesive mass is then extruded and calendered or pressed to the desired thickness ( about 0 . 010 to 0 . 090 inches ) on a sheet of silicone - coated release paper and a flexible backing member of thermoplastic film or other material is laminated to the other face of the adhesive barrier layer . in subsequent steps , the laminate is cut to form wafers or blankets of the desired size and shape and the backing layers are secured , preferably by heat sealing , to the walls of pouches ( for one - piece appliances ) or to coupling rings capable of being detachably connected to such pouches ( for two - piece appliances ). in either case , the wafers of skin barrier composition , backed by flexible backing layers , become the annular faceplates for adhesive sealing attachment to the peristomal skin surfaces of patients . if desired , such faceplates may be manufactured to include other features , such as the intermediate attaching ring and microporous patch of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 213 , 458 or the floating flange construction of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 419 , 100 , the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein . pressure - sensitive skin barrier compositions embodying the invention were prepared consisting of the following ingredients on a percent weight basis : ______________________________________ examples ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) 5 ) ( 6 ) ______________________________________high mw polyisobutylene 3 . 6 3 . 6 5 5 3 . 6 5 ( vistanex mm - l100 ) styrene - isoprene - styrene 8 . 4 8 . 4 8 5 8 . 4 5copolymer ( kraton 1107 ) petrolatum 9 . 9 9 . 9 14 . 9 9 . 9 -- 14 . 9mineral oil -- -- -- -- 9 . 9 -- tackifier ( piccotac 95 ) 24 36 18 25 24 20antioxidant ( irganox 1010 ) 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1sodium carboxymethyl - 19 19 18 20 19 20cellulosepectin 35 23 18 35 35 35gelatin -- -- 18 -- -- -- ______________________________________ the high molecular weight polyisobutylene , styrene - isopyrene - styrene copolymer , and antioxidant were blended in a sigma blade mixer with heating ( at about 130 degrees c .) for approximately 10 minutes . the plasticizer ( petrolatum or mineral oil ) was then added to the blend and mixed for approximately 25 minutes , followed by the addition of tackifier , sodium carboxymethylcellulose and pectin and , in example 5 , gelatin . mixing was continued at about 90 degrees c . for approximately 40 minutes until a homogeneous mass was obtained . the mass was allowed to cool , flattened to the desired thickness on sheets of silicone - coated release paper , and cut to form wafers . in some cases the opposite surface of each wafer was covered with a film of thermoplastic elastomer ( hytrel ) of 0 . 0012 inches thick and in other cases the opposite surface of each wafer was covered by silicone - coated release paper so that both release sheets could be removed for product testing . pressure - sensitive skin barrier compositions not embodying the invention but prepared for analysis on a comparative basis with examples 1 - 6 contained the following ingredients on a percent weight basis : ______________________________________ examplesingredient ( 7 ) ( 8 ) ( 9 ) ( 10 ) 11 ) ______________________________________high mw polyisobutylene -- 13 -- 12 3 . 6 ( vistanex mm - l100 ) low mw polyisobutylene 8 -- -- -- 24 ( vistanex lm - mh ) styrene - isoprene - styrene 6 -- 12 -- 8 . 4copolymer ( kraton 1107 ) butyl 065 rubber 16 . 25 -- -- -- -- petrolatum -- 14 . 9 9 . 9 9 . 9 9 . 9mineral oil 11 . 5 -- -- -- -- tackifier ( piccotac 95 ) -- 18 24 24 -- tackifier ( pentalyn h ) 12 . 75 -- -- -- -- antioxidant 0 . 5 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 ( irganox 1010 ) sodium carboxymethyl - 15 18 19 19 19cellulosepectin 15 18 35 35 35gelatin 15 18 -- -- -- ______________________________________ examples 7 through 11 were prepared in accordance with the general procedure outlined in examples 1 - 6 . example 7 is of the same composition disclosed in example 1 of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 059 , 189 and is believed to be of the same or substantially the same formulation as that of a commercial product ( durahesive ). in this example , the compositions of examples 1 - 11 were each tested for dynamic absorption of fluid under laboratory conditions intended to simulate actual conditions of use . for test purposes , each sample took the form of a circular wafer of 3 . 25 inches in diameter and a thickness of 0 . 070 inches covered on one side with an thermoplastic elastomeric film ( hytrel ) of 0 . 0012 inches thick . a circular opening of 0 . 75 inches in diameter extended through the center of each sample , including its hytrel backing layer . the opposite side of each wafer was secured to a double - faced adhesive mounting sheet ( avery fasson fast tape 445 ) with an opening in register with the opening of the sample , the purpose of the mounting sheet being to permit attachment and removal of the sample from the surface of the test apparatus without damaging the sample by reason of removal forces . the dynamic absorption test apparatus included a mounting plate of rubber having a smooth vertical surface simulating a skin surface and having a central horizontal opening therethrough simulating a stoma opening . fluid circulation passages through the plate were connected by tubing to a pump and a heater for the circulation of water through the plate at a simulated body temperature of 35 - 40 degrees c . a reservoir containing water was connected by soft tubing of 1 / 16 inches id to the central opening of the mounting plate and a cam - equipped peristaltic pump flexed the wall of the tubing at a frequency of 20 cycles per minute to advance water at room temperature from the reservoir into the opening of the plate at a rate of approximately 1 , 500 mililiters per 24 hours . each sample was adhered by means of the double - faced adhesive sheet to the surface of the mounting plate with its opening in register with the opening of the plate , and the apparatus was operated so that water from the reservoir would be dripped into the opening of the plate and allowed to pass through the opening of the sample . at intervals of 2 , 7 , 10 and 14 days , each sample of barrier material was removed and weighed to determine the cumulative weight gain by reason of water absorption . the results are tabulated below : __________________________________________________________________________dynamic absorption ( weight gain in grams ) sample ( according to example nos . ) days 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11__________________________________________________________________________ 2 0 . 24 0 . 13 0 . 12 0 . 28 0 . 4 0 . 59 0 . 67 0 . 62 0 . 54 0 . 69 0 . 58 7 1 . 7 0 . 81 1 . 15 1 . 47 1 . 35 3 . 53 3 . 66 2 . 28 2 . 62 2 . 2 2 . 3110 2 . 83 1 . 09 1 . 82 2 . 38 2 . 16 4 . 96 5 . 33 3 . 93 2 . 98 3 . 02 2 . 9214 5 . 2 1 . 72 2 . 69 4 . 7 3 . 73 6 . 77 7 . 76 * d 4 . 04 * d 4 . 61 * __________________________________________________________________________ samples 1 - 6 utilize this invention and , with the exception of example 6 , the weight gain based on water absorption at 2 and 7 days was less than that of samples 7 - 11 . the letter &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; indicates that samples 8 and 10 disintegrated after the 10th day and did not survive the 14 day testing cycle . visual inspection of sample 7 revealed that the saturation front had advanced to its outer margin by the 12th day revealing that such sample had become inoperative in preventing leakage in a radial direction from its inner to outer margins . by the 14th day , the saturation fronts for samples 9 and 11 had also reached the outer margins . the asterisks (*) for samples 7 , 9 and 11 therefore denote that such samples had become inoperative in preventing leakage by or before the end of the test period . by contrast , in all of the samples 1 - 6 , the saturation fronts had advanced more slowly in radial directions and not reached the outer margins by the end of the 14 - day test period . with regard to samples 1 and 7 , the test results are consistent with what has been observed clinically . sample 1 is a wafer having an adhesive compositon of this invention as it now appears in a commerical product and sample 7 is believed to be representative of a barrier product ( durahesive ) that does not embody this invention but is also commercially available . clinical investigations support the observation that in actual practice wafers having a composition corresponding to that of sample 7 absorbs more fluid , with the saturation fronts advancing more rapidly to the outer margins and substantially reducing the weartime by several days , in comparison with wafers having the composition of sample 1 . this example reveals the results of tests on the samples of examples 1 through 11 when such samples ( with hytrel backings and release paper removed ) were immersed in simulated urine and their weight gain in grams was measured at intervals of 1 , 6 and 24 hours . the following results were obtained : ______________________________________absorption of simulated urine ( weight gain in grams ) sample ( according to example nos . ) hours 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11______________________________________1 1 . 4 0 . 9 1 1 . 6 1 . 3 1 . 3 1 . 1 1 . 9 1 . 6 2 . 3 1 . 16 2 . 4 1 2 . 3 2 . 8 2 . 5 2 . 2 2 . 7 6 . 9 3 . 5 6 . 9 3 . 324 5 . 5 1 . 8 5 . 1 5 . 6 5 . 5 4 . 7 5 . 7 10 . 5 5 . 6 11 . 8 7______________________________________ the tensile properties of the barrier compositions of examples 1 through 11 were tested on an instron machine ( type 4501 ) and the stress and strain of each sample was measured both at peak and at break . in addition , the stresses at 10 percent , 20 percent and 50 percent strain were measured . for purposes of such testing , strips of barrier material without backing were cut , each strip having a width of half an inch . the ends of each strip were placed in the jaws of the machine at an initial separation of one inch , and the jaws were separated at a crosshead speed of 2 . 5 inches per minute . the tests produced the following data revealing the tensile or cohesive strength of the respective barrier materials : __________________________________________________________________________tensile properties examples ( according to example nos .) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11__________________________________________________________________________stress @ peak 14 . 7 16 . 6 7 . 9 9 . 3 11 . 4 5 . 8 6 . 8 15 32 . 5 10 8 . 1 ( psi ) strain @ peak 224 450 158 46 207 43 39 46 238 34 41 (%) stress @ break 9 . 1 11 . 8 5 . 4 3 . 4 8 . 5 2 4 . 1 5 . 1 17 . 1 -- 3 . 1 ( psi ) strain @ break 657 876 445 1146 530 541 793 548 343 -- 215 ( psi ) stress @ 10 % 5 5 . 4 2 . 2 4 . 8 3 . 7 2 . 9 2 . 6 10 . 1 5 . 7 6 . 2 4strain ( psi ) stress @ 20 % 7 . 5 7 . 2 4 . 1 7 . 2 5 . 8 4 . 4 4 . 8 13 . 3 9 . 2 8 . 5 6 . 3strain ( psi ) stress @ 50 % 10 . 9 9 . 2 6 . 3 9 . 1 8 . 8 5 . 6 6 . 7 14 . 7 15 9 . 9 7 . 9strain ( psi ) __________________________________________________________________________ for purposes of measuring compression set for the barrier compositions of examples 1 - 11 , one inch diameter samples of each barrier material were cut . then the samples between release paper were placed on a hard level surface in an oven set at 60 degrees c . and 5 kg weights were placed on each sample . after one hour , the samples were removed from the oven and their diameters were measured to the nearest thousandths of an inch at four locations : 0 , 45 , 90 and 135 degrees . the average of such measurements was computed for each sample and the compression set at one hour , as a percentage of the original diameter , was calculated as follows : ## equ1 ## where d 1 represents original diameter and d 2 represents average final diameter . ______________________________________compression set (% of original diameter increase ) samples ( according to example nos . ) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11______________________________________42 50 40 33 58 57 58 58 25 49 53______________________________________ while in the foregoing , embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in considerable detail for purposes of illustration , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of these details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	2
polyether ether ketone resin in the present invention is represented , for example , by the following chemical formula , specific example include aromatic polyether ether ketones developed by imperial chemical industries , ltd . ## str1 ## the polyether ether ketone resin used may be in the form of a powder , tube or film . it is applied to the outside of a metal pipe by coating , sticking , electrostatic coating , flame spraying , fluidized - bed coating , fitting , shrink fittings or winding , etc . thereafter it is attached to the outer surface of the pipe using pressure with fusing at about 350 °- 450 ° c . under a mechanical pressure of 30 - 1000 g / cm 2 to form the desired electrical insulating coating . an example of a useful metal conduct pipe is a steel pipe ; and stainless steel pipes having excellent corrosion resistance and good electric conductivity are preferably used . although the length of the conduct pipe depends upon the depth of the oil sand layer under the ground , a length of about 200 - 600 m or so is generally required . in the following , embodiments of the conduct pipe covered with the electrical insulating material of the present invention are illustrated . fig1 is a partial sectional view of an end part of the conduct pipe covered with the electrically insulating material . as shown in fig1 the outside of a metal conduct pipe ( 2 ) connecting with an electrode ( 1 ) is covered with a polyether ether ketone resin . generally , the conduct pipe ( 2 ) must have a length of about 200 - 600 m . accordingly , since the steel pipes or the stainless steel pipes generally each has a length of 5 - 50 m , they are connected together when inserting the end part of the conduct pipe into the oil sand layer . fig2 is a partial sectional view of the conjunction part of the conduct pipe covered with the electrically insulating material . as shown in fig2 when connecting a conduct pipe ( 2a ) covered with the electrical insulating material ( 3a ) to a conduct pipe ( 2b ) covered with the electrical insulating material ( 3b ), the end parts of the conduct pipes ( 2a ) and ( 2b ) are processed so as to have a taper screw ( 5 ) to connect each pipe by means of a coupling ( 4 ). in this case , the conjunction part , namely , the surface of the coupling ( 4 ), and the end parts of the conduct pipes are covered with an electrical insulating material ( 3c ). this prevents leakage of electricity from the conjunction part . while the invention has been described with reference to a conduct pipe covered with an electrically insulating material useful in an electrode apparatus for collecting underground hydrocarbon resources , it is not to be construed that the invention is limited thereto . in other words , the conduct pipe of the present invention can also be used as a pipe for oil pipeline , a conduit of chemical plant , etc . in the following , the method of covering with the insulating layer ( 3 ), ( 3a ), ( 3b ) or ( 3c ) of the polyether ether ketone resin and properties of the insulating layer are illustrated in detail with reference to examples and comparative example , but the present invention is not limited to these examples . a tape of polyether ether ketone resin film having a thickness of 0 . 05 mm and a width of 30 mm was wound round a conduct pipe 20 times . each wrapping overlapped the one below by half width of the tape . the film obtained had a thickness of 2 mm on the outside of the conduct pipe . the outermost layer of the film wound on the conduct pipe was pressed by means of an iron plate under a pressure of 100 g / cm 2 while revolving the conduct pipe in an electric furnace at 380 ° c . to form an insulating layer of the polyether ether ketone resin on the conduct pipe . tensile strength ( kg / cm 2 ) at 25 ° c . and dielectric breakdown voltage ( kv / mm ) of the resulting insulating layer and those of the insulating layer after dipping in hot water at 300 ° c . for 500 hours are shown in table 1 . an experiment was carried out by the same procedure as in example 1 , except that polytetrafluoroethylene resin was used instead of the polyether ether ketone resin . characteristics of the resulting insulating layer are shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________ initial value after hot water treatment dielectric dielectric tensile breakdown tensile breakdown strength voltage strength voltage ( kg / cm . sup . 2 ) ( kv / mm ) ( kg / cm . sup . 2 ) ( kv / mm ) ______________________________________example 1 1050 35 970 32comparative 75 30 10 8example 1______________________________________ it can be understood from table 1 that the conduct pipe covered with the insulating layer which is obtained by attaching a polyether ether ketone resin using pressure with fusing at 380 ° c . has excellent mechanical and electrical characteristics . these characteristics are hardly deteriorated after the hot water treatment . a conduct pipe heated to 360 ° c . was immersed in a polyether ether ketone resin powder having a particle size adjusted to 150 - 250 microns by a fluidized - bed coating process to form a powder layer having a thickness of 1 mm on the conduct pipe . then , the powder attached to the conduct pipe was pressed by means of an iron plate under a pressure of 50 g / cm 2 while revolving the conduct pipe in an electric furnace at 400 ° c . to form an insulating layer of the polyether ether ketone resin on the conduct pipe . characteristics of the resulting insulating layer were similar to those of the insulating layer obtained in example 1 . as described above , the conduct pipe covered with an electrical insulating material of the present invention has an insulating layer which is excellent in electrical properties , mechanical properties and hot water resistance . accordingly , it is suitable as a conduct pipe for collecting underground hydrocarbon resources by an electrically heating method . while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the specific embodiments thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof .	4
according to the invention two virtual calls are used for information transfer in the backward direction , i . e . from a switching arrangement to which a first virtual call is set up . more precisely , the solution consists in providing and keeping a call reference in order to relate the two virtual calls which are set up in opposite directions to each other . in general terms , when the first virtual call in the forward direction is released , a second virtual call is set up in the opposite direction . this can also be interpreted as a virtual call being reverted . however , when speaking of a first and a second virtual call , also the second virtual call can be segmented and for example if the dpnss 1 signalling system is used , rules for segmentation are given in the dpnss 1 specification . [ 0038 ] fig1 is an illustration of the signalling that is performed in order to be able to send more information in the backward direction from a second switching arrangement nb to a first switching arrangement na than can be contained in a single message . a call reference to a virtual call is then created in the first switching arrangement na which particularly comprises system specific data such that na and nb can communicate with each other and understand each other , but no other switching arrangements , particularly no transit switching arrangements , cf . fig2 understand the content of the call reference . the call reference is then stored in na and na initiates a virtual call set up through sending a call set up message ( 1 ) to nb which contains information about the created call reference . the call reference is then stored in the destination switching arrangement nb which disconnects the call by sending a disconnect message ( 2 ) to na . in na all internal connections related to the virtual call , particularly the first virtual call , are kept but na acknowledges the disconnection of the first virtual call through sending an acknowledge message ( 3 ) to nb . nb then initiates a new or second virtual call intended for na and reuses the call reference previously created by na . nb then sends a call set up message ( 4 ) to na , including the stored call reference . when na receives a call set up message ( 4 ) from nb , na uses the received call reference ( i . e . the initial call reference ) and connects the new virtual call or the second virtual call to the kept internal connections . then it is possible to send the information requested by na or intended for na as segmented messages . now , the segmented messages are transferred ( 5 1 , 5 2 , 5 3 ) to na . segmented messages are sent until all information has been transferred . when all information is received , a disconnection of the ( second ) virtual call is initiated through sending of a disconnect message ( 6 ) from na to nb . then all connections are released in nb which sends an acknowledge message ( 7 ) to na which then releases all its connections related to the virtual call . [ 0039 ] fig2 is a figure similar to fig1 but wherein a transit exchange nx is supposed to be provided between na and nb . as in the embodiment referred to in fig1 a call reference is created in na and the call reference is also stored in na . na then sends the call reference to the destination exchange , which is nb , and a call set up message ( 1 a , 1 b ) is sent via nx . the call reference is stored in nb and the call is disconnected , disconnect message ( 2 a , 2 b ) is sent via nx to na . in na all internal connections related to the virtual call are kept , and na sends an acknowledge message ( 3 b ) to nx and all connections in nx are released and an acknowledge message ( 3 a ) is sent to nb . nb now initiates a new virtual call from nb to na . the stored call reference is sent in call set up messages ( 4 a , 4 b ). in na the received call reference is used and a new call is connected to the kept internal connections . then segmented messages ( 5 a 1 , 5 b 1 and 5 a 2 , 5 b 2 ) are sent until all information has been transferred . when all the information is received in na , na initiates a disconnection of the call through sending a disconnect message ( 6 a ) to nx which sends a disconnect message ( 6 b ) to nb which then releases all the connections related to the virtual call . an acknowledgement ( 7 a ) is sent from nx to na which releases all connections related to the virtual call and an acknowledge message ( 7 b ) is also sent from nb to nx and all connections are released in nx . in other aspects the functioning is the same as that discussed with reference to fig1 . in fig3 a particular implementation of a communications system using dpnss 1 is illustrated . for call set up specific messages isrm / ssrm are used and for call release crm / cim are used , as will be more thoroughly described below . according to the inventive concept it is also possible to add manufacturer specific information in dpnss 1 messages . as in the preceding embodiment a call reference is created and stored in exchange d 1 . it is sent as manufacturer specific data to exchange d 2 by an isrm ( initial service request message ) initiating a virtual call . d 2 then stores the call reference and initiates a release of the virtual call by a crm ( clear request message ) but it keeps all internal connections . d 1 acknowledges the release but keeps all internal connections . at this point all eventually seized transit exchanges ( not shown ) are released and only the end points are kept . an acknowledgement , a cim ( clear indication message ), is sent to d 2 . d 2 then initiates a new virtual call using the same call reference as in the previous virtual call initiated by d 1 . this is done through sending an isrm ( initial service request message ) as discussed above . the actual information transfer can then start . in this direction , the so called backward direction , more than one message can be used for the information transfer , and a number of ssrms ( subsequent service request message ) are sent . subsequent ssrms can carry the information as manufacturer specific data . when all the information has been received in d 1 , d 1 releases the virtual call by sending a crm ( clear request message ) which is acknowledged by a cim ( clear indication message ) from d 2 to d 1 . the message types are further discussed in “ digital private network signalling system no . 1 ( dpnss 1 ), btnr 188 , section 4 , issue 6 , pages 1 - 25 , january 1995 , describing the message types and forms . this document is herewith incorporated herein by reference thereto . in btnr 188 , section 15 , issue 4 , pages 1 - 8 , december 1989 , supplementary service , non - specified information describes the sending of non - specified information and how , for example , a supplementary information identifier can be included in call set up messages . this document is also incorporated herein by reference thereto . btnr 188 , section 4 , annex 2 , issue 6 , pages 1 - 6 , january 1995 , describes coding and definition of supplementary information identifiers and btnr 188 , section 6 , issue 6 , pages 3 - 12 , describes simple telephony calls within dpnss 1 and btnr 188 , section 5 , issue 5 , page 17 , december 1989 , describes the concept of virtual calls within dpnss 1 . these documents are also incorporated herein by reference . particularly , the invention may be implemented for transfer of roaming information from a home location node or home location exchange of a mobile station roaming into another node or a visited node . the information may for example relate to authentication information which generally is too much information to be carried in one single message , why segmented messages are needed . segmented messaging is allowed on set up of a virtual call , but not on a virtual call release as such . therefore , segmented messages are not allowed following on a release , whereas a call set up is interpreted as an initiation signal enabling transmission of segmented messages . this is , however , solved through the inventive concept , through which the direction of a virtual call is changed through the setting up of another virtual call . [ 0045 ] fig4 illustrates a method in a flow diagram starting with the creation of a call reference in exchange 1 , wherein the call reference also is stored , e . g . in a database 100 . a call set up message relating to set up of a virtual call and including call reference information is then sent to exchange 2 , 101 . then may e . g . be examined if there is a need to send information in segmented messages from exchange 2 to exchange 1 , 102 . if not , i . e . if there is only need for sending a short message which can be contained in one single message , the information is transferred to exchange 1 , 102 a . if , on the other hand , larger amounts of information are requested , the call reference is stored in storing means in exchange 2 and the virtual call is disconnected , 103 . all the internal connections related to the virtual call are kept in exchange 1 , 104 and exchange 1 acknowledges disconnection of the virtual call to exchange 2 , 105 . exchange 2 then initiates a new virtual call intended for exchange 1 and a call set up message is sent , including the call reference that was created for the first virtual call ( in the step 100 ), 106 . exchange 1 then uses the received call reference and connects the new virtual call to the kept internal connection , 107 . then segmented messages containing the wanted information are sent to exchange 1 , 108 . the call is disconnected when all information has been received in exchange 1 , 109 , and all connections are released in exchange 2 , 110 , whereupon exchange 1 releases all connections , 111 . finally , the disconnection is acknowledged , 112 . it is an advantage of the invention that more data than can be carried by a virtual call in the backward direction can be sent when the virtual call direction is changed or , in other words , if a second virtual call is set up in a direction opposite to that of the first virtual call . in for example dpnss 1 up to 135 octets of data can be sent instead of 45 which is the limit for unsegmented messages , i . e . in the direction only allowing segmented messages , which would be the case if a second virtual call were not set up . this makes it possible to increase the capacity in a dpnss 1 network since no speech channels need to be occupied for information transfer that can be carried out by virtual calls . this is , of course , also the case for other networks using asymmetrical protocols where limited information transfer is possible in one direction , but segmentation can be used in the opposite direction . the invention is , of course , not limited to the explicitly illustrated embodiments , but it can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the appended claims .	7
the vehicle seat , an aircraft seat in particular , shown in fig1 has an adjustable - inclination back rest 10 with integrated head rest 12 . in its lower part , back rest 10 effects transition to the seat component or thigh rest 14 , in which a female occupant , represented in outline , has been seated in the seat illustrated . the seat component 14 is accommodated by a seat shell 16 , preferably of a plastic material , and has at least one tilting arm rest 18 . to enhance seating comfort , arm rest 18 is in its lowered passenger position in the illustration in fig1 . the seat shell 16 and accordingly the seat component 14 rest on a seat frame support 20 which permits fastening of the vehicle seat to a vehicle floor 22 by suitable fastening means 24 . the fastening means , as well as the structure of the seat frame support 20 , are conventional and thus will not be described further in detail . the seat frame support 20 includes a front cross brace 26 and rear cross brace 28 in the area of the back rest 10 . the two cross braces 26 and 28 secure the seat shell 16 at the bottom , and thus , the seat component 14 over its entire width . toward the vehicle floor 22 , the two cross braces 26 and 28 are spaced apart by supports 30 and 32 connected to each other on their lower ends by a floor brace 34 . a diagonal brace 36 , which as viewed in the line of sight to fig1 , extends between the lower end of each support 30 and the upper end of each support 32 . the seat frame support 20 is preferably a light - weight construction made in particular of aluminum materials . a folding table 38 , which serves the occupant of the following seat as a table top when the vehicle seats are mounted in a row , may be mounted in the rear area of the back rest 10 . the design in question as described for vehicle seats , such as that for aircraft passenger seats or passenger seats in commercial vehicles such as buses , is generally known and is not be discussed in detail . in addition to possible adjustments referred to for the back rest 10 , other optional seat adjustments may be provided , with respect to the seat component 14 in particular . in the embodiment shown in the figures , a pivot - mounted and lockable pivot support arm 40 is mounted in assignable positions in the area of the front cross brace 26 on the seat frame support 20 . support arm 40 has both a foot rest 42 and a leg rest 44 in the form of a calf support . hence , the rest 42 / 44 is a multipurpose feature , that is , it may be used optionally either for foot support or for leg support , as desired by the current occupant of the seat . the width selected for the rest in question is such that the seat occupant may optionally place one leg or foot , but possibly also both legs or feet on the rests . from the viewpoint of ergonomics , the seat permits dynamic seating by means of this rest , so that increased seating comfort even on long flights or over great road distances is achieved , with space conserved and at low cost . in an embodiment not shown here , as a corresponding modification of the support arm , the rest 42 / 44 could also be hinge - connected to the rear cross brace 28 , so that a seat occupant next in the row of seats might use the rest for his legs . preference is to be given , however , to the embodiment illustrated in fig1 and fig2 . both the foot rest 42 and the leg rest 44 represent a component of a common bracing component 45 . the foot rest 42 is mounted on one surface of the bracing component 45 , while leg rest 44 is mounted on the opposite other surface of the bracing component 45 . if the leg rest 44 is in the form of a calf rest , the associated area of the bracing component 45 may in addition be shaped so that the requirements of the body outline of the current seat occupant are taken into account . in the illustration presented in fig1 , the rest has been swung to a position in which it acts as a leg rest 44 , especially as calf support . the leg rest 44 is accordingly provided with flexible padding 46 which results in greater support comfort and yet permits reliable support in the calf area . the illustration presented in fig2 shows a vehicle seat as illustrated in fig1 , but one now occupied by a male passenger , the leg rest 44 swung down and the foot rest 42 facing upward as the leg rest 44 with padding 46 faces downward . to achieve reliable support for the foot of the seat occupant , the foot rest 42 is in the form of a solid plate . damage to the soft padding 46 of the leg rest 44 underneath is prevented . the rest is pivoted on the front end of the support arm 40 to provide for the swinging movement of the rest referred to above . the support arm 40 , as particularly shown in fig3 and 4 , is pivotally mounted centrally on the foot or leg rest 42 , 44 . for the pivotable connection , side two retaining flanges 48 are mounted opposite each other on the foot rest 42 . a shaft 50 of the support arm 40 extends through flanges 48 so that the free end of the support arm 40 is held between them . the respective retaining flanges 48 divide the foot rest 42 into a right and a left support area for the feet of the seat occupant ( see fig2 ). in the area of the shaft 50 , spring elements ( not shown ) may be mounted between the rests 42 , 44 and the support arm 40 , so that in both instances the respective support for the leg or foot is spring loaded and the tilt of the rest is automatically adjusted to the ergonomics of the seat occupant . the support process involved is in each instance spring - assisted . the spring assistance may also be present exclusively to assist leg support or foot support . as seen in fig2 in particular , the bottom side of the support arm 40 presents a stop surface 52 for the foot rest 42 . as is also to be seen in fig4 , the plate - like foot rest 42 is provided with knob - like raised areas 54 which permit a sort of massage function in the event that the seat occupant has removed his / her shoes and uses the foot rest 42 accordingly . as fig2 also shows , the shaft 50 is hinge - connected between support arm 40 and rest 42 , 44 to the support flanges 48 so that the latter are displaced backward slightly relative to the ankle joint of the respective seat occupant . this has been found to be especially user - friendly . the support arm 40 has two shanks 56 and 58 mounted at an assignable angle to each other . these shanks define between them an obtuse angle , preferably one with a value of 135 °. the shank 58 facing toward the seat frame support 20 is hinge - connected or pivoted to the latter by way of a rotary element 60 with an integrated locking feature . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 and 4 , the rotary part 60 with the integrated locking feature is hinge - connected or pivoted directly to the upper front cross - brace 26 of the vehicle seat . preferably , however , as in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 , the rotary element 60 is an integral component of a flange - like coupling piece 62 , which in turn is rigidly connected at its end opposite the rotary element 60 to the cross brace 26 . as a result of the accompanying projection determined by the coupling flange 62 , as is illustrated in fig1 and 2 in particular , the support arm 40 with rests 42 , 44 may be swung backward in the direction of the pair of front supports 30 so that the rest can be positioned behind the front edge of the seat of the seat element 40 . if the rest is needed again , it may be returned or pivoted clockwise to a service position from the storage position shown in fig1 and 2 into which the rest was swung away counterclockwise . the support arm 40 with rests 42 , 44 may be stopped in a specific position by way of the rotary element 60 with integrated locking feature divided into specific steps . the locking feature in the steps referred to may have subdivisions such that a virtually continuous setting is guaranteed for the rests 42 , 44 . the support arm 40 with associated rests 42 , 44 , in turn , may be designed as a lightweight structure , preferably made of an aluminum material , this being a significant factor especially in aircraft construction . because of the mounting of the rests 42 , 44 to be pivotable around the shaft 50 and in view of the plurality of pivot positions in relation to the rotary element 60 , a large number of options for adaptation to the particular seat occupant are provided and may be changed during operation . a distinct increase in seating comfort in the sense of dynamic seating is achieved . in addition , the arrangement of the present invention is well suited for a resting position of the seat occupant , for example , when the occupant is sleeping . because of the complete pivoting away of the rests by way of the support arm 40 , these rests are not in the occupant &# 39 ; s way if the occupant does not need them . in the event of an accident , these rests may be securely stored away , and thus , contain no accident risk . the arrangement illustrated is suitable especially in view of its space - saving design for aircraft passenger seats and for seats in commercial vehicles such as buses . while one embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the invention , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	1
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the following description , well - known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of a decoder according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 , the decoder can include a branch metric calculation ( bmc ) unit 301 , an add compare select ( acs ) unit 303 , a survivor path memory 305 , a traceback ( tb ) unit 307 , an error determination unit 308 , an output buffer 313 , and an ml searching unit 315 . the error determination unit 308 can include a crc block 309 and a reverse crc block 311 . the bmc unit 301 calculates an approximate degree between reception data input to the bmc unit 301 of the decoder and a predetermined code sequence output from an encoder , and outputs a branch metric ( bm ). the acs unit 303 performs addition and comparison using , as inputs , the bm calculated by the bmc unit 301 and a metric of a previous state that has been stored in advance , in order to select a survivor path of each state most approximate to a transmitted code sequence , and calculates a state metric of the survivor path . selected survivor path information is stored in the survivor path memory 305 . the traceback unit 307 performs a traceback operation on a path having a high probability that the path is an original path through which transmission has been made based on information stored in the survivor path memory 305 . the error determination unit 308 determines if an error has been found according to a crc check . here , the error determination unit 308 of the decoder performs a crc check and a reverse crc check operating the crc check in a reverse order , simultaneously , to determined if an error has been generated . unlike a decoder of a general mobile system , the error determination unit 308 performs the crc check and the traceback operation , simultaneously , in order to solve a delay limitation caused by the crc check . the crc block 309 of the error determination unit 308 arbitrarily sets an initial register value of the crc block 309 , and determines if an error has been generated by comparing a crc value attached to the end of input data with the initial register value . the reverse crc block 311 of the error determination unit 308 can be formed by making a connection path opposite to that of the crc block 309 and forming the same structure as that of the crc block 309 . that is , the reverse crc block 311 sets an initial register value to a crc value of input data , receives the input data in a reverse order , and determines if an error has been generated using the initial value of the reverse crc block 311 . thus far the apparatus for improving a decoding performance in a mobile communication system has been described . hereinafter , a method for improving a decoding performance in a mobile communication system using the above - described apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will now be described . fig4 is a flowchart illustrating a decoding operation of a decoder according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig4 , the decoder starts a decoding operation in step 401 , and performs a traceback operation on a received signal in step 403 . after that , the decoder performs a reverse crc check in step 405 , and determines if an error has been generated according to the reverse crc checkin step 407 . here , unlike a decoder of a general mobile system , the decoder performs the traceback operation and the reverse crc check simultaneously in order to solve a delay limitation caused by the crc check . a method for solving a delay caused by the crc check in the decoder will be described with reference to fig5 . when it is determined that an error has been generated according to the reverse crc check , the decoder again performs the reverse crc check in step 411 . meanwhile , when it is determined that an error has not been generated according to the reverse crc , the decoder outputs a corresponding decoded result in step 409 , and ends the process . though fig4 illustrates the reverse crc process , which is an error check process , is performed simultaneously with the traceback operation according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the present invention can be similarly applied to all error check processes as well as the reverse crc process . fig5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of a decoder for improving a decoding performance according to an embodiment of the present invention . here , the operation process of the decoder is described on the assumption that a reverse crc check and a traceback operation are simultaneously performed on a received signal . referring to fig5 , the decoder sets an initial register value of a reverse crc block to a crc value of input data in step 501 , and again receives the input data in a reverse order in step 503 . after that , in step 505 , the decoder compares a crc value of the reversely input data with the initial register value set in step 501 , and checks a comparison result of step 505 in step 507 . when the crc value of the reversely input data and the initial register value are identical to each other as a result of the comparison in step 505 , the decoder determines there is no error in step 509 . meanwhile , when the crc value of the reversely input data and the initial register value are not identical to each other as a result of the comparison in step 505 , the decoder determines that an error has been generated in step 511 . for example , in the case where the decoder receives data whose crc value is “ 11 . . . 11 ”, the decoder sets an initial register value of a reverse crc block to “ 11 . . . 11 ”, which is the same value as the crc value of the input data , and reversely receives the input data . after that , the decoder compares a crc value of the reversely input data with the initial value of the reverse crc block . when the crc value of the reversely input data and the initial value of the reverse crc block are identically “ 11 . . . 11 ”, the decoder determines that there is no error . when the crc value of the reversely input data and the initial value of the reverse crc block are not both equal to “ 11 . . . 11 ”, the decoder determines that an error has been generated . fig6 a is a diagram illustrating a crc check process of the decoder according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig6 a , the decoder sets all initial register values of a crc block to “ 11 . . . 11 ” and receives input data . accordingly , the decoder determines if there is an error according to the crc check by comparing a crc value attached to the end of the input data with “ 11 . . . 11 ”, which is the initial register value . fig6 b is a diagram , illustrating a reverse crc check process of a decoder according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig6 b , the decoder sets all initial register values of a reverse crc block to a crc value of input data received in advance , and again receives in a reverse order the input data received in advance . accordingly , the decoder determines if there is an error according to the reverse crc check by comparing a crc value attached to the end of the reversely input data with the crc value of the input data received in advance , which is the initial register value . fig7 is a timing diagram illustrating an operation process of a decoder according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig7 , in the case of receiving an input signal , the decoder performs an acs operation on the input signal and performs a traceback operation . here , the decoder outputs a result regarding the traceback operation , and simultaneously performs a reverse crc process ( 701 ). at this point , when checking if an error has been generated according to the reverse crc check , the decoder outputs a result regarding a second traceback operation , and simultaneously again performs a reverse crc process ( 703 ). the operation time of the above - described decoder is compared with that of a conventional decoder with reference to the accompanying drawings . first , assuming that a decoder according to the present invention and a conventional decoder operate under the same circumstance before the operation times of the two decoders are compared , a decoding time of the conventional decoder is 6 w ( refer to fig2 in description of related art section ), and a decoding time of the decoder according to the present invention is 4 w . in other words , when the decoder according to the present invention is used , a processing time can be shortened by 2 w in comparison with the decoding time of the conventional decoder , which means the decoding performance improves by about ⅓ compared with the decoding performance of the conventional decoder . fig8 is a view illustrating a crc check process of a decoder according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig8 , as described above , the decoder performs a reverse crc check and a crc check simultaneously . the above error check process is a method for shortening the time needed to perform an error check in the case where a decoding bit is long . in this method , a crc check is performed in the left side ( 801 ), and a reverse crc check is performed in the right side ( 803 ), so that whether an error has been generated is determined by determining if the register values of the two sides are identical to each other at an intermediate point . in other words , the decoder sets initial register values of a crc block to “ 11 . . . 11 ”, and sets initial register values of a reverse crc block to a crc value of input data in order to simultaneously determine if an error has been generated . as described above , to improve a decoding performance of a mobile communication system , the present invention can reduce a time required to perform a traceback operation , and performing an error check process such as a reverse crc check , which is a reverse process of a crc check , and thus shorten a decoding time . the decoder to which the present invention is applied can shorten the decoding time of a decoder used for a general mobile communication system to ⅔ of the prior art . although the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain 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 spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . therefore , the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the above - described embodiments but should be determined by not only the appended claims but also the equivalents thereof .	7
the present art is normally intended for use with human patients , as well as various veterinary applications . for simplicity , this combined human or animal use will be referred to as use in mammals , although of course such devices could also be used in appropriate non - mammal animals such as birds , reptiles , and amphibians , etc ., as appropriate . it should also be understood that although the examples of cutting unwanted plaque deposits in arteries are used throughout this disclosure , the actual invention may be used for a broader variety of applications , including removing tumors , getting biopsies , etc . in arteries , veins , and any other tubular or roughly tubular body lumen . for brevity , non - proximally driven rotating cutter catheters will usually be referred to in the specification as distal driven designs . however it should be understood that wherever appropriate , alternative non - proximally driven designs such as circumference driven designs are also included in this general description . nomenclature : the handle end of the catheter is the proximal location , and the nose cone tip of the catheter is the distal location . fig1 shows an overview of the device . the device typically consists of an operator handle ( 101 ) which remains outside the body . the handle may optionally contain a battery , and a motor ( 102 ) which may provides torque for a rotary cutter , and additionally one or more optional control switches ( 103 ). the catheter also has a long narrow tube ( shaft ) ( 104 ), and the cutting atherectomy head ( 105 ). the catheter tube or shaft ( 104 ) will typically consist of a flexible tube , which is often hollow and capable of passing a guide wire , as well as optionally other materials such as drugs and contrast materials , control wires , drive shafts , sensors , sensor fibers or wires , ultrasonic signals , and the like . in some embodiments , the hollow tube may contain a shaft or hollow shaft capable of transmitting torque from a motor mounted in the handle ( 102 ) to a rotary cutter ( 106 ) mounted in the atherectomy head . this rotary cutter ( 106 ) will usually be exposed to the outside environment through a window ( 107 ). the relative positions of the rotary cutter ( 106 ) and the window ( 107 ) may optionally be controlled by the operator , and optionally the cutter may be moved relative to the window edge to open or close the window ( exposing or hiding the circular cutter ) under operator control . torque may be communicated to the rotary cutter ( 106 ) by a variety of means so long as these means to not obscure either the window or the hollow space in the tube on the side of the catheter proximal to the window . some of these torque ( rotary motion ) imparting means include indirect , off - axis , mechanical gearing or other means ( 108 ). in other embodiments , the catheter tube ( 104 ) may transmit electrical power , pressure , or chemicals capable of driving an electric motor , turbine , or chemical motor which can be mounted in the atherectomy head . the head will also usually contain a flexible or moveable nose cone region or nose region ( 109 ), which in some embodiments may be connected to the rigid body of the head by one or more hinge pins or other means . this flexible nose - cone region will be capable of being deformed by the operator from a straight to a bent position so that the nose , by pressing against one wall of a body lumen , will generate an opposite force that will tend to move the cutter ( 106 ) and window ( 107 ) against an opposite wall of a body lumen , thus enabling the cutter to cut material from selected zones of a body lumen under operator control . the catheter &# 39 ; s nose ( 109 ) usually has a tapered or conical a traumatic design intended to allow the catheter head to easily migrate through arteries . it may be composed of softer materials , and may additionally have an internal coiled spring or other means to allow the tip to bend somewhat as needed to migrate through torturous arteries and other body lumen structures . fig2 a shows a close - up of the cutting atherectomy head ( 105 ). the head will typically consist of a hollow body ( 201 ) connected to the catheter tube ( 104 ), and a tapered nose , ( 109 ) usually connected to the front ( distal portion ) of the hollow body by at least one hinge ( 202 ). the head ( 105 ) will additionally consist of at least a window ( 107 ) and rotating cutting wheel ( 106 ). the unit may also optionally have holes or ports ( 203 ), ( 204 ), ( 205 ) and appropriate inner hollow spaces for accommodating an optional guide wire . this optional guide wire helps the operator thread the catheter head through torturous arteries or other body lumens , and will be discussed in more detail in fig4 . as previously discussed , prior art atherectomy catheter designs taught proximally driven rotating cutting wheel designs . that is , the rotating wheel would ( 106 ) would under previous art have been directly coupled to a drive shaft coming from catheter tube ( 104 ) by a coupling mechanism aligned with the axis of wheel ( 106 ). the prior art proximal - drive teaching had certain advantages . it was compatible with simple and robust designs , and also minimized the cross - section ( width ) of the catheter head , which was again desirable because this helped the head migrate through torturous artery channels . the prior art proximal drive design also allowed large amounts of torque to be communicated through the drive shaft to the cutting wheel by rotation , and also allowed the relative angle of the cutting wheel to be adjusted in the catheter head by transverse motion of the rotating shaft relative to the outer catheter sheath . thus an operator could , by transverse motion of the catheter &# 39 ; s inner rotating shaft , both communicate rotation to the cutting head , and also adjust the cutting head &# 39 ; s relative orientation to catheter head windows ( opening and closing the window , for example ) or alternatively , in fixed window designs , adjust the angle of the cutting head or control to what extent the cutting head protrudes out through a catheter window . however , as previously discussed , the prior art proximal design had one big drawback . the drawback was that proximal drive rotary shaft and coupling mechanism occupied essentially all of the hollow space ( 206 ) in the inside of the catheter head ( i . e . proximal to the window ( 107 ) and cutter ( 106 ). as a result , in prior art designs , the only space that was available to store cutter shavings ( typically plaque shavings ) was in the hollow nosecone ( 109 ). unfortunately this hollow nosecone , which needed to be tapered in order to pass easily through arteries , typically had very limited internal volume and storage capacity . examples of such proximally driven cutters that store plaque shavings in the distal side in a conical nose include the previously discussed silverhawk device . as previously discussed , this prior art device , although very functional , filled up quickly with shavings . when this happened , the device had to be stopped , removed from the body , the contents of the nose removed , and then reinserted into the body and threaded to the correct region again . as previously discussed , this was undesirable because it extended the length of procedures , and was burdensome for the physician and patient . as previously discussed , by departing from the mechanically simpler proximally driven designs of prior art , and instead moving to a mechanically more complex non - proximally driven design ( such as a distally driven or circumference driven design ), the substantially larger space ( 206 ) on the proximal side of the cutter wheel ( 106 ) can now be opened up and used to store plaque shavings . although due to the higher complexity , previous designs taught away from such configurations , this more complex design is justified by the subsequent savings in catheter cleaning time and effort . whereas earlier designs , due to limited nosecone plaque storage space ( 109 ), could potentially waste hours of physician and patient times through tedious multiple removal and cleaning steps , these wasted hours can now be reduced or eliminated . the additional time can be used to do a more complete job of plaque removal as needed . given the extremely small diameter available to catheters , however , this alternative design poses many challenges . either the rotating cutting wheel needs to be coupled to its rotational power source by an indirect linkage , or alternatively the cutting wheel needs to be powered from the distal end . various types of indirect linkage are possible , and the present invention is not intended to be limited to any one means . in one embodiment of the invention , the mechanism may involve indirectly coup ling the cutting wheel ( 106 ) to the torque or rotation transmitting catheter drive shaft from the catheter tube ( 104 ) by an indirect gearing means so that torque is transmitted from the drive shaft to the outer diameter of the cutting wheel from the distal direction . in one example , a rotating drive shaft from the flexible catheter tube ( 104 ) turns a first axial aligned gear ( 210 ) which , through one or more transfer gears ( 211 ), transfers power to an off - axial drive shaft ( 212 ). this off - axial drive shaft ( 212 ), typically will be connected closely to the main body of the catheter head ( 201 ) by a coupling mechanism ( not shown ) that allows the drive shaft to rotate . off - axial drive shaft ( 212 ) then transfers power to the rotating cutter ( 106 ) by a second gearing mechanism ( 213 ). many other mechanisms are also possible , and these are discussed in more detail in fig5 . a second advantage of the present invention &# 39 ; s distal side driven design over the earlier proximal driven art is that the distal driven design allows the cutter wheel ( 106 ) to be mounted on a carriage mechanism ( not shown ) so that it can also be used to open and close the window ( 107 ) as directed by the operator . this can allow the cutter wheel to be gradually closed by the operator , so as to allow simultaneously shearing off and trapping any dangling plaque that still may be attached to the side of an artery wall . as per the earlier silverhawk catheter designs , usually , the angle of the present art catheter &# 39 ; s nose ( 109 ), relative to the rest of the catheter head body ( 201 ), will be under the control of the operator so as to act to press the cutting wheel against the target plaque with the desired degree of pressure . as per the earlier silverhawk catheter design , plaque cutting can be facilitated by deflecting the cutting wheel ( 106 ) so that it protrudes slightly through the window ( 107 ). this way the exposed tip of the cutting wheel may freely shave away stiff regions of exposed plaque that might not otherwise bend to extend inside the catheter window . this deflection may be achieved by a cam mechanism ( not shown ). cam mechanisms of this type were previously taught by applications ser . nos . 10 / 896 , 741 ; 10 / 288 , 559 ; 10 / 027 , 418 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . the rotating cutting wheel may have sharp edges composed of tungsten carbide and the like . in other configurations , a wheel need not be used , and instead an alternate cutting device such as laser , radio frequency electrodes , ultrasonic vibrating knives , may be used . in still other configurations , a cutting wheel can have its cutting effectiveness enhanced by coupling its rotary cutting action with laser , radio frequency electrodes , ultrasonic vibration , and the like as needed . device dimensions : typically the catheter cutting head ( 201 ) will have a diameter between about 1 to 2 . 2 millimeters . the cutting window ( 107 ) will typically have a length of about 1 . 2 to 2 . 5 millimeters . in embodiments where the cutting wheel contains a cam or other orientation control mechanism that allows the wheel to extend slightly outside the window , the wheel orientation control mechanism may allow the wheel to at least temporarily be locked into a position that allows the cutting outer edge of the wheel to extend about 0 . 025 to 0 . 64 mm outside the cutting window . this allows the operator to move the catheter head along the target region of plaque , and shave off a long thin portion of this plaque while doing so . the cutting wheel ( 106 ) will typically have a diameter of about 1 . 14 mm , and may have a straight edge , a beveled edge ( which allows removal of plaque without damaging the underlying artery lumen ), or a fluted edge depending upon the needs of the specific application . usually the cutting wheel will be mounted on a shuttle or cam mechanism to allow the operator to adjust the protrusion of the wheel from the window , or alternatively the angle of the wheel or even the location of the wheel relative to the window opening ( causing the window to be open , partially closed , or fully closed by the wheel ). the cutting wheel will typically rotate at speeds appreciably faster than 100 rotations per minute ( rpm ), preferably about 8 , 000 rotations per minute ( rpm ). the cutting edge of the blades may be optionally hardened by an appropriate coating , such as me - 92 , tungsten carbide , or other suitable materials as taught by u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 771 , 774 ; 5 , 242 , 460 ; 5 , 312 , 425 ; 5 , 431 , 673 ; and 5 , 674 , 232 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . as previously discussed , the action of blade can be facilitated by ultrasonic vibration , laser cutting , radio frequency electrodes , and the like . if this option is elected , appropriate mechanisms ( i . e . a piezoelectric ultrasonic vibrator , laser diode or optical fiber , electrodes , etc .) may also be provided in the catheter head to drive the blade as needed . if the action of the ultrasonic , laser , or electrode cutter is sufficiently robust enough as to make it a spinning blade unnecessary , then the blade may either not be spun up , or the blade rotary mechanism may be omitted , or a non - rotating blade may be used . in many embodiments , it will be useful to allow the location and orientation of the catheter head ( 201 ), nose ( 109 ), and cutting window / wheel region ( 106 / 107 ) to be identified by x - ray fluoroscopy by constructing these regions out of suitable combinations of translucent and radio opaque materials , thus , for example , enabling the region distal to the cutting head to be distinguished from the region proximal to the cutting head . in addition to fluoroscopy localization , other modalities , such as light ( optical ) and sonic ( ultrasonic ) localization methods may also be used . here orientation may be facilitated by running a fiber optic strand through the catheter ( 104 ) ( not shown ) to an appropriate location on the catheter head , and determining the location and orientation of the head by optical means . alternatively an ultrasonic transducer or pickup may be incorporated into the catheter head . typically the flexible outer catheter tube ( 104 ) between the handle ( 101 ) and the head ( 105 ) will have a length between 50 cm and 200 cm , a diameter between 1 french ( 0 . 33 mm ) and 12 french ( 4 mm ), and will usually be between 3 french ( 4 mm ) and 9 french ( 3 mm ) in diameter . the catheter body will often be made from extruded organic polymers such as polyvinylchloride , polyurethane , polyester , polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), silicon rubber , or similar materials . the catheter body may be reinforced as needed with wires , coils , or filaments as needed to give the body additional strength and to control rigidity and pushabiliy . portions of the catheter head ( 105 ) ( distal region of the catheter ) will often be rigid or partially rigid , and can be made from materials such as metals , hard plastics , composite materials , niti steel ( optionally coated with titanium nitride , tantalum , me - 92 ® or diamonds . usually stainless steel or platinum / iridium will be used . the length of the middle portion of the catheter head may often vary between about 5 to 35 mm ( 201 ), and will usually be between about 10 to 25 mm , however alternative lengths ( longer or shorter ) may also be used . as previously discussed , the extreme distal end of the catheter head ( the nose ) ( 109 ) will usually be made to be both flexible and a traumatic so as to allow the catheter to be threaded through arteries , veins , or other body lumens with maximum ease and minimum trauma . because , in this design , the nose is no longer used to store plaque , this nose design may be optimized to accommodate the distal drive mechanism and also optimized to allow easy passage of the catheter through arteries . in some cases , the distal tip will have an inner coil construction to maximize flexibility . the distance between the rigid part of the catheter head and the distal end tip of the flexible catheter nose will typically be between 10 and 30 mm , but may vary as needs dictate . fig2 b shows the catheter head with the catheter nose cone ( 109 ) in the angled , drooped or bent configuration . typically this nose angle will be adjustable by the operator , either through a cam mechanism ( not shown ) coupled through the catheter tube ( 104 ) to the operator handle ( 101 ), or through selection of materials with appropriate rigidity / elasticity and bendability so that the operator may adjust the nose angle to an appropriate level by pulling or pushing on the catheter handle ( 101 ) and tube ( 104 ). fig2 b shows that in this configuration , nose cone ( 109 ) is bent relative to body ( 201 ). this bending is a simple way to effectively increase the cross sectional area of the catheter , and is used to force the cutting edge of the catheter against the appropriate target zone . in the confines of a narrow body lumen such as an artery , nose cone ( 109 ) is deflected until it contacts a body lumen wall ( i . e . the opposite wall of the artery ). this pushes ( or “ urges ”) cutting window ( 107 ) and cutter ( 106 ) in the opposite direction . if appropriately directed , this will push , force , or urge the cutter against the appropriate target zone ( usually a region of the artery occluded or partially occluded with plaque ). once the cutter is in proper position , with the correct amount of “ force ” or “ push ” dialed in by the angle of the nose deflection , the catheter can then be moved by the operator , shaving away unwanted plaque material . fig3 shows a diagram of the catheter head of the present invention cutting plaque ( 301 ) from an artery wall ( 302 ). in this configuration , the catheter &# 39 ; s nose ( 109 ) has been deflected at enough of an angle to contact the opposite artery wall ( 303 ). the cutting wheel ( 106 ) has been forced up against the plaque ( 301 ) and has already cut away a section of this plaque ( 304 ). a dangling region of plaque ( 305 ) is entering the hollow catheter body ( 206 ) through the window ( 107 ). here , the operator controls the speed and extent of plaque removal by using control ( 101 ) to partially retract the catheter head over the plaque by pulling on catheter tube ( 104 ), while wheel ( 106 ) is spinning and exposed to the plaque through window ( 107 ). excess plaque ( 306 ) is stored in the hollow region of the catheter head ( 206 ). the drawing is not to scale , in actuality ; the available storage space ( 206 ) will typically be substantially larger than the storage space of nosecone ( 109 ). often , it may be advantageous to use a guidewire as a type of monorail to quickly direct catheters to the correct target zones . usually such guidewires will have diameters between about 0 . 010 ″ and 0 . 032 ″, usually around 0 . 014 ″. when this option is desired , the catheter may be designed to be compatible with guidewire use . fig4 shows one possible way in which the catheter of the present invention may work with a guide wire . in this example , guidewire ( 401 ) is threaded up through hollow catheter tube ( 104 ). in order to allow the head &# 39 ; s cutting mechanism to operate freely and without risk of entanglement from a guide wire , it may be useful to have the guide wire exit from the main catheter tube through a first proximal exit port on the head ( 203 ), thus skipping the storage area ( 206 ) window ( 107 ) and plaque cutting ( 106 ) regions of the head . in this configuration , the guide wire would then typically reenter the nose cone ( 109 ) at opening ( 204 ), travel through the nose end of the head for a short distance , and then finally exit the head again through a third exit port or opening ( 205 ), often located near the tip of the catheter &# 39 ; s nose ( 109 ) at the extreme distal end of the catheter in some embodiments , it may also be desirable to protect the portion or portions of the guidewire that is briefly external to the catheter head ( 402 ) by a guidewire tube / lumen or a telescoping guidewire tube / lumen ( 403 ). such guidewire protection lumens may have a length between about 2 and 14 cm , or even longer as needed to accommodate longer heads with higher plaque storage volumes . this telescoping guidewire lumen protects both the guidewire and the patient &# 39 ; s artery linings from inadvertent excessive pressure while the catheter head traverses narrow arteries , and also insures that the guidewire never comes into contact with window ( 107 ) or cutter ( 106 ). in some embodiments , the telescoping guidewire lumen may serve a secondary purpose by also acting as a means to transmit torque ( 212 ) from a rotating shaft in the catheter tube ( 104 ) to the cutting wheel ( 106 ) as previously shown and discussed in fig2 a . this dual - action role ( guidewire protection / torque transmission ) helps to minimize the cross section area of the catheter head when an off - axis drive mechanism is used . in still another embodiment , lumen ( 403 )/ drive shaft ( 212 ) can consist of one or more nested hollow tubes so that an inner tube may rotate and conduct torque to drive wheel ( 106 ), yet the outerpart of the lumen may be substantially stationary as to avoid tangling with a body lumen . the guide wire may still progress through the hollow inner core of this nested structure . many other combinations of drive mechanisms , catheter configurations , and sensor configurations are also possible , and some of these are shown in fig5 a and 5b . as shown in fig5 a , the rotary cutter ( 106 ) does not necessarily have to be coupled to a rotating shaft of any sort from catheter tube ( 104 ). rather , the rotary cutter may be adequately driven from the distal end of the catheter by means of a small electric motor or turbine ( 501 ). this motor or turbine may in turn derive power from catheter tube ( 104 ) and in some embodiments handle ( 101 ) as well by appropriate wires or miniature pressure or chemical tubes ( not shown ) progressing up catheter tube ( 104 ). as shown in fig5 b , in some embodiments , the catheter head ( 105 ) may additionally have various imaging or positional sensors , such as ultrasound transducer arrays , optical fibers , coherence tomography devices , infrared sensors , directional ultrasonic sensors , etc . mounted on the catheter head or nose region ( 502 ), ( 503 ). in one embodiment , the orientation of the sensor or sensors may be directed by the operator to give information as to the status of the plaque and / or artery of or other body lumen that is facing the cutting window of the catheter . this can allow the operator to determine if the catheter is in the proper orientation relative to its intended target . examples of such sensors were described in more detail in application ser . no . 10 / 421 , 980 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . fig5 b also shows yet another embodiment in which the plaque storage container ( 506 ) is extended to now also include some of the hollow core of the catheter tube itself ( 104 ). with this configuration , handle ( 101 ) may be hooked up to a suction or cleaning device , as needed , to give the catheter a near infinite ability to accommodate plaque shavings . with this configuration , the catheter need never be removed from the body until the complete plaque removal task is accomplished .	0
the present invention provides a general method for the synthesis of open metal carbonyl clusters , which in one embodiment are bound by with three calixarene phosphine ligands for steric protection against aggregation . metal carbonyl clusters are clusters containing metal bonds to a bound carbonyl , which cluster can also contain other ligands such as phosphine , carbene , etc . the open metal clusters comprise either ( i ) easily co - labile ligands , e . g ., a tertiary amine ligand or ( ii ) a coordinatively unsaturated site consisting of a co vacancy . the synthesis of the open site in both cases requires the selective oxidation of bound co ligands to co 2 , using a selective oxidant such as trimethylamine oxide . by an “ open ” metal cluster is meant for the purposes of the present invention having one or more carbonyls of the metal cluster missing . the sites formerly held by the missing carbonyls can be either occupied with a co - labile ligand , such as trimethylamine , and / or having a vacant site altogether . a labile , or co - labile , ligand for the present purposes is one that is readily removed upon treating the cluster with co . thus , for the present purposes , an open cluster is one where the site that used to be occupied with co , before opening , is able to be readily recarbonylated and reoccupied upon treatment with co . this can be done , for example , upon treating the cluster with co gas at ambient conditions . if rebinding of the co is not readily accomplished , the cluster is not considered open . prior art clusters where the co has been replaced with an anion such as br are not open as the cluster is not recarbonylated upon treatment with a co atmosphere . the anions , such as bromine , are strongly coordinated and are not readily replaced upon treatment with a co atmosphere . see , for example , williams et al ., j . am . chem . soc ., 2010 , 132 pages 14018 - 14020 ; and , shekkar , et al ., j . am . chem . soc ., 2012 , 134 , pages 4700 - 4708 . the “ open ” nature of the metal cluster has been found possible by using a selective oxidant to react with the closed cluster to create the open sites . co - labile ligands besides trimethylamine oxide include compounds having a lone pair of electrons on oxygen such as ethers ; amines ; ammonia ; dioxygen or nitrogen . in general , the co - labile ligands can be any nitrogen - containing compound coordinating through a nitrogen or any oxygen - containing compound coordinating through an oxygen . as noted above , the open metal clusters of the present invention can be regenerated to the corresponding closed cluster by binding co ligands to the open sites , e . g ., upon treating the cluster with co gas at ambient conditions . in one embodiment , the metal carbonyl cluster is an open ir 4 carbonyl cluster bound with three calixarene phosphine ligands for steric protection against aggregation . calixarene related compounds and ligands are known and in general are useful for steric protection against aggregation . such compounds and ligands are described , for example , in pct / us10 / 55686 , “ metal colloids with accessible metal surfaces ”, filed nov . 5 , 2010 ; and pct / us10 / 53818 , “ calixarene - bound iridium - containing metal colloids ”, filed oct . 22 , 2010 , with the subject matter of both applications being incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . the example below demonstrates a present synthesis of an open ir 4 carbonyl cluster that is bound with three calixarene phosphine ligands and an easily co - labile trimethyl amine ligand at the open site , which used to be occupied by the strongly binding ligand co . as a comparison of the two clusters l and l ′ as defined in fig1 shows , a sterically bulky calixarene phosphine ligand is important for preserving the stability of the ensuing open cluster . when the ligand is replaced with a smaller , less sterically demanding diphenylmethylphosphine ( pph 2 me ), for example , cluster aggregation can ensue upon synthesizing an open cluster . the synthesis of an open cluster is schematically represented in fig2 , starting with the parent l 3 closed cluster shown in fig1 . an example of a typical synthesis procedure follows . 100 μl of a 0 . 13 mm solution of me 3 no in dichloromethane ( corresponds to 0 . 13 mmol me 3 no ) were added to a solution of ir 4 ( co ) 9 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] ( l 3 ) ( 51 mg , 0 . 013 mmol , in 3 ml decane ). the mixture was stirred for 1 hour . decarbonylation was accompanied by an immediate change in color of the solution containing the cluster from initial yellow ( corresponding to the parent l 3 closed cluster in fig1 ) to brown . the decarbonylation process could be followed using in - situ ( time - resolved ) ftir spectroscopy as shown in fig3 for 1787 cm − 1 ( bridging ) and 1988 cm − 1 ( terminal ). this data shows the decarbonylation to be complete in approximately 10 min , and to result in loss of both terminal and bridging co ligands . there appears to be a more significant decrease in the bridging versus terminal co band intensity . this trend is paralleled for data in the integrated co band intensity for the bridging and terminal regions . the fully integrated co band intensity drops from 100 % to about 93 % for terminal co and to 73 % for bridging co during decarbonylation . the synthesis of l 3 cluster open with amine ligands shown in fig2 was also followed via nmr spectroscopy , by performing the decarbonylation as stated above except using deuterated decane - d14 as solvent . fig4 shows the 1 h nmr spectra both before and after addition of me 3 no . the appearance of a singlet peak at 2 . 6 ppm with a relative intensity corresponding to ˜ 9h indicates the presence of coordinated me 3 n as ligand . 31 p nmr spectra do before and after addition of me 3 no appear unchanged , and , importantly , do not show any evidence of phosphine ligand oxidation ( i . e . no phosphine oxide resonances as would be expected in the vicinity of 23 ppm ). next , the decarbonylated cluster l 3 open with amine ligand ( right ) in fig2 was recarbonylated , in order to assess the accessibility and stability of the open cluster , in a decane solution at room temperature . this was performed as follows : a solution of the l 3 cluster open with amine ligand ( 51 mg [ 0 . 013 mmol ] in 3 ml decane ) was exposed to a co gas atmosphere ( 1 . 2 atm ) for a period of 1 hour . during that time , there was a visual color change of the solution from the brown color characteristic of l 3 cluster open with amine ligand to a yellow color reminiscent of the parent l 3 closed cluster . the degree of recarbonylation in solution can be quantitatively assessed in order to provide direct evidence of the stability of the open clusters in decane solution at room temperature , since only stable clusters are anticipated to be accessible for recarbonylation . after exposure to of the l 3 cluster open with amine ligand to a co atmosphere , ftir spectra were recorded and compared to spectra of both l 3 closed as well as l 3 cluster open with amine ligand . these spectra are shown in fig6 . the total integrated intensity for terminal and bridging co bands increased from values quoted above for l 3 cluster open with amine ligand to values corresponding to 96 % ( for terminal ) and 86 % ( for bridging ) of the integrated co band intensity present in l 3 closed . the similarity of the integrated co band intensity between recarbonylated and l 3 closed strongly suggests stability of the l 3 open with amine cluster in decane solution at room temperature . the integrity of the cluster following recarbonylation can also be followed via nmr spectroscopy . the 1 h nmr spectrum of the recarbonylated cluster in fig4 shows a partial decrease in the bound trimethylamine resonance corresponding to 25 % of its value in l 3 cluster open with amine ligand . this suggests that some bound amine remains , likely due to equilibrium limitations in the closed system used for recarbonylation . no change in the 31 p nmr spectrum was observed after recarbonylation , as shown in fig5 . the data above suggests a lack of cluster aggregation during decarbonylation as well as recarbonylation , especially the ftir data in fig6 showing the similarity of the original bands and bands in the recarbonylated cluster , as discussed above . further direct confirmation of cluster stability was assessed using dynamic light scattering ( dls ). dls data for l 3 closed and l 3 cluster open with amine ligand is shown in fig7 . this data unequivocally demonstrates that there is no cluster aggregation accompanying decarbonylation , as the particle size remains virtually unchanged for clusters consisting of l 3 closed and l 3 cluster open with amine ligand . this result is drastically different , as significant aggregation is observed , when the sterically bulky calixarene phosphine consisting of ligand l shown in fig1 is replaced with a smaller phosphine consisting of ligand l ′ in fig1 . when treating a decane solution of cluster l 3 ′ closed with me 3 no in a similar manner as described above for l 3 closed , a yellow - brownish precipitate forms from the initially transparent yellow decane solution . the ftir spectrum of the supernatant solution is shown in fig8 and demonstrates a significant loss of both bridging and terminal co band intensity . no recarbonylation is observed upon treating this supernatant solution with co ( 1 . 2 atm for 1 hour ) as shown in fig8 . dynamic light scattering data in fig9 show the clear presence of large particles after decarbonylation with me 3 no . these particles average in size between 500 nm - 600 nm are a result of cluster aggregation . alternatively , as discussed above , open clusters can be synthesized comprising a coordinatively unsaturated site comprising a co vacancy . this vacancy is expected to be a highly active catalyst site , since many reactions depend on highly coordinatively unsaturated sites for catalysis . such catalysis would include , among others , hydrogenolysis , ammonia synthesis , oxygen dissociation , propylene and acrolein oxidation , co oxidation , coking , and water - gas shift reactions . further , in general , the open metal carbonyl clusters of the present invention can be used as catalysts for reducing an organic molecule by contacting the organic molecule with the open metal carbonyl cluster and a reductant . the reducing step can comprise hydrogenation . the organic molecule can be an alkyl hydrocarbon substituted or unsubstituted . the catalytic process can also involve oxidizing an organic molecule by contacting the organic molecule with an open metal carbonyl cluster of the present invention and an oxidant . the oxidation process can comprise hydroxylation . the open site can be created by reacting the open metal cluster having a co - labile ligand with a strong acid to remove / coordinate with the co - labile ligand . for example , triflic acid can be used to remove the ligand trimethylamine from an open metal cluster . the trimethylamine would be coordinated with the triflic acid ( cf 3 so 3 h ). other strong acids can also be used , depending on the co - labile ligand . the synthesis of such an open cluster , labeled l 3 open without amine , is schematically represented in fig1 , and can proceed as follows : to a solution of l 3 open with amine ( 51 mg [ 0 . 013 mmol ] in 3 ml decane ), 1 μl of cf 3 so 3 h was added . the brown solution turned yellow and a reddish precipitate formed , which is presumed to comprise the [ me 3 nh ][ cf 3 so 3 ] salt . the synthesis of a vacant site via disappearance of the resonance representing coordinated trimethylamine can be monitored via 1 h nmr spectroscopy in hexane - d14 . the 1 h nmr spectra before and after cf 3 so 3 h addition as recorded in hexane - d14 are shown in fig1 . the spectra show that the me 3 n ligand peak at 3 ppm has disappeared after addition of one equivalent of the acid . no further appearance of [ me 3 nh ][ cf 3 so 3 ] is observed in the spectrum , which suggests that the precipitate is not soluble in hexane and the solution contains exclusively the yellow l 3 open cluster without amine . the 31 p nmr spectra shown in fig1 demonstrate a lack of phosphine oxidation in all clusters . the stability of the l 3 open without amine cluster was investigated using dls , following decarbonylation of l 3 closed , cf 3 so 3 h treatment , and filtration . the data in fig1 show that no aggregation of ir 4 clusters to larger aggregates occurs , as the size of the l 3 open without amine cluster matches that measured for l 3 closed in fig7 . this is presumably the result of the protection afforded by the three bulky calixarene phosphine ligands . as further evidence of the accessibility and stability of the vacant site in the l 3 open without amine cluster , recarbonylation was performed and monitored via ftir spectroscopy . this was performed by treating a decane solution of l 3 open without amine ( 51 mg ( 0 . 013 mmol ) in 3 ml decane ) with co gas atmosphere ( 1 . 2 atm ) for 1 hour . no color change was observed , i . e . solution remained yellow . after exposure of l 3 open without amine to co atmosphere , ftir spectra were recorded and compared to spectra of l 3 open without amine prior to recarbonylation . there is a drastic change in the ftir bands for l 3 open without amine following treatment of l 3 open with amine with cf 3 so 3 h and filtration . this is seen in fig1 . the decrease in co band intensity relative to l 3 closed ( shown as a solid black line in fig1 ) is a result of decarbonylation whereas the change of the co band pattern in the infrared spectrum may indicate a change in the cluster structure . however , a significant increase in co band intensity is observed after co exposure of l 3 open without amine , during recarbonylation . the recarbonylated spectrum shown in fig1 ( dash - dotted line ) is unlike the spectrum of l 3 closed , further suggesting the synthesis of a different small - sized cluster . in order to investigate gas - phase processes including catalysis using clusters l 3 closed and l 3 open with amine , both clusters were separately supported onto an aerosil - 500 silica support consisting of hydroxylated aerosil silica pretreated to a temperature of 500 ° c . and stored under inert ( water - and air - free conditions ). any suitable conventional catalyst support can be used to support the present open metal clusters . the support can comprise silica , alumina , carbon , magnesium , ceria , or any other support known in the art . a typical synthesis for supporting such a cluster follows : a solution of either l 3 closed or l 3 open with amine ( 51 mg [ 0 . 013 mmol ] in 3 ml hexane ) was added to a suspension of silica ( aerosil 500 , 949 mg [ 15 . 795 mmol ] in 20 ml hexane ). the suspension was stirred for 1 hour until the solution became colorless and virtually all cluster compounds were transferred to the silica - solid phase . the solvent was evaporated under vacuum and the resulting powder was dried overnight under vacuum at room temperature . the obtained material contains 1 weight % of iridium are referred to as l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 and l3 closed @ aerosil 500 . characterization of l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 was first performed by monitoring the changes accompanying recarbonylation via treatment with co at room temperature . the degree of recarbonylation in the material was quantitatively assessed by monitoring co bands in the infrared using in - situ ftir spectroscopy . ftir spectra after exposure of l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 to co atmosphere are shown in fig1 . following co treatment , the total integrated intensity for terminal and bridging co bands increased by 9 . 0 % and 1 . 4 %, respectively . such an outcome is rather similar to the degree of recarbonylation observed for l3 open with amine in solution ( i . e . see fig6 ). the slightly decreased recarbonylation capacity observed for l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 may be due to the presence of the silica surface , which is expected to act as a ligand and partially compete for open coordination sites / sites occupied with co - labile ligands such as amine . the relatively slow timescale of the recarbonylation observed in fig1 , in comparison with the short times represented in fig8 , are likely due to mass transport effects through the silica wafer , which is synthesized for the in - situ ftir measurement ( the wafer may have limited porosity and particles inside may take longer to recarbonylate ). notwithstanding these minor differences , the ability to recarbonylate most of the open sites in l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 demonstrates that , even when supported on partially dehydroxylated silica , most of the open sites remain available and accessible . the catalytic activity of l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 and of l 3 closed @ aerosil 500 was tested for the ethylene hydrogenation reaction . the reactions were carried out in once - through packed - bed flow reactors at a temperature of 40 c and atmospheric pressure . the packed bed ( 250 mg of catalyst ) was loaded into a u - shaped reactor ( with air - free stopcock closures ) in an argon - filled glovebox , and installed into the flow system to avoid contacting the catalyst with air . the process lines , and subsequently the packed bed , were purged with he ( 99 . 999 % purity ). the temperature was measured by using a thermocouple placed inside the reactor and immediately upstream of the packed bed . the reactant gases ( 10 ml / min h 2 and 3 ml / min c 2 h 4 ) were diluted in a stream of he flowing at 50 ml / min . an online mks ftir ( multigas 2030 ) was used to analyze the reaction products . one example of the utility of the l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 containing an ir 4 cluster with an easily co - labile ligand ( e . g . amine ) is shown in the hydrogenation of ethylene . the formation of ethane was immediately observed ( fig1 ) in the conversion catalyzed by l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 . the activity increased slightly and was stable for times on stream of more than 12 hours . formation of ethane in the conversion catalyzed by l 3 closed @ aerosil was only measured at extended times on stream . ethane formation , shown in table 1 , increased by approximately one order of magnitude from 8 ppm in the conversion catalyzed by l 3 closed @ aerosil 500 to 68 ppm in the conversion catalyzed by the l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 . the clusters are protected against aggregation on the support and maintain their activity at times on stream greater than 12 hours . these data show that the l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 , in which the ir 4 contains an easily co - labile ligand and is sterically protected , results in a more active catalyst for ethylene hydrogenation . the stability of catalyst l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 under ethylene hydrogenation reaction conditions at 40 ° c . can also be characterized using in - situ ftir spectroscopy . as shown in fig1 , l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 undergoes further decarbonylation during ethylene hydrogenation catalysis at 40 ° c ., as evidenced by the further loss in bridging and terminal band integrated intensity up to ˜ 41 hours time on stream in fig1 . the integrated intensity of the terminal and bridging co bands decreased by 8 . 3 % and 47 . 5 %, respectively , relative to the integrated peak intensities before hydrogenation . recarbonylation of the used catalyst at room temperature via switching to a co flow ( atmosphere ) after ethylene hydrogenation catalysis results in full recarbonylation , to the extent that co is observed to reoccupy the vacant sites created both during ethylene hydrogenation catalysis as well as during the initial decarbonylation with trimethylamine oxide . the latter point can be clearly observed by the lower initial bridging co band intensity relative to the final measured one after recarbonylation . indeed , after recarbonylation , the peak intensities corresponding to terminal and bridging co bands increased to 7 . 6 % and 1 . 1 %, respectively , relative to the initial values prior to hydrogenation of ethylene . these results are similar to the extent of recarbonylation shown in fig1 above and show that decarbonylation occurring during both treatment with trimethylamine oxide and ethylene hydrogenation catalysis are fully reversible . this in turn strongly suggests a lack of catalyst degradation via aggregation during these processes , since , if such aggregation were occurring , recarbonylation would not be expected to be reversible , as shown in fig1 . the catalytic significance of having an open site can also be observed under more forceful conditions in a related catalysis experiment , where pretreatment of the catalyst via oxidation is performed prior to measuring the catalysis rate . this was accomplished by first performing ethylene hydrogenation at 50 ° c ., followed by exposure of the packed bed to a mixture of dry air ( praxair aio . oxd ) flowing at 60 ml / min and he ( 99 . 999 % purity ) flowing at 10 ml / min for 12 hours . the latter procedure completes the catalyst pretreatment . subsequently , the catalytic activity for ethylene hydrogenation of the pretreated catalyst is measured . the results are shown in fig1 when using l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 . after the aforementioned pretreatment , the catalyst activity as represented by the ethane formation rate increases to achieve a new maximum at 12 hours time on stream . the catalyst is relatively stable for the subsequent 12 - 15 hours of time on stream in fig1 , though there is slight deactivation observed at longer times on stream . the formation of ethane was increased by nearly one more order of magnitude ( table 2 ), from 245 to 1766 ppm ethane , when comparing the rate in the first catalytic cycle during the pretreatment procedure versus after pretreatment ( and oxygen treatment using dry air ). these data show that the l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 catalyst , which is sterically protected , can be activated by exposure to oxygen ( in this instance via dry air ) to create a stable catalyst and active catalyst . performing a similar pretreatment and catalysis except using l 3 closed @ aerosil 500 results in a 26 % lower activity ( i . e . 26 % lower measured ppm of ethane in the catalyst bed effluent for same number of iridium sites in reactor ). comparing this result with the one shown in table 2 clearly shows the benefit to having open sites be present , even under forcing pretreatment conditions involving oxygen . fig1 shows the intensity change of selected carbonyl bands of l 3 open without amine @ aerosil 500 when treated with co gas . the data show no change for terminal carbonyl ligands and a slight increase of 4 % for bridging carbonyl ligands . these data are similar to recarbonylation characteristics that were observed for l 3 open without amine in solution ( see fig1 ), and suggests that extensive cluster aggregation does not occur . the following examples are provided as specific illustrations , and are not meant to be limiting . synthesis of ir 4 ( co ) 7 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] 3 n ( me ) 3 ( also called l 3 open with amine ). a 100 μl of a 0 . 13 mm solution of me 3 no in dichloromethane ( corresponds to 0 . 13 mmol me 3 no ) were added to a solution of ir 4 ( co ) 9 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] 3 ( 51 mg , 0 . 013 mmol , in 3 ml decane ). the mixture was stirred for 1 hour . decarbonylation was accompanied by an immediate change in color of the solution containing the cluster from initial yellow ( corresponding to the parent l 3 closed cluster in fig2 ) to brown . the decarbonylation process is followed using in - situ ( time - resolved ) ftir spectroscopy as shown in fig3 for 1787 cm − 1 ( bridging ) and 1988 cm − 1 ( terminal ). this data shows the decarbonylation to be complete in approximately 10 min , and to result in loss of both terminal and bridging co ligands . there appears to be a more significant decrease in the bridging versus terminal co band intensity . this trend is paralleled for data in the integrated co band intensity for the bridging and terminal regions . the fully integrated co band intensity drops from 100 % to about 93 % for terminal co and to 73 % for bridging co during decarbonylation . the synthesis of l 3 open with amine cluster was also followed via nmr spectroscopy , by performing the decarbonylation as stated above except using deuterated decane - d14 as solvent . fig4 shows the 1 h nmr spectra both before and after addition of me 3 no . the appearance of a singlet peak at 2 . 6 ppm with a relative intensity corresponding to ˜ 9h indicates the presence of coordinated me 3 n as ligand . 31 p nmr spectra do before and after addition of me 3 no appear unchanged , and , importantly , do not show any evidence of phosphine ligand oxidation ( i . e . no phosphine oxide resonances as would be expected in the vicinity of 23 ppm ). synthesis of ir 4 ( co ) 7 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] 3 ( also called l 3 open without amine ). the synthesis is schematically represented in fig1 , and proceeds as follows . to a solution of l 3 open with amine ( 51 mg ( 0 . 013 mmol ) in 3 ml decane ), 1 μl of cf 3 so 3 h was added . the brown solution turned yellow and a reddish precipitate formed , which is presumed to consist of the [ me 3 nh ][ cf 3 so 3 ] salt . the synthesis of a vacant site via disappearance of the resonance representing coordinated trimethylamine is monitored via 1 h nmr spectroscopy in hexane - d14 . the 1 h nmr spectra before and after cf 3 so 3 h addition as recorded in hexane - d14 are shown in fig1 . the spectra show that the me 3 n ligand peak at 3 ppm has disappeared after addition of one equivalent of the acid . no further appearance of [ me 3 nh ][ cf 3 so 3 ] is observed in the spectrum , which suggests that the precipitate is not soluble in hexane and the solution contains exclusively the yellow l 3 open without amine . the 31 p nmr spectra shown in fig1 demonstrate a lack of phosphine oxidation in all clusters . synthesis of ir 4 ( co ) 7 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] 3 n ( me ) 3 @ aerosil 500 . ir 4 ( co ) 7 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] 3 n ( me ) 3 ( also called as l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 ). a solution of l 3 open with amine ( 51 mg ( 0 . 013 mmol ) in 3 ml hexane ) was added to a suspension of silica ( aerosil 500 , 949 mg ( 15 . 795 mmol ) in 20 ml hexane ). the suspension was stirred for 1 hour until the solution became colorless and virtually all cluster compounds were transferred to the silica - solid phase . the solvent was evaporated under vacuum and the resulting powder was dried overnight under vacuum at room temperature . the obtained material contains 1 weight % of iridium are referred to as l3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 . characterization of l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 was first performed by monitoring the changes accompanying recarbonylation via treatment with co at room temperature . the degree of recarbonylation in the material was quantitatively assessed by monitoring co bands in the infrared using in - situ ftir spectroscopy . ftir spectra after exposure of l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 to co atmosphere are shown in fig1 . following co treatment , the total integrated intensity for terminal and bridging co bands increased by 9 . 0 % and 1 . 4 %, respectively . such an outcome is rather similar to the degree of recarbonylation observed for l3 open with amine in solution ( i . e . see fig6 ). the ability to recarbonylate most of the open sites in l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 demonstrates that , even when supported on partially dehydroxylated silica , most of the open sites remain available and accessible . synthesis of ir 4 ( co ) 9 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] 3 @ aerosil 500 ( also called as l3 closed @ aerosil 500 ). ir 4 ( co ) 9 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] 3 referred as l 3 closed . a solution of l 3 closed ( 51 mg ( 0 . 013 mmol ) in 3 ml hexane ) was added to a suspension of silica ( aerosil 500 , 949 mg ( 15 . 795 mmol ) in 20 ml hexane ). the suspension was stirred for 1 hour until the solution became colorless and virtually all cluster compound was transferred to the silica - solid phase . the solvent was evaporated under vacuum and the resulting powder was dried overnight under vacuum at room temperature . the obtained material contains 1 weight % of iridium are referred to as l3 closed @ aerosil 500 . catalytic activity of ir 4 ( co ) 7 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] 3 n ( me ) 3 @ aerosil 500 ( l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 ). catalytic activity was tested for the ethylene hydrogenation reaction . the reactions were carried out in once - through packed - bed flow reactors at a temperature of 40 c and atmospheric pressure . the packed bed ( 250 mg of catalyst ) was loaded into a u - shaped reactor ( with air - free stopcock closures ) in an argon - filled glovebox , and installed into the flow system to avoid contacting the catalyst with air . the process lines , and subsequently the packed bed , were purged with he ( 99 . 999 % purity ). the temperature was measured by using a thermocouple placed inside the reactor and immediately upstream of the packed bed . the reactant gases ( 10 ml / min h 2 and 3 ml / min c 2 h 4 ) were diluted in a stream of he flowing at 50 ml / min . an online mks ftir ( multigas 2030 ) was used to analyze the reaction products . the formation of ethane was immediately observed ( fig1 ) in the conversion catalyzed by l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 . the activity increased slightly and was stable for times on stream of more than 12 hour . steady - state (& gt ; 12 hour time on stream ) formation of ethane in hydrogenation of ethylene at 40 c was 68 ppm . catalytic activity of ir 4 ( co ) 7 [ t - butyl - calix [ 4 ] arene ( opr ) 3 ( och 2 pph 2 )] 3 n ( me ) 3 @ aerosil 500 ( l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 ). catalytic activity was tested for the ethylene hydrogenation reaction , where pretreatment of the catalyst via oxidation is performed prior to measuring the catalysis rate . this was accomplished by first performing ethylene hydrogenation at 50 ° c ., followed by exposure of the packed bed to a mixture of dry air ( praxair aio . oxd ) flowing at 60 ml / min and he ( 99 . 999 % purity ) flowing at 10 ml / min for 12 h . the latter procedure completes the catalyst pretreatment . subsequently , the catalytic activity for ethylene hydrogenation of the pretreated catalyst is measured . the results are shown in fig1 when using l 3 open with amine @ aerosil 500 . after the aforementioned pretreatment , the catalyst activity as represented by the ethane formation rate increases to achieve a new maximum at 12 hour time on stream . the formation of ethane was increased by nearly one more order of magnitude ( table 2 ), from 245 to 1766 ppm ethane , when comparing the rate in the first catalytic cycle during the pretreatment procedure versus after pretreatment ( and oxygen treatment using dry air ). in order to verify the stability of the open site on l 3 open without amine @ aerosil 500 , recarbonylation via co treatment was performed and quantitatively assessed via in situ ftir spectroscopy . fig1 shows the intensity change of selected carbonyl bands of l 3 open without amine @ aerosil 500 when treated with co gas . the data show no change for terminal carbonyl ligands and a slight increase of 4 % for bridging carbonyl ligands . these data are similar to recarbonylation characteristics that were observed for l 3 open without amine in solution ( see fig1 ), and suggests that extensive cluster aggregation does not occur .	2
to provide insight to the present invention , the following material from pending application ser . no . 12 / 315 , 898 is presented . turning now to fig1 , there is shown a basic well known demonstrative ellipsometer system comprising a spectroscopic source ( ls ) of a beam of electromagnetic radiation , a variable attenuator ( va ), an optional rotating compensator , a sample ( sm ) stage ( stg ), an optional collecting means ( cl ), and analyzer ( a ) and a detector ( det ). it is noted that the variable attenuator ( va ) can be comprised of two polarizers which can be adjusted with respect to one another to control the intensity of electromagnetic radiation which passes therethrough . continuing , fig1 and 2 show an incident beam ( bi ) of electromagnetic radiation reflecting as reflected beam ( br ) from a sample ( sm ) with a specular surface . note that the normal to the surface provides a reference for identifying angle - of - incidence ( aoi ) and angle - of - reflection ( aor ). note that a plane - of - incidence is defined as including both the locus of the incident beam ( bi ) and said normal ( n ). fig3 a shows an incident beam ( bi ) of electromagnetic radiation reflecting from a sample ( sm ) with an irregular surface . said fig3 a shows how the normal ( n ) to the sample ( sm ) surface varies in direction with position on said sample ( sm ), such that electromagnetic radiation reflected at various locations proceed along different loci . note that only a small amount of reflected electromagnetic radiation , from the peaks of the shown texture pattern , proceeds toward a detector . this can lead to far to low an intensity entering the detector to be analyzed . fig3 b shows how re - orienting the sample ( sm ) in fig3 a can increase the amount of electromagnetic radiation reflected from facet ( a ) toward a detector ( det ) by presenting the breadth of — a — facet ( a ) to so direct reflected electromagnetic radiation . fig4 a shows how further re - orienting the sample ( sm ) of fig3 b can greatly increase the amount of electromagnetic radiation reflected therefrom toward a detector ( det ) by positioning a plurality of facets ( a ) as shown to reflect electromagnetic radiation toward said detector ( det ). note that the planes of the facets ( a ) in fig4 a and 4 c are substantially parallel to one another . this is important as electromagnetic radiation can simultaneously reflect from all such facets of a properly oriented sample , and enter the detector ( det ). this increases the intensity of the electromagnetic beam reflecting from said facets which enters the detector , which electromagnetic radiation can be analyzed as it is substantially similar , in important aspects , to specularly reflected electromagnetic radiation . as indicated in the disclosure of the invention section of this specification , achieving this result is a primary goal of the 898 application invention . it is noted that simply adjusting the angle - of - incidence of a beam of electromagnetic radiation onto a textured surface of a sample , and adjusting the textured sample surface orientation can be undertaken with a goal of simply increasing intensity entering the detector ( det ), without regard to wherefrom on the textured sample surface reflection of electromagnetic radiation into the detector ( det ) occurs . this can lead to acquisition of data which can not be analyzed because too large a component of the electromagnetic radiation received by the detector ( det ) is noisy or depolarized etc . however , where essentially all reflected electromagnetic radiation is from substantially parallel facets , the data acquired is typically very good and its analysis can provide insightful information . it is also noted that if the textured surface of said sample is coated with a thin film , ellipsometric data obtained over a spectroscopic range of wavelengths can be analyzed to evaluate physical and optical properties of said thin film . fig4 b 1 and 4 b 2 are included to show that a texture pattern can comprise other than grooves as shown in fig3 a - 4 c , and show , respectively , top and side views of a sample ( sm ) which comprises a textured surface with a multiplicity of faceted pyramid shaped structures , with fig4 b 2 indicating facet texturing can be present on front and back of a sample . this can occur , for instance , where a sample ( sm ) is placed into an anisotropic etch bath without protecting the back side thereof . as described in the disclosure of the invention section , the 898 application invention methodology can beneficially make use of data obtained from the backside of such a sample , in evaluating physical and optical properties of a thin film on the front side thereof . note , data obtained from regions comprising and not comprising a thin film on the one side thereof , or obtained from different , but essentially similar samples which in combination provide both film present and absent regions can be used as well , and all said possibilities should be considered as functionally equivalent . fig4 c shows how orienting the sample ( sm ) shown in fig4 b 1 and 4 b 2 much as the sample ( sm ) of fig3 a and 3 b is oriented in fig4 a can lead to increased reflected electromagnetic radiation reflected therefrom toward a detector . for emphasis , note that where a group of substantially parallel facets ( a ) on a textured sample ( sm ) surface are oriented to provide optimum intensity of electromagnetic radiation reflecting therefrom into a detector ( det ) ( eg . such as shown in fig4 a and 4 c ), reflections from other facets which are not so oriented , and for that matter contacts and the like deposited onto the textured surface of the sample ( sm ), are directed away from the detector ( det ). see fig3 a for instance , which indicates ( scattered ) electromagnetic radiation ( em ) which is directed away from a detector ( det ) and ( em to detector ) which is reflected thereinto . this is a beneficial result as it reduces scattered reflected components from entering the detector ( det ) and adversely affecting the data provided thereby because of entered noise and depolarizing effects etc . fig3 c - 3 f are copied from u . s . pat . no . 7 , 230 , 699 and are mentioned at this point to demonstrate priority provided by said 699 patent via cip status . fig3 c shows a sample ( s ) with an irregular surface . fig3 d shows a means ( stg ) for use in rotatably orienting the sample of fig3 c . fig3 e and 3 f show how orienting said sample can control the angle - of - incidence ( aoi ) to said sample ( s ), and therevia increase the amount of electromagnetic radiation reflected therefrom toward a location at which is positioned a detector by controlling the angle - of - incidence ( aoi ). fig3 g is included to demonstrate well known euler angles theta ( θ ), phi ( φ ) and psi ( ψ ), which give insight to how the effect of tilting and rotating a sample can be described conventionally . for instance , the euler theta ( θ ) describes sample ( sm ) tilt with respect to a stage ( stg ) frame ( sf ) as said terminology is used herein , and the euler phi ( φ ) describes sample ( sm ) rotation in the plane of the sample ( sm ) surface . continuing , fig5 a shows an ellipsometer system , much as shown in fig1 , but with the stage ( stg ) oriented vertically , and being supported by a stage frame ( sf ) and stage rotation means ( sr ). fig5 b better shows how the vertically oriented stage of fig5 a . fig5 c shows a perspective view of how the stage ( stg ) rotation effecting means ( sr ) and the stage ( stg ) per se . of fig5 a and 5 b can be rotated in the stage frame ( sf ). fig5 d shows a side view of the system in fig5 c , with a sample ( sm ) mounted to the stage ( stg ) per se . compare fig5 d with fig4 a and 4 c , with the assumption that the incident beam ( bi ) is approaching said sample ( sm ) in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the paper . note that both rotation of the stage rotation means ( rm ) in the stage frame ( sf ), and rotation of the stage ( stg ) in said stage rotation means ( rm ) can be applied to optimally orient the sample ( sm ) for ellipsometric investigation so that as much as is possible of electromagnetic radiation reflected from the sample ( sm ) enters the detector in fig5 a . the described combination of a stage frame ( sf ), stage rotation means ( sr ) and stage ( stg ) as shown in fig5 a - 5 d is believed not to have been previously applied in ellipsometer systems to orient textured samples ( sm ) therein to enable ellipsometric investigation thereof , where said sample ( sm ) orientation is demonstrated in fig4 a and 4 c , particularly in the case of where spectroscopic ellipsometry is practiced to investigate a textured sample ( sm ) over a spectrum of wavelengths . this is further the case where ellipsometric data obtained from , for instance , the backside of a sample ( sm ) that has texturing on both the front ( fs ) and backside ( bs ) ( see fig4 b 2 ), but also has a thin film ( tf ) being present only on the front side ( fs ) ( see fig4 b 3 ), is analyzed by using results obtained by investigating the back side ( bs ) in arriving at physical and optical properties of the thin film ( tf ) on the front side . such a situation can present in solar cell samples that have an anti - reflective coating on the front side ( fs ) thereof , for instance . fig5 e shows a source ( ls ) of a beam ( b ) of electromagnetism , a control polarizer ( p 2 ), an optional compensator ( c ), a beam polarizer ( p ), a sample ( sam ), an analyzer ( a ) and a detector ( det ). fig5 f shows an arbitrary demonstrative effect on intensity ( i ) of a beam ( b ′) as compared to the intensity of beam ( b ) provided by a source ( ls ). note the baseline intensity ( i ) when said control and beam polarizers ( p 2 ) and ( p ) aligned , and that rotating the control polarizer ( p 2 ) with respect to the beam polarizer ( p ) has a uniform effect over the wavelength spectrum . adding a control compensator ( c ) can cause selective increased attenuation of the mid - wavelength region and provide a more uniform intensity spectrum . note also that at least one system compensator ( sc ) can be incorporated into the system . ( it is noted that where a berek - type control compensator , which has its optical axis perpendicular to a surface thereof which a beam enters is used , the terminology “ rotation ” thereof should be interpreted to mean a tipping thereof to position the optical axis other than parallel to the locus of the beam which passes therethrough , and where the control compensator has its optical axis in the plane of a surface thereof which a beam enters is used , rotation should be interpreted to means an actual rotation about a perpendicular to said surface ). it is disclosed that rotation of the control polarizer or compensator can be automated , optionally via a signal in a feedback circuit ( fb ). it is noted that the direction of tilt - rotation shown in fig5 d can be considered to be positive or negative , and the 898 application invention is sufficiently broad to include a corresponding negative or positive , respectively , tilt - rotation . it is also noted that any type of ellipsometer or the like can be applied in practicing the methodology of the 898 application invention , such as rotating polarizer , rotating analyzer , rotating compensator , or even phase modulation ellipsometers . some exemplary experimentally acquired data is included , in fig6 a - 6 d , to provide insight to results that were obtained by application of the 898 application invention methodology . fig6 a demonstrates the effect of tilting a textured sample ( sm ) with respect to the stage frame ( sf ) plane , ( as demonstrated by fig5 c and 5 d ), on intensity as a function of angle - of - incidence ( aoi ). note that the intensity a fig5 a detector ( det ) receives is significantly decreased by tilting a sample ( sm ) by 45 degrees , with respect to the stage frame ( sf ) plane . this alone would not be beneficial , but fig6 b demonstrates that even though intensity is reduced by said sample ( sm ) tilt , the shown psi ( ψ ) signal to noise ratio , ( as a function of wavelength ), is greatly improved . this is because the diverted intensity reducing electromagnetic radiation is that which scatters from variously oriented facets as opposed to electromagnetic radiation which reflects from a multiplicity of facets which are parallel to one another . that is , even though less signal intensity arrives at the detector ( det ), the signal which is received by the detector ( det ) is of a higher quality , and when analyzed provides superior results . fig6 c further shows that rotating a titled sample ( sm ), ( with a textured surface ), in the plane of the sample ( sm ) surface , ( see fig5 c ), can also improve signal to noise ratio , ( as a function of wavelength ). fig6 d demonstrates that angle - of - incidence ( aoi ) can also have an affect on the signal to noise ratio in psi ( ψ ) data , ( as a function of wavelength ). note that at 65 degrees ( aoi ), as indicated by features of the plot , the data is noisy compared to the better defined psi ( ψ ) data achieved at 75 and 85 degrees ( aoi ). ( note , data quality is indicated by enhanced data plot magnitude change vs . wavelength ). finally , fig7 a - 7 h provide sample data and fitting psi and delta plots which demonstrate the important aspects of the present invention . fig7 a - 7 b are presented to demonstrate the need for a correction factor in the mathematical model of a sample . said plots show data for an uncoated silicon substrate with pyramidal texturing measured at 65 degree angle of incidence . for a polished substrate , the experimental data would easily be described using a model with silicon substrate optical constants and a thin native oxide ( 1 - 3 nm ). as can be seen in the two graphs 7 a and 7 b , this native silicon model does not match actual psi and delta measurements . if the oxide thickness is presumed to vary , the best mode to match the psi data occurs with 24 nm of sio2 . however , this can not be correct as the same model moves delta further away from the experiment . thus , this shows a correction is necessary to compensate the effect of the pyramidal texturing when applying the standard modeling approach for ideal samples . fig7 c and 7 d are presented to show the effect of including a scatter matrix correction in the mathematical model of a sample . data for uncoated , textured silicon can be described by adding a “ correction matrix ” that is multiplied by the ideal sample matrix for native - oxide coated silicon wafer . the match to the experimental data , both with ( solid lines ), and without ( dashed lines ), this correction matrix , is shown . this correction could then be used for additional samples to nominally extract results without the strong effects caused by the textured surface , provided the texturing is repeatable from sample - to - sample . fig7 e - 7 h show the effect of including a correction factor in mathematical models of two samples having different thicknesses of a thin film thereupon . for some samples it may not be possible to obtain an uncoated textured surface . in this case , the correction factor can be determined by using a multi - sample analysis where more than one sample with nominally the same coating , but different thickness thereof , are modeled using the same correction factor . two data sets , ( ie . for sample 1 and sample 2 ), for nitride - coated textured silicon are shown . the two nitride coatings are nominally the same as regards refractive index , but they have different film thickness on their surfaces . it is noted that data analysis involves use of simultaneous regression onto the two data sets corresponding to the two samples , which process breaks correlation between thin film thickness and refractive index for both . fig7 e - 7 h data were first modeled without a correction factor , ( see dashed lines ). next , both data sets for samples 1 and 2 were fit simultaneously ( multi - sample analysis ) with a single correction factor to fit the underlying texture effects , ( see solid lines ). this provides consistent “ correction ” for similar samples of this coating on different substrates . having hereby disclosed the subject matter of the present invention , it should be obvious that many modifications , substitutions , and variations of the present invention are possible in view of the teachings . it is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described , and should be limited in its breadth and scope only by the claims .	6
hereafter , a wireless transmit / receive unit ( wtru ) includes but is not limited to a user equipment , mobile station , fixed or mobile subscriber unit , pager , or any other type of device capable of operating in a wireless environment . when referred to hereafter , a base station ( bs ) includes but is not limited to a node - b , site controller , access point or any other type of interfacing device in a wireless environment . further , it is noted that , the notion of common physical channel ( cpch ) relates to transmission and / or reception of any type of control information and encompasses all common physical channels including primary common control physical channel ( pccpch ) on which the broadcast channel ( bch ) is transmitted and the secondary common control physical channel ( sccpch ) on which the forward access channel ( fach ) is transmitted . when reference is made to cpch timeslots , it is noted that the cpch timeslots are the timeslots in which a cpch is being transmitted . further , when a cell is said to be handling user traffic , the cell may be transmitting , receiving , or transmitting and receiving user traffic . in order to ensure adequate cpch reception , wireless communication systems may have to dedicate a plurality of timeslots for the cpch throughout the system . allocating a plurality of timeslots as cpch timeslots allows one cell , say cell a , to transmit its cpch in a different timeslot than a neighboring cell , say cell b in order to reduce the amount of intercell interference perceived by the wtru trying to detect the cpch of one of the two cells . however , the cpch timeslot used by cell a to transmit its cpch is not used by cell b where cell b uses another cpch timeslot to transmit its cpch . as explained further in connection with method 200 , however , the present invention enables cell b to handle user traffic in the cpch timeslot used by cell a , and vice versa . that is , cell a may handle user traffic in the cpch timeslot used by cell b . referring initially to fig1 , there is shown three cells 102 , 104 , 106 . assume , the wireless communication system to which cells 102 , 104 , 106 belong has allocated timeslots 1 , 2 , and 3 for transmission of the cpch . that is , timeslots 1 , 2 , and 3 are cpch timeslots . further assume that cell 102 is transmitting its cpch in timeslot 1 , cell 104 is transmitting its cpch in timeslot 2 , and cell 106 is transmitting its cpch in timeslot 3 . according to the present invention , a particular cell may reuse cpch timeslots used by other cells to transmit their cpch , for purposes of handling user traffic in the particular cell , assuming the cpch timeslots being used by the other cells to transmit cpch are different from the cpch timeslot being used by the particular cell to transmit its own cpch . that is , taking cell 102 as an example , cell 102 is able to handle user traffic ( i . e . dch traffic ) in timeslots 2 and 3 at a particular power level that will not result in unacceptable cpch performance degradation in cells 104 and 106 . cells 104 and 106 will permit cell 102 to reuse their cpch timeslots for user traffic so long as such reuse does not result in degradation of cpch performance for their own users . the power level at which one cell may handle user traffic in a cpch timeslot being used by another cell to transmit its cpch is denoted p max _ dch _ cpch . to further explain , assume cell 102 is reusing the cpch timeslot used by cell 104 for cpch , which as explained above is timeslot 2 , for user traffic . cell 104 will allow cell 102 to use timeslot 2 for user traffic so long as cell 102 ′ s use of timeslot 2 does not result in degradation of cpch performance in cell 104 . this requires the system to perform the following actions : monitor cpch performance in each cell , identify any cpch performance degradation in a cell due to reuse of the cpch timeslot by other cells to transmit user traffic , and finally identify the cell ( s ) responsible for potential cpch performance degradation and ensure that the adequate cpch performance level is restored . there are many ways in which a cell may monitor cpch performance . for example , the system may collect , in each cell , cpch quality metrics reported by each mobile . the metrics are preferably collected by base stations ( bss ) operating within the system . examples of cpch quality metrics specific to the primary common control physical channel ( pccpch ), for example , include but are not limited to bch reading time and signal - to - interference ratios ( sir ) perceived by a wtru on the pccpch . similarly , examples of cpch quality metrics specific to the sccpch include but are not limited fach block error rate ( bler ), fach bit error rate ( ber ), and signal - to - interference ratios ( sir ) perceived by a wtru for the sccpch . each cpch quality metric collected by a cell is preferably associated with a specific area of the cell . an area of a cell can be represented as an angular section of the cell or any arbitrary division of the overall geographical area of the cell . in order for the bs of a cell to associate each cpch quality metric it collects to a specific area of a cell , it has to be able to locate the position of the wtru which reported the cpch quality metric . possible ways in which the system can identify the location of the wtru include but are not limited to the use of global positioning systems ( gps ) in the wtru and triangulation techniques based on delay of arrivals , or measured power from neighboring bs . as each cell in the system is able to collect cpch quality metrics from a large number of wtrus and associate them to specific areas of the cell , the system is able to obtain , for each area of each cell , a distribution of the cpch quality metric . an example of the form that could take this distribution is a histogram in which each bin would correspond to a small interval of the quality metric . prior to the system trying to reuse the cpch timeslots for user traffic , the system collects enough statistics from the wtrus to obtain statistically stable distributions for each area of each cell . these distributions are referred to as baseline cpch quality distributions and will be used by the system as a comparison benchmark in order to identify any degradation in cpch quality in any area of any cell . if the system identifies an area of a cell where cpch performance is degraded , the system identifies the cell responsible for the interference and reduces this interference to a level which would restore the previous state where cpch quality was deemed acceptable . to achieve this , the system preferably uses a database containing a pre - determined mapping which associates each area of each cell with its strongest interfering cell ( s ). therefore , where cell 104 identifies area 108 , for example , as being the area of unacceptable cpch performance , it is evident that the cause of the degradation is cell 102 ′ s reuse of timeslot 2 for user traffic . in this case , in cell 102 , timeslot 2 is identified as aggressive , meaning reuse of timeslot 2 by cell 102 has resulted in degradation of cpch performance in the cell 104 which is using timeslot 2 to transmit its cpch . therefore , cell 102 has to decrement the power it is using for user traffic in timeslot 2 and is no longer able to try to increase the power at which it reuses timeslot 2 for user traffic . it is noted that cell 102 may have timeslot 2 tagged as aggressive while other cells such as , for example 106 , may have timeslot 2 tagged as non - aggressive . that is , timeslot 2 may be considered aggressive with respect to cell 102 , but not cell 106 meaning cell 106 can still reuse timeslot 2 for user traffic . referring now to fig2 , there is shown a method 200 wherein timeslots used in a wireless communication system for transmitting the cpch ( i . e . cpch timeslots ) may be reused for user traffic . it is noted that method 200 may be implemented in any number of cells as desired . method 200 begins with step 202 where , for each cell a tag is placed on the cpch timeslots that the cell is not using to transmit its own cpch . the tag identifies cpch timeslots as being non - aggressive , meaning they are not causing degradation of another cell &# 39 ; s cpch performance . also , in step 202 , for each cell , the power at which the cell is permitted to transmit user traffic in a cpch timeslot ( i . e . p max _ dch _ cpch ) is set to zero for all cpch timeslots . that is , for each cell , the p max _ dch _ cpch of each cpch timeslot is set to zero . further , in step 202 , the system collects cpch quality metrics for each area of each cell , thus obtaining statistically stable baseline distributions that will be used as benchmarks in step 214 . from step 202 , the method 200 proceeds to step 204 where , for each cell , a tag is placed on the cpch timeslot that the cell is using to transmit its own cpch as aggressive . this will prevent a cell from handling user traffic in a cpch timeslot that the cell is using itself for transmission of the cpch . in step 206 , it is determined whether all cells have all their cpch timeslots either set as aggressive or have their p max _ dch _ cpch set to p max where p max corresponds to the maximum power a bs is allowed or able to transmit in a timeslot . for example , p max for a bs allowed or able to transmit up to 43 dbm is 43 dbm . if the result of step 206 is yes , the method 200 ends in step 208 . by way of explanation , when a cell has a cpch timeslot tagged as aggressive , it indicates that the cell is already transmitting at a power beyond which it would degrade the cpch reception of at least one of its neighboring cells . when a cell has a cpch timeslot for p max _ dch _ cpch is set to p max , it indicates that the cell is already fully reusing this cpch timeslot for user traffic . therefore , if either of the above - mentioned conditions are fulfilled for all cpch timeslots of all cells , the system is in a state where cells are not able to further increase the reuse of cpch for user traffic . in other words , the system is in a state where cells are not able to further increase p max _ dch _ cpch of any of their cpch timeslots and the method 200 ends . if the result in step 206 is no , the method 200 proceeds to step 210 . in step 210 , for each cell , the p max _ dch _ cpch of each cpch timeslot that is not tagged as aggressive and has its p max _ dch _ cpch set lower than p max , is incremented by a predetermined amount , say p_increment . then , in step 212 , the system collects measurements on cpch performance and obtains , for each area of each cell , distributions of cpch quality metrics . in step 214 , it is determined whether the cpch performance is unacceptable in any area of any cell . this is accomplished by comparing the distribution of cpch quality measurement collected for every area of every cell with the baseline distributions collected in step 202 and identifying any area having unacceptable quality measurements . if no , the method 200 returns to step 206 . if yes , the method 200 proceeds to step 218 . then , the cell ( s ) that are causing the cpch performance degradation is identified ( step 218 ). this is accomplished by looking up a database containing a predetermined mapping which associates each area within each cell to their strongest interfering cell ( s ) so that where degradation is identified in a particular area , the system knows who the offending cell ( s ) is ( are ). for example , referring back to fig1 , area 108 is mapped to cell 102 . in step 220 , p max _ dch _ cpch of the offending cell ( s ) is decremented by p_increment for the cpch timeslot where cpch performance degradation was measured and that cpch timeslot is tagged as aggressive with respect to the offending cell ( s ) identified in step 218 . once step 220 is complete , the method 200 returns to step 206 . referring now to fig3 , there is shown a wireless communication system 300 wherein timeslots used in a wireless communication system for transmitting the cpch ( i . e . cpch timeslots ) may be reused for user traffic . the system includes at least one radio network controller ( rnc ) 302 and a plurality of cells 304 , 306 , 308 . in this embodiment , the system 300 is shown as being deployed with an omnidirectional deployment wherein there is a bs 305 , 307 , 309 for each cell 304 , 306 , 308 . the system 300 could of course be deployed with a sectored deployment , wherein a single bs is provided for cells 304 , 306 , 308 . as explained above , a plurality of timeslots are typically designated as cpch timeslots and are used by the cells for transmitting the cpch . assume , in this embodiment that three timeslots 1 , 2 , 3 , have again been designated as cpch timeslots for system 300 . therefore , all of the cells making up system 300 will transmit their cpch in one of the three cpch timeslots . for simplicity , only three cells 304 , 306 , 308 of system 300 are shown , but of course system 300 may have any number of cells as desired . because there are only three cells , each cell may use a different cpch timeslot for transmitting its cpch . where there are more cells , they will share the allocated cpch timeslots in the same manner . that is , where there are ninety cells and three cpch timeslots , for example , each of the ninety cells will use one of the three cpch timeslots for transmitting its cpch . in system 300 , assume cell 306 is transmitting its cpch in cpch timeslot 1 , cell 304 is transmitting its cpch in cpch timeslot 2 , and cell 308 is transmitting its cpch in timeslot 3 . for each area of each cell , cpch performance is monitored and if it becomes unacceptable , the area within the cell where the unacceptable cpch is concentrated is identified . therefore , the bs 305 , 307 , 309 of cells 304 , 306 , 308 each include a processor 310 , 312 , 314 for collecting cpch readings or any other metric of cpch performance from wtrus operating within their cell . where cpch is identified as being unacceptable in any of the cells , the locations of the wtrus that are reporting the poor cpch measurements is identified . the bs 305 , 307 , 309 of cells 304 , 306 , 308 may each include a separate processor 316 , 318 , 320 for locating wtrus , or that functionality may be performed in processors 310 , 312 , 314 . the rnc 302 to which data collected in each cell is reported also includes at least one processor 322 for determining when cpch has degraded to an unacceptable level and coordinating each cell &# 39 ; s reuse of cpch timeslots for user traffic . in coordinating each cell &# 39 ; s reuse of cpch timeslots for user traffic , the rnc 302 will inform each cell at p max _ dch _ cpch they may transmit user traffic , if at all , in the cpch timeslots being used by their neighboring cells to transmit cpch . where cpch performance has degraded to an unacceptable level in a particular area of any particular cell , say cell 306 , as a result of another cell &# 39 ; s , say cell 308 , reuse of the cpch timeslot cell 306 is using to transmit its cpch ( i . e . cpch timeslot 1 ), the rnc 302 will ensure the bs 309 of cell 308 decreases the power at which it is reusing timeslot 1 for user traffic back to a level which does not impair cpch performance in cell 306 . the rnc 302 will preferably prevent cell 308 from further increasing the power ( i . e . p max _ dch _ cpch ) that is used for user traffic in cpch timeslot 1 . it is important to note that the present invention may be implemented in any type of wireless communication system employing any type of time division duplex ( tdd ) technology , as desired . by way of example , the present invention may be implemented in umts - tdd , tdscdma , or any other type of wireless communication system . further , while the present invention has been described in terms of various embodiments , other variations , which are within the scope of the invention as outlined in the claim below will be apparent to those skilled in the art .	7
at the outset , it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different drawing views identify identical , or functionally similar , structural elements of the invention . while the present invention is described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred aspects , it is to be understood that the invention as claimed is not limited to the disclosed aspects . furthermore , it is understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology , materials and modifications described and as such may , of course , vary . it is also understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only , and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention , which is limited only by the appended claims . unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . although any methods , devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention , the preferred methods , devices , and materials are now described . for purposes of the invention , the following financial terms or financial parameters are defined by their translations from internet performance parameters as follows . these terms are well - defined for credit risk , yet have not previously been defined for operational risk . once the invention produces values for these terms , they may be manipulated by banks or other parties in the same manner as the equivalent terms for credit risk , for example in computing capital withholding for basel ii . the invention also includes steps of summarization and reporting that manipulate some of these terms . probability of default ( pd ): calculation of pd involves determining which customers of a bank will be affected by a given type of anomaly , and then calculating how many of them will be affected , how frequently , how severely , and how long . loss given default ( lgd ): calculation of lgd involves combining estimates of each customer &# 39 ; s use of the internet to reach the bank and the value of that use to the customer . such value is then used to estimate how likely the customer is not to perform transactions that are delayed or interrupted by anomalies . exposure at default ( ead ). the invention combines the value of each customer &# 39 ; s transactions to the bank with lgd to estimate exposure at default , which is the amount the bank stands to lose because of anomalies . the value of a customer &# 39 ; s transaction to the bank can be twofold : the direct income to the bank in fees for the transaction or the value of customer &# 39 ; s account to the bank ( see m , below ). maturity ( m ). the invention calculates maturity ( m ), which is the remaining proportion of a contract or account that each banking customer has with the bank for some time into the future . fig1 illustrates the steps or aspects of the present invention for determining internet financial risk . fig2 depicts an example of an internet financial risk , a nonredundant route . fig3 provides further detail regarding fig1 . fig3 further shows how the invention works , in particular , how the financial terms or parameters are related . the following should be viewed in light of fig1 through 3 . in fig2 , router 1 , router 2 , and router 3 are nonredundant routers on a nonredundant route to server 1 and server 2 . if any of router 1 , router 2 , or router 3 fail , server 1 and server 2 will be cut off from the internet . if router 4 or router 5 fails , there is less likelihood that server 1 or server 2 will be cut off , because if router 4 fails traffic could be routed through the router 5 , and the reverse . such topological analysis of networks is well known in the computer science discipline of graph theory , including the recent literature about scale - free networks ; yet its ongoing application to frequent and regular measurements of actual internet topology is novel . even if a link or path does not completely fail , its performance may be degraded . problems with performance of a server may produce contributory disruption to third parties with which that server shares network pathways . in fig2 , if server 1 is being attacked by a distributed denial of service ( ddos ) or being affected by a worm that is not specifically targeted at that server , the resulting excess traffic may slow down router 1 , which in turn can affect the perceived performance of server 2 as seen by its users . such combination of topological analysis with performance measurements and analysis is novel , and the application of such performance and topological analysis to quantification of business risk is especially novel . the invention uses information collected directly from the internet , also referred to as input information or primary input information that is collected and processed by any means known in the art to detect and categorize certain features . it should be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular means for producing such information the internet . however , the invention expects the input information to have characteristics as follows ; see fig1 . data collection : appropriate data collection gathers internet performance data using techniques that simultaneously record topology ( including routes , paths , and changes over time ) and performance ( including loss and latency ). the techniques used are able to measure a significant proportion of the critical infrastructure of the entire internet . anomaly detection : appropriate anomaly detection detects anomalies that are significant both across large parts of the internet and in smaller parts , whether geographical , topological , or by industry . anomaly characterization : appropriate anomaly characterization assigns characteristics such as type , severity , duration , and effects to each detected anomaly . types of anomaly may include denial of service ( dos ) attacks , worms , congestion , routing flaps , and other degradation , denial , or disconnection of internet connectivity . the invention also uses secondary external information , that is , information external to the internet in the sense of not being collected directly from the internet by probes or passive monitoring . fig1 illustrates how the invention combines such external information with the input information in data fusion . fig3 provides further detail about which external information is used at which steps of the invention . successive financial terms may require increasing amounts of external information compared to primary information to compute , for example lgd usually requires more external information than pd , and m more than lgd . for that matter , m could be determined entirely in terms of external information , yet m is of no use for calculating internet operational risk without the primary input information , and of little use without pd , lgd , and ead . 1 . translation into financial terms : translation of internet anomalies into financial performance parameters such as probability of default ( pd ), loss given default ( lgd ), exposure at default ( ead ), and remaining economic maturity ( m ) of the exposure . see fig3 for illustration of further detail about these translation steps . 2 . summarization for banking customers : aggregation of anomalies over time for historical performance and predictions and detailed examination of specific anomalies . 3 . reporting for banking customers : reporting details of specific anomalies as they occur . 4 . data fusion : fusion of historical and current data from carriers , enterprises , news media , and others for calibration of accuracy and reliability . in comparison to known prior art , the invention combines elements of network performance and of financial quantification in application to financial risk management of internet operations . the invention involves several steps or aspects that are continually repeated with feedback loops . the invention uses primary input information from ongoing comprehensive measurement of internet topology for nonredundancy or overload ( perils ), as well as of actual variations in accessibility or performance ( anomalies ). the invention itself analyses , aggregates , and synthesizes such data along with external information from other sources in order to translate it into relevant financial terms . the invention then summarizes those results over time , and also reports them as they occur . see fig3 . probability of default ( pd ): an example peril is a nonredundant route . as noted above , a nonredundant route is one example of an internet financial risk . a given part of the internet may be reachable only through one path . if a router or link along that path fails , that part of the internet will be cut off . if that route fails , that will be an anomaly in which customers reached through that route will be cut off . topological examination such as is described for fig2 can show such routes and which customers are reachable through them . the invention determines the probability of failure of such a peril by calculating the frequency of similar failures over time . for each type of peril that the invention has determined to affect banking customers , the invention then multiplies the frequency of that peril by the number of customers affected by that peril , yielding the probability of default ( pd ). most of the calculation of pd can be done using the primary input information from the internet itself . however , it is also useful to know which enterprises are customers of which banks , and that usually requires external information from the banks themselves , or from insurers , industry analysts , or other third parties ; see fig3 . loss given default ( lgd ): calculation of lgd involves combining estimates of each customer &# 39 ; s use of the internet to reach the bank and the value of that use to the customer . some information about the customer &# 39 ; s use of the internet may be derivable from the primary input information from the internet itself , but information about the value the customer places on such uses will normally come from external information from the bank itself , or from insurers or from other third parties ; see fig3 . such value is then used to estimate how likely the customer is not to perform transactions that are delayed or interrupted by anomalies . the invention then calculates the likely proportion of loss . for example , a funds transfer can be estimated to be at least as valuable to the customer as the amount of funds transferred . a sale of some stock may be estimated to be worth to the customer the dollar amount of the transaction minus any fees . if a customer cannot perform a transaction at a given time , the customer may simply perform the same transaction at a later time , in which case there is no loss given that particular default . for example , a customer trying to review a bank statement will probably simply review it on a different day . or in some cases a customer may simply not perform that particular transaction at all . for example , a customer trying unsuccessfully to sell a stock on one day may decide not to sell it the next day , in which case the loss to the bank is whatever fees the bank would have received . however , a customer trying to sell a stock the day before a quarterly earnings announcement may not be able to obtain the same results on a different day . if earnings are down and the price of the stock goes down , the customer may lose the difference in the price of the stock . and the bank may lose the customer . so lgd for the customer is the stock price difference , while lgd for the bank may be the customer &# 39 ; s account . lgd is calculated as a proportion , so in the bank statement example lgd for the bank is close to 0 , while for the example of stock sale before earnings call the lgd for the bank is closer to 1 . exposure at default ( ead ): the invention combines the value of each customer &# 39 ; s transactions to the bank with lgd to estimate exposure at default , which is the amount the bank stands to lose because of anomalies . the value of the customer &# 39 ; s transactions to the bank may be different from the value of those transactions to the customer ; for example , the customer may already have other sources of the same transactions . the value of the customer to the bank may be different from the sum of the value of the customer &# 39 ; s transactions to the bank ; for example , the customer may have prestige value to the bank , or the customer may be using other resources of the bank such as customer service that are not directly compensated . such weights to the values to the bank of transactions or customers require additional external information to compute . setting aside such considerations , the value of a customer &# 39 ; s transaction to the bank can be twofold : the direct dollar income to the bank in fees for the transaction or the dollar value of customer &# 39 ; s account to the bank ( see m , below ). either of these are best found using external information from the bank itself , or estimates from third parties such as insurers or industry analysts ; see fig3 . maturity ( m ). the invention calculates maturity ( m ), which is the remaining proportion of a contract or account that each banking customer has with the bank for some time into the future . internet performance anomalies could cause a customer to cease being a customer , so the entire remaining expected income from a customer &# 39 ; s open accounts or contracts may be at risk . information on maturity of each customer &# 39 ; s accounts is supplied by the bank , and is then combined with pd and lgd to produce a long - term component of ead . in the interests of privacy , the bank can take pd and lgd for each customer and combine it with m per customer internally . alternatively , the invention may use estimates of m from third parties , but it is likely that information about m directly from the bank holding the contract will be more precise ; in either case , some external information is usually necessary to calculate m . the invention summarizes results by aggregating estimates of probable effects over time ; see fig3 . such historical aggregation of internet and financial performance over time can be useful to banks in documenting their actual performance for use in calculating financial reserves required by basel ii . the invention reports details of specific anomalies as they occur . such reports can be tailored for use by technical operations , by customer support , or by management for planning purposes . the invention uses data fusion to incorporate relevant secondary external information that was not collected directly from the internet by means of active or passive monitoring . such external information may include historical and current data from carriers , enterprises , news media , and others for calibration of accuracy and reliability . the invention uses further external information in various steps of the invention , as illustrated in fig1 and 3 . computer system . the invention can be implemented “ by hand ,” that is , through the use of manual calculations . however , in some aspects , a general purpose computer is programmed to perform the steps described above .	6
at the outset , it is to be understood that like reference numerals are intended to identify the same structural elements , portions or surfaces consistently throughout the several drawing figures , such at elements , portions or surfaces that may be further described or explained by the entire written specification , of which this detailed description is a part . unless otherwise indicated , the drawings are intended to read ( that is , cross - hatching , arrangement of parts , proportion , degree , et cetera ) together with the specification , and are considered to be a portion of the entire written description . as used in the description , the terms “ horizontal ,” “ vertical ,” “ left , right ,” “ up ,” “ down ,” as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof ( for example , “ horizontally ”, “ rightwardly ”, “ upwardly ,” et cetera ) refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the reader . similarly , the terms “ inwardly ” and “ outwardly ” generally refer the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of elongation , or axis of protestation , as appropriate . turning now to fig1 , shown therein is a system block diagram of a rechargeable battery power system 10 having a battery assembly 48 . the battery assembly 48 includes a battery 50 having multiple uses and includes a battery housing 54 that houses the battery 50 . the rechargeable battery power system 10 has an alternating current ( hereinafter referred to as ac ) electric motor 12 and may be embodied as other types of motors in other preferred embodiments , a variable frequency motor driver 14 , a battery management system 16 , and the battery 50 . the battery 50 is a lithium - ion battery in one of the preferred embodiments , and in other preferred embodiments may be a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide ( nmc ) battery , a lithium cobalt battery ( lco ), a lithium iron phosphate battery ( lfp ); a lithium manganese oxide battery ( lmo ); and , a lithium nickel cobalt aluminum battery ( nca ). the rechargeable battery power system 10 also includes a visual display 22 . fig2 is a perspective view of the battery assembly 48 , and fig3 shows an exploded view of the battery assembly 48 . as shown in fig3 the battery 50 has first and second module banks 61 , 63 that are substantially identical . the first module bank 61 is made from a first group of modules 55 , and the second module bank 63 is made from a second group of modules 57 . in turn , the first and second groups of modules 55 , 57 are each made from individual modules commonly designated 53 , and each module 53 has individual cells commonly designated 51 . the cells 51 are embodied as rechargeable electrochemical cells in one of the preferred embodiments and are for storing electrical energy . in one preferred embodiment each module 53 has eight ( 8 ) cells 51 that are electrically connected to one another , and the modules 53 are electrically connected to one another to form the groups of modules 55 . in other preferred embodiments each module 53 may have more or less than eight cells 51 . the first module bank 61 is electrically connected to a bus bar 136 for allowing current to flow to the terminal boxes 96 . and , there are connector bus bars 138 that connect the first and second module banks 61 , 63 as shown in fig4 , the there is a module 53 that has a module case 67 and the cells 51 are stacked together and supported in the module case 67 . module terminals 69 extend from the module case 67 and the module terminals 69 may be electrically connected to other modules 53 . the electric motor 12 shown in fig1 is embodied as a three phase ac induction motor , but in other preferred embodiments other electric motor types may be used . the ac motor has a rotor 30 , a stator 32 , and an output shaft 34 that delivers output rotary power to a driven object , for example a hydraulic pump . as shown in fig1 , the ac induction motor 12 receives first , second and third drive lines 36 , 38 , 40 , one for each phase , and the first , second and third drive lines 36 , 38 , 40 are driven by the variable frequency motor driver 14 . it is pointed out that in other preferred embodiments other electric motors may be used , for example a permanent magnet ac ( pmac ) motor may be used . the rotation speed of the ac induction motor 12 ranges from zero to 8 , 000 ( or more ) revolutions per minute . in one of the preferred embodiments the ac induction motor 12 is air cooled . the variable frequency motor driver 14 receives power from first and second direct current ( dc ) voltage lines 44 , 46 from a battery 50 , and then it converts electrical power into three phase ac voltage provided on the first , second and third drive lines 36 , 38 , 40 . in addition , the variable frequency driver motor 42 is able to change the frequency and amplitude characteristics of the voltage on each of the first , second and third drive lines 36 , 38 , 40 so as to be able to control rate of rotation and / or output torque of the ac induction motor 12 . the battery 50 is a lithium - ion type battery . the battery 50 is connected to the battery management system 16 on battery lines 52 . the battery 50 stores electrical energy provided by the battery management system 16 and provides electrical energy to the variable frequency motor driver 14 . the battery management system 16 has a battery management interface 17 for connection to an external power source , such that when the battery management system 16 is connected to an external power source through the battery management interface 17 , power is delivered over the battery lines 52 to charge the battery 50 . as shown in fig2 and 3 and as previously mentioned , the battery housing 54 of the battery assembly 48 includes opposed first and second side walls 56 , 58 and opposed first and second end walls 60 , 62 and a base wall 64 . the first and second opposed side walls 56 , 58 and the opposed first and second end walls 60 , 62 extend from and are joined to the base wall 64 . the battery housing 54 also has a housing cover 66 that is joined to the first and second opposed side walls 56 , 58 and the opposed first and second end walls 60 , 62 such that it is opposite the base wall 64 . the cover 66 , the first and second opposed side walls 56 , 58 , the opposed first and second end walls 60 , 62 and base wall 64 may be connected by any suitable method , for example with nuts and bolts , screws , welds , and the like . as shown in fig3 , the first sidewall 56 is layered and includes a metal layer 68 and first and second foam layers 70 , 72 , and a plastic sheet 74 . the plastic sheet 74 in other preferred embodiments is a polycarbonate resin sheet , or a thermoplastic sheet . polycarbonate resin sheets can be made of lexan . lexan is a registered trademark of sabic innovative plastics ip b . v . having a business address of plasticslaan 1 , 4612 px , bergen op zoom , netherlands and is commercially available the first foam layer 70 abuts against and is joined with the metal layer 68 , and the first foam layer 70 abuts against and is joined with the second foam layer 72 . the second foam layer 72 also abuts against and is joined with the plastic sheet 74 . the second side wall 58 is structurally identical to the first side wall 56 and includes a metal layer 68 a , first and second foam layers 70 a , 72 a , and a plastic sheet 74 a . the first foam layer 70 a abuts against and is joined with the metal layer 68 a , and the first foam layer 70 a abuts against and is joined with the second foam layer 72 a , and the second foam layer 72 a abuts against and is joined with the plastic sheet 74 a . the metal layer 68 , the first foam layer 68 , the second foam layer 72 and the plastic sheet 74 are joined with an adhesive . the cover 66 of the battery housing 54 has opposed exterior and interior sides 78 , 80 and a service disconnect 82 is joined to and extends from the exterior side 78 . the service disconnect incapacitates the battery 50 , preventing the possibility of electric shock to a service technician , or damage to the battery during service or repair . joined to the interior side 80 is a rubber sheet 84 a foam cover sheet 86 is joined to the rubber sheet 84 , such that the rubber sheet 84 is disposed between the interior side 80 and the foam cover sheet 86 . the first end wall 60 is joined to a first end wall foam sheet 88 , and the second end wall 62 is joined to a second end wall foam sheet 90 . the second end wall 62 has an exterior end wall surface 92 and a current sensor 94 is mounted to the second end wall 62 and abuts the exterior end wall surface 92 . in addition , terminal boxes 96 are mounted to the second end wall 62 and abut the exterior end wall surface 92 . terminals 98 and a monitor wiring inlet 100 are mounted to the second end wall 62 . the base wall 64 has a metal base wall sheet 102 having opposed interior and exterior metal base wall surfaces 104 , 106 . joined to the interior metal base wall surface 104 is a first base wall rubber sheet 108 that is joined to a second base wall rubber sheet 110 . the battery housing 54 of the battery assembly 48 is mounted on a pair of brace members 112 a , 112 b that have channel - shaped cross sections . in particular , isolation mounts 114 are threaded to the base wall 64 and the brace channel 112 a , 112 b such that they isolate the battery housing 54 from a surface that supports the brace channels 112 a , 112 b . as previously described , the battery 50 has first and second module banks 61 , 63 that are substantially identical and that are disposed internal to the battery housing 54 . as shown in fig3 a gap 128 extends from the first module bank 61 to the second module bank 63 and disposed in the gap 128 are first and second separator foam sheets 130 , 134 . disposed between the first and second separator foam sheets 130 , 134 is a separator support plate 132 . the separator support plate 132 is made of metal in one of the preferred embodiments so that the battery housing 54 is strong and durable and capable of withstanding various external loads imposed thereon , and the separator support plate serves as a thermal barrier between first and second module banks 61 . 63 . it is pointed out that the battery 50 does not need an active cooling system to be cooled because of its configuration and will not overheat when used in connection with the applications and embodiments to be described presently . thus , the battery 50 can be completely sealed from the environment , protecting against intrusion of water or other contaminants common in harsh environments . in addition , the battery 50 has a high energy density and thus can provide a long run time on as single charge and can be used in construction applications . as shown in fig1 , the visual display 22 is connected to the variable frequency motor driver 14 by a first visual display line 140 , and the battery management system 16 is connected to the visual display 22 by a second visual display line 142 . the visual display 22 receives inputs ( battery data 59 and variable frequency motor driver data 14 a ) by way of the first and second visual display lines 140 , 142 , and displays the battery data 51 and variable frequency motor driver data 14 a that pertains to the operation of the variable frequency motor driver 14 and the battery 50 . use of the rechargeable battery power system 10 having a battery 50 with multiple uses begins with connecting the rechargeable battery power system 10 to the battery 50 by way of the interface 17 , the battery management system 16 detects the connection made to the interface 17 and controls the flow of power through the interface 17 to charge the battery 50 . power continues to flow from the external electrical power source through the interface 17 and to the battery 50 until the battery 50 is fully charged . it is pointed out that the interface 17 may be disconnected from the external electrical power source prior completely charging the battery 50 . the external electrical power is most commonly the power grid , but maybe be the source may be a generator , for example a portable diesel powered generator . the ac induction motor 12 is typically mounted on a surface or on a vehicle frame . the output shaft 34 is coupled to a drive object or driven shaft prior to actuating the ac induction motor 12 . when the ac induction motor 12 is actuated the variable frequency motor driver 14 causes electrical power to flow from the battery 50 to the ac induction motor 12 . in particular , the variable frequency motor driver 14 causes a sinusoidal voltage to flow in each of the first , second and third drive lines 36 , 38 , 40 . the variable frequency motor driver 14 controls the frequency and amplitude of the voltage in the first , second and third drive lines 36 , 38 , 40 in order to control the speed and power output of the ac induction motor 12 . the visual display 22 provides an active display of operating information from the variable frequency motor driver 14 . then , when the charge in the battery 50 is depleted , the interface 17 is reconnected to the electrical power source in order to recharge the battery 50 as described . it is pointed out that the battery 50 is adaptable for use in virtually any application requiring electrical power including vehicles , machines , homes , businesses and the like . in other words , the applications wherein the battery 50 may by employed and used is without limit . fig5 - 8 show a second embodiment wherein there is a machine rechargeable battery power system 200 provided for use in a piece of equipment 298 that requires a source of power , for example an excavator 300 . turning now to fig5 , the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 has the main components that include an a variable frequency ac induction motor 210 , a variable frequency motor driver 230 , a battery management system 260 , and a lithium - ion battery 280 all disposed in a motor system housing 205 . in one of the preferred embodiments the battery 280 is structurally identical to the previously described battery assembly 48 having a battery 50 and a battery housing 54 , and in other preferred embodiments the battery 280 can be made more powerful by the addition of identical third and fourth banks of module banks . the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 further includes a visual display 240 , a throttle 270 , and a voltage converter 274 . the variable frequency ac induction motor 210 is a three phase ac induction motor , and in other preferred embodiments an electric motor of other types may be used . the variable frequency ac induction motor 210 has a rotor 211 , a stator 215 , and an output shaft 212 that delivers output rotary power to a driven object . variable frequency induction ac induction motors are commercially available and are well known to those having ordinary skill in the art and are therefore not described herein in greater detail . the variable frequency ac induction motor 210 receives three drivelines 214 a , 214 b and 214 c , one for each phase . the variable frequency motor driver 230 drives the drivelines 214 a , 214 b and 214 c . the variable frequency ac induction motor 210 also contains a temperature sensor 217 that measures the temperature of the variable frequency ac induction motor 210 , and a sensor 218 that measures the speed of the rotor 211 . the variable frequency ac induction motor 210 also includes a cooling system 214 that is an air cooled system in one embodiment and is a fluid cooling system in other preferred embodiments . cooling a motor with air or fluid is well known to those having ordinary skill in the art and is therefore not described in greater detail herein . the variable frequency motor driver 230 received power from the first and second dc voltage lines 250 a , 250 b and converts electrical power into three phase ac voltage provided on the drive lines 214 a , 214 b and 214 c . variable frequency motor drivers are commercially available , and are well known to those having ordinary skill in the art and therefore they are not described in greater detail herein . the variable frequency motor driver 230 is able to change the frequency and amplitude characteristics of the voltage on each of the drive lines 214 a , 214 b and 214 c so as to control rotation rate and / or output torque of the variable frequency ac induction motor 210 . a databus interface 232 is a can bus interface , however , other bus interfaces may be used as well . the databus interface 232 receives and transmits information , commands , status , faults , and other similar information utilized by the machine electric motor system 200 . the variable frequency motor driver 230 also has analog controls from the battery management system 260 . the power received by the variable frequency motor driver 230 from dc voltage bus lines 250 a , 250 b is provided by the battery 280 . the variable frequency motor driver 230 contains the databus interface 232 . the databus interface 232 allows the variable frequency motor driver 230 to transmit and receive operating information , commands , statuses , and faults within and used by the utilized by the machine electric motor system 200 . the variable frequency motor driver 230 also has a driver cooling system 234 that is air cooled in a preferred embodiment , and other preferred embodiments the driver cooling system 234 is a liquid cooling system . the variable frequency motor driver 230 also has a driver temperature sensor 236 for measuring the temperature of the variable frequency motor driver 230 . the variable frequency motor driver 230 also has a driver controller 237 that in one of the preferred embodiments is a logic based controller such as a recontroller / microprocessor / cpu / fpga / cpld , that may be programmed to cause the variable frequency motor driver 230 to properly control the voltage and / or power on the drive lines 214 a , 214 b and 214 c the throttle 270 is connected to the variable frequency motor driver 230 and provides variable frequency motor driver 230 information pertaining to a user &# 39 ; s desired operating parameters . in particular , the throttle may be a variable resistor coupled to a manual controller , providing the variable frequency motor driver 230 with a voltage level that represents the desired speed or torque provided by the electric motor . the throttle may also be a hall effect sensor , or other device capable of controlling a voltage level to the variable frequency motor driver 230 . the variable frequency motor driver 230 is coupled or otherwise joined to both the battery 280 and the battery management system 260 through first and second voltage lines 250 a , 250 b . a switch 284 is located on analog communication lines 285 connected to the variable frequency motor driver 230 , allowing switch 284 to act as an on / off switch or kill switch , capable of cutting off power to the variable frequency motor driver 230 . as shown , the first voltage line 250 a has a current sensor 264 arranged adjacent to the battery pack 280 in order to measure the current flowing in and out of the battery 280 . a fuse 286 is located within the battery 280 and is capable of stopping electric current flow in the event the current flow is too high . as described above , the battery 280 may be embodied to be identical to the previously described battery 50 and comprises cells 51 and modules 53 of lithium - ion batteries . the cells may be arranged in a 28 serial by 13 parallel array in one of the preferred embodiments . other lithium iron type batteries are also suitable for use . the cells 51 in the battery 280 and the battery 50 are commercially available . additionally , lithium - ion batteries are well known to those having ordinary skill in the art and therefore are not described in greater detail herein . it is pointed out that the battery 280 and battery 50 may have cells from a different battery provider and may have a different cell arrangement in order to provide different voltage , capacity , maximum current , or battery housing envelope characteristics . battery 280 is connected to the battery management system 260 via battery lines 271 . the battery 280 stores electrical energy provided by the battery management system 260 and provides electrical energy to the variable frequency motor driver 230 . the battery management system 260 for use in connection with any embodiment mentioned herein . battery management systems are commercially available and are well known to those having ordinary skill in the art and are therefore not described in greater detail herein . the battery management system 260 has a battery management interface 278 for connection to an external electrical power source , for example the power grid or a generator . when the battery management system 260 is connected to the external power source through the battery management interface 278 , power is delivered over battery lines 271 in order to charge the battery 280 . the battery management system 260 also contains management system controller 261 for providing logic control for charging and monitoring the battery 280 and communicating with other system components over a management system data bus interface 262 . the data management system 260 also contains a charger 263 that converts voltages and provides current to the battery 280 while recharging . data management systems are commercially available and are well known to those having ordinary skill in the art and therefore they are not described in greater detail herein . the battery management system 260 controls current provided by the charger 263 and further includes voltage sensors 255 , current sensor 264 and thermistors for controlling the charging process of the battery pack 280 . the voltage converter 274 is coupled to the battery management system 260 through first and second converter lines 276 a , 276 b and is also connected to first and second voltage lines 250 a , 250 b that are dc . the voltage converter 274 provides efficient voltage conversion from one voltage to another . in particular , the voltage converter 274 is capable of stepping down the voltage of the battery pack 280 to twelve volts ( hereinafter referred to as 12v ) that is needed by logic management components in the battery management system 260 and other 12v components of the machine electric motor system 200 . the voltage converter output may range from 12v to about 13 . 5v . fig6 is a block diagram for a battery system , drive system , and instruments and controls for the electric motor system . fig7 shows another preferred embodiment the piece of equipment 298 is embodied as an excavator that has been used and powered by an internal combustion engine 302 , for example a gas or diesel engine , and having an engine cooling system 304 , and a hydraulic pump 301 . there is also a frame 310 that supports the engine 302 on frame support bars 312 that are supported by the frame 310 . mounting engines on frames 310 is well known to those who have ordinary skill in the art and therefore not described in greater detail herein . as shown in fig8 , the excavator 300 is modified . first the internal combustion engine 302 and associated engine cooling system 304 are removed , along with the frame support bars 312 , and this results in a battery recess 309 being formed in the excavator 300 . then , a battery support plate 320 is welded or otherwise joined to the frame 310 . after installation of the battery support plate 320 the previously described battery 50 or battery 280 in is placed on battery support plate 320 . in particular , in the previously described a pair of brace members 112 a , 112 b contact the battery support plate 320 and are secured to the battery support plate 320 with fasteners 326 , for example bolts and nuts . in addition , as shown there is the variable frequency motor driver 230 that controls the variable frequency ac induction motor 210 , that in , turn rotates and spins a hydraulic pump 328 . a pump cooling system 330 cools the hydraulic fluid pumped by the hydraulic pump 328 . the variable frequency motor driver 230 , hydraulic pump 328 and pump cooling system 330 are mounted to and supported on a new support structure 332 mounted to the frame 310 of the excavator 300 and thus have been relocated . the previously described battery management system 260 is also provided and disposed on the excavator 300 . the throttle 270 and visual display 240 are disposed in the cab 334 of the excavator 300 . in another preferred embodiment the excavator 300 is newly manufactured and constructed to have the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 and features described immediately above , in which case there is no need to modify the excavator 300 . thus , the present machine rechargeable battery power system 200 provides for a method of rebuilding excavators 300 comprising the acts of : providing an excavator 300 powered by an internal combustion engine 302 ; modifying the frame 310 of the excavator 300 such that it is capable of supporting a support plate 320 and fitting a support plate 320 on the frame 310 for supporting the battery 280 ; providing a battery 280 and fixedly supporting the battery 280 on the support plate 320 ; installing a variable frequency motor driver 230 and the variable frequency ac induction motor 210 such that they are supported on the support structure 332 affixed on the frame 310 ; providing the hydraulic pump 328 and a pump cooling system 330 for cooling the hydraulic fluid pumped by the hydraulic pump 328 , which are relocated from their placement in the internal combustion engine 302 ; and , providing the battery management system 260 and disposing the battery management system 260 , the throttle 270 and the visual display 240 in the cab 334 of the excavator 300 . the above - described method of rebuilding a piece of used equipment 298 , for example excavators 300 that have been used , provides for a method of generating income . for example and as shown in fig1 , there is a service provider entity 400 such as a service store , rebuild company , or a manufacturer that is capable of replacing internal combustion engines 302 with the battery 50 , 280 and other power system components , comprise the electric motor system 10 . a customer entity or business commonly designated 402 provides a piece of equipment 298 that has been used to the service provider entity 400 , or the service provider entity 400 purchases a piece of equipment 298 that has been used , and the service provider entity 400 replaces the internal combustion engine 302 with a the battery 50 , 280 and other system components as described above . the service provider entity 400 then charges a fee to the customer entity 402 for labor and cost of the battery 50 , 280 and system , or the service provider entity 400 re - sells the piece of equipment 298 to generate income . in other preferred embodiments , the service provider entity 400 makes pieces of equipment 298 that are new with the battery 50 , 280 and system components built into the piece of equipment 298 and sells the piece of equipment 280 and to generate a profit . it is pointed out that the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 and the rechargeable battery power system 10 are not limited to just excavators 300 , but they may be used in virtually all construction equipment 298 , for example , new and used paving machines , rollers , graders , paving machines , loaders , tractors and trucks and other machines that require a power source . thus , virtually any piece of equipment 298 having an internal combustion engine 302 , for example a gas or diesel engine , and having the engine cooling system 304 , and a hydraulic pump 301 may be modified to accept the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 and be equipped with the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 . first , the internal combustion engine 302 and associated engine cooling system 304 are removed , and that results in a battery recess 309 being defined in the piece of equipment 298 . then the support plate 320 is welded or otherwise joined to the frame 310 of the piece of equipment . next , a battery 280 is moved into the battery recess 309 and mounted to the frame 310 of the piece of equipment 298 . after installation of the battery support plate 320 the battery 50 or battery 280 is placed on battery support plate 320 that is supported on the pair of brace members 112 a , 112 b . fig9 shows another preferred embodiment wherein there is a light tower 400 having a light tower housing 401 wherein a light tower housing 401 is shown prior to installation on a tower frame 402 , with arrow z designating the direction the light tower housing 401 is to be moved . the tower frame 402 is mounted on wheels 404 and a tongue 406 extends from the tower frame 402 . a retractable tongue support 408 extends from the tongue 406 and supports the tower frame 402 on the ground 405 when in an extended position as shown . the tongue 406 is for towing the light tower 400 after the retractable tongue support 408 is moved into a retracted position . there is also a light tower 420 that is supported on the frame 402 , and the light tower 420 is telescopic and has a base portion 423 that houses an extendable portion 421 that can be raised and lowed in the directions of arrows x and y , respectively . the extendable portion 421 can be manually raised and lowered with , for example a hand crank 430 . the raising and lowering light towers in well known to those having ordinary skill in the art and therefore is not described in greater detail herein . the extendable portion 421 supports a light array 432 that includes four light fixtures 434 with light bulbs 435 . in one of the preferred embodiments the lights bulbs 435 are embodied as led &# 39 ; s and in other embodiments the may be incandescent light bulbs . supported on and joined to the tower frame 402 is a battery assembly 48 and in particular the battery housing 54 that holds the battery 50 . lead lines extend from the battery 50 to a tower inverter 440 that converts dc power from the battery 50 to ac power . inverter lead lines 442 extend from the tower inverter 440 to the light bulbs 435 . the housing 54 also supports a control panel 446 , and supports a charging port 448 so that the battery 50 may be charged from virtually any power source . as shown in fig9 , the battery 50 for use with the light tower 420 is designed such that it only has a first module bank 61 and the separator support plate 132 is not present . this is due to the fact that the light tower 420 will not have a need for such a large amount of power in some preferred embodiments . it is pointed out that the use of the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 and the rechargeable battery power system 10 are provide for power with no pollution at a work , job or activity site , a minimal amount of noise at such sites , and no fuels need at the sites . in addition , because there is no noise and there is no messy odiferous fuels used at the sites the rechargeable battery power system 10 and rechargeable battery power system 200 can be used day or night . thus , workers can work throughout the night without disturbing the neighborhood or city in which they are working . additionally , the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 and the rechargeable battery power system 10 can be used indoors , whereas toxic emissions from an internal combustion engine 302 would prohibit it from being used indoors . in addition , the above - described battery 50 can be used by itself to supply electric power ( noah - something we should mention , right ?) it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the rechargeable battery power system 10 and the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 and methods for providing rechargeable battery systems have been described in connection with particular embodiments and examples , the rechargeable battery power system 10 and the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 methods associated therewith are not necessarily so limited and that other examples , uses , modifications , and departures from the embodiments , examples , and uses may be made without departing from the rechargeable battery power system 10 and the machine rechargeable battery power system 200 , and all these embodiments are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the appended claims .	7
the device represented in fig1 for implanting endoprosthesis 1 has basically a tubular , flexible outer body 2 and an elongated , flexible core element 3 . tubular outer body 2 is represented in lengthwise section from break line x to its distal end . at its proximal end , tubular body 2 is provided with a handle 5 . elongated core element 3 is placed in tubular body 2 , where core element 3 is designed to be longer than tubular body 2 and also has a handle 6 . toward its distal end , core element 3 exhibits a region b , which serves to receive endoprosthesis 1 . this region b exhibits at its proximal end a shoulder 8 made from x - ray opaque material . distally contiguous to this is a section 9 , the diameter of which is reduced . following section 9 is an area 10 in which a relief in the form of a stamping 11 is impressed and which exhibits a somewhat larger diameter than section 9 preceding it . the form of relief or stamping 11 corresponds to the structure of the inner surface of folded endoprosthesis 1 . contiguous to area 10 lies a section 13 that exhibits approximately the same diameter as section 9 . following this is a ring 14 , which is also made of x - ray opaque material and which is designed to be somewhat larger in diameter than section 13 . finally , at its distal end , core element 3 has a blunt , cone - shaped tip 15 . extending the entire length of core element 3 is a lumen 16 in which a guide wire 17 can be inserted . for the sake of better clarity , endoprosthesis 1 is depicted outside of the device and folded up in this representation . in this way , the correlation between the form of stamping 11 and that of folded endoprosthesis 1 can be seen . it can also be clearly seen from this representation that the length of area 10 , which is provided with stamping 11 , is shorter than the length of the endoprosthesis ; it preferably totals approximately 10 - 50 % of the length of the endoprosthesis . as a result of this length of stamping 11 , the flexibility of the device in region b of endoprosthesis 1 is affected as little as possible by the piled up material and the form locking in the stamping area . on the other hand , however , a reliable form - locking connection between enclosed endoprosthesis 1 and core element 2 is guaranteed . fig2 shows the device in a ready - to - use condition . here endoprosthesis 1 is enclosed folded up between core element 3 and tubular outer body 2 . at the same time , the inner surface of endoprosthesis 1 meshes with core element 3 along stamping 11 impressed in area 10 . stamping 11 corresponds to the structure of the inner surface of endoprosthesis 1 , so that a large number of form - locking meshing sites are formed between area 10 of core element 3 and endoprosthesis 1 . since the individual threads of a layer of endoprosthesis 1 diverge when the latter is folded up , differences in the location of the threads with respect to stamping 11 could result in the region of the proximal and distal ends of endoprosthesis 1 . for this reason , it is advantageous to provide sections 9 and 13 , which have a smaller diameter than area 10 , between the latter , which is provided with stamping 11 , and the ends of endoprosthesis 1 . a first type model of the device can be seen in fig3 in an enlarged cross section along line a -- a of fig2 . endoprosthesis 1 is enclosed between tubular outer body 2 and core element 3 . the distance between the outer diameter of core element 3 and the inner diameter of tubular outer body 2 is chosen in such a way that the inner layer of endoprosthesis 1 is pressed into the recesses resulting from stamping 11 . the depth of stamping 11 corresponds to approximately 50 % of the thickness of the inner layer of the semifinished material used in endoprosthesis 1 . in this case , a thin wire is used as the semifinished material for manufacturing endoprosthesis 1 . however , the same ratio applies if endoprosthesis 1 is punched out , for example , from thin sheet metal or is made of strip metal . the above - mentioned depth of stamping 11 ensures a good form - locking connection between core element 3 and endoprosthesis 1 by means of a large number of form - locking meshing sites 20 and guarantees , in addition , sure radial separation and unfolding of released endoprosthesis 1 , because the form - locking connection does not affect the relative motion of the layers of semifinished material in relation to one another . a second type model of the device is illustrated in fig3 a in an enlarged cross section along line a -- a in fig2 . in this example , core element 3 has a coating or sheath 3a . the advantage of such a coating or sheath 3a is that it can exhibit properties other than those of core element 3 . the change in diameter required in this area can be easily obtained as well by means of this sheath or coating 3a . thus , for example , the thermoplasticity of core element 3 can be lower than that of coating or sheath 3a . consequently , the depth of stamping 11 can be easily influenced by the thickness of coating or sheath 3a . sheath 3a can be manufactured very easily , for example , by shrinking a contracting tube onto core element 3 . the operation of the device is explained by means of fig4 . using the device , endoprosthesis 1 is inserted folded ( fig2 ) in a body canal 22 , which is only indicated schematically , in the known manner and is advanced until the distal end region b of the device is positioned so that enclosed endoprosthesis 1 is at the desired location in body canal 22 . at the same time , the advance of folded endoprosthesis 1 in body canal 22 is monitored by means of known processes such as fluoroscopy . the location of endoprosthesis 1 is readily visible due to x - ray opaque rings 8 and 14 , which are fitted on core element 3 in the area of the two ends of enclosed endoprosthesis 1 . once endoprosthesis 1 is in the intended final position , core element 3 is locked into position and endoprosthesis 1 is slowly released by pulling back tubular outer body 2 . the two handles 5 and 6 are used for this purpose . since endoprosthesis 1 is self - expanding , the released portion begins to unfold and rest against the inner wall of body canal 22 . in unfolding , the length of endoprosthesis 1 is shortened accordingly . since there is a direct connection between the shortening of endoprosthesis 1 and the inner diameter of body canal and the diameter of endoprosthesis 1 in its inserted , unfolded state but the final amount of expansion is not known exactly , the final position of unfolded endoprosthesis 1 cannot be determined with certainty beforehand . thus the position of endoprosthesis 1 must also be monitored during the unfolding . if monitoring shows that it is positioned correctly , endoprosthesis 1 can be completely released by pulling back tubular body 2 to the area of shoulder 8 of core element 3 . if , however , it is discovered during the unfolding that endoprosthesis 1 is not in the correct position , it can be folded back up again in tubular body 2 by moving tubular body 2 forward . this makes it possible for endoprosthesis 1 to then be repositioned accordingly and released again in the new position in the manner described above . by means of a form - locking connection between endoprosthesis 1 and core element 3 , which is achieved via stamping 11 , which corresponds to the structure of the inner surface of endoprosthesis 1 , and via endoprosthesis 1 , which meshes with stamping 11 , it can be ensured , on the one hand , that the forces exerted to move core element 3 with respect to outer body 2 can be kept to a minimum and , on the other hand , that sure radial separation of self - expanding endoprosthesis 1 from core element 3 is still guaranteed even after a long period of storage . in short , sure and reliable operation is achieved by way of a device with this design . it can also be manufactured easily and inexpensively . the process for producing a stamping for this type of device can go as follows : an endoprosthesis 1 is pushed unfolded onto region b of core element 3 . then endoprosthesis 1 is folded up in the area of section 9 of core element 3 in which there is no stamping . next , tubular outer body 2 is pushed forward up to the proximal end of area 10 of core element 3 . endoprosthesis 1 is secured in position in this way . endoprosthesis 1 is subsequently folded up in the area where it is exposed by a pressing die , which is in itself known , and pressed by the pressing die on area 10 of core element 3 . the pressing die is now warmed with hot air so that endoprosthesis 1 , which has been pressed together , is heated and in this way pressed into the thermoplastic material of core element 3 or into its coating or sheath 3a . after removing the pressing die , tubular outer body 2 is pushed forward until its distal end lies against the back side of tip 15 of core element 3 and endoprosthesis 1 is thus completely enclosed . a corresponding process is utilized if a hardened plastic is used instead of the thermoplastic material . while this process is being carried out , it is absolutely imperative that shoulder 8 does not rest against the proximal end of endoprosthesis 1 . it automatically rests against the proximal end of endoprosthesis 1 once endoprosthesis 1 comes unmeshed from core element 3 upon release . shoulder 8 serves then as an abutment for endoprosthesis 1 when the remaining portion of the endoprosthesis still enclosed in tubular body 2 is released . obviously , processes are also conceivable in which the same endoprosthesis is always used to form the stamping . furthermore , it is also possible to impress the stamping by means of a positive cast of an endoprosthesis formed on the pressing die .	0
the methodologies and control strategies of the present disclosure are directed to the coating on the creping cylinder surface . various types of chemistries make up the coating on the creping cylinder surface . these chemistries impart properties to the coating that function to improve the tissue making process . these chemistries will be collectively referred to as performance enhancing materials ( pem / pems ). an exemplary description of these chemicals and a method to control their application are discussed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 048 , 826 and u . s . patent publication no . 2007 / 0208115 , which are herein incorporated by reference . in one embodiment , one of said plurality of apparatuses utilized is an eddy current sensor . the differential method can involve an eddy current and an optical displacement sensor . in one embodiment , the differential method comprises the steps of : applying the eddy current sensor to measure the distance from the sensor to a surface of the creping cylinder and applying an optical displacement sensor to measure the distance from the coating surface to the sensor . in a further embodiment , the optical displacement sensor is a laser triangulation sensor or a chromatic type confocal sensor . fig1 depicts an illustration of the sensor combination consisting of an eddy current sensor and an optical displacement sensor . the eddy current ( ec ) sensor operates on the principle of measuring the electrical impedance change . the ec produces a magnetic field by applying an alternating current ( ac ) to a coil . when the ec is in close proximity to a conductive target , electric currents are produced in the target . these currents are in the opposite direction of those in the coil , called eddy currents . these currents generate their own magnetic field that affects the overall impedance of the sensor coil . the output voltage of the ec changes as the gap between the ec sensor and target changes , thereby providing a correlation between distance and voltage . in this application the ec sensor establishes a reference between the sensor enclosure and the creping cylinder surface . the second sensor mounted in the enclosure optically measures the displacement of the sensor with respect to the film surface . the optical displacement sensor can be either a triangulation type such as micro - epsilon ( raleigh , n . c .) model 1700 - 2 or a chromatic type such as micro - epsilons optoncdt 2401 confocal sensor . these sensors work on the principle of reflecting light from the film surface . when variations in the coating optical properties exist due to process operating conditions , sensor monitoring location , or properties of the pem itself , then a high performance triangulation sensor such as keyence lkg - 15 ( keyence — located woodcliff lake , n . j .) may be warranted . the keyence triangulation sensor provides a higher accuracy measurement with built in algorithms for measuring transparent and translucent films . variation in the transmission characteristics in both the cross direction ( cd ) and machine direction ( md ) may warrant a sensor adaptable to the different coating optical characteristics and the higher performance triangulation sensor can switch between different measurement modes . in general the majority of commercial triangulation sensors will produce a measurement error on materials that are transparent or translucent . if the film characteristics are constant , angling the triangulation sensor can reduce this error . however , sensor rotation for measurements on processes that have a high variability in the film characteristics is not an option . both the optical and ec sensors provide the required resolution to monitor pem films with expected thickness & gt ; 50 microns . the film thickness is obtained by taking the difference between the measured distances from the ec and optical displacement sensor . the sensors are housed in a purged enclosure , as shown in fig1 . purge gas ( clean air or n 2 ) is used for sensor cooling , cleaning , and maintaining a dust free optical path . cooling is required since the enclosure is positioned between 10 - 35 mm from the steam - heated creping cylinder . additional cooling can be used , if needed , by using a vortex or peltier cooler . purge gas exiting the enclosure forms a shielding gas around the measurement zone to minimize particulate matter and moisture . particulate matter can impact the optical measurement by attenuating both the launched and reflected light intensity . whereas moisture condensing on the light entrance and exit windows of the enclosure will cause attenuation and scattering . the ec sensor is immune to the presence of particulate matter and moisture . for industrial monitoring on a creping cylinder ( also known as a yankee dryer ), the sensor module shown in fig1 would be mounted on a translation stage as illustrated in fig2 . before installation , the positioning of the sensors must be calibrated on a flat substrate to obtain a zero measurement reading . this is necessary since the positioning of the ec and optical displacement sensor can be offset differently relative to the substrate surface . the calibration step is necessary to adjust the position of each sensor to insure a zero reading when no film is present . installation of the sensor module on the industrial process involves mounting the module at a distance in the correct range for both sensors to operate . by translating the module in the cd as the cylinder rotates a profile of the film thickness and quality can be processed and displayed . the processed results are then used for feedback control to activate the appropriate zone ( s ) for addition of pem , other chemicals , or vary application conditions , e . g ., flow rate , momentum , or droplet size . in addition , if the film quality ( thickness or uniformity ) cannot be recovered , then an alarm can be activated to alert operators of a serious problem , e . g ., cylinder warp , doctor blade damage or chatter , severe coating build - up , etc . finally , three measurement locations are identified in fig2 . measurements on the film thickness and quality can be made between the doctor and cleaning blade ( 1 ), after the cleaning blade ( 2 ), or before the web is pressed on to the cylinder ( 3 ). a single location or multiple locations can be monitored . laboratory results using the combination of ec and optical displacement ( triangulation ) sensor are shown in fig3 . in this case dynamic measurements are made on a 95 mm diameter cast iron cylinder rotating at ˜ 16 - 20 rpm ( revolutions per minute ). half of the cylinder was coated with pem . in the pem coated portion of the cylinder a bare spot (˜ 20 mm dia .) was made to simulate a defect region . fig3 shows the corrected signal ( eddy - triangulation ) starting in the bare metal region . translating the sensor combination to the coated region shows an average offset of ˜ 27 microns due to the coating . here the signal is negative , which represents a decrease in distance of 27 microns between the sensor and cylinder due to thickness of the coating . at 300 seconds the sensor combination was translated back to the bare metal area . initially the signal appears higher , (˜ 5 microns ) requiring further adjustment to position the sensors closer to the original measurement location . this anomaly is likely an artifact of the laboratory system because of the sensors not measuring the exact same area and the small radius of curvature with the small - scale setup . industrial monitoring on 14 - 18 ft diameter cylinders should minimize these effects , since the sensors would essentially view the cylinder as a flat plate . finally , a demonstration to detect the coating defect was made by translating the sensors at ˜ 375 seconds to the region containing the bare spot . here the average coating thickness measured was ˜ 30 microns . this is within 3 microns of the results from the region between 200 - 300 seconds . the appearance of a spike in the signal that approaches − 10 microns identifies the presence of a coating defect . as the bare spot rotates through the measurement zone the signal approaches 0 microns . the 10 micron offset measured is attributed to residual coating in the defect area . the results from fig3 are summarized in table 1 for corrected data as well as raw triangulation and ec data . recorded measurements from the ec and triangulation sensor are shown in fig4 for monitoring the bare metal region . the 40 - 50 micron oscillations observed in the measurement reflect the wobble in the cylinder rotation . by applying the correction ( ec - triangulation ) the wobble is reduced to ˜ 10 microns , as shown in fig5 . for industrial monitoring this variation will likely be reduced as the spatial location of the ec sensor approaches the optical displacement measurement spot and reduces the curvature effects . similarly fig6 and 7 show results for monitoring the coated region . in this case , the corrected data shown in fig7 has a variation between 15 - 20 microns . this larger variation in the data is likely due to surface non - homogeneities of the film . both frequency and amplitude analysis of the signal can provide information on the quality of the coating . the measurement spot size of the triangulation sensor is 30 microns . therefore , the triangulation sensor easily resolves non - uniformities in the surface . monitoring results from the coated region with the defect are shown in fig8 and 9 . the eddy current signal in fig8 does not show evidence of the defect . whereas the triangulation measurement indicates the presence of a defect by the sharp narrow spike . in the corrected signal shown in fig9 the sharp spike from the coating defect is easily resolved . another example showing the detection of uniformities is shown in fig1 . in this case , synchronous data collection was performed with a coated cylinder rotating at 59 rpm . the lhs figure shows a profile of the coating relative to the cylinder surface . the non - uniformity in the coating thickness is evident , but the surface is relatively smooth . the rhs figure shows the same coating subjected to chattering conditions through the interaction of a doctor blade and coating . comparing the two cases clearly shows the sensor system &# 39 ; s ability to capture degradation in the surface quality of the coating . detecting chattering events is critical on the yankee process to perform corrective maintenance that minimizes the impact on product quality and asset protection . moisture , which may affect the differential calculation , can also be accounted for ; specifically moisture can be calculated from the dielectric constant derived from a capacitance measurement . this data can be utilized to decide whether any change in thickness is a result of moisture or the lack of a coating . another way of looking at the capacitance is that it is a safeguard for a measurement obtained by the described differential method ; it provides a more in - depth analysis of the coating itself , e . g . behaviors of the coating such as glass transition temperature and modulus , which is useful in monitoring and controlling the coating on the creping cylinder surface . one method of accounting for moisture content in the coating is by looking at capacitance and another way is to utilize a moisture sensor . other techniques may be utilized by one of ordinary skill in the art . in one embodiment , the method incorporates a dedicated moisture sensor such as the one described in wo2006118619 based on optical absorption of h 2 o in the 1300 nm region , wherein said reference is herein incorporated by reference . this will give a direct measurement of the moisture level in the film without interferences that the capacitance monitor could experience due its dependence on the dielectic constant of both the coating and moisture . in another embodiment , the method additionally comprises : applying a capacitance probe to measure the moisture content of the coating ; comparing the capacitance measurement with the differential method measurement to determine the effect of moisture on the coating thickness ; and optionally adjusting the amount and distribution of the coating on the creping cylinder surface in response to the effect moisture has on thickness as determined by the differential method and / or adjust the amount of the coating . the method can use a module that houses multiple sensors as shown in fig1 . the module is similar to the one presented in fig1 , but with additional sensor elements . the module in fig1 includes a capacitance probe and an optical infrared temperature probe . capacitance probes such as lion precision , st . paul , minn . are widely used in high - resolution measurements of position or change of position of a conductive target . common applications in position sensing are in robotics and assembly of precision parts , dynamic motion analysis of rotating parts and tools , vibration measurements , thickness measurements , and in assembly testing where the presence or absence of metallic parts are detected . capacitance can also be used to measure certain characteristics of nonconductive materials such as coatings , films , and liquids . capacitance sensors utilize the electrical property of capacitance that exists between any two conductors that are in close proximity of each other . if a voltage is applied to two conductors that are separated from each other , an electric field will form between them due to the difference between the electric charges stored on the conductor surfaces . capacitance of the space between them will affect the field such that a higher capacitance will hold more charge and a lower capacitance will hold less charge . the greater the capacitance , the more current it takes to change the voltage on the conductors . the metal sensing surface of a capacitance sensor serves as one of the conductors . the target ( yankee drum surface ) is the other conductor . the driving electronics induces a continually changing voltage into the probe , for example a 10 khz square wave , and the resulting current required is measured . this current measurement is related to the distance between the probe and target if the capacitance between them is constant . where c is the capacitance ( f , farad ), ε is the dielectric property of the material in the gap between the conductors , a is the probe sensing area , and d is the gap distance . the dielectric property is proportional to the material &# 39 ; s dielectric constant as ε = ε r ε 0 , where ε r is the dielectric constant and ε 0 is the vacuum permittivity constant . for air , ε r = 1 . 006 and for water , ε r = 78 . depending on which two parameters are being held constant , the third can be determined from the sensor &# 39 ; s output . in the case of position , d is measured where air is usually the medium . for our application in yankee systems , the variability of ε r in the total gap volume is the measured parameter . in this case , the gap is composed of three main components air , film or coating that could also contain fibrous material , and moisture . a mixture dielectric constant can be expressed as where φ is the volume fraction with the subscript and superscript referencing the component material ( a = air , w = water , f = film ). using eq 1 and 2 the change in capacitance due to the presence of moisture is given by where c fw is the capacitance for film containing moisture and c f is the dry film . taking the log and rearranging eq . 3 an expression for the volume fraction on moisture is given by for monitoring the yankee film , the mixture capacitance c fw is measured directly with the capacitance probe . the temperature dependent dielectric constant for water is obtained from literature values . the volume fraction of moisture is then obtained by knowing the dry film capacitance , which can be determined from the film thickness measurement using the optical sensor and knowing the dielectric constant of the film . the average dielectric constant for the gap volume is proportionally composed of that for air and the coating . the more coating in the gap , the larger the average dielectric constant is . by controlling d and a , any sensitivity and range can be obtained . because capacitance is sensitive to the moisture content of the coating , it may be difficult to separate out variation in coating thickness from changes in moisture content . by incorporating the set of sensors ( ec , optical displacement , and capacitance ) in the module shown in fig1 , this information provides a means of cross checking the film thickness and information on the moisture content of the coating . the ec sensor provides a baseline reference distance for real - time correction used in both the optical displacement and capacitance . the capacitance averages over a much larger area compared to the optical probe . for example , a capacitance probe using a gap distance of 0 . 005 m would use a 19 mm diameter sensing probe head . the measurement area would be 30 % larger than the probe head . whereas optical displacement probes measure an area of 20 microns to 850 microns depending on the probe used . the higher resolution measurement from the optical probes will show sensitivity to smaller variation on the coating surface . however , the average measurement from the optical probe over a larger area will give similar results as the capacitance . differences between the capacitance and optical probe reading can then be attributed to moisture content in the film provided the dielectric constant of the coating is known . an infrared ( ir ) temperature probe such as omega ( stamford , connecticut ) model os36 - 3 - t - 240f can provide useful information on the temperature profile of the creping cylinder . since pem &# 39 ; s will respond differently depending on temperature , temperature information can be used to adjust the chemical composition and level of pems applied to the cylinder . in one embodiment , the method further comprises : ( a ) applying an ir temperature probe to measure the temperature profile of the creping cylinder ; ( b ) applying an ir temperature probe to measure the coating temperature needed to correct for the temperature dependent moisture dielectric constant ; and ( c ) applying the corrected moisture dielectric constant to the capacitance measurement to determine the correct coating moisture concentration . the addition of the ir temperature probe in the sensor module provides information on the temperature profile of the crepe cylinder . this is useful in identifying temperature non - uniformities on the crepe cylinder . in addition , the temperature can be used to correct the dielectric constant of the coating . for example , the dielectric constant for water can vary from 80 . 1 ( 20 ° c .) to 55 . 3 ( 100 ° c .). in one embodiment , the method further comprises applying an ultrasonic sensor to measure the modulus of the coating , and optionally wherein the modulus value is used to measure the hardness of the coating . the ultrasonic sensor is used to detect the viscoelastic property of the coating . the propagation of sound wave ( reflection and attenuation ) through the film will depend on the film quality , e . g ., hard versus soft . information on the film properties can be used for feedback to a spray system for controlling the spray level or adjusting the spray chemistry , e . g ., dilution level , to optimize the viscoelastic film property . as stated above , an interferometer may be utilized in measuring thickness . other analytical techniques , such as the ones described in this disclosure can be utilized in conjunction with an interferometry method . in addition , the differential method can be used in conjunction with a methodology that utilizes an interferometer to measure thickness of the coating . in one embodiment , the method uses interferometry to monitor the coating thickness . if the coating has sufficient transmission , then the use of multiple sensors can be reduced to a single probe head as illustrated in fig1 . in this case , light is transported to the probe by fiber optic cable . reflected light from both surfaces of the film is collected back into the fiber probe for processing to extract coating thickness information . several different techniques can be used for processing the collected light . industrial instruments such as scalar technologies ltd . ( livingston , west lothian , uk ) uses a spectral interferometry technique based on measuring the wavelength dependent fringe pattern . the number of fringes is dependent on the film thickness . alternatively , lumetrics inc . ( west henrietta , n . y .) instrument based on a modified michelson interferometer determines thickness based on the difference in measured peaks resulting from each surface . monitoring the coating on the crepe cylinder with an interferometry probe can be made at any of the locations illustrated in fig2 . the main requirement is that the film has sufficient transmission for the light to reflect off the internal surface , i . e ., near the substrate . one unique feature of the interferometry measurement is the ability to measure coating layers . this capability can be utilized at monitoring location 3 shown in fig2 . at this location the coating is not fully dry and is free from process disturbances such as from the pressure roll that applies the tissue sheet to the creping cylinder , direct contact with the web , doctor blade , and cleaning blade . an interferometry sensor at this location provides the thickness of the freshly applied coating . this aids in knowing the spatial distribution of the coating prior to any disturbances . for example , knowing the coating thickness before and after process disturbances can identify inefficiencies in the spray system , areas experiencing excessive wear , or other dynamic changes . as stated above , the methodologies of the present disclosure provide for optionally adjusting the application rate of said coating in one or more defined zones of said creping cylinder to provide a uniformly thick coating in response to the thickness of said coating . various types of apparatuses can carry out this task . in one embodiment , the method controls the spray zones based on measurements collected during normal operating conditions . for example , measurements from the sensor or sensor ( s ) discussed above are used to establish a baseline profile on the crepe cylinder . the baseline data is then used to track process variances . upper and lower control limits established around the baseline profile data ( film thickness , film quality , moisture level , viscoelasticity , temperature , etc .) is used to track when process deviations occur . if any of the process monitoring parameters falls outside the limits , then corrective action is taken with the zone control spray application system . in another embodiment , the plurality of apparatuses are translated across the yankee dryer / creping cylinder to provide profiles of thickness and / or moisture content and / or temperature , and / or modulus . in another embodiment , the plurality of apparatuses are located between a crepe blade and a cleaning blade , after the cleaning blade , or prior to a tissue web being pressed into the coating , or any combination of the above . in another embodiment , the plurality of apparatuses are purged with a clean gas to prevent fouling , mist interference , dust interference , overheating , or a combination thereof	3
referring to fig1 and 2 , the fastener of this invention includes a first fastening member 5 located in a plug 3 and a latch cavity 15 formed in a rear wall of a receptacle 11 located in a socket 1 . the socket 1 has a casing 10 housing the receptacle 11 therein and a power cable 17 at one end of the casing 10 for connecting with an electric device desired . beside the rear wall , the receptacle 11 has two side walls , a top opening and a front opening which has two side flanges 111 for holding the plug 33 securely in the receptacle 11 . inside the receptacle 11 , there is an insert 13 which has a pair of spaced conductive terminals 131 that in turn have a bottom end electrically connecting with the power cable 17 . the terminals 131 may couple with the plug 3 vertically from the top opening as shown in fig1 . the insert 13 may also be turned 90 degrees to have the terminals 131 laid horizontally to couple directly with an external power source through the front opening . the plug 3 includes a power source end 31 upon which two or three power terminals 311 may be provided to couple with an external power source and a body 33 for being mounted into the receptacle 11 . at the bottom of the body 33 , there are slots ( not shown in the figures ) engageable with the terminals 131 to establish electrical connection between the external power source with the electric device through the power terminals 311 , terminals 131 and power cable 17 . at the engaged position , the first fastening member 5 engages with the latch cavity 15 as shown in fig2 . following description will offer more details of their structural relationship . the first fastening member 5 is movable in a fastener slot 35 formed in a top wall of the body 33 . it has a first button 51 at the top thereof and a first latch bar 53 at the bottom . the first latch bar 53 further has a latch head 531 with a slant - in front side at one end and a latch tail 533 at another end . the latch tail 533 further engages with a spring strip 7 which is fixed to a first spring mounting 331 extended from the rear wall of the body 33 . when the plug 3 is not in use and is separated from the socket 1 as shown in fig1 the spring strip 7 restrains the latch bar 53 at the latch tail 533 to have the latch head 531 protruding out of the rear wall of the body 33 . while sliding the body 33 of the plug 3 into the receptacle 11 of the socket 1 , the slant front side of the latch head 531 is firstly pushed by the rear wall to move the latch bar 53 backward against the spring strip 7 , and the latch bar 53 resumes its original state ( as shown in fig2 ) as soon as the latch head 531 engages with the latch cavity 15 . at the position shown in fig2 the spring strip 7 presses the latch tail 533 to its original state so that the latch bar 53 may engage securely with the latch cavity 15 . the plug 3 thus may be held securely in the receptacle 11 of the socket 1 . when there is a need to disengage the electric device from the power source , the first button 51 is pushed in the direction toward the latch tail 533 . upon moving the first button 51 backward , the latch head 531 will be moved away from the latch cavity 15 . the plug 3 is then free to move out of the receptacle 11 . the first button 51 may be made in a desirable size and shape to make the operation simple and easy . in another embodiment of the fastener ( not shown in figures ), the latch cavity 15 may be located in a side wall of the receptacle 11 rather than in the aforesaid rear wall shown in fig1 . in such an event , the latch bar 53 and latch head 531 should also be arranged correspondingly to engage with a side latch cavity . the spring strip 7 may be made of selective material and size for providing the latch bar 53 with adequate strength in engaging with the latch cavity 15 . the latch cavity 15 and the latch head 531 may be formed in any desired shape such as wedge , barrel , square , triangle and the like . due to the material property of the metal used for spring strip 7 , enough engaging force can be provided for the fastener of the present invention , and the fatigue and rupture problem in a conventional plastic - made fastener can be avoided . the first button 51 may be located at the top of the body 33 and can be arranged far away from the engaging position of the plug 3 and the socket 1 . such an arrangement offers more flexibility in the design on the dimension and shape of the plug 3 and the socket 1 . fig3 illustrates another embodiment of this invention . the insert 13 has an insert body 130 that has angular recesses 133 formed symmetrically in the front , bottom and rear sides thereof . on the rear wall of the receptacle 11 and below the latch cavity 15 , there is a positioning bulge 107 which is engageable with one of the angular recesses 133 so that the insert 13 may be positioned in the socket casing 10 precisely and quickly at a desired angle . fig3 also shows an embodiment variation of this invention . at opposing lateral sides of the insert body 130 , there are two spring bores 139 formed therein ; bore one 139 on each lateral side . each spring bore 139 is used to hold a spring 135 and a spring head 137 . the spring head 137 has one end forming a spindle manner which is pivotally engageable with one of two apertures 103 located in the corresponding lateral walls of the receptacle 11 . therefore , the insert 13 may be pivotally held in the receptacle 11 by means of the spring heads 137 . the insert 13 is then able to turn about the apertures 103 from a vertical position to a horizontal position . the socket casing 10 has a pair of respective terminal slots 101 below the insert 13 to enable the lower portion of the terminals 131 be accommodated therein when the insert 13 is turned . the terminal slots 101 may have conductive contact with the lower ends of the terminals 131 and also forming conductive connection with the power cable 17 . in order to make the rotation of the rotational insert 13 smooth and durable , the rear wall of the receptacle 11 may form a tongue - shaped elastic arm 105 with the positioning bulge 107 located at the free end of the arm 105 . the elastic arm 105 may be formed by cutting a u - shaped through groove in the rear wall of the socket casing 10 . the bulge 107 is thus capable of elastic engagement with one of the angular recesses 133 when the insert 13 rotates and contacts against the arm 105 . of course , in the embodiment of the recesses 133 and bulge 107 , the position of the angular recesses 133 and the positioning bulge 107 may be switched with each other and still achieve same result . that is , the bulges are formed on the locations where the recesses 133 are located and a recess is formed on the location where the bulge 107 is located . fig4 illustrates a further embodiment of this invention . in the receptacle 11 , there is provided with a horizontal stop bar 109 located above the insert 13 ; so that any undesirable objects may be prevented from dropping into the receptacle 11 and making contact with the insert 13 . in this embodiment , the plug body 33 should have a respective slot opening to enable the stop bar 109 to pass through during assembly . fig5 and 6 show yet another embodiment of this invention for the socket 1 engaging with a conversion plug 4 capable of converting outlet of the aforesaid insert 13 to another type of outlet for connecting with a different power supply . the engagement of the conversion plug 4 and the receptacle 11 is mostly like the one set forth above . however in the casing 40 , there is a conversion socket 41 that may couple with the terminals in the socket 1 to establish an electric link . the conversion socket 41 is preferably made by any standard specification such as a two - port type , three - port type , or any other type that conforms industry standards . in the conversion plug 4 as shown , there is a movable second fastening member 43 that includes a second button 431 exposed outside the plug 4 and a second latch bar 433 , in which the second latch bar 433 also has a latch head engageable with the socket casing 10 and a latch tail 7 engageable with a spring like the embodiment shown in fig2 . both embodiments ( i . e ., those in fig2 and 6 ) basically provide the same function and effect already set forth above . the main difference is the size and location of the second button 431 and the first button 51 . apparently , in the application of the present invention , the location and the size of the fastener can be various embodied , and be determined upon deciding the power supply types and design requirements . it may thus be seen that the objects of the present invention set forth herein , as well as those made apparent from the foregoing description , are efficiently attained . while the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for purpose of disclosure , modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
the cleavage procedure in the present invention for liberating the desired peptide from the solid support ( resin ) after the completion of peptide assembly is described in detail . the cleavage apparatus shown in fig1 is used as a typical embodiment of the present invention . step ( 1 ): after solid - phase peptide synthesis in a continuous flow method , i . e ., acylation ( coupling ) and subsequent removal of the nα - protecting group , is complete , the column used for the synthesis , as such , is attached to the cleavage apparatus shown in fig1 as a synthesis reaction column 1 . when a solid - phase peptide synthesis is conducted in a batch - wise manner , the resulting peptidyl resin is packed in the reaction column 1 . step ( 2 ): as washing liquids , methanol , t - butyl methyl ether and diethyl ether , in this order , are supplied to the synthesis reaction column 1 through line i to wash the peptidyl resin obtained . alternatively , each washing liquid may be supplied from a funnel 2 to a flask 3 and further to the synthesis reaction column 1 to wash the peptidyl resin . after washing , the resulting waste liquid is discharged through line e . by supplying nitrogen gas 8 under increased pressure to the synthesis reaction column 1 through the line f , purging the synthesis reaction column 1 and discharging the gas through line g , the peptidyl resin in the synthesis reaction column 1 is dried . it is also possible to dry the peptidyl resin by supplying nitrogen gas 7 , in place of nitrogen gas 8 , under increased pressure to the synthesis reaction column 1 through lines a , b , c and d , purging the synthesis reaction column 1 and discharging the gas through line e . however , when peptide synthesis is conducted in a batch - wise manner and the dry resin can be packed in the reaction column 1 , this operation may be omitted . step ( 3 ): by supplying nitrogen gas 8 under increased pressure to the synthesis reaction column 1 through line f and discharging it through line g , the inside of synthesis reaction column 1 is dried . step ( 4 ): the cleavage cocktail is supplied from the funnel 2 to the flask 3 ( preferably eggplant - type flask ). the cleavage cocktail in the flask 3 enters the synthesis reaction column 1 through lines c and d . the lines c and d function as cleavage cocktail transport lines in the cleavage apparatus . it is necessary to control the temperature in the flask 3 in some cases , depending on the type of the peptide which is subject to cleavage and the type of side chain protecting groups . in this case , cooling or heating is added as necessary using an outside bath 6 whose temperature can be controlled by a microprocessor . for example , when amino acids constituting the peptide are acid - labile , it is preferable to cool the cleavage cocktail to about 4 ° c . before its injection into the synthesis reaction column 1 to prevent side reactions . although it is sometimes preferable to change the temperature over time , for example , at the initial and intermediate stages of reaction , all these conditions depend on the type of the peptide which is subject to cleavage and the type of side chain protecting groups , and preferable conditions for each case are known to those skilled in the art . usually , a cooled cleavage cocktail is commonly used at the initial stage . step ( 5 ): nitrogen gas 8 is supplied under increased pressure to the synthesis reaction column 1 through the line f , to return the cleavage cocktail , which has entered the synthesis reaction column 1 in step ( 4 ), to the flask 3 through the above - described cleavage cocktail transport lines ( i . e ., lines d and c ). step ( 6 ): the cleavage cocktail in the flask 3 is again injected into the synthesis reaction column 1 through the cleavage cocktail transport lines ( i . e ., lines c and d ). step ( 7 ): the above - described steps ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) are repeated in about 9 to 18 cycles ( for about 90 minutes at intervals of about 5 to 10 minutes ) to complete cleavage for the desired peptide . it is necessary , however , to take longer intervals than usual , i . e ., for about 5 to 8 hours at intervals of about 20 to 30 minutes , when the desired peptide contains arg ( mtr ) or arg ( pmc ) residues . step ( 8 ): after completion of cleavage , nitrogen gas 8 is supplied under increased pressure through the line f as necessary to completely return the cleavage cocktail to the flask 3 . co - washing is performed . specifically , after a small amount of tfa or acetic acid for washing is supplied from the funnel 4 to the synthesis reaction column 1 through the line h , nitrogen gas 8 is supplied under increased pressure to the synthesis reaction column 1 through the line f to purge the cleavage cocktail remaining in the resin in the column , along with the above - described tfa or acetic acid , into the flask 3 . next , nitrogen gas 7 is supplied to the flask 3 through lines a and b , followed by bubbling under cooling conditions ( under 10 ° c . ). at this time valve 12 is closed to allow exhaust through line j . the peptide concentration in the cleavage cocktail can be increased by this procedure . in some cases , this procedure increases the peptide yield . step ( 9 ): dry diethyl ether is added to the flask 3 from the funnel 2 . alternatively , diethyl ether is supplied from the funnel 4 to the flask 3 through the line d . also , diethyl ether can be supplied to the flask 3 with a pump 13 or by application of increased pressure on the bottle of diethyl ether through the lines i and c . in these cases , nitrogen gas 8 or 9 is supplied to the flask 3 through the lines f , d and c or lines i and c , followed by stirring with bubbling . during this operation it is preferable to cool the flask 3 using the outside bath 6 . although the time required for this procedure is about 0 . 5 hours , the peptide yield may increase in some cases when the flask 3 is kept standing under cooling conditions overnight . as needed , when the desired peptide is aliphatic or not solidified by diethyl ether , petroleum ether or n - hexane can be used in combination with or in place of diethyl ether . after the above procedure , the flask 3 is detached , and the precipitate therein is collected by filtration , which is then dried to yield the desired peptide in a crude form . step ( 10 ): the resulting crude peptide is purified by an appropriate conventional method . in the above - described steps ( 1 ) through ( 10 ), each valve operation , pressure control , reagent addition and other operations can be automated , for example , using a computer . the present invention is hereinafter described in more detail by means of the following working example , but the present invention is not limited by it . the desired peptide , his - lys - thr - asp - ser - phe - val - gly - leu - met - nh 2 ( seq id no : 1 ), is synthesized by an ordinary continuous flow synthesis using the following resin : resin : tentagel sram ™ ( manufactured by rapp polymer germany ) to remove nαfmoc group , piperidine ( 20 % in dmf ) is used . the following amino acid derivatives are used in 4 - fold excess : ______________________________________fmoc - met - oh 6 . 24 gfmoc - leu - oh 5 . 94 gfmoc - gly - oh 4 . 99 gfmoc - val - oh 5 . 70 gfmoc - phe - oh 6 . 51 gfmoc - ser ( tbu )- oh 6 . 44 gfmoc - asp ( otbu )- oh 6 . 91 gfmoc - thr ( tbu )- oh 6 . 68 gfmoc - lys ( boc )- oh 7 . 87 gfmoc - his ( trt )- oh 10 . 41 g______________________________________ each coupling is carried out with reagents bop ( benzotriazol - 1 - yl - oxy - tris ( dimethylamino ) phosphonium hexafluorophosphate ), hobt ( 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ) and nmm ( n - methylmorpholine ) in the presence of dmf as a reaction solvent . after the nα fmoc group is removed , the peptide is cleaved from the solid support and side chain protecting groups are simultaneously removed using the cleavage apparatus of the present invention shown in fig1 . specifically , the column used for peptide synthesis , as such , is first attached to the cleavage apparatus shown in fig1 as the synthesis reaction column 1 ( above - described step ( 1 )). next , methanol , t - butyl methyl ether and diethyl ether , as washing liquids , are supplied in this order from the funnel 2 to the flask 3 ( eggplant - type flask ) and then to the synthesis reaction column 1 to wash the peptidyl resin , instead of supplying them to the synthesis reaction column 1 through line i . after washing , the waste liquid is discarded through line e ( above - described step ( 2 )). furthermore , to discard the ether remaining in the flask 3 , the flask 3 is replaced with a new one before proceeding to the next step . next , nitrogen gas 7 is supplied under increased pressure through line a , passed through lines b , c and d , and then discharged through line e to dry the inside of the synthesis reaction column 1 ( above - described step ( 3 )), after which a cleavage cocktail ( a mixture of 94 % tfa , 5 % anisole and 1 % ethanedithiol , 150 ml ) is supplied from the funnel 4 to the flask 3 . nitrogen gas 7 is supplied under increased pressure through line a , and the cleavage cocktail in the flask 3 is transferred to the synthesis reaction column 1 through cleavage cocktail transport lines ( lines c and d ) to fill the synthesis reaction column 1 therewith ( above - described step ( 4 )). nitrogen gas 8 is supplied under increased pressure to the synthesis reaction column 1 through line f , and the cleavage cocktail , which has entered the synthesis reaction column 1 , is returned to the 1000 - ml flask 3 through cleavage cocktail transport lines ( lines d and c ) ( above - described step ( 5 )). next , the cleavage cocktail in the flask 3 is again injected to the synthesis reaction column 1 through cleavage cocktail transport lines ( lines c and d ) ( above - described step ( 6 )). the procedures of the above - described steps ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) are repeated for about 90 minutes at intervals of about 5 to 10 minutes to complete the cleavage of the desired peptide ( above - described step ( 7 )). after completion of cleavage , nitrogen gas 8 is supplied through line f to purge the cleavage cocktail into the flask 3 ( above - described step ( 8 )). nitrogen gas 7 is supplied to the flask 3 through lines a and b , and while bubbling , a part of the cleavage cocktail is removed to reduce its volume ( above - described step ( 9 )). during this operation the flask 3 is cooled using the outside bath 6 . in this example , the above - described procedures are automatically performed using a computer . next , 850 ml of dry diethyl ether are added from the funnel 2 to the flask 3 , and the flask is kept standing under cooling conditions for 3 hours . then , the flask 3 , in which the peptide precipitates , is detached , and the precipitate is collected by filtration and dried to yield 5 g of the desired peptide in a crude form . the crude peptide is subject to sequence analysis to confirm the desired amino acid sequence . in addition , fab - ms using kratos ms50 reveals a mass number [ m + h ] + of 1134 . 5 . reverse phase hplc trace of this crude peptide is shown in fig2 . the present invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . __________________________________________________________________________sequence listing ( 1 ) general information :( iii ) number of sequences : 1 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 1 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 10 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( iii ) hypothetical : no ( v ) fragment type : internal ( ix ) feature :( a ) name / key : modified - site ( b ) location : 10 ( d ) other information : / label = amidated / note =&# 34 ; c - terminal methionine is amidated .&# 34 ;( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 1 : hislysthraspserphevalglyleumet1510	2
reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . a system package can be used by integrating a system on package ( sop ), a system in package ( sip ), and a multi - chip module ( mcm ). hereinafter , the various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . when inserting reference numerals into the constituents in the respective drawings , although the constituents are illustrated in different drawings , so far as the constituents are the same , they are described to have the same reference numeral , where possible . the detailed description for the well - known function and constitution , judged to make the gist of the invention obscure , will be omitted . fig2 is a cross - sectional view showing a system package using flexible opto - electric wiring according to one embodiment of the present invention . the system package includes a first rigid substrate 200 , a flexible substrate 210 , and a second rigid substrate 220 . the rigid substrate can be made of thermosetting resin , ceramic , teflon and similar materials , for example , it can be made of thermosetting epoxy resin ( fr - 4 ) called by ‘ prepreg ’. the flexible substrate can be made of polyimide or similar materials . a point of reference between the rigidity and flexibility of the substrates is the possibility of substrate warpage . that is , the rigid substrate is not bent three - dimensionally after being hardened , except to a very minor extent . on the other hand , the flexible substrate is the sheet of film - type materials and is characteristic of three - dimensionally bent and curved substrate . the flexible substrate , according to the invention , can be manufactured by the following process . first , optical waveguide sheets , comprised of the metal thin - film mirror tilted to the left or right , are laminated in the flexible substrate and electrically wired . then the flexible substrate is inserted into the middle of the rigid substrate . the mechanical alignment or connection between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate is made by using guide pins and holes ( not shown in fig2 ). on the other hand , the electrical connection between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate is performed by via holes ( not shown in fig2 ). the first rigid substrate 200 and the second rigid substrate 220 include a light source 202 , a photo detector 222 , a first integrated circuit 204 , a second integrated circuit 224 , a mirror 206 , and a package cover 226 . the flexible substrate 210 includes an optical waveguide 212 and an electrical wire 214 . referring to fig2 , the first rigid substrate 200 and the second rigid substrate 220 are connected by using the flexible substrate 210 that can be easily bent , thereby forming the system package . although not shown in the drawing , the integrated circuit is formed on the flexible substrate , and the integrated circuit system package can be configured of only the flexible substrate . further , one system package can be formed in a desired structure by using the plurality of rigid substrates 200 / 220 and the plurality of flexible substrates 210 . the first rigid substrate 200 includes a light source 202 that is an optical integrated element and comprises a first integrated circuit 204 that is configured of a digital integrated circuit , an analog integrated circuit , and a high frequency integrated circuit . the first integrated circuits 204 are mounted on the inside and outside of the first rigid substrate 200 and can be electrically connected through a system board 230 and an electric socket 232 that exist on the outside . the data signals input by the external system board 230 are applied to the first integrated circuits 204 through an internal electrical wire 214 in the first rigid substrate 200 and the data signals received in the first integrated circuit 204 are processed using the processor in the inside of the integrated circuit , electric - optic converted , and then transmitted to the optical waveguide 212 of the flexible substrate 210 via the light source 202 . the flexible substrate 210 comprises the electrical wire 214 and the optical waveguide 212 and the electrical wire 214 can be used for low - speed data transmission , a control signal line , a power supply line , and a ground line , and the like . the optical waveguide 212 can be used for high - speed data transmission , clock and control signal lines , and the like . thereby , the optical signal transmitted at high - speed through the optical waveguide 212 has no signal interference between the signal lines , unlike the high - speed electrical signals , making it possible to make the transmission length long . the second rigid substrate 220 receives the optical signals transmitted by the first rigid substrate 100 via the flexible substrate 210 through the photo detector 222 and the received signals are opto - electric - converted using the second integrated circuit 224 , processed according to the processor inside of the integrated circuit , and transmitted to the external system board 230 . at this time , in order to transmit the optical signals passing through the light source 202 and the photo detector 222 of the first and second rigid substrates 200 and 220 to the optical waveguide 212 of the flexible substrate 210 , a mirror 206 is installed inside of the first and second rigid substrates 200 and 220 at a predetermined angle ( for example , 45 °), thereby transmitting and receiving the signals without loss . the first and second integrated circuits 204 and 224 may be formed with various electronic elements such as capacitors , inductors , and resistors , and the like and the first and second integrated circuits 204 and 224 use a package cover 226 such that they can be protected from foreign materials such as dust . the package is formed in an order of the rigid substrate - flexible substrate - rigid substrate , but it is not particularly limited thereto . therefore , the package may be formed of the rigid substrate having the integrated circuit mounted thereon and the flexible substrate having the integrated circuit mounted thereon or may be formed of only the flexible substrate having the integrated circuit mounted thereon . fig3 and 4 are a view showing the structure of the system package using the bending properties of the flexible substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention . fig3 shows a vertically stacked system package , and fig4 shows plane type of system package ( i . e ., formed on a plane ). fig5 is a view showing a computer having a system package mounted therein according to one embodiment of the present invention . a system package 400 can be effectively installed in a small space by using the flexible opto - electric wiring . the flexible opto - electric wiring comprises the optical waveguides and the electrical wires that are formed on the inside and outside of the flexible substrate that can be easily bent . fig6 is a view showing a system package using flexible opto - electric wiring including an auxiliary device according to another embodiment of the present invention . the system package may comprise at least one auxiliary device 500 formed between the vertically stacked rigid substrates 300 as shown in fig3 or fig5 . the auxiliary device 500 is not particularly limited , but may comprise a heat dissipation device ( heat sink ) and an electromagnetic wave shielding device , and the like . according to the installation of the auxiliary device 500 , the errors in signals caused by the electromagnetic wave interference due to the heat and signals , which are generated by the integrated circuits 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 are prevented , making it possible to accurately transmit data . fig7 is a flow chart showing the signal processing method of the integrated circuit system package according to another embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig7 , at step s 600 , the high - speed data signals are applied from an external system board having the integrated circuit system package mounted thereon to the inside of the first rigid substrate via an electrical socket . at step s 610 , which includes electrical to optical conversion , the data signals applied to the inside of the first rigid substrate are processed through the first integrated circuit mounted on the rigid substrate via the wiring substrate and the processed electrical signals are converted into the optical signals . at step s 620 , which includes transmitting the signals , the converted optical signals are transmitted through the optical waveguides of the flexible substrate via the light source and transmitted to the photodetector of the second rigid substrate connected to the flexible substrate . at this time , the interference between the signals is minimized at the time of transmitting the data at high speed through the transmission of the optical signals , such that the data transmission length is not limited and the data can be transmitted up to a long distance . at step s 630 , the optical signals received from the first rigid substrate are converted into the electrical signals in the second integrated circuit , processed through the processor of the second integrated circuit , and transmitted to the external system ( s 640 ). in other words , the signals processed through the processor of the second integrated circuit can be transmitted to a third rigid substrate through the second flexible substrate or transmitted to the external system board having the second rigid substrate mounted thereon through the electrical socket . further , the electrical signals processed in the second rigid substrate are reversely subjected to the above processes and transmitted to the first rigid substrate , making it possible to process them in parallel with each other by using all the processors of the first integrated circuit and the second integrated circuit . while the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed for carrying out this invention .	7
as shown in fig1 a fastener 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a substantially cylindrical head 12 and a shaft 14 , coaxial with the substantially cylindrical head 12 , and extending from a longitudinal end of the head 12 . the head 12 is preferably formed from a resilient material that is preferably injection molded over the shaft 14 . of course , it is within the scope of the invention to securely affix the head 12 to the shaft 14 using other known expedients , such as adhesives or mechanical couplings . the shaft 14 preferably has a pointed end 16 and a helical thread 18 provided thereon so that the fastener 10 can be threaded into a vertical support . the head 12 preferably includes an ergonomic gripping element in the form of an annular indentation 19 approximate the shaft , allowing a user to comfortably and securely grip the head 12 by placing his or her thumb and index finger in the indentation 19 . the resilient material of the head 12 combined with its ergonomic shape uniquely enables the fastener 10 of the present invention to be gripped and driven into a vertical support ( wall ) by hand , without the use of tools . the grip also facilitates increased stability while the push - pin is being thrust into the support . while the use of the threads 18 is not necessary , the threads 18 will make it easier for the fastener 10 to be driven into the vertical support by the user ( manually twisting the fastener ) and will also provide additional surface area to retain the fastener 10 in the vertical support once installed . the head 12 also includes a substantially flat longitudinal end surface 20 adapted to abut a flat surface of a wall or a vertical support and includes a plurality of resilient , annular projections 22 axially distributed therealong from the opposite longitudinal end 24 of the head . as shown in fig2 once the fastener 10 has been driven into a support 26 the annular projections 22 are provided to mount an object 28 to the support 26 . the object 28 includes a hole or channel 30 extending into a substantially flat end surface 32 thereof , where the hole or channel 30 includes upper and lower walls 34 , 36 and where the distance between the upper and lower walls 34 , 36 is slightly less than the diameter of the projections 22 of the fastener such than when the hole or channel 30 of the object 28 is pressed against the head 12 of the fastener , 10 as shown by arrows a , the resilient projections 22 will deform somewhat allowing the head 12 to be received within the hole or channel 30 . when the head 12 is received within the hole or channel 30 , the resilient projections 22 provide a friction fit between the head 12 and the walls 34 , 36 of the hole or channel 30 , thereby facilitating in mounting the object 28 to the support 26 . referring back to fig1 the circumferential leading edges 37 of the annular projections 22 are preferably tapered to facilitate easy insertion of the head 12 into the hole or channel 30 . because of the unique design of the head 12 , the object 28 may be easily mounted to the support 26 , without necessitating the use of hand tools , such as hammers , screwdrivers , drills , etc . of course , one may use such hand tools and still fall within the scope of the invention as defined herein . the friction fit between the head 12 and the object 28 also facilitates removal of the object 28 from the support 26 without necessitating the use of any hand tools since the friction fit provided by the head does not necessarily “ lock ” the object 28 to the fastener 10 . referring again to fig2 the longitudinal end surface 20 of the fastener abutting the support 26 assures uniform distance from the surface of support 26 to the opposite longitudinal end 24 of the fastener ; and when the flat longitudinal end surface 20 hits the flat surface of the support 26 as the user is manually pushing the fastener into the support , the user will be assured that the fastener is successfully and securely installed . in an exemplary embodiment of the fastener 10 , the head 12 is molded from a resilient plastic material such as nylon 66 ; the diameters of the annular projections are approximately 12 mm ; the axial length of the head is approximately 12 mm ; and the shaft 14 is heat treated # 1022 carbon steel and extends approximately 15 mm from the longitudinal end 20 of the head . of course , those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other suitable materials and dimensions for the fastener may be used , while still falling within the scope of the invention as defined herein . with such an exemplary embodiment , a hole or channel 30 will be approximately 15 mm deep and have a spacing of approximately 10 to approximately 11 mm between the upper and lower walls 34 , 36 . again , other suitable dimensions will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art , while still falling within the scope of the invention defined herein . as shown in fig3 - 5 , an example object to be mounted to a vertical support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a comer shelf 38 . the corner shelf 38 is a triangular shaped , planar board having a pair of substantially flat side edges 40 , 42 meeting at a 90 ° angle . milled within each of these edges 40 , 42 is a substantially rectangular ( in cross - section ) channel 44 , providing an upper wall 46 and a lower wall 48 within the channel 44 . the remaining edge 50 of the triangular board may include beveled surfaces for decorative purposes . as shown in fig6 the comer shelf 38 may be mounted to a comer formed by two adjoining walls 52 , 54 according to the following steps . first , a straight edge is held against a first one of the walls 52 at a desired height and a light pencil line 56 is drawn along the top of the straight edge . this step is repeated for the other wall 54 to provide line 58 . next , at least two of the fasteners 10 are driven into each wall 52 , 54 along the pencil lines 56 , 58 . preferably , one of the fasteners should be two inches out from the comer and the other should be 1 inch in from the end of the comer shelf &# 39 ; s mounting slot 44 . the remaining step is to push the comer shelf 38 against the exposed heads of the fasteners 10 as shown by arrow b in fig6 such that the mounting slot 44 is pressed against each of the exposed heads of the fasteners 10 and such that the projections on each of the exposed heads of the fasteners 10 deform to allow the heads to be received within the slot 44 , thereby providing a friction fit between the exposed heads of the fasteners 10 and the slot 44 . this friction fit securely mounts the corner shelf 38 to the corner formed by the two walls , 52 , 54 . the fasteners 10 provide a friction fit with the corner shelf 38 to prevent the shelf from easily pulling away from the walls , 52 , 54 , while also providing a load bearing capability , so that the comer shelf 38 may bear a substantial surface load ( the shelf 38 of the exemplary embodiment is rated at 25 lbs .). it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the use of more fasteners 10 will allow the comer shelf 38 to bear an even greater load . the annular projections 22 of the fasteners 10 provide a sufficient amount of axial surface area for the friction fit between the fasteners 10 and the slot 44 where it is not necessary for the angle between the two walls 52 , 54 to be absolutely square ( one will realize that many corners in homes or offices are not absolutely square when using the exemplary embodiment ). as shown in fig7 an alternate object for mounting to a vertical support is a straight shelf 60 having a horizontal channel 62 milled into the substantially flat longitudinal end surface 64 of the shelf . this channel 62 is adapted to receive a plurality of the fasteners 10 previously secured into a vertical support . the fasteners 10 provide a friction fit within the channel 62 , thereby securely mounting the shelf 60 to the vertical support . in this embodiment , the shelf also includes a pair of brackets 66 extending downward from a lower surface 68 of the shelf , where the brackets 66 are adapted to abut the vertical support when the shelf is mounted to the vertical support using the fasteners 10 , thereby preventing the shelf 60 from pivoting downward on the fasteners 10 . the above two shelves 38 , 60 are merely examples of objects that can be mounted to a vertical support using the fasteners 10 . it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the fasteners of the present invention may also be used to mount other types of objects to other types of supports ( even horizontal supports such as ceilings ), while still falling within the scope of the present invention . for example , the system of the present invention may be obviously adapted to mount picture frames , towel hooks , wall accessories , and decorations . it is not necessary for the head of the fastener to be cylindrical . as shown in fig8 one alternate embodiment of the fastener 68 includes a head 70 that is substantially rectangular in cross - section and a threaded shaft 72 affixed to , and extending from the geometric center of the rectangle . the head 70 includes a plurality of rib projections 74 extending from an upper surface thereof and another plurality of rib projections 76 extending from a lower surface thereof ( although it is within the scope of the invention to provide only one of such projections extending from either the upper or lower surface of the head ). the vertical height of the head 70 provided by the projections 74 , 76 is slightly greater than the vertical distance between the upper and lower walls 34 , 36 of the channel ( fig2 ), thereby providing a friction fit when the channel 30 is pressed over the head 70 of the fastener . this head 70 would provide more gripping area than the head 12 of fig1 but may make mounting of the object to the support slightly more difficult since the head 70 would have to be horizontally aligned with the channel extending into the object . the head may include indentations ( not shown in this embodiment ) respectively extending into the upper and lower surfaces of the head that provide ergonimic gripping areas on the head 70 to facilitate secure and comfortable gripping of the head 70 between a user &# 39 ; s thumb and index finger ( each of which are maintained within one of the indentations ). while the apparatuses and processes herein described in the above description and summaries constitute exemplary embodiments of the present invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise apparatuses and processes , and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims . additionally , it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it is not intended that any limitations or elements describing the exemplary embodiments herein are to be incorporated into the meaning of the claims unless such limitations or elements are specifically listed in the claims .	8
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described hereafter with reference to drawings . fig1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the exterior of a mechanism unit 1 of a disc player used for automobiles . at the front surface , the mechanism unit 1 of the disc player provides a disc insertion port 2 where a large disc d 1 or small disc d 2 is inserted and ejected . an arrow a shows the disc insert direction , and the opposite direction indicates the disc eject direction . together , the disc insert direction and disc eject direction are collectively referred to as the disc insert / eject direction . fig2 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the mechanism unit 1 of the disc player by breaking out an upper unit 3 and a lower unit 4 . fig3 shows a top plane view of the upper unit 3 ; and fig4 shows a top plane view of the lower unit 4 . the upper unit 3 , as shown in fig2 and fig3 , comprises an upper frame 5 ( shown by a virtual line ), a disc detection mechanism 6 , a disc size determination mechanism 7 , a disc positioning mechanism 8 , a clamping mechanism 9 , and a portion of a loading mechanism 10 . the lower unit 4 comprises , as shown in fig2 and fig4 , a lower frame 11 , a damper 12 consisting of three buffer members , a pickup unit 15 including a turntable 13 with a built - in magnet and a pickup 14 , a circuit substrate 16 providing a control circuit , and another portion of the loading mechanism 10 . the upper frame 5 consisting of a nearly rectangular metal plate , as shown in fig2 and fig3 , has side panels formed by bending downward from four sides of a top panel 17 , and superposition units 20 , 21 are provided at the front and rear respectively in the disc insert / eject direction of the right and left side panels 18 , 19 . further , the lower frame 11 consisting of a nearly rectangular metal plate , as shown in fig2 and fig4 , has side panels which are formed by bending upward from the four sides of a bottom panel 22 , and superposition units 25 , 26 are provided at the front and rear respectively in the disc insert / eject direction of the right and left side panels 23 , 24 . furthermore , combining the upper frame 5 and lower frame 11 is performed by superimposing the mutually corresponding superposition units and fixing by screw 27 . the top panel 17 , as shown in fig2 and fig3 , forms a long recess in the lateral direction through extrusion processing facing downward from the upper surface and such area becomes a second mounting unit 28 , and the other area is a first mounting unit 29 . further , at a stepped unit 30 between the first and second mounting units 29 , 28 , a notch 31 is provided appropriately . moreover , the second mounting unit 28 together with guide projections 203 which will be described hereafter constitutes a disc guide 32 , making the rear side thereof the disc feeding path . at the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 , a portion of the disc detection mechanism 6 , a disc size determination mechanism 7 , a disc position mechanism 8 , a clamping mechanism 9 , and a portion of the loading mechanism 10 are loaded . at the upper surface of the bottom plate 22 of the lower frame 11 , as shown in fig2 and fig4 , each of the bodies 33 of the three dampers 12 are fixed . further , a head 34 of each damper 12 is attached at a part of the pickup unit 15 , and the pickup unit 15 is supported in a floating state in relation to the lower frame 11 through these dampers 12 . furthermore , as shown in fig4 , the circuit substrate 16 at the right side of the pickup unit 15 in the drawing is attached to the bottom plate 22 . five switches in the control circuit are arranged on the circuit substrate 16 . a first switch 35 detects when either a large or small disc is inserted from the disc insertion port 2 . a second switch 36 detects when either a large or small disc is loaded completely on the turntable 13 . a third switch 37 detects when a large disc d 1 is discharged . a fourth switch 38 detects when a small disc d 2 is discharged . a fifth switch 39 as a disc insert detection switch detects when either a large or small disc is inserted within the disc player . meanwhile , the right side plate 24 of the lower frame 11 is a bent piece 40 where the rear is bent inward , and a loading motor 41 that is a part of the loading mechanism 10 is loaded at the bent piece 40 . the loading motor 41 is connected to the control circuit on the circuit substrate 16 by wires . a worm gear 43 is loaded at a shaft 42 of the loading motor 41 . further , at the interior surface of the right side panel 24 , a lower gear group 44 is equipped which receives the rotation of the worm gear 43 . fig5 is a top plane view showing the disc detection mechanism 6 and the disc size determination mechanism 7 . the disc detection mechanism 6 comprises a pair of right and left and horizontally rotating disc detection members 45 , 46 , a pair of right and left partial gears 47 , 48 constituting an interlocking mechanism , and a pair of right and left coil springs 49 . the disc detection mechanism 6 is installed on the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 and the upper surface of the second mounting unit 28 . the disc detection members 45 , 46 detect whether an inserted disc size is large or small and are thereby mounted with the ability to rotate freely respectively at spindles 50 , 51 which protrude to the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 , and extend to the vicinity of the disc insertion port 2 passing through the upper surface side of the second mounting unit 28 from the notch 31 , and which have detection units 52 , 53 ( refer to fig2 ) which extend downward at each extended end . both disc detection members 45 , 46 have the ability to rotate freely within the range of the notch 31 , and maintain their initial position by causing a part to attach at the end of the notch 31 through the energizing force of the coil spring 49 . further , the detection members 45 , 46 have spindles 50 , 51 and concentric gear units 54 , 55 . furthermore , a coupling pin 56 at the disc detection member 45 of the left side and a coupling pin 57 at the disc detection member 46 of the right side are arranged respectively . at the lower surface side of both disc detection members 45 , 46 , inclined ribs 58 , 59 are provided which incline so as to gradually increase in height when progressing downward from the vicinity of each gear unit 54 , 55 towards the vicinity of each coupling pin 56 , 57 . moreover , elastic pieces 60 , 61 are provided in the vicinity of the inclined ribs 60 , 61 , and always elastically crimped at the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 so that the generation of rattle noise by the vibration of detection members 45 , 46 can be prevented . the pair of partial gears 47 , 48 is mounted with the ability to rotate freely between both disc detection members 45 and 46 of the upper surface of the second mounting unit 28 through spindles 62 , 63 . each partial gear , 47 , 48 has concentric first gear units 64 , 65 , second gear units 66 , 67 , and hooks 68 , 69 ; and the second gears 66 , 67 are mutually engaged , and each first gear unit 64 , 65 is respectively engaged to the gear units 54 , 55 of each disc detection member 45 , 46 . further , the coil spring 49 is hung between each hook 68 , 69 and the second mounting unit 28 ; and the detection units 52 , 53 of both disc detection members 45 , 46 are energized in a direction to become closer to each other . in addition , in each partial gear 47 , 48 , recessed units 70 , 71 with one cog lacking are provided at each end of the first gear units 64 , 65 , and salient units 72 , 73 which overlap with each gear unit 54 , 55 are provided at the disc detection members 45 , 46 . the width measurement of the salient units 72 , 73 is set to be sufficiently wider than the cog width of the gear units 54 , 55 , and when a disc is not inserted , the recessed units 70 , 71 and salient units 72 , 73 can be mutually interlocked . these recessed units 70 , 71 and salient units 72 , 73 are used as a guide for alignment in order to easily attach both disc detection members 45 , 46 and the partial gears 47 , 48 to the second mounting unit 28 and the first mounting unit 29 . further , because the load at the start is received by the salient units 72 , 73 , in order to enhance the strength of the gear units 54 , 55 , there is no need to go to the trouble of using an expensive material or increase the thickness of the cogs . the disc size determination mechanism 7 comprises a reciprocating member 74 which is the large disc detection means , a rotating member 75 which is the latching means , a locking member 76 , and a spring 77 for energizing in order to rotate the rotating member 75 . the disc size determination mechanism 7 is loaded at the lower surface side of the first mounting unit 29 at the left back location in the drawing of the disc detection mechanism 6 . the reciprocating member 74 is formed in a slender plate , and arranged so that the lengthwise direction is directed towards the disc insert / eject direction . the reciprocating member 74 at the front end has a long hole 78 which is at a right angle to the disc insert / eject direction , and the coupling pin 56 of the disc detection member 45 is engaged into the long hole 78 , and operates with rotation of the disc detection member 45 , and reciprocates in the disc insert / eject direction . further , the reciprocating member 74 projects a cylindrical pin 79 upward in the vicinity of the rear end , and , on the rear surface , also has a thin wall 80 that extends the entire length in the lengthwise direction . the thin wall 80 regulates excessive bias in the left direction of the disc at the time of disc insertion and ejection . the rotating member 75 is attached on the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 through a spindle 81 with the ability to rotate freely at the back location in the drawing of the reciprocating member 74 , and energized in the counterclockwise direction by the spring 77 . this rotating member 75 is also formed in a slender plate , and arranged so that the lengthwise direction is directed towards the disc insert / eject direction with a long opening in the lengthwise direction . furthermore , the rotating member 75 provides a hook 82 at the front end , and further provides a first latching unit 83 for latching a large disc at the middle of the right surface , and a second latching unit 84 for latching a small disc at the front end of the right surface respectively . moreover , in the opening described above , a cam surface 85 which inclines to increase the height from nearly the center towards the back is provided at the left side surface , and a third latching unit 86 for latching the pin 79 is also provided at the right side surface . the locking member 76 is axially supported with the ability to rotate freely at the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 , and which has a pressed wall 87 which extends from the vicinity of the rotation axis to the front , and a cylinder 88 located at the furthest position from the rotation axis and to the left side of the rotation axis , and a space where the hook 82 of the rotating member 75 can enter appropriately is provided between the pressed wall 87 and the cylinder 88 . fig6 is a top plane view showing the disc positioning mechanism 8 and the clamping mechanism 9 . as shown in fig6 , the disc positioning mechanism 8 comprises a pair of right and left stopper members 89 , 90 which is the stopper means , a trigger member 91 which is the disc loading detection means , and an energizer spring , which is not illustrated , for energizing by rotating the right side stopper member 90 in the clockwise direction in the drawing . the disc positioning mechanism 8 is arranged at the back side of the clamp mechanism 9 . the pair of right and left stopper members 89 , 90 constituting stopper means is mounted with the ability to rotate freely at the spindles respectively , in other words , at the lower surface side of the first mounting unit 29 through a rotating member attachment mechanism 247 which will be described hereafter . both stopper members 89 , 90 have spindles and concentric gear units 94 , 95 , and which are composed so as to rotate by engaging those gear units 94 , 95 in mutual synchronization . the gear units 94 , 95 are thicker than other parts in order to increase the strength , and the thickened portion is shown within an arc hole 96 provided in the first mounting unit 29 ( refer to fig1 ). both stopper members 89 , 90 provide stopper units 97 , 98 constituting common stoppers enabled to contact with either a large disc d 1 or a small disc d 2 inserted . both stopper units 97 , 98 are formed in nearly a cylindrical shape projected downward and located in the disc feeding path . further , each of the stopper members 89 , 90 provide pressed units 99 , 100 used for a large disc , pressed units 101 , 102 used for a small disc , and elastic pieces 103 , 104 respectively . each elastic piece 101 , 102 is crimped at all times at the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 , and which prevents the generation of a rattle noise by the vibration of each of the stopper members 89 , 90 . at the left side of the stopper member 89 , a first latch receiving unit 105 and a recess shaped second latch receiving unit 106 is further provided . in addition , the stopper members 89 , 90 are energized in the direction having the stopper units 97 , 98 coming closer to each other by the energized springs which are not illustrated . the trigger member 91 is nearly t shaped , and the lower end of the vertical piece thereof is mounted at nearly the center of the lower surface of the stopper member 90 through a spindle 107 . further , one end of the horizontal piece of the t shape is a disc contact unit 108 , and a pressing unit 109 protruding downward is provided at the other end . the clamping mechanism 9 comprises a damper 110 , a damper releasing means 112 composed of a pair of linking mechanisms 111 arranged bilaterally - symmetric across the axial center line of the damper 110 , and a driving means 113 . the damper 10 , as shown in fig7 , comprises a damper member 114 made of a synthetic resin , a magnetic plate 115 which is the magnet yoke embedded in the turntable 13 , and a felt 116 applied to the upper surface of the magnetic plate 115 . the damper member 114 provides a flat surface unit 117 where the upper surface center is low for only that thickness of the magnetic plate 115 , a plurality of protrusions 118 arranged equiangularly in a circumferential direction at this flat surface unit 117 , and a center hole 119 . further , the outer circumference surface is a taper surface 120 which becomes a proportionally narrower diameter as progressing downward ( refer to fig2 ). meanwhile , the magnetic plate 115 is nearly a triangle shape , and which has a semi - hit unit 121 which protrudes downward so as to engage with the center hole 119 of the damper member 114 and the small holes 122 which have the same number of protrusions 118 . further , after the protrusions 118 of the damper member 114 are inserted into the small holes 122 respectively and placed on the flat surface unit 117 , the tip ends of the protrusions 118 are flattened and attached to the damper member 114 . in addition , the method for attaching the damper member 114 and the magnetic plate 115 is not limited to that described above , and a binding material may be used , or ultrasonic welding may be used . the felt 116 can be pasted on the upper surface of the semi - hit unit 121 directly if the adhesive sheet is pasted on the lower surface . the thickness of the felt 116 is set to be slightly higher than the upper surface of the damper 114 and the magnetic plate 115 . each of the linking mechanisms 111 comprises a damper releasing member 123 , a front linking member 124 , and a rear linking member 125 as shown in fig8 . the releasing member 123 extends a pair of mutually parallel arms 127 from the salient surface side of a circular arc unit 126 , and the recessed surface side of the circular arc unit 126 is the taper surface 128 which becomes a proportionally narrower diameter as progressing downward . the front linking member 124 is constructed so that one end of a pair of legs 129 is coupled with the cylinder 130 and both legs 129 are mutually parallel ; and the other end of each of the legs is mounted with the ability to rotate freely at the inner surface of each arm 127 and in the vicinity of the circular arc unit 126 through a metallic rotation or rotational axis 131 . further , the rear linking member 125 is also constructed so that one of each end of a pair of legs 132 is coupled with the cylinder 133 and both legs 132 are mutually parallel ; and the other end unit of each leg 132 is mounted with the ability to rotate freely at the inner surface of each arm 127 and the vicinity of the end unit through the metallic rotation axis 131 . the link span between the front linking member 124 and the rear linking member 125 are the same . in addition , the “ link span ” here indicates a space between the rotation axial line in relation to the upper frame 5 and the rotation axial line in relation to the releasing member of the front or rear linking member 124 , 125 . the linking member 111 constituted in such manner is attached to the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 through a nearly rectangular parallelepiped base 134 and a sheet metal 135 making a rectangular attachment plate . the base 134 has grooves 136 , 137 which are parallel to each other at both ends of the upper surface , and a fixed axis 138 which is circumferentially segmented in four directions is provided in a protruded manner between both grooves 136 , 137 . the sheet metal 135 is constituted so that the right and left edges are bent upwards once and bent horizontally outward along the way and making these as pressing units 139 , 140 , and a large hole 141 is provided in the middle area . as shown in fig9 , after each of the cylinders 130 , 133 of the front linking member 124 and rear linking member 125 are engaged in the grooves 136 , 137 of the base 134 with the ability to revolve freely , the sheet metal 135 is superimposed on the upper surface of the base 134 , and then , the pressing units 139 , 140 of the sheet metal 135 are laid on each of the cylinders 130 , 133 . subsequently , the fixed axis 138 of the base 134 is engaged into the attachment hole provided at the first mounting unit 29 through the large hole 141 of the sheet metal 135 , and the linking mechanism 111 is attached at the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 . the driving means 113 , as shown in fig6 , is arranged between the damper releasing means 112 and the disc position mechanism 8 , and which comprises a pair of right and left transferring members 142 , 143 , and a pair of right and left synchronizing gears 144 , 145 . both transferring members 142 , 143 are slender , and the lengthwise direction is facing an orthogonal direction in relation to the disc insert / eject direction , while being arranged laterally symmetrical on the same straight line , and mounted at the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 with the ability to transfer in the lengthwise direction . further , the synchronizing gears 144 , 145 are mounted on the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 between both transferring members 142 , 143 . each of the transferring members 142 , 143 has pressing pieces 146 , 147 and racks 148 , 149 in the vicinity of one end adjacent to each other , and each of the racks 148 , 149 are engaged to the corresponding synchronizing gears 144 , 145 respectively so as to move synchronizing in reverse direction from each other . and then , when both transferring members 142 , 143 move in the separating direction , the pressed units 99 , 100 used - for a large disc or pressed units 101 , 102 used for a small disc of the stopper members 89 , 90 are pressed by the pressing pieces 146 , 147 so that the left side stopper member 89 can rotate in the clockwise direction , and the right side stopper 90 can rotate in the counterclockwise direction in a synchronized motion . further , in the vicinity of the other end of each of the transferring members 142 , 143 , first pressing units 150 , 151 which lower the releasing member 123 by pressing the leg 132 of each of the rear linking member 125 at the time of moving in the separating direction , and second pressing units 152 , 153 which raise the releasing member 123 by pressing the leg 132 at the time of moving towards each other are provided . furthermore , a pressing unit 154 is also provided at the left side transferring member 142 , for rotating the locking member 76 in the clockwise direction in fig6 by pressing the pressed wall 87 of the locking member 76 at the time of moving in the separating direction . moreover , an engagement protrusion 155 is formed at the lower surface of the other end unit of the right transferring member 143 . the loading mechanism 10 comprises , as shown in fig1 , an activating means 156 , a power transfer mechanism 157 , a feeding means 158 , a detection means 159 , and the loading mortar 41 . the activating means 156 comprises a sliding member 160 arranged at the right back area of the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 , and a guidance rack plate 161 arranged at the right center area of the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 , and both of them have the ability to move in the disc insert / eject direction . the sliding member 160 is a thin plate made of synthetic resin , and the pressed unit 162 is formed at the lower surface side , and the pressed unit 162 slides in the disc eject direction pressed by the pressing unit 109 of the trigger member 91 . further , a protruding unit 163 which protrudes downward is provided at the right edge in the drawing . the guidance rack plate 161 is a thin plate made of synthetic resin in the shape of a crank , and which has a rack 164 at the lower edge of the bottom portion within the drawing and a hook 165 near the center area ( refer to fig1 ). when the sliding member 160 slides towards the disc eject direction , the top end in the drawing is pressed by the protruding unit 163 of the sliding member 160 , and moves in the same direction , and this makes the rack 164 engage with the power transfer mechanism 157 . the power transfer mechanism 157 is based on gear groups , and which comprises a lower gear group 44 mounted on the interior surface of the right side plate 24 of the lower frame 11 , an upper gear group 166 mounted on the interior surface side of the right panel 19 of the upper frame 5 , and a gear plate 167 ( refer to fig1 ). further , the lower gear group 44 is mounted in the back half of the right side plate 24 of the lower frame 11 , in other words , at the lower half of the side plate ; and the upper gear group 166 is mounted at the front half of the right side plate 19 of the upper frame 5 , in other words , mounted at the upper half of the side plate directly or through the gear plate 167 . the lower half of the side panel and the upper half of the side panel are interlocked as shown in fig1 , and the lower gear group 44 and the upper gear group 166 are mesh connected . the feeding means 158 is driven by the loading motor 41 through the power transfer mechanism 157 . the lower gear group 44 comprises a first gear 168 , a second gear 169 , and a third gear 170 which are all axially supported at the interior surface of the right side plate 24 of the lower frame 11 . these are all two - step gears , and the first gear 168 is engaged with the worm gear 43 by having the large gear of the first step as the helical gear . a large gear which is the first step of the second gear 169 is engaged to a small gear which is the second step of the first gear 168 , and a large gear which is the first step of the third gear 170 is engaged with a small gear which is the second step of the second gear 169 , so that the rotation of the loading motor 41 can be slowed in stages . the upper gear group 166 , as shown in fig1 , comprises a fourth gear 171 , a fifth gear 172 , a sixth gear 173 , and a seventh gear 174 which are all two - step gears . the fourth gear 171 and the fifth gear 172 are axially supported directly in the interior surface of the right side plate 19 ; however the seventh gear 174 together with the gear plate 167 are axially supported in the interior surface of the right side plate 19 through the mutual spindle 175 ; and sixth gear 173 is axially supported at the gear plate 167 , and the large gear which is the second step is engaged at all times with the small gear which is the first step of the seventh gear 174 . the large gear which is the first step of the fourth gear 171 is engaged with the small gear which is the second step of the fourth gear 171 so that the rotation of the third gear 170 can be further slowed in stages and transferred to the fifth gear 172 . the small gear which is the first step of the sixth gear 173 has the ability to detach in relation to the large gear which is the first step of the fifth gear 174 , so that the rotation of the fifth gear 172 can be transferred to the seventh gear 174 by increasing the speed at the sixth gear 173 at this time . further , the worm gear 43 loaded on the loading motor 41 , first gear 168 , second gear 169 , third gear 170 , fourth gear 171 , and fifth gear 172 constitute an operation means . the gear plate 167 is a metallic plate , and the right end in fig1 is bent inward making a slide contact receiving unit 176 , and an engaging pin 177 is provided near the center in the drawing . the gear plate 167 , the engaging pin 177 , and the sixth gear 173 which is axially supported to the gear plate 167 , constitute a clutch means which suitably interrupts the power transfer path between the operation means and a roller 178 . the feeding means 158 , as shown in fig1 , comprises the roller 178 , a roller supporter 179 , a slider 180 to control the roller position , a cam plate 181 , and the disc guide 32 . the roller 178 is constituted by inserting a metallic roller axis 184 into a pair of taper cylinders 182 , 183 made of synthetic rubber which gradually becomes smaller in size from the outer end to the inner end . both ends of the axis 184 protrude from the outer end of the taper cylinders 182 , 183 , and a small collar 185 is attached at one end of the protruding axis 184 , and a large collar 186 and a roller gear 187 are attached at the other end . the cog width of the roller gear 187 is about 2 mm , and at the outer surface of the cogs , a cylindrical collar 188 is placed . the roller supporter 179 is made of a metallic plate , and has right and left side panels 190 which are formed by bending upward at the right and left ends of a flat plate 189 which is laterally long , and these right and left side panels extend from the flat plate 189 to the back . the right and left side panels 190 have a shaft hole 191 at nearly the middle area respectively , and each shaft hole 191 is inter - fit into the axis not illustrated that protrudes to the interior surfaces of the right and left side panels 18 , 19 on the frame 5 , and is mounted with the ability to rotate freely vertically between both side panels 18 , 19 . further , the small collar 185 and the large collar 186 are supported respectively by the extended portion of the right and left side panels 190 , and the roller 178 is supported with the ability to rotate freely . the rear edge of the flat plate 189 is a mountain fold edge 192 which is bent towards the reverse surface . this mountain fold edge 192 is also a v shape recess which is nearly bilaterally symmetric in the drawing of the flat plate ; however the inclined angle is about 1 degree which is very slight in relation to the shaft center line of the roller . furthermore , a pair of right and left curved units 193 , which are bent upward , is provided at the front edge of the flat plate 189 . when the roller 178 is placed at the lower side , in other words , the disc is inserted into the playback position , these curved units 193 are placed at the upper side to plug the disc insertion port 2 and prevent a double disc insertion . in addition , the roller supporter 179 is energized at all times in the direction where the roller 178 is raised by the spring which is not illustrated . as shown in fig1 , the slider 180 is a slender form and is mounted on the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 by directing the lengthwise direction to the disc insert / eject direction with the ability to move in the disc insert / eject direction . this slider 180 has a sliding contact unit 194 at the front end in the drawing with a protruding unit at the rear side , and has an inclined surface 195 constituting a protruding cam as the roller separation unit where the front edge inclines downward as progressing to the rear side , and a cam groove 196 as the power interruption unit at the further rear side on the right side surface . the engaging pin 177 of the gear plate 167 is inserted into the cam groove 196 . at the further rear side of the cam groove 196 , a rack unit 197 is provided ; and at the left side unit of the rear end in the drawing , an engaging unit 198 which protrudes downward is provided . the rack unit 197 selectively engages with a small gear which is the second step of the fifth gear 172 . in addition , the cam groove 196 is provided in the slider 180 , and the engaging pin 177 is provided on the gear plate 167 with the present embodiment ; however , it is not limited to that described above , and the pin may be provided in the slider and the cam groove may be on the plate . the cam plate 181 is mounted on the lower surface of the first mounting unit 29 , and a cam groove 199 is provided at the front half in the drawing . the cam groove 199 is formed to extend in the disc insert / eject direction , and the middle area is made to be an inclined unit which inclines to the right side as it progresses to the rear , and the engaging protrusion 155 of the transferring member 143 is inserted into the cam groove 199 . the front right side wall of the cam groove 199 is composed of an elastic piece 200 which extends to the front side in the drawing , and a stopper 201 is provided at the tip of the elastic piece 200 . further , in the deepest area in the drawing , a prismatic shaped second switch pressing unit 202 protrudes downward . furthermore , at the right side of the front end of the cam plate 181 in the drawing , a hole which is not illustrated is provided for inserting the engaging unit 198 of the slider 180 so that the cam plate 181 can move integrally with the slider 180 . moreover , a spring which is not illustrated is attached in the space with the guidance rack plate 161 so that the cam plate 181 can follow when the guidance rack plate 161 is moved by the spring energizing force . in addition , the cam plate 181 stably maintains a termination location before and after movement by a reversal spring which is not illustrated . the disc guide 32 comprises the second mounting unit 28 of the upper frame 5 and four guiding projections 203 ( only one of them is illustrated ). each guiding projection 203 is attached at the lower surface of the second mounting unit 28 where the lengthwise direction is orthogonal to the disc insert / eject direction and mutually paired laterally by positioning at the near side and far side of the roller 178 . a bulging unit 204 where the front half of the rectangular region of the center is bulged downward , is provided in the second mounting unit 28 , and a plurality of positioning holes 205 are provided at the right and left thereof in order to mount each guiding projection 203 respectively . the positioning holes 205 are formed by connecting a small circular hole 206 and a large circular hole 207 , and the large circular hole 207 side is directed towards the bulging unit 204 . each of the guiding projections 203 having the large heads provides engaging protrusions 208 in the same number as each of the positioning holes 205 . a surface ( lower surface ) that contacts with the disc of each guiding projection 203 is inclined so as to incline upward as it progresses to the center area from the lateral end of the mounting unit 28 ( moving away from the shaft center line of the roller 178 ) in a mounted state to the lower surface of the second mounting unit 28 . in addition , each of the guiding projections 203 are composed of synthetic resins and all of them are identical forms and sizes . in the attaching of each of the guiding projections 203 , first , a plurality of engaging protrusions 208 are inserted through from the large circular holes 207 side of each of the positioning holes 205 . and then , when the engaging protrusions 208 are moved to the small circular hole 206 side by sliding the guiding protrusions 203 outward while pressing against the lower surface of the second mounting unit 28 , the large size heads of the engaging protrusions 208 move to the small circular hole 206 side , the engaging protrusions 208 are prohibited from slipping out from the positioning holes 205 , and the guiding projections 203 are mounted on the lower surface of the second mounting unit 28 . the detection means 159 , as shown in fig1 , comprises a position detection member 209 and an actuator 210 which are arranged at the front right side in fig1 . the position detection member 209 , as shown in fig1 , is arranged on the lower surface side of the first mounting unit 29 while the lengthwise direction is directed to the disc insert / eject direction , and which has a wall which protrudes upward in the left side area in the drawing of a prismatic shaped body 211 , and a coupling piece 213 having a long hole 212 extending to the left side is provided at the top surface of the wall . the body 211 provides a first switch pressing unit 214 to press the first switch 35 , a third switch pressing unit 215 to press the third switch 37 , and a fourth switch pressing unit 216 to press the fourth switch 38 which are arranged at the circuit substrate 16 . the position detection member 209 is mounted on the lower surface of the slider 180 with the ability to freely move in the disc insert / eject direction , and which inserts the coupling pin 57 of the disc detection member 46 into the long hole 212 and moves in the disc insert / eject direction by interlocking with the rotation of the disc detection member 46 . the actuator 210 has a spindle hole 217 at the front side in the drawing and is axially supported at the right side panel 19 of the upper frame 5 with the ability to rotate freely by inserting the supporting axis ( indicated by the virtual line ) of the roller supporter 179 to this hole 217 . a fifth switch pressing unit 218 is formed at the back side in the drawing to press the fifth switch 39 ( refer to fig4 ). further , a vertically long loop unit 219 is provided at the front side of the switch pressing unit 218 in the drawing . within this loop unit 219 , the collar 188 of the roller 178 is inserted . in order for the actuator 210 to share the supporting axis with the roller supporter 179 , the spindle hole 217 needs to be located more to the front side than the roller 178 ; and because the fifth switch pressing unit 218 also needs to be located more to the back side than the roller 178 in order to press the fifth switch 39 located further to the back than the roller 178 , the loop unit 219 which shows the collar 188 arranged at the roller axis 184 is provided so that the actuator 210 does not interfere with the roller axis 184 . further , a torsion spring which is not illustrated is hung between the roller supporter 179 and the actuator 210 , and when the roller supporter 179 starts rotating by inserting a disc , the actuator 210 also follows and starts rotating so that the fifth switch 39 is pressed by the fifth switch press unit 218 . as shown in fig4 , the pickup unit 15 comprises a turntable 13 having a built - in magnet , a pickup 14 to playback or record the disc , a feed motor means 220 to drive the pickup 14 , a pickup support means 221 to support the pickup 14 , and a pickup chassis 222 for carrying these . the pickup chassis 222 made of a metallic plate has a large opening 223 at the center , and the turntable 13 , pickup 14 , and the feed motor means 220 are arranged together to the inside of the large opening 223 . at the three locations around the chassis 222 , a damper attachment 224 is provided in which a portion is opened and is formed by stepped bend processing . the turntable 13 is attached to the right lower area of the pickup chassis 222 in the drawing , and the center of the turntable 13 becomes nearly the center of the mechanism unit 1 of the disc player . the pickup 14 is arranged within the large opening 223 with the ability to reciprocate between the vicinity of the turntable 13 and the upper area of the pickup chassis 222 diagonally in the drawing . this pickup 14 is attached to the pickup chassis 222 through the pickup support means 221 . the feed motor means 220 comprises a feed motor 227 providing a feed screw 226 having spiral grooves , and a motor support plate 228 to support those . the motor support plate 228 fixes the feed motor 227 at one end , and supports the tip of the feed screw 226 at the other end with the ability to revolve freely ; and the feed screw 226 is attached on the rear side of the pickup chassis 222 accommodating the moving direction of the pickup 14 . the pickup support means 221 comprises a main - guide 229 and a sub - guide 230 arranged so as to be parallel to each other , a main - guide tracking adjustment means 231 and a sub - guide tracking adjustment means 232 , and a pickup feed plate 233 . because the location of one end of the main - guide 229 is fixed on the lower surface side of the pickup chassis 222 , the main - guide tracking adjustment means 231 exclusively adjusts the tracking by only the other end of the main - guide 229 . the main - guide tracking adjustment means 231 , as shown in fig1 , comprises a coil spring 234 to energize the main - guide 229 in the tracking direction at a uniform elastic force , an adjusting plate 235 made of a blade spring to receive the elastic force of the spring 234 by the opposite side of the main - guide 229 to regulate the tracking direction movement of the main - guide 229 , and a main - guide adjust screw 237 which is screwed into the rear surface of the pickup chassis 222 via a through hole 236 ( refer to fig1 ) provided at a portion of the adjusting plate 235 . the adjusting plate 235 has a three - staged flat surface which includes , in order from the top of the drawing , an upper stage 238 , a middle stage 239 , and a lower stage 240 . the upper stage 238 is fixed to the lower surface side of the pickup chassis 222 , and the lower stage 240 is attached to the main - guide 229 from the lower side so that the main - guide 229 can be supported . as shown in fig1 , the middle stage 239 has a hole 241 resembling a u shape for providing flexibility to the area connected with the upper stage 238 , and further has the through hole 236 at in an area near to the lower stage 240 . adjustment of the main - guide 229 in the tracking direction is performed by moving the main - guide 229 in the vertical direction in fig1 through fastening / loosening of the main - guide adjust screw 237 . the sub - guide tracking adjustment means 232 , as shown in fig1 , comprises a pair of right and left sub - guide supporting plates 242 to support both ends of the sub - guide 230 , a pair of right and left compressed springs 243 arranged at both ends of the sub - guide 230 , a pair of right and left sub - guide adjust screws 244 screwed into the rear surface side of the pickup chassis 222 by passing through the hole provided at the sub - guide supporting plate 242 . one end of both sub - guide supporting plates 242 is bent upward respectively in the drawing , and the tip of the sub - guide 230 is fit together and supported by insertion into the hole provided at the bending member . further , the adjust screw 244 is inserted through the compressed spring 243 between the pickup chassis 222 and the sub - guide supporting plate 242 . the adjustment of the sub - guide 230 in the tracking direction is performed by moving the sub - guide 230 vertically by fastening / loosening each of the sub - guide adjust screws 244 . further , with the pickup feed plate 233 , as shown in fig4 , one end is fixed at the pickup 14 , and a screw head 246 formed by cut - bending is provided at the other end , and then the screw head 246 is engaged in the spiral groove of the feed screw 226 . by so doing , the power of the feed motor 227 is transferred to the pickup feed plate 233 from the feed screw 226 , and the pickup 14 is driven by the power of the feed motor 227 . a rotating member attachment mechanism 247 comprises a supporting member 248 and a fixing member 249 as shown in fig1 . both the supporting member 248 and the fixing member 249 are formed of synthetic resin . the supporting member comprises a circular shaped plate 250 , a support cylinder 251 , and a fixing tube 252 as shown in fig1 . the support cylinder 251 protrudes on one surface of the circular shaped plate 250 and on the same axis with a circular center hole 253 of the circular shaped plate 250 ; and the fixing tube 252 which protrudes longer than the support cylinder 251 on one surface of the circular shaped plate 250 by connecting to the circular center hole 253 . the fixing tube 252 has a taper surface 254 at the inner circumference of the top end which reduces in size to a smaller diameter towards the top end , and which also is circumferentially segmented in four directions . the taper surface 254 is formed further to the front of the inner circumference than the top end of the support cylinder 251 . the fixing member 249 , as shown in fig1 , comprises a pressing unit 255 and an end plate 256 provided at the rear anchor of the pressing unit 255 . the pressing unit 255 forms a cylindrical shape , and the top rim is a tapered slide contact rim 257 which is inserted into the fixing tube unit 252 through the circular center hole 253 of the circular shaped plate 250 . the spindles 50 , 51 , 62 , 63 in fig5 and the spindle 107 in fig6 may also mount both disc detection members 45 , 46 , both partial gears 47 , 48 , and both stopper members 89 , 90 to the first mounting unit 29 as shown in fig3 by the rotating member attachment mechanism 247 . likewise , the trigger member 91 may be mounted to the second mounting unit 28 . fig1 shows an example of the attachment method of the rotating components by the rotating member attachment mechanism 247 to describe how the stopper member 89 is mounted to the first mounting unit 29 of the upper frame 5 . as shown in fig1 , first , the support cylinder 251 is engaged to the hole provided in the stopper member 89 . next , the portion longer than the support cylinder 251 of the fixing tube 252 is engaged to a circular fixing hole 258 provided in the first mounting unit 29 . when the pressing unit 255 of the fixing member 249 is engaged into the fixing tube 252 while the slide contact rim 257 of the pressing unit 255 contacts with the taper surface 254 of the fixing tube unit 252 , and in that state the fixing member 249 is compressed until the end plate 256 is attached to the circular shaped plate 250 , the taper surface 254 is pressed by the slide contact rim 257 , and the top end of the fixing tube unit 252 slightly rolls back outward . by so doing , the top end of the fixing tube 252 is extended outward further than the circular fixing hole 258 of the first mounting unit 29 , and the supporting member 248 is fixed tightly to the first mounting unit 29 , and the stopper member 89 is mounted with the ability to freely rotate in relation to the first mounting unit 29 . an operation of the mechanism unit 1 of the disc player is described hereafter . first , a description will be given of the operation until a disc inserted from the disc insertion port 2 is loaded into the playback position . fig2 shows the state in which a large disc d 1 or a small disc d 2 is inserted from the disc insertion port 2 between the detection units 52 , 53 of the disc detection member 45 , 46 and the circumference of the disc makes contact with both detection units 52 , 53 . from this state , as shown in fig2 , when the disc is inserted while expanding the interval between the detection units 52 , 53 by pushing the disc , the disc detection members 45 , 46 start rotating . the disc detection member 45 of the left side is connected to the reciprocating member 74 , and the disc detection member 46 of the right side is connected to the position detection member 209 , so if both disc detection members 45 , 46 rotate in a direction which causes the corresponding detection units 52 , 53 to separate , then the reciprocating member 74 and the position detection member 209 move to the disc insert = direction . when the position detection member 209 moves to the disc insert direction , first , the fourth switch pressing unit 216 of the member 209 presses the fourth switch 38 to turn on . when the position detection member 209 further moves to the disc insert direction , the first switch pressing unit 214 of the member 209 presses the first switch 35 to turn on , and the motor 41 is activated by detecting the disc insertion . the rotation of the motor 41 is transferred to roller 178 through the power transfer mechanism 157 , and the roller 178 starts rotating in the clockwise direction in fig1 . when the disc is inserted between the roller 178 and the guide projection 203 ( refer to fig1 ) of the disc guide 32 , the roller 178 is pushed downward by the disc , and the roller supporter 179 barely rotates in the clockwise direction in fig1 centering around the shaft hole 191 . while the roller 178 is pressed downward , the actuator 210 also rotates in the clockwise direction in fig1 by the energizing force of the spring not illustrated which is placed through the space with the actuator 210 , the fifth switch pressing unit 218 presses the fifth switch 39 . by so doing , the fifth switch 39 turns on and the insertion of the disc is detected . the disc is clamped by the roller 178 and the disc guide 32 and fed by the rotation of the roller 178 . fig2 shows the state in which a large disc d 1 or small disc d 2 is fed by the roller 178 , and the center of the disc arrives between both detection units 52 , 53 . first , when a small disc d 2 is inserted , even if the center of the small disc d 2 arrives between both detection units 52 , 53 , the pin 79 will not reach to the cam surface 85 of the rotating member 75 because the rotation amounts of both disc detection members 45 , 46 are small and the moving amounts of the reciprocating member 74 are also small . further , because the displacement of the position detection member 209 is also small , the third switch pressing unit 215 does not move to the position of the third switch 37 , so the third switch 37 maintains the off state . meanwhile , when a large disc d 1 is inserted , both disc detection members 45 , 46 rotate in large measure before the center of the large disc d 1 arrives between both detection units 52 , 53 . therefore , the reciprocating member 74 moves a large amount , and the pin 79 slides and makes contacts with the cam surface 85 of the rotating member 75 causing the member 75 to rotate in the clockwise direction in the drawing . further , the displacement of the position detection member 209 is also large , and the third switch 37 turns on by the third switch pressing unit 215 . when feeding of a disc further proceeds from the state of fig2 , when a small disc d 2 is inserted , both disc detection members 45 , 46 recover to the initial position prior to insertion of the disc while the detection members 45 , 46 slide and make contact with the circumference surface of the small disc d 2 due to the energizing force of the coil spring 49 . the circumference surface of the small disc d 2 makes contact with the disc contact unit 108 of the trigger member 91 causing the trigger member 91 to rotate in the clockwise direction . by this rotation , the pressing unit 109 of the trigger member 91 presses the pressed unit 162 of the slide member 160 causing the slide member 160 to move in the disc eject direction . further , as shown in fig2 , the small disc d 2 slightly pushes the disc contact unit 108 causing the circumference surface to make contact with each of the stopper units 97 , 98 of both stopper members 89 , 90 . at this time , the left side stopper member 89 latches the first latch receiving unit 105 to the second latching unit 84 of the rotating member 75 , so the left side stopper member 89 is prohibited from turning in the clockwise direction and the right side stopper member 90 is prohibited from turning in the counterclockwise direction , and the small disc d 2 is fed slightly farther in than the preset loading position until contacting with both stopper units 97 , 98 and stops . on the other hand , when a large disc d 1 is inserted , the feeding process continues from the state in fig2 until the circumference surface makes contact with each of the stopper members 97 , 98 , and because the rotating member 75 rotates in the clockwise direction in the drawing as the cam surface 85 thereof is pressed by the pin 79 of the reciprocating member 74 , the first latch receiving unit 105 of the stopper member 89 is not latched to the second latching unit 84 , and the stopper units 97 , 98 of both stopper members 89 , 90 rotate in a direction to mutually separate by being pressed by the circumference surface of the large disc d 1 . further , the large disc d 1 pushes both stopper units 97 , 98 by the circumference surface , and at the same time also pushes the disc contact unit 108 of the trigger member 91 causing the trigger member 91 to rotate in the clockwise direction in relation to the stopper member 90 . by so doing , the pressing unit 109 of the trigger member 91 presses the pressed unit 162 of the sliding member 160 causing the sliding member 160 to move in the disc eject direction . as feeding of the large disc d 1 further progresses , as shown in fig2 , the left side stopper member 89 is latched to the first latching unit 83 of the rotating member 75 of the second latch receiving unit 106 of the left side stopper member 89 . accordingly , both stopper members 89 , 90 are prohibited from further rotation , and the large disc d 1 contacts both stopper units 97 , 98 and stops when the disc d 1 is fed to the preset loading position . in this process , both disc detection members 45 , 46 only slightly return with the reciprocating member 74 while sliding and contacting the detection members 45 , 46 to the circumference surface of the large disc d 1 by the energizing force of the coil spring 49 ; however , both disc detection members 45 , 46 are prohibited from returning thereafter together with the reciprocating member 74 because the pin 79 of the reciprocating member 74 is latched to the third latching unit 86 of the rotating member 75 . moreover , even in the case where either a large disc d 1 or a small disc d 2 is inserted , when the sliding member 160 is moved in the disc eject direction pressed by the trigger member 91 , the guidance rack plate 161 together with the sliding member 160 moves to the disc eject direction , as shown in fig1 and fig1 , and the rack 164 of the guidance rack plate 161 is engaged with the small gear of the fifth gear 172 . at this time , the fifth gear 172 is already rotating receiving the driving force of the motor 41 , so the guidance rack plate 161 moves to the disc eject direction by the driving force of the motor 41 . then , the cam plate 181 follows by the energizing force of the spring not illustrated hung across the guidance rack plate 161 and the cam plate 181 , and the slider 180 which moves integrally with the cam plate 181 moves to engage the rack unit 197 with the small gear of the fifth gear 172 . in this manner , the slider 180 moves in the disc eject direction by the power of the motor 41 . the engaging pin 177 of the gear plate 167 is inserted to the cam groove 196 of the slider 180 ; therefore , the engaging pin 177 moves with the cam groove 196 by the movement of the slider 180 . then , the gear plate 167 rotates in the counterclockwise direction centering the spindle 175 as shown with the virtual line in fig1 , and the sixth gear 173 supported axially by the gear plate 167 separates from the fifth gear 172 . in this way , the power transfer path from the motor 41 throughout the roller 178 is interrupted and the rotation of the roller 178 stops . in other words , when a disc contacts both stopper units 97 , 98 , the rotation of the roller 178 stops immediately ; therefore , there is no useless rotation while the roller 178 is in contact with the disc , and there is no fear of damaging the data recording surface of the disc by the rotation of the roller 178 . meanwhile , because the driving force of the motor 41 continues to be transferred to the fifth gear 172 ; the slider 180 engaged with the fifth gear 172 moves further to the disc eject direction causing the clutch means to switch to the interruption side . in other words , the roller 178 is separated from the disc ( refer to fig1 ) contacting the inclined surface 195 of the slider 180 to the large collar 186 of the roller 178 . at this time , the roller supporter 179 rotates in the clockwise direction in the drawing centering the shaft hole 191 while opposing the energizing force of the spring not illustrated which is hung across between the actuator 210 . when the slider 180 moves to the disc eject direction , the cam plate 181 also moves integrally ; however , as shown in fig6 , before the cam plate 181 moves , the engaging protrusion 155 of the right side transferring member 143 is located at the foremost position in the drawing within the cam groove 199 of the cam plate 181 . from this state , when the cam plate 181 moves to the disc eject direction , the engaging protrusion 155 moves to the furthermost area along the cam groove 199 as shown in fig2 , and thereby , the right side transferring member 143 moves to the right side in the drawing , and the left side transferring member 142 moves synchronously to the left side . as described above , when the right and left transferring members 142 , 143 are separated from each other , the releasing member 123 is lowered by pressing the legs 132 of the right and left linking mechanisms 111 by each of the first pressing units 150 , 151 respectively . fig2 shows the state when releasing the damper member 114 from the turntable 13 while clamping the circumference area of the damper member 114 by the taper surface 128 of the right and left releasing members 123 ( the prior state of the cam plate 181 movement ). from this state , when the right and left transferring members 142 , 143 move in a direction to separate from each other , as shown in fig2 , the first pressing units 150 , 151 of the transferring members 142 , 143 press the leg 132 of the rear linking member 125 , and the rear linking member 125 rotates along with the front linking member 124 centering the cylinder 133 , and the right and left taper surfaces 128 move downward to the right and left while forming a circular trajectory . accordingly , these taper surfaces 128 draw apart to the right and left while lowering the damper member 114 . when the damper member 114 moves close enough to the turntable 13 standing - by at the lower side of the damper member 114 , the taper surfaces 128 separate from the damper member 114 and move to a position to clamp the disc in cooperation with the turntable 13 ; and the disc is clamped by the magnetic force between the damper 110 and the turntable 13 . at this time , if a small disc d 2 is loaded , the disc is returned to the designated loading position by the taper surface of the damper member 114 , and separated from the stopper units 97 , 98 . meanwhile , at the final stage of right and left movement , after the wall surfaces of the pressed units 99 , 100 used for a large disc of the stopper members 89 , 90 are pressed by the pressing pieces 146 , 147 and the disc is clamped with the damper 110 and the turntable 13 , both transferring members 142 , 143 , as shown in fig2 , separate the stopper units 97 , 98 from the disc by slightly rotating the stopper units 97 , 98 of both stopper members 89 , 90 in the direction to separate from each other . fig2 shows the state when a large disc d 1 is inserted ; however , when a small disc d 2 is inserted , the wall surfaces of the pressed units 101 , 102 used for a small disc of the stopper members 89 , 90 are pressed , and then the stopper units 97 , 98 are separated from the circumference surface of the disc . further , at the final stage where the cam plate 181 moves to the disc eject direction , when the second switch pressing unit 202 of the cam plate 181 detects the completion of disc insertion by turning on the second switch 36 , the loading motor 41 stops . in this manner , the disc is arranged in the playback position and the loading of the disc is complete . the relationships between the insertion of a large disc d 1 , small disc d 2 and the turning on and off of the first switch 35 through fifth switch 39 are shown in the following table , and by turning each switch on and off , a determination is made whether the inserted disc is a large disc d 1 or a small disc d 2 . incidentally , when a disc is not inserted , the first switch 35 through the fifth switch 39 are all turned off . next , a description will be given hereafter of the operation to discharge to a position where a disc located in the playback position can be retrievable from the disc insertion port 2 . fig2 shows the state where a large disc d 1 is arranged at the playback position , and when the eject button not illustrated is pressed while in such condition , the loading motor 41 activates . by this activation , the slider 180 ( refer to fig1 ) through the power transfer mechanism 157 starts moving to the disc insert direction . by so doing , the cam plate 181 moves with the slider 180 , thereby separating the second switch pressing unit 202 from the second switch 36 and turning off the second switch 36 . when the slider 180 moves further in the disc insert direction , the engaging protrusion 155 of the transferring member 143 arrives at the front inclined surface from the furthermost area of the cam groove 199 of the cam plate 181 . in this manner , the right side transferring member 143 returns to the left side , and the left side transferring member 142 returns to the right side , and the state changes from that in fig2 to fig2 . at this time , the first pressing unit 150 , 151 of each of the transferring members 142 , 143 separate from the leg 132 of the linking mechanism 111 ; however , the second pressing unit 152 presses the leg 132 inward from the outside instead , and the rear linking member 125 rotates with the front linking member 124 centering the cylinder 133 , and the right and left taper surfaces 128 move upward to the right and left while forming a circular trajectory . at this time , the right and left taper surfaces 128 scoops up the circumference edge of the damper member 114 , and the damper 110 releases the turntable 13 . meanwhile , the stopper members 89 , 90 pressed by the pressing pieces 146 , 147 of each of the transferring members 142 , 143 are released allowing the return of both stopper units 97 , 98 rotating in the direction to be closer to each other by the energized spring not illustrated . further , the stopper units 97 , 98 push the exterior of the large disc d 1 , and the large disc d 1 is pushed out to the disc eject direction . at that time , the trigger member 91 also rotates in the counterclockwise direction together with the stopper member 90 and pushes out to a position where the large disc d 1 is retrievable from the disc insertion port 2 . when the slider 180 further moves to the disc insert direction , the large collar 186 heretofore pressed by the inclined surface 195 of the slider 180 rises when the pressure exerted by the inclined surface 195 is released causing the roller 178 to make contact with the disc ( refer to fig1 ). at that time , the roller supporter 179 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing . at the final stage in which the slider 180 moves in the disc insert direction , the engaging pin 177 of the gear plate 167 which engages with the cam groove 196 arrives at the cam surface as shown in fig1 , and the gear plate 167 rotates in the clockwise direction centering the spindle 175 . by so doing , the sixth gear 173 axially supported in the gear plate 167 engages with the fifth gear 172 , and the driving force of the loading motor 41 is transferred even to the roller 178 initiating rotation in the disc eject direction of the roller 178 . and then , the large disc d 1 is discharged by the rotation of the roller 178 . when the large disc d 1 is discharged by the roller 178 , both stopper members 89 , 90 return to their initial positions prior to disc insertion shown in fig2 ; and both detection units 52 , 53 follow the circumference surface of the large disc d 1 as both disc detection members 45 , 46 rotate to discharge further . at that time , when the center of the large disc d 1 moves beyond both detection units 52 , 53 , both disc detection members 45 , 46 rotate in the direction to become closer to each other . by the rotation of both of these disc detection members 45 , 46 , the reciprocating member 74 moves to the disc eject direction , and the rotating member 75 rotates in the counterclockwise direction by the energizing force of the spring 77 along the pin 79 of the reciprocating member 74 . at that time , the stopper member 89 is returned to its initial position , so the rotating member 75 can rotate without being restricted by the stopper member 89 . when the third switch pressing unit 215 of the position detection member 209 which is linked with the disc detection member 46 is removed from the third switch 37 as shown in fig2 , the third switch 37 is turned off thereby detecting the completion of the discharge of the large disc d 1 and stopping the motor 41 . in the case of discharging a small disc d 2 , when the fourth switch pressing unit 216 of the member 209 separates from the fourth switch 38 thereby detecting the completion of the disc discharge and stopping the motor 41 . in addition , the taper surface 120 is used for the damper member 114 , and the taper surface 128 is used for the releasing member 123 respectively with the present embodiment ; however , it is not be limited to these , and the component force to release the damper member 114 from the turntable 13 can be obtained by the releasing member 123 even if a taper surface ( inclined surface ) is provided only to at least one of either the damper member 114 or releasing member 123 . further , the linkage span is the same with the front linking member 124 and the rear linking member 125 with the present embodiment ; however , it is not limited to this , and an incline occurs with the releasing member in relation to the damper even if the linkage span of the rear linking member 125 is slightly longer than the linkage span of the front linking member 124 ; therefore , the detachment force of the damper in accompany with the rotation of the front linking member 124 and the rear linking member 125 can be greatly enhanced .	6
referring to fig1 a perspective view of retaining module 100 for retaining a card such as an expansion card , an adapter card , or a terminator card , in a computer system is shown . retaining module 100 includes support frame 102 , shown in fig1 having a four - sided , rectangular shape . however , support frame 102 may be sized and shaped as required to accommodate a variety of card shapes and sizes . wall portion 104 substantially covers one side of support frame 102 to prevent air flow from passing through retaining module 100 as explained hereinbelow . edge 106 extends around and overhangs at least a portion of the perimeter of support frame 102 . edge 106 stabilizes retaining module 100 when it is inserted in a cartridge in a computer system . edge 106 may also be used as a handle to facilitate inserting and removing retaining module 100 . these features are further described hereinbelow . retaining module 100 includes one or more mounting platforms 108 as required to aid in supporting a card and to provide clearance between components and / or wiring on a card and retaining module 100 . it is recognized that various shapes and sizes of mounting platform 108 are suitable for use with the present retaining module 100 . mounting platform 108 may also be located at various positions relative to support frame 102 . further , mounting platform 108 may be constructed independently of other portions of retaining module 100 and attached to any portion of retaining module 100 using any suitable attachment method such as a bonding process . alternatively , mounting platform 108 may be formed integrally with support frame 102 and / or other portions of retaining module 100 . various fastening structures may also be positioned on mounting platform fig1 and 1a show u - shaped mounting platform 108 extending around three sides of the outer portion of support frame 102 . one or more side portions of mounting platform 108 include fastening structure , shown in fig1 and 1 a as one or more pegs 110 and flexible clips 112 for supporting and retaining card 114 on mounting platform 108 . peg 110 engages a corresponding opening or hole 116 in card 114 . card 114 is supported by base portion 118 , which has a cross - sectional area that is larger than the cross - sectional area of hole 116 in card 114 . base portion 118 prevents further movement of card 114 toward mounting platform 108 , thereby preventing damage to any components or wiring that may be located near the edge of card 114 . it is also recognized that card 114 may not have any components or wiring near its outer edge . in this situation , base portion 118 is not required and the edges of card 114 may rest directly on mounting platform 108 . peg 110 may be formed independently of base portion 118 and attached to base portion 118 using any suitable attachment means . alternatively , peg 110 may be formed integrally with base portion 114 through various known manufacturing processes such as injection molding . fastening structure may also be included on other portions of retaining module 100 instead of or in addition to fastening structure on mounting platform 108 . flexible clip 112 , shown in more detail in fig1 b , includes tapered portion 120 adjacent stepped portion 122 . flexible clip 112 is located on mounting platform 108 so that the outer edge of card 114 slides along tapered portion 120 as card 114 moves along peg 110 . stem portion 124 of flexible clip 112 is constructed of resilient material that flexes when lateral force is applied to tapered portion 120 . stem portion 124 returns substantially to its former configuration when the force is released . to remove a card 114 from retaining module 100 , lateral force is applied to tapered portion 120 to move stepped portion 122 away from the edge of card 114 . stem portion 120 returns substantially to its unflexed position when force is released . it should be noted that various fastening structures known in the art are suitable for use in addition to or instead of peg 110 and flexible clip 112 . frictional forces may be used as another alternative instead of or in addition to other fastening structures for retaining card 114 . for example , edge 106 or support frame 102 may be sized and constructed of suitable material to engage edges of card 114 and retain card 114 through frictional force . card 114 includes tabs 126 that carry electrical signals to and from components on card 114 from electrical lands in a slot 130 . the particular embodiment of retaining module 100 shown in fig1 and 1a is useful for inserting card 114 in cartridge 206 as shown in fig2 . each cartridge 206 overlays an expansion . slot ( not shown ) in motherboard 208 . motherboard 208 is the main circuit board inside a computer system which holds one or more processing units , memory , and expansion slots and connects directly or indirectly to every part of the computer system . each cartridge 206 is also capable of receiving one of various devices including combination microprocessor / heatsink structures 210 and retaining module / card structures 212 . the devices have exposed tabs 126 that mate with the expansion slot 130 ( fig1 a ). thus , it is important in the present invention for tabs 126 to be exposed and for the structure of retaining module 100 not to interfere with inserting tabs 126 in the expansion slot 130 . devices known as single edge contact ( sec ) cartridges 206 shown in fig2 and 3 are used in computer systems , such as those currently available from intel corporation , santa clara , calif ., having the deschutes microprocessors and slot 1 or slot 2 interfaces . the slot 1 interface accommodates two central processing units ( cpus ), namely , 333 - mhz pentium ii microprocessors that run at 66 mhz bus clock . the slot 2 interface accommodates up to four cpus , namely 350 - 450 mhz pentium ii microprocessors that run using a 100 mhz system bus . fig2 and 3 show a slot 2 interface having four sec cartridges 206 . the deschutes microprocessors are mounted in cartridge 206 using combination heatsink / microprocessor structure 210 that includes fins 214 to disperse heat from the microprocessor as air flow from cooling fans ( not shown ) passes by fins 214 . when a heatsink / microprocessor structure 210 is not installed in one or more of the expansion slots , a terminator card , such as card 114 ( fig1 ), is inserted in the expansion slot to alleviate problems that may occur when an expansion slot is left vacant . in the slot 1 and slot 2 interface systems , the terminator cards are fairly large and require supporting structure to stabilize and retain them in sec cartridge 206 . this support is provided in the embodiment of retaining module 100 shown in fig1 by support frame 102 and edge 106 . as shown in fig2 the combination retaining module / card structures 212 are sized to slip into and out of sec cartridge 206 , and yet fit snugly enough within sec cartridge 206 to reduce or even prevent movement of card 114 in the expansion slot . in this embodiment , retaining module 100 also facilitates proper installation of card 114 as it serves as a guide through cartridge 206 . when a terminator card is positioned in a vacant expansion slot , it is desirable for air flow to be directed past heatsink fins 214 . in the embodiment of retaining module 100 shown in fig1 through 2 , wall portion 104 and edge 106 are designed to force air flow from cooling fans ( not shown ) past fins 214 of heatsink / microprocessor structure 210 by blocking air flow through retaining module 100 . this is useful in situations where card 114 , such as a terminator card , does not include many active components and therefore requires little or no air flow for cooling . in situations where card 114 does require cooling , wall portion 104 may cover only a portion of one side of support frame 102 , or wall portion 104 may not be required . additionally , depending on cooling requirements , the length and / or width of edge 106 may be reduced along one or more sides to allow air flow past card 114 . an important feature of the present retaining module 100 is edge 106 on the upper periphery of support frame 102 . this portion of edge 106 functions as a handle to facilitate inserting and removing card 114 from a cartridge , such as sec cartridge 206 . the dimensions and shape of retaining module 100 allow clearance between card 114 and the upper portion of edge 106 when card 114 is positioned in retaining module 100 . as shown in fig2 this clearance creates a cavity that allows fingers or other suitable device to be used as a handle 216 for grasping edge 106 and support frame 102 . handle 216 facilitates installing and removing retaining module 100 . in fig3 when retaining module 300 is inserted intermediate cartridges 302 and 304 that are occupied by other devices such as heatsink / microprocessor structure 306 and retaining module 308 , it may be difficult to access handle 216 ( fig2 ) in retaining module 300 . in this situation , one option is to remove the device , shown in fig3 as retaining module 308 , occupying cartridge 304 adjacent intermediate retaining module 300 to gain access to handle 216 . alternatively , edge 106 may be modified or additional structure may be added so that retaining module 308 does not have to be removed first . one , alternative is to reduce the width of edge 106 on the upper periphery over a short length to allow access to handle 216 using a small implement . another alternative is to grasp intermediate retaining module 300 along the sides of support frame 314 to remove intermediate retaining module 300 from cartridge 312 at least enough to gain access to handle 216 . note that finger - tip size indentations or raised ridges may be added near the upper portion of the sides of support frame 314 to improve the user &# 39 ; s grasp . it is recognized that the foregoing examples are just a few of the variety of alternatives that are possible to help remove retaining module 300 from cartridge 312 and the foregoing examples are not intended to limit the present invention to specific configurations . the present retaining module 100 is constructed on non - conductive materials such as plastic or rubber . various manufacturing processes may be used to fabricate the components individually and attach them together in the desired configuration , or to form the components in integral units . advantageously , the present invention provides retaining module 100 that protects the card as it is installed and removed . the handle 216 provides structure for a user to grasp instead of potentially damaging the card or its components by putting fingers or other tools directly on the card itself . the handle 216 also allows the user to gain a firmer grasp and to apply force evenly when installing and removing the card . the present invention is thus expected to improve reliability and the useful life of adapter and terminator cards . when a card , such as a terminator card , requires little or no cooling , the present invention contributes to system reliability by forcing air flow from cooling fans toward cartridges containing microprocessor and heatsink structures instead of allowing the air flow to pass by the terminator card . other embodiments of retaining module 100 can be sized and shaped for use in computer systems in addition to computer systems with slot 1 and slot 2 interfaces . while the invention has been described with respect to the embodiments and variations set forth above , these embodiments and variations are illustrative and the invention is not to be considered limited in scope to these embodiments and variations . accordingly , various other embodiments and modifications and improvements not described herein may be within the spirit and scope of the present invention , as defined by the following claims .	7
this invention provides the advantages of single - ended signaling , such as lower cost and power , while at the same time achieves detection speed and performance comparable to those of differential - pair signaling . the present invention also provides better receiver sensitivity than that achieved in the pseudo - differential signaling technique . in addition , this invention achieves twice the data transfer rate of the differential - pair signaling technique for the same number of data traces . a method of the present invention provides much simpler multiple reference generation and post - processing to achieve robust and more sensitive data detection . fig1 shows receiver 100 , in accordance with one embodiment of this invention . receiver 100 includes differential amplifier 101 and 102 that compares a single - ended data signal provided at terminal 103 against reference signals v refh and v refl at terminals 104 and 105 , respectively , these comparisons determine differentially whether a high or low logic signal is received at terminal 103 . reference voltages v refh and v refl at terminals 104 and 105 may be set , for example , at reference voltages vih and vil , representing the design trip or threshold points for logic circuits . the reference signals may be provided , for example , by the transmitter to one or more receivers , or may be locally generated . vih and vil reference may also be tapped from the power rail ring of vih and vil respectively . in one embodiment , additional detectors may be provided to detect the complementary phases clock + and clock − of a two - phase clock signal , if required . differential amplifier 101 compares the input data signal at terminal 103 with reference voltage vih , while differential amplifier 102 compares the input data signal at terminal 103 with the other reference signal vil . as differential amplifier 101 receives reference voltage vih , differential amplifier 101 detects a logic low state in the data signal much earlier than differential amplifier 102 , because the voltage difference at the input terminals of differential amplifier 101 . similarly , differential amplifier 102 , receiving reference voltage vil detects a logic high state earlier than differential amplifier 101 . differential amplifiers 101 and 102 , pmos transistors 108 and 109 and nmos transistors 110 and 111 form a “ schmitt - trigger ”. when the output values of differential amplifers 101 and 102 at terminals 106 and 107 agree ( i . e ., either both pmos transistors 108 and 109 are conducting , or both nmos transistors 110 and 111 are conducting ), an output signal — which is logically an inversion of the data signal at terminal 103 — is provided at terminal 112 . as one of differential amplifiers 101 and 102 develop its output signal faster , as discussed above , the output signal at terminal 112 develops only after the later one of the signals at terminals 106 and 107 has developed . when the output values of differential amplifiers 101 and 102 at terminals 106 and 107 disagree with each other , the output value at terminal 112 remains unchanged . the voltages v dd ( supply voltage ), v refh and v refl are not limited to the values described above . in any implementation , the appropriate values for voltages v dd , v refh and v refl depend upon process , technology and application . in fact , they may even be dynamically changed . as more advanced and faster data rate process and technology are developed , the suitable values for v dd , v refh and v refl generally decrease . one suitable application for the signaling scheme of this invention is in an interface with dynamic random access memory circuits (“ dram circuits ”). for example , in a ddr 2 circuit ( i . e ., 2 nd generation double data rate dram circuit ), v dd is nominally 1 . 8 volts , with v refh and v refl set to be 0 . 2 volts above and below one - half of voltage v dd , respectively ( i . e ., nominal v refh = 1 . 1 volts and nominal v refl = 0 . 7 volts ). in such an application , it is possible to have v refh and v refl at 0 . 125 volts above and below one - half of voltage v dd , respectively ( i . e ., v refh = 10 . 125 and v refl = 0 . 775 volts ). similarly , in a ddr 3 circuit ( i . e ., 3 rd generation double data rate dram circuit ), v dd is nominally 1 . 5 volts , with v refh and v refl set to be 0 . 175 volts above and below one - half of voltage v dd , respectively ( i . e ., nominal v refh = 0 . 925 volts and nominal v refl = 0 . 575 volts ). in such an application , it is possible to have v refh and v refl at 0 . 10 volts above and below one - half of voltage v dd , respectively ( i . e ., v refh = 0 . 85 and v refl = 0 . 65 volts ). as mentioned above , v refh ( e . g ., vih ) and v refl ( or vil ) can be dynamically adjustable ( or dynamically scaling ) instead of having fixed values . adjustments may depend on the length of the communication channel between the transmitter and the receiver . for example , for a supply voltage v dd of 1 . 5 volts , the data strengths on transmitter side are voh = 1 . 2 volts ( i . e ., logic high ) and vol = 0 . 3 volts ( i . e ., at logic low ). in memory applications , the communication channel is typically short ( e . g ., about 8 inches ). however , for a switch application or a router application , the communication channel is much longer ( e . g ., 32 inches or more ). for the same transmitting strength at the transmitter , the strength of the signal received over a short communication channel is typically much higher than the strength of the signal received over a longer communication channel . for example , data transmitted at voh = 1 . 2 volts and vol = 0 . 3 volts may be received at vih = 0 . 925 volts and vil = 0 . 575 volts , respectively , at the receiver after transmission over an 8 - inch communication channel . the same transmitted data at voh = 1 . 2 volts and vol = 0 . 3 volts may be received at vih = 0 . 85 volts and vil = 0 . 65 volts after transmission over a 32 - inch communication channel . hence , the values of v refh and v refl should be adjusted ( or dynamically scaled at the receiver circuit ) for different applications , according to the communication channel length . in one implementation , the input buffer for the data signal drives two conductors or traces , which are internally connected to the comparators for comparing with vih and vil , respectively . vih and vil can be sourced from the global vih and vil reference signals for the entire integrated circuit . these vih and vil reference signals are distributed throughout the integrated circuit globally by power rail rings , which distribute the vih and vil reference signals internally to all input buffers . thus , the layout for input data line wiring for a signaling technique under this invention is much simpler and cleaner than that of the jazio technology , which requires transmitting data , clock + & amp ; clock − signals externally as input signals to the receiver . greater signal integrity performance is therefore achieved due to simpler and better wiring scheme . fig2 shows receiver circuit 200 , in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention . to facilitate comparison between fig1 and fig2 , like elements in the figures are assigned like reference numerals . as shown in fig2 , receiver circuit 200 includes receiver circuit 100 , and additionally , pmos transistors 113 and 114 , nmos transistors 115 and 116 , and cross - coupled inverters 118 and 119 . the output signals of differential amplifiers 101 and 102 at terminals 106 and 107 are also provided to the gate terminals of pmos transistor 114 and nmos transistor 115 , respectively . terminal 120 provides the final output value of receiver circuit 200 . because the value at terminal 112 does not change until after the later one of the output values of differential amplifiers 101 and 102 has developed , when the data signal at terminal 103 changes state , the previous output value at terminal 112 , in conjunction with the earlier one of the output values at terminals 106 and 107 to arrive , changes the output value at terminal 119 , prior to the change in output value at terminal 112 . pmos transistors 113 and 114 and nmos 115 and 116 form a early detector . the output value at terminal 119 is latched into cross - coupled inverters 118 and 119 to provide a latched output value at terminal 120 . therefore , differential amplifiers 101 and 102 provide an enhanced sensitivity with a larger eye opening for next - stage multiple comparators and post processing circuits to detect the data signal . differential sensing with enhanced sensitivity at the receiver is achieved with only one signal trace per data bit . the techniques of the present invention may be used in high speed memory applications ( e . g ., the xdr and ddr memory buses ), large parallel high speed bus applications with enhanced bus signal integrity . bus signal integrity is enhanced because the complex coupling due to switching in the vicinity of crowded traces is reduced . the hardware described above , including any logic or transistor circuit , may be generated automatically by computer based on a description of the hardware expressed in the syntax and the semantics of a hardware description language , as known by those skilled in the art . applicable hardware description languages include those provided at the layout , circuit netlist , register transfer , and schematic capture levels . examples of hardware description languages include gds ii and oasis ( layout level ), various spice languages and ibis ( circuit netlist level ), verilog and vhdl ( register transfer level ) and virtuoso custom design language and design architecture - ic custom design language ( schematic capture level ). the above detailed description is provided to illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting . numerous modifications and variations within the scope of the invention are possible . the present invention is set forth in the following claims .	7
the present invention provides an efficient system and method for mining patterns that may include thousands of items in a few scans of the data . according to the present invention , a novel sampling - based approach is devised . given a random sample of the data , a chernoff bound , or other statistical modifier , is used to estimate the set of patterns whose significances in the sample are very close to the threshold so that there is no sufficient statistical confidence to tell whether the pattern would be significant or not in the entire dataset . in one embodiments , let y be a random variable whose domain is r . the domain of a random variable is defined as the difference between the maximum possible value and the minimum possible value of the random variable . for example , in the context of the present invention , the significance is usually a number between 0 and 1 , and r is less than or equal to 1 . suppose that n independent observations of y are available , and the mean is avg ( y ). the chernoff bound states that with probability 1 - delta , the true mean of y is at least avg ( y )- e , where e = r 2  ln  ( 1 delta ) 2  n . for example , assume that the domain of a random variable is 1 and avg ( y ) is the mean of 10 , 000 samples of the random variable . then , the true value of the random variable is at least avg ( y )- 0 . 0215 with 99 . 99 % confidence . similarly , with probability 1 - delta , the expected value of variable y is at most avg ( y )+ e . this provides the opportunity to estimate the range of the significance of each pattern from a set of samples . given a set of sample data and a threshold min_sig , with probability 1 - delta , a pattern p is significant if sig_s ( p )& gt ; min_sig + e and is insignificant with probability 1 - delta if sig_s ( p )& lt ; min_sig − e , where sig_s ( p ) is the significance of the pattern in the sample data . those patterns ( referred to as ambiguous patterns ) whose significances in the sample are between min_sig − e and min_sig + e remain undecided and need further examination . because the sample size is usually limited by the memory capacity and the distribution - independent nature of chernoff bound provides a very conservative estimation , the number of ambiguous patterns may be very large . according to the apriori property , if a pattern does not satisfy the user - specified significance threshold , any of its superpatterns will not satisfy , and hence need not be examined . if a pattern satisfies the threshold , all of its subpatterns will also satisfy and need not be examined . hence , the order of examining ambiguous patterns provides for computational efficiency . an ordered pruning is therefore provided to conduct the examination of these ambiguous patterns in an orderly manner according to the pruning power each ambiguous pattern may provide . the ambiguous pattern with the most pruning power is chosen first as the candidate pattern for evaluation . a greedy algorithm can be developed to repeatedly choose the pattern with the most pruning power among the remaining ambiguous patterns until the memory is filled up . a scan of the data is then performed to compute the significances of this set of patterns and the result is used to prune the space of ambiguous patterns . this iterative process continues until the remaining set of ambiguous patterns can be held all together in memory . another scan of the data is sufficient to finalize the set of significant patterns . as a result , the expected number of scans through the data is minimized . in most cases , a couple ( e . g ., 1 - 5 ) of scans of the data are sufficient . the present invention provides a sampling - based method which is devised to efficiently mine long patterns that satisfy a user - specified significance threshold . the chernoff bound is employed to estimate the set of ambiguous patterns with very high confidence . instead of using a level - wise search , an ordered pruning is performed on the set of ambiguous patterns so that the expected number of passes through the dataset is minimized . it should be understood that the elements shown in fig1 - 6 may be implemented in various forms of hardware , software or combinations thereof . preferably , these elements are implemented in software on one or more appropriately programmed general purpose digital computers having a processor and memory and input / output interfaces . the methods and system as depicted in fig1 - 6 may be implemented by programming code in one or more software applications . referring now to the drawings in which like numerals represent the same or similar elements and initially to fig1 a system / method for mining significant patterns is shown in accordance with the present invention . in block 101 , a full scan of the entire dataset is performed . a set of significant items are generated and random samples of data are taken . then , in block 102 , the set of ambiguous patterns are identified based on the sample data . a pattern p is regarded as an ambiguous pattern if p &# 39 ; s significance in the sample data is too close to the threshold min_sig to tell whether p would be significant or not with sufficiently high confidence . this set of ambiguous patterns are further verified against the entire dataset in block 103 . further details of these blocks will be described herein below . referring to fig2 a method for discovering the set of significant items and taking a random sample of data via a single scan of the dataset , as shown in block 101 of fig1 is illustratively depicted . in block 201 , an initialization is performed . a set of n random numbers are drawn between 1 and the size of the dataset and are stored in rn . an index i is set to 0 . the set sample is set to empty and a counter sig ( d j ) is initialized to 0 for each item d j where j = 1 , 2 , . . . , m . the number of samples n is subject to the memory size , i . e ., n should be as large as possible given that the sample data can be held in memory all together . a decision block 202 determines whether the end of the dataset is reached . if not , the next data record x is taken and the index i is incremented by 1 , in block 203 . a test is made in decision block 204 to determine whether the index i is one of the random numbers in rn . if so , x is put in sample in block 205 . in block 206 , the significance sig ( d j ) is updated for each item appearing in x before looping back to decision block 202 . since the meaningful formula to calculate the significance of a pattern may be different in different applications , this step should be performed accordingly . as a simple example , if the number of occurrences is used as a measure of significance , then sig ( d j )& lt ;— sig ( d j )+ 1 should be performed in this step . this procedure continues until the end of the dataset is reached . then , in block 207 , the set of significant items are identified and stored in l 1 . referring to fig3 a system / method of identifying the set of ambiguous patterns based on the sample data using chernoff bound , as shown in block 102 of fig1 is illustratively depicted . in block 301 , an index k is set to 1 and two sets sp and ap are set to empty . sp and ap will be used to store the sets of significant patterns and ambiguous patterns in the sample data . in addition , let c k and l k denote the set of generated candidate k - patterns and the set of significant or ambiguous k - patterns in the sample data . in block 302 , the index k is incremented by 1 and c k is generated from l k − 1 as follows . a k - pattern p is added to c k if there exists k distinct sub - patterns of p in l k − 1 . a test is then made in decision block 303 to determine whether c k is empty . if not , the process enter a loop in block 304 where for each pattern p in c k , sig_s ( p ) is computed from the sample data and the domain r of sig ( p ) is computed in block 305 . according to the apriori property , the significance of a pattern is less than or equal to that of any item in this pattern . thus , the domain of sig ( p ) can be estimated as the minimum value of the significance of any item in p . then , the value e is also computed accordingly in block 305 to enable the use of chernoff bound . the process then enters a decision block 306 to determine whether sig_s ( p ) is greater than min_sig + e . if so , p is significant and is put in sp k in block 307 . otherwise , another test is made to determine whether sig_s ( p ) is greater than min_sig − e in decision block 308 . if so , p is considered an ambiguous pattern and is put in ap k in block 309 . the process then loops back to block 304 . after all patterns in c k have been examined , the process enters a function block 310 where l k is computed by taking the union of sp k and ap k , and sp and ap are updated to include sp k and ap k , respectively . referring to fig4 a system / method for verifying the set of ambiguous patterns ap against the entire dataset via ordered pruning is shown for block 103 of fig1 . the process begins with a test in decision block 401 to determine whether the memory can hold all counters for the set of ambiguous patterns . if not , the set of patterns in sp , whose super - patterns are all in ap ( i . e ., not in sp ) are identified and stored in sb in function block 402 . similarly , the set of patterns in ap , whose super - patterns are all not in ap are identified and stored in ib . these two sets of patterns act as the “ floor ” and the “ ceiling ” of the space occupied by ambiguous patterns in the pattern lattice . then , in block 403 , the set of patterns on a halfway ( hw ) layer between sb and ib ( i . e ., halfway between the “ ceiling ” and “ floor ”) are computed and counters for these ambiguous patterns are initialized in memory . in block 404 , the entire dataset is scanned to compute sig ( p ) for each halfway pattern p and the result is used to update ap in block 405 as follows . for each halfway pattern p , if sig ( p )≧ min_sig , then p and all p &# 39 ; s sub - patterns are labeled as significant patterns and removed from ap ; otherwise , p and all p &# 39 ; s super - patterns are labeled as insignificant patterns and removed from ap . the process then loops back to decision block 401 . if the memory is sufficient to hold counters for all patterns in ap , then a counter sig ( p ) is initialized for each pattern p in ap in block 406 , and the entire dataset is scanned to compute sig ( p ) in block 407 . the halfway layer is preferably since the patterns on the halfway layer can provide the most pruning effect , and the result can slash the space of ambiguous patterns by at least half . other intermediate layers may also be employed and are contemplated by the present invention . referring to fig5 an example is shown for pruning patterns in accordance with the present invention . a pattern d 1 is in sp and the pattern d 1 d 2 d 3 d 4 d 5 is in ap . patterns d 1 d 2 d 3 , d 1 d 2 d 4 , d 1 d 2 d 5 , d 1 d 3 d 4 , d 1 d 3 d 5 , and d 1 d 4 d 5 are halfway patterns between d 1 and d 1 d 2 d 3 d 4 d 5 . if a halfway pattern turns out to be significant , then all of its sub - patterns are significant . otherwise , the pattern is insignificant , and all of its super - patterns are insignificant as well . sp or ap would collapse to the halfway layer if these halfway patterns have homogeneous labels ( i . e ., either all are significant or all are insignificant ). in this case , the space of ambiguous patterns is reduced by half . a more interesting scenario is that the halfway patterns have mixed labels ( i . e ., some of them are significant while the rest are not ), which turns out to provide even more pruning effect . referring to fig6 assume that d 1 d 2 d 3 and d 1 d 2 d5 are significant ( marked with solid circles on the halfway layer ) while the remaining patterns ( indicated by dashed circles on the halfway layer ) are insignificant . by applying the apriori property , d 1 , d 1 d 2 , d 1 d 3 , and d 1 d 5 should also be significant . similarly , d 1 d 2 d 3 d 4 , d 1 d 2 d 3 d 5 , d 1 d 2 d 4 d 5 , d 1 d 3 d 4 d 5 , and d 1 d 2 d 3 d 4 d 5 are all insignificant . note that only d 1 d 4 still remains ambiguous . challenges are posed to the design of mining algorithms because data sets may be very large ( e . g ., only a small fraction of the entire data set can be held in memory at once ) and patterns may be substantially long ( including a large number of items or events ). even with the help of the well - known apriori property , the traditional level - wise algorithm becomes very slow . according to the present invention , a novel sampling - based approach is provided . given a random sample of the data , the chernoff bound is used to estimate the set of ambiguous patterns whose significances in the sample are very close to a threshold so that there is no sufficient statistical confidence to tell whether the pattern would be significant or not in the entire dataset . an ordered pruning is also provided to conduct the examination of these ambiguous patterns in an orderly manner according to the pruning power each ambiguous pattern may provide . as a result , the expected number of scans through the data is minimized . having described preferred embodiments of a system and method for mining long patterns ( 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 of the invention disclosed which are within the scope and spirit of the invention as outlined by the appended claims . having thus described 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 .	8
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 . the invention is a continuation in part of u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 485 , 762 filed jul . 13 , 2006 , which is a continuation - in - part of u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 725 , 082 filed dec . 2 , 2003 , now u . s . pat . no . 7 , 111 , 424 , and is a continuation - in - part of u . s . design patent application ser . no . 29 / 267 , 729 filed oct . 20 , 2006 which is a divisional of u . s . design patent application 29 / 259 , 347 filed may 5 , 2006 , all of which are incorporated by reference . the invention can use the fore grips that were described and shown in reference to the parent and copending inventions . for example , a plurality of legs can be concealed within the fore grip or gun handle and is coupled to a sliding piston assembly that is also concealed within the handle . a catch system that protrudes from the sliding piston assembly is attached to the sliding piston assembly and interfaces with a spring - loaded fulcrum release mechanism positioned at the top of the handle . a cutout within the top of the handle provides a housing for the release mechanism . a compression spring can be positioned between the sliding piston assembly and the bottom of the first cylindrical cutout and this spring , when under expansion , drives the sliding piston assembly downward toward the bottom of the fore grip . at the bottom of the fore grip , a recessed locking ring or plug is secured by threads into the fore grip , and is positioned to prevent the sliding piston assembly from over - travel and thus exiting the fore grip . the legs are connected to the bottom of the piston via a hinge or pivot point , and when the legs are released from confinement within the fore grip , the legs expand outwards until fully deployed . another fore grip can be an ergonomic fore grip for mounting to a firearm to stabilize the firearm , that has a top end and a bottom end with an opening there through , a mount for attaching the top end of the fore grip to a firearm , a pair of legs having an upper hinged end and a bottom end , a catch member that holding the legs in a closed position substantially inside the fore grip , a switch for releasing the catch member and allowing the bottom end to slide out from the opening in the fore grip , and an expansion spring positioned between the legs for causing the legs to pivot outward relative to the hinged end so that the legs expand outward in a triangular configuration . this fore grip can include a generally cylindrical handle with a stacked configuration of grooves and elongated vertical flat surface edges on opposite sides of the handle . the switch can be a flush mounted button with a serrated face . the switch can be a recess mounted button with a serrated face . the switch can be a depressible button having a catch portion that interlocks with a catch member adjacent to the hinged end of the legs , wherein depressing the button causes the catch portion to release the catch member allowing the legs to drop out from underneath the fore grip . behind the switch can be a spring for pushing an outer face of the button to expand outward from a side of the fore grip . the expansion spring in the fore grip can include a torsion spring having each end abutting against an upper inner surface of each leg . the fore grip can include a generally cylindrical handle for housing the pair of legs with the hinged end , the catch member , the switch and the expansion spring , a screwable cap for covering a bottom opening on the handle having an opening smaller in diameter than the opening in the handle , wherein the cap permits and limits the sliding of the legs from underneath the handle when the legs are deployed . the handle can include a void space or female orifice to hold an accessory switch such as but not limited to a depressible switch , for activating an accessory unit , such as but not limited to a light . a cap cover can cover the void space or female orifice . a tension fit pin can hold the cap cover in place . each of the legs can include telescoping legs to allow adjustment of the leg lengths for uneven terrain . each of the legs can include integral molded angled feet formed with a hollow backside and metal reinforcement member . the mount on the fore grip can include members for clamping the fore grip to a weapon , and a screwable member for fastening the rail members about a portion of the weapon . the fore grip can also include a second spring for causing the legs to drop below the fore grip . the legs can also drop from fore grip by gravity . alternatively , inertial actuation ( jerking or flipping the fore grip ) can result in the legs being deployed downward and then expanded out by an expansion spring . a novel method of actuating a leg stand from the fore grip on a weapon can include the steps of attaching a generally cylindrical fore grip handle with irregular side surfaces as a fore grip to a weapon , depressing a button located on an upper side surface of the handle , releasing a catch member that supports a pair of hinged legs by the depressing of the button , dropping foot ends of the legs from underneath the handle , and expanding the pair of legs outward relative to the hinged end as the legs leave the handle to a deployed position . the step of dropping can be by the expanding of a spring against an upper portion adjacent of the hinged ends of the legs in downward direction . the step of dropping can be by releasing the legs downward gravity . alternatively , inertial actuation ( flipping and jerking motions ) can result in the legs dropping out from the fore grip . also , physically pulling the legs downward after the side switch is activated can be done . a listing of the fore grip ball seat and stacking plate designator references for use with the subject canting invention embodiments will now be described . 2 operator 6 firearm / weapon 10 fore grip . 20 handle . 22 inside walls of handle 30 retainer cap . 32 ledge inside cap 36 cone shape inner angled edge 36 40 leg . 50 ball yoke . 54 rounded outer walls of yoke 60 yoke compression spring . 70 rubber o - ring . 80 torsion spring . 90 leg pivot pin . 100 contact point between retainer cap and legs . 110 support surface . 120 handle centerline perpendicular to support surface in resting position . 130 handle centerline tilted left from resting position . 140 handle centerline tilted right from resting position . 150 canting plate 160 rail clamp . 162 protruding ridge 164 protruding ridge 168 upper inwardly facing clamp edge 170 forward clamp block . 172 indentation portion 173 e - shaped cut - outs 174 indentation portion 175 locking slot with outer hexagon shape 178 upper inwardly facing clamp edge 180 aft clamp block . 182 indentation portion 183 longitudinal through - slot 184 indentation portion 185 locking slot with outer hexagon shape 188 upper inwardly facing clamp edge 190 tilting rail . 192 pair of slots on one side of rail 193 longitudinal side slot 194 , 196 angled rail edges 200 clamp screw . 210 tilt release button . 220 pivot nut . 230 clamp bolt . 240 pivot shaft . 250 tilt lock shaft . 260 tilt release spring . 270 lock pin collar . 280 tilt rail lock pin . 290 lock pin spring . 300 leaf stud . 310 tilt leaf spring . 320 weapon mounting rail 330 fore grip 340 tilt stop pin . fig1 is a right side view of a ball canting fore grip 10 of the handle 20 with legs 40 extended . fore grip 10 and legs 40 can be a vertical fore grip with bipod legs such as the one shown and described in the inventor &# 39 ; s previous u . s . pat . no . 7 , 111 , 424 to gaddini , as well as the fore grips shown and described in the inventors u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 485 , 762 filed jul . 13 , 2006 , and u . s . design patent application ser . nos . 29 / 267 , 729 filed oct . 20 , 2006 and 29 / 259 , 347 filed may 5 , 2006 , all of which are incorporated by reference . a preferred example of the fore grip 10 with bipod legs 40 is for allowing two legs 40 to be concealable within a fore grip handle , where the legs can drop down and expand into a stand for supporting a firearm 6 , such as a rifle , and the like . in the inventor &# 39 ; s previous patent , one example of the fore grip included a plurality of legs that are concealed within the fore grip are coupled via a hinge to a spring piston assembly . a spring - loaded fulcrum release mechanism holds the piston assembly in a compressed and locked position . when the piston assembly is released upon activation of the spring - loaded fulcrum release mechanism , the legs are driven downwards by the piston and upon being released from the confinement of the fore grip are deployed outwards to a locked position by a hinge or pivot mechanism . the legs have feet that are designed so that , when the legs are concealed within the handle , the feet seal off the deployment and spreader mechanisms from entrance of any debris , material etc that may interfere with the deployment of the bipod . fig2 shows a lower cross - sectional side view of fore grip 10 of fig1 along arrows x showing the modified yoke and retainer cap . fig3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the canting components 30 , 100 of fig2 . fig4 is another lower cross - sectional view of the fore grip 10 of fig2 showing the fore grip handle 20 tilted to the left . fig5 is another lower cross - sectional view of the fore grip 10 of fig2 showing the fore grip handle 20 tilted to the right . referring to fig1 - 5 , the novel fore grip 10 is to allow the handle 20 to cant ( lean to the right or to the left ) independent of the support legs 40 . this makes the firearm / weapon 6 mount less rigid and provides a limited range of canting or rocking motion to track targets . the novel fore grip 10 includes features of the inventor &# 39 ; s previously patented and patent pending fore grips with bipods referenced above with a novel retainer cap 30 and the ball yoke 50 referring to fig2 - 5 , the slidable ball yoke 50 can be affixed to legs 40 . the yoke 50 can slide freely up and down the inside of the tubular handle 20 drawing the legs 40 inside and outside of the handle 20 as it slides . in the inventor &# 39 ; s previous patent and patent pending models , a close clearance between the walls 54 of the yoke 50 and the interior walls 22 of the handle 20 discouraged any radial or “ rocking ” motion when the legs 40 were deployed . the novel ball yoke 50 shown in fig2 - 5 can have rounded convex shaped side walls 54 like a ball , and the like , to allow for a limited “ rocking ” motion of the yoke 50 when the legs 40 are deployed . additionally , a flexible o - ring 70 can be used that can sit on a surface portion of an inner ledge 32 on to the screwable retainer cap 30 . the yoke 50 can rest on the o - ring 70 when the legs 40 are deployed . the o - ring 70 can provide a semi - rigid surface for the yoke 50 to move against when the handle 20 cants ( leans to the right or to the left ). the retainer cap 30 has also has an inner edge modified to accommodate the “ rocking ” movement of the yoke 50 . in the inventors previous patent and patent pending inventions , the outer upper surface of the legs 40 can seat firmly against the entire inside surface of a “ cone ” shape machined inside of the retainer cap 30 . in the inventor &# 39 ; s previous models , this created a very stable assembly where any “ rocking ” motion was not possible . to allow for a rocking motion this , the “ cone ” shape inner angled edge 36 machined inside of the retainer cap 30 has been angled to provide a pivotable “ point ” of contact 100 between the deployed legs 40 and the retainer cap 30 . this “ point ” 100 creates a fulcrum about which the deployed legs 40 can rock and slide in canting motions . fig6 is a front view of an operator 2 using the fore grip handle 20 of the preceding figures with a firearm 6 , with the fore grip handle 20 in a stationary none canting position . fig7 is another front view of fig6 showing the fore grip handle 20 in canting positions . fig8 is a side view of the operator 2 with firearm 6 and fore grip handle 20 in a stationary none canting position . fig9 is another side view of fig8 showing the fore grip handle 20 in canting positions . fig1 is a front view of the firearm 6 and fore grip 10 of the preceding figures in a stationary none canting position . fig1 is another front view of fig1 of the firearm 6 and fore grip 10 canting to the left at approximately ten degrees . fig1 is another front view of fig1 of the firearm 6 and fore grip 10 canting to the right at approximately ten degrees . the canting components 50 , 22 , 40 , 100 , 36 can be loose to allow the operator of the firearm to easily adjust by a “ rocking ” type motion a desired canting position of the firearm . alternatively , the canting components can be tightly oriented so that the deployed legs 40 can remain in a generally fixed in a canted position when the operator 2 cants the handle 20 to the left or to the right . while the above drawing figures show maximum canting degrees of up to approximately 10 degrees , the invention can include greater than approximately 10 degrees . although the preferred embodiment is shown for use with the inventors &# 39 ; previous fore grip having bipod legs , the invention can be used with other fore grips with leg stands having two , three or more legs , as needed . similar to the previous embodiment , this embodiment can also be used with the inventors &# 39 ; previous fore grips , which were disclosed in the inventors previous patent and other patents pending listed above , that are incorporated by reference . fig1 is a top perspective view of a stacking canting plate 150 for the fore grip 330 ( shown in later drawings ). fig1 is a front view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig1 . fig1 is a top view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig1 along arrow t . fig1 is a bottom view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig1 along arrow b . fig1 is a left side view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig1 along arrow l . fig1 is a right side view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig1 along arrow r . fig1 is an exploded perspective view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig1 . referring to fig1 - 19 , the stacking canting plate 150 can include a pair of moveable rail clamps 160 with respective clamp screw tightening knobs 200 . the clamps 160 have side protruding ridges 162 , 164 that can interlock and mateably attach about indentation portions 172 , 174 and 182 , 184 on one side of forward clamp block 170 and aft clamp block 180 . on the opposite side of forward clamp block 170 can be clamp bolt 230 with threaded end that passes through a locking hole - slot 175 to threadably attach to clamp screw tightening knob 200 . on the opposite side of aft clamp block 180 can be another clamp bolt 230 with threaded end that passes through a locking hole - slot 185 to another clamp screw tightening knob 200 . the locking hole - slots 175 and 185 can have a hexagon shape so as to receive the hexagon head of clamp bolts 230 . on a side wall of forward clamp block can be an e shaped cut - outs that appears to be on its &# 39 ; back , with the upper ( left ) and lower ( right ) cut - out grooves of the e being substantially identical , and the middle cut - out groove having a generally circular shape . sandwiched between side facing walls of the forward clamp block 170 and aft clamp block 180 can be an elongated tilting rail 190 . the tilting rail 190 can include tilt stop pins 192 having one end inserted partially into mateable sized slots 192 of on one end of the tilt rail 190 , and the opposite ends of the pins 192 protruding into the left and right cut - out grooves of the e shaped cut - out so that the pins can move slightly up or down in the respective left and right cut - out grooves . the operation of these features are further described and shown in reference to fig2 - 29 . referring to fig1 - 19 , inside of a longitudinal slot 195 in tilting rail 190 can be a pivot shaft 240 which can be a generally elongated rod with threaded ends 241 , 249 extending out both ends of the tilting rail 190 . one threaded end 241 can pass through the middle cut - out groove of the e - shaped cut - out 173 and be threadably attached to a pivot nut 220 on an opposite outer wall of the forward clamp block 170 . the opposite threaded end 249 of the pivot shaft 240 can be threadably attached to another pivot nut 220 on an opposite side of the aft clamp block 180 . a tilt leaf spring 310 such as a flat straight piece of bendable metal can be positioned in the back cut - out portion of the e shaped cut - out 173 so that a forward end portion 242 of the pivot shaft 240 rests on the leaf spring 310 . the operation of these features is shown and described in reference to fig2 - 29 . referring to fig1 - 19 , located in longitudinal side slot 193 of the tilting rail 190 can be a lock spin spring 290 which has an outer end that abuts against a tilt rail lock pin 280 . inside of a longitudinal through - slot 183 of the aft clamp block 180 can be a lock pin collar 270 tilt lock shaft 250 , tilt release spring 260 and tilt / canting release button 210 . the operation of these features is described in reference to fig3 - 33 . fig2 is an exploded perspective view of a bottom portion of a firearm 6 having weapon mounting rail 320 that can be generally an upside down elongated t - shape , that is separated from both the stacking canting plate 150 and the fore grip 330 . the fore grip can one a concealable and collapsible bipod such as the one labeled fore grip 10 in the preceding figures , and which is further described in the inventors &# 39 ; previous patent and other patents pending referenced above , that are all incorporated by reference . fig2 is another perspective view of the fore grip 330 clamped to the stacking canting plate 150 , which are separated from the firearm lower mounting rail 320 . referring to fig1 - 19 and 21 , the upper mount portion on the fore grip 330 can include grippable clamp members 332 , 334 for clamping the fore grip 330 about the angled rail edges 194 , 196 on opposite sides of the tilting rail 190 of the stacking canting plate 150 . a screwable knob type member 335 can lock the fore grip 330 to the stacking canting plate 150 . fig2 is a perspective assembled view of the stacking canting plate 150 clamped to both the firearm lower rail 320 and the fore grip 330 . referring to fig1 - 19 and 22 , the upper inwardly facing clamp edges of the forward clamp block 170 and the aft clamp block 180 can grip about one side edge of the weapon mounting rail 320 . the upper inwardly facing clamp edges 168 of both rail clamps 160 can grip about the opposite side edge of the weapon mounting rail 320 with knobs / screws 200 tightened to lock the canting stacking plate 150 to the firearm 6 . fig2 is an end view of the assembled stacking canting plate 150 and firearm lower rail 320 and fore grip 330 of fig2 where the firearm 6 is in an upright vertical ( neutral ) position . fig2 is another end view of the assembled stacking canting plate 150 and firearm lower rail 320 and fore grip 330 of fig2 with the firearm 6 canting to the left . fig2 is another end view of the assembled stacking canting plate 150 and firearm lower rail 320 and fore grip 330 of fig2 with the firearm 6 canting to the right . fig2 is another top view of an enlarged stacking canting plate 150 of fig1 . fig2 is a cross - sectional right side view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig2 along arrows xx when the firearm 6 of fig2 is in a vertical ( neutral ) position . fig2 is another cross - sectional right side view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig2 when the firearm 6 of fig2 is canting to the left . fig2 is another cross - sectional right side view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig2 when the firearm 6 of fig2 is canting to the right . the operation of canting ( leaning to the left , and leaning to the right ) will now be described . referring to fig1 , 19 , and 23 - 29 , left and right tilt stop pins 340 that are fixably positioned by tilting rail 190 can move up and down in the outer vertical cut - out slots of e - shaped cut - out 173 . canting to the left will now be described . referring to fig1 , 19 , 23 , 24 , 27 and 28 , the tilt leaf spring 310 is pushed down on the right side by right tilt stop pin 340 , which is pressed in the tilt rail . the tilt leaf spring 310 then wants to return the tilt rail 190 to the neutral position . canting to the right will now be described . referring to fig1 , 19 , 23 , 25 , 27 and 29 , the tilt leaf spring 310 is being pushed down on the left side by the left tilt stop pin 340 , which is pressed into the tilt rail 190 . the tilt leaf spring 310 then wants to return the tilt rail 190 to the neutral position . fig3 is a partial upper right cross - sectional view of the stacking canting plate 150 of the preceding figures with cant release button 210 in an extended out canting - lock position . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of the partial stacking canting plate 150 of fig3 along arrows ss . referring to fig3 - 31 , the “ out ” position of the tilt release button 210 indicates the tilt rail 190 is locked in the neutral position previously shown and described in reference to fig2 , and 27 . in this position , the tilt rail lock pin 280 is extended into the aft clamp block 180 , where this configuration locks the tilt rail 190 in the neutral position . in the lock position , the firearm 6 and canting plate 150 and fore grip 330 are in a fixed orientation to one another where no canting ( leaning / twisting ) can take place . fig3 is a partial upper right cross - sectional view of the stacking canting plate 150 of fig3 with cant release button 210 in a depressed canting - release position . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of the partial stacking canting plate 150 of fig3 along arrows st . referring to fig3 - 33 , the “ in ” depressed position of the tilt release button indicates that the tilt rail 190 is unlocked . here , the tilt rail lock pin is being pushed into the tilt rail 190 by the tilt lock shaft 250 where this configuration releases the tilt rail 190 to be able to cant to the left or to the right . for the unlock position , the operator must constantly always depress button 210 to allow the canting effects . once button 210 is released , spring 290 will expand and move tilt rail lock pin 280 through lock pin collar 270 and into aft clamp block 180 , and spring 260 will move tilt lock shaft 250 and extend button 210 to an extended lock position . again , depressing button 210 moves these components in the opposite direction . the canting stacking plate components can be loose to allow the operator of the firearm to easily adjust by a “ rocking ” type motion a desired canting position of the firearm . alternatively , the canting components can be tightly oriented so that the deployed legs of the fore grip can remain in a generally fixed in a canted position when the operator 2 cants the fore grip to the left or to the right . while the above drawing figures show maximum canting degrees of up to approximately 10 degrees , the invention can include greater than approximately 10 degrees . although the preferred embodiment is shown for use with the inventors &# 39 ; previous fore grip having bipod legs , the invention can be used with other fore grips with leg stands having two , three or more legs , as needed . although the invention describes limiting the rocking motion to canting ( leaning to the left and to the right ), the invention can be deployed so that the weapon can tilt forward and backward , which is perpendicular to canting the firearm . also , the invention canting mounts can also allow the weapon to rotate in vertical neutral positions . the invention will also allow for rotating the weapon while the weapon is canting or tilting . the invention can be useful to accommodate weapons for uneven terrain , such as a hill , rocky terrain and the like . the invention allows for the weapon to be supported on the terrain in one location to fire different shots at different orientations ( up , down , to the left , to the right , on all axes , rotational axes , different combinations , and the like ) without moving the legs supporting the weapon . setting - up time and shot accuracy is greatly improved , by allowing a marksman to engage targets in a wide range of locations without having to physically change the position of the weapon support legs . while the invention has been described , disclosed , illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice , the scope of the invention is not intended to be , nor should it be deemed to be , limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended .	5
deuterium ( d or 2 h ) is a stable , non - radioactive isotope of hydrogen and has an atomic weight of 2 . 0144 . hydrogen naturally occurs as a mixture of the isotopes 1 h ( hydrogen or protium ), d ( 2 h or deuterium ), and t ( 3 h or tritium ). the natural abundance of deuterium is 0 . 015 %. one of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that in all chemical compounds with a h atom , the h atom actually represents a mixture of h and d , with about 0 . 015 % being d . thus , compounds with a level of deuterium that has been enriched to be greater than its natural abundance of 0 . 015 %, should be considered unnatural and , as a result , novel over their non - enriched counterparts . all percentages given for the amount of deuterium present are mole percentages . it can be quite difficult in the laboratory to achieve 100 % deuteration at any one site of a lab scale amount of compound ( e . g ., milligram or greater ). when 100 % deuteration is recited or a deuterium atom is specifically shown in a structure , it is assumed that a small percentage of hydrogen may still be present . deuterium - enriched can be achieved by either exchanging protons with deuterium or by synthesizing the molecule with enriched starting materials . the present invention provides deuterium - enriched lenalidomide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . there are thirteen hydrogen atoms in the lenalidomide portion of lenalidomide as show by variables r 1 - r 13 in formula i below . the hydrogens present on lenalidomide have different capacities for exchange with deuterium . hydrogen atoms r 1 - r 3 are easily exchangeable under physiological conditions and , if replaced by deuterium atoms , it is expected that they will readily exchange for protons after administration to a patient . hydrogen atoms r 9 and r 12 - r 13 may be exchanged for deuterium atoms by the action of a suitable base such as t - buok / t - buod . the remaining hydrogen atoms are not easily exchangeable for deuterium atoms . however , deuterium atoms at the remaining positions may be incorporated by the use of deuterated starting materials or intermediates during the construction of lenalidomide . the present invention is based on increasing the amount of deuterium present in lenalidomide above its natural abundance . this increasing is called enrichment or deuterium - enrichment . if not specifically noted , the percentage of enrichment refers to the percentage of deuterium present in the compound , mixture of compounds , or composition . examples of the amount of enrichment include from about 0 . 5 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 16 , 21 , 25 , 29 , 33 , 37 , 42 , 46 , 50 , 54 , 58 , 63 , 67 , 71 , 75 , 79 , 84 , 88 , 92 , 96 , to about 100 mol %. since there are 13 hydrogens in lenalidomide , replacement of a single hydrogen atom with deuterium would result in a molecule with about 8 % deuterium enrichment . in order to achieve enrichment less than about 8 %, but above the natural abundance , only partial deuteration of one site is required . thus , less than about 8 % enrichment would still refer to deuterium - enriched lenalidomide . with the natural abundance of deuterium being 0 . 015 %, one would expect that for approximately every 6 , 667 molecules of lenalidomide ( 1 / 0 . 00015 = 6 , 667 ), there is one naturally occurring molecule with one deuterium present . since lenalidomide has 13 positions , one would roughly expect that for approximately every 86 , 671 molecules of lenalidomide ( 13 × 6 , 667 ), all 13 different , naturally occurring , mono - deuterated lenalidomides would be present . this approximation is a rough estimate as it doesn &# 39 ; t take into account the different exchange rates of the hydrogen atoms on lenalidomide . for naturally occurring molecules with more than one deuterium , the numbers become vastly larger . in view of this natural abundance , the present invention , in an embodiment , relates to an amount of an deuterium enriched compound , whereby the enrichment recited will be more than naturally occurring deuterated molecules . in view of the natural abundance of deuterium - enriched lenalidomide , the present invention also relates to isolated or purified deuterium - enriched lenalidomide . the isolated or purified deuterium - enriched lenalidomide is a group of molecules whose deuterium levels are above the naturally occurring levels ( e . g ., 8 %). the isolated or purified deuterium - enriched lenalidomide can be obtained by techniques known to those of skill in the art ( e . g ., see the syntheses described below ). the present invention also relates to compositions comprising deuterium - enriched lenalidomide . the compositions require the presence of deuterium - enriched lenalidomide which is greater than its natural abundance . for example , the compositions of the present invention can comprise ( a ) a μg of a deuterium - enriched lenalidomide ; ( b ) a mg of a deuterium - enriched lenalidomide ; and , ( c ) a gram of a deuterium - enriched lenalidomide . in an embodiment , the present invention provides an amount of a novel deuterium - enriched lenalidomide . examples of amounts include , but are not limited to ( a ) at least 0 . 01 , 0 . 02 , 0 . 03 , 0 . 04 , 0 . 05 , 0 . 1 , 0 . 2 , 0 . 3 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 5 , to 1 mole , ( b ) at least 0 . 1 moles , and ( c ) at least 1 mole of the compound . the present amounts also cover lab - scale ( e . g ., gram scale ), kilo - lab scale ( e . g ., kilogram scale ), and industrial or commercial scale ( e . g ., multi - kilogram or above scale ) quantities as these will be more useful in the actual manufacture of a pharmaceutical . industrial / commercial scale refers to the amount of product that would be produced in a batch that was designed for clinical testing , formulation , sale / distribution to the public , etc . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . wherein r 1 - r 13 are independently selected from h and d ; and the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 13 is at least 8 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 15 %, ( b ) at least 23 %, ( c ) at least 31 %,( d ) at least 38 %, ( e ) at least 46 %, ( f ) at least 54 %, ( g ) at least 62 %, ( h ) at least 69 %, ( i ) at least 77 %, ( j ) at least 85 %, ( k ) at least 92 %, and ( 1 ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 9 and r 12 - r 13 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 , r 9 , and r 12 - r 13 is at least 17 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 33 %, ( b ) at least 50 %, ( c ) at least 67 %, ( d ) at least 83 %, and ( e ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 4 - r 6 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 7 - r 8 is at least 50 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 10 - r 13 is at least 25 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 50 %, ( b ) at least 75 %, and ( c ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . wherein r 1 - r 13 are independently selected from h and d ; and the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 13 is at least 8 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 15 %, ( b ) at least 23 %, ( c ) at least 31 %,( d ) at least 38 %, ( e ) at least 46 %, ( f ) at least 54 %, ( g ) at least 62 %, ( h ) at least 69 %, ( i ) at least 77 %, ( j ) at least 85 %, ( k ) at least 92 %, and ( 1 ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 9 and r 12 - r 13 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 , r 9 , and r 12 - r 13 is at least 17 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 33 %, ( b ) at least 50 %, ( c ) at least 67 %, ( d ) at least 83 %, and ( e ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 4 - r 6 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 7 - r 8 is at least 50 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 10 - r 13 is at least 25 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 50 %, ( b ) at least 75 %, and ( c ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides novel mixture of deuterium enriched compounds of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . wherein r 1 - r 13 are independently selected from h and d ; and the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 13 is at least 8 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 15 %, ( b ) at least 23 %, ( c ) at least 31 %,( d ) at least 38 %, ( e ) at least 46 %, ( f ) at least 54 %, ( g ) at least 62 %, ( h ) at least 69 %, ( i ) at least 77 %, ( j ) at least 85 %, ( k ) at least 92 %, and ( 1 ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 9 and r 12 - r 13 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 , r 9 , and r 12 - r 13 is at least 17 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 33 %, ( b ) at least 50 %, ( c ) at least 67 %, ( d ) at least 83 %, and ( e ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 4 - r 6 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 7 - r 8 is at least 50 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 10 - r 13 is at least 25 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 50 %, ( b ) at least 75 %, and ( c ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides novel pharmaceutical compositions , comprising : a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a therapeutically effective amount of a deuterium - enriched compound of the present invention . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel method for treating multiple myeloma comprising : administering to a patient in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a deuterium - enriched compound of the present invention . in another embodiment , the present invention provides an amount of a deuterium - enriched compound of the present invention as described above for use in therapy . in another embodiment , the present invention provides the use of an amount of a deuterium - enriched compound of the present invention for the manufacture of a medicament ( e . g ., for the treatment of multiple myeloma ). the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof . this invention encompasses all combinations of preferred aspects of the invention noted herein . it is understood that any and all embodiments of the present invention may be taken in conjunction with any other embodiment or embodiments to describe additional more preferred embodiments . it is also to be understood that each individual element of the preferred embodiments is intended to be taken individually as its own independent preferred embodiment . furthermore , any element of an embodiment is meant to be combined with any and all other elements from any embodiment to describe an additional embodiment . the examples provided in the definitions present in this application are non - inclusive unless otherwise stated . they include but are not limited to the recited examples . the compounds of the present invention may have asymmetric centers . compounds of the present invention containing an asymmetrically substituted atom may be isolated in optically active or racemic forms . it is well known in the art how to prepare optically active forms , such as by resolution of racemic forms or by synthesis from optically active starting materials . all processes used to prepare compounds of the present invention and intermediates made therein are considered to be part of the present invention . all tautomers of shown or described compounds are also considered to be part of the present invention . “ host ” preferably refers to a human . it also includes other mammals including the equine , porcine , bovine , feline , and canine families . “ treating ” or “ treatment ” covers the treatment of a disease - state in a mammal , and includes : ( a ) preventing the disease - state from occurring in a mammal , in particular , when such mammal is predisposed to the disease - state but has not yet been diagnosed as having it ; ( b ) inhibiting the disease - state , e . g ., arresting it development ; and / or ( c ) relieving the disease - state , e . g ., causing regression of the disease state until a desired endpoint is reached . treating also includes the amelioration of a symptom of a disease ( e . g ., lessen the pain or discomfort ), wherein such amelioration may or may not be directly affecting the disease ( e . g ., cause , transmission , expression , etc .). “ therapeutically effective amount ” includes an amount of a compound of the present invention that is effective when administered alone or in combination to treat the desired condition or disorder . “ therapeutically effective amount ” includes an amount of the combination of compounds claimed that is effective to treat the desired condition or disorder . the combination of compounds is preferably a synergistic combination . synergy , as described , for example , by chou and talalay , adv . enzyme regul . 1984 , 22 : 27 - 55 , occurs when the effect of the compounds when administered in combination is greater than the additive effect of the compounds when administered alone as a single agent . in general , a synergistic effect is most clearly demonstrated at sub - optimal concentrations of the compounds . synergy can be in terms of lower cytotoxicity , increased antiviral effect , or some other beneficial effect of the combination compared with the individual components . “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” refer to derivatives of the disclosed compounds wherein the parent compound is modified by making acid or base salts thereof . examples of pharmaceutically acceptable salts include , but are not limited to , mineral or organic acid salts of the basic residues . the pharmaceutically acceptable salts include the conventional quaternary ammonium salts of the parent compound formed , for example , from non - toxic inorganic or organic acids . for example , such conventional non - toxic salts include , but are not limited to , those derived from inorganic and organic acids selected from 1 , 2 - ethanedisulfonic , 2 - acetoxybenzoic , 2 - hydroxyethanesulfonic , acetic , ascorbic , benzenesulfonic , benzoic , bicarbonic , carbonic , citric , edetic , ethane disulfonic , ethane sulfonic , fumaric , glucoheptonic , gluconic , glutamic , glycolic , glycollyarsanilic , hexylresorcinic , hydrabamic , hydrobromic , hydrochloric , hydroiodide , hydroxymaleic , hydroxynaphthoic , isethionic , lactic , lactobionic , lauryl sulfonic , maleic , malic , mandelic , methanesulfonic , napsylic , nitric , oxalic , pamoic , pantothenic , phenylacetic , phosphoric , polygalacturonic , propionic , salicyclic , stearic , subacetic , succinic , sulfamic , sulfanilic , sulfuric , tannic , tartaric , and toluenesulfonic . table 1 provides compounds that are representative examples of the present invention . when one of r 1 - r 13 is present , it is selected from h or d . table 2 provides compounds that are representative examples of the present invention . where h is shown , it represents naturally abundant hydrogen . numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise that as specifically described herein .	0
[ 0016 ] fig1 shows a preferred embodiment of a phone according to the invention , and it will be seen that the phone , which is generally designated by 1 , comprises a user interface having a keypad 2 , a display 3 , an on / off button 4 ( present in the top of the phone and therefore not visible in the present view ), a speaker 5 , and a microphone 6 ( openings present in the bottom of the phone and therefore not visible in the present view ). the phone 1 according to the preferred embodiment is adapted for communication via a cellular network , such as the gsm 900 / 1800 mhz network . according to the preferred embodiment the keypad 2 has a first group 7 of keys as alphanumeric keys , one softkey 8 , a cursor navigation key 10 ( scroll up / down ), and a “ clear ”- key 9 for erasing letters in text in the display 3 , jumping steps down in the menu structure and rejecting calls . the present functionality of the soft key 8 is shown in separate fields ( softkey - label ) in the display 3 just above the softkey 8 . the softkey 8 is a multifunction key and its present function depends on the state of the phone 1 . the softkey 8 gives access to the menu , the phonebook and call handling . [ 0018 ] fig2 schematically shows the most important parts of a preferred embodiment of the phone , said parts being essential to the understanding of the invention . the processor 18 controls the communication with the network via the transmitter / receiver circuit 19 and an internal antenna 20 . the microphone 6 transforms the user &# 39 ; s speech into analogue signals , the analogue signals formed thereby are a / d converted in an a / d converter ( not shown ) before the speech is encoded in a digital signal processing unit 14 ( dsp ). the encoded speech signal is transferred to the processor 18 , which i . e ., supports the gsm terminal software . the processor 18 also forms the interface to the peripheral units of the apparatus , including a ram memory 17 a and a flash rom memory 17 b , a sim card 16 , the display 3 and the keypad 2 ( as well as data , power supply , etc .). the digital signal - processing unit 14 speech - decodes the signal , which is transferred from the processor 18 to the earpiece 5 via a d / a converter ( not shown ). the antenna according to the preferred embodiment of the invention is a pifa ( planar inverted f - antenna ) and includes an ground plane being provided by the shield 29 of the printed circuit board ( pcb ) of the phone , one radiator plate 24 mounted on an antenna blank 21 and two pogopin connectors 30 . the antenna structure is shown in fig3 . the antenna blank is made of ixef ( the ixef compounds are a family of semi - crystalline polyarylamide thermoplastics reinforced with glass fibers and / or mineral fillers essentially for injection molding and manufactured by solvay ) and the radiator plate of 0 . 15 mm thick new silver . ultrasonic welding ( depending on vendor ) assembles the two parts . an inner cover 26 of the phone 1 is preferably also made of the same resin as the antenna blank 21 . the antenna blank 21 has two taps 23 for being received in two channels 32 provided in the inner cover 26 . when the tabs 22 are received in the channels 32 , the blank 21 may follow a guided movement towards the closed position , where a tongue 22 of the antenna blank 21 cooperates with a recess 25 on the inner cover 26 for providing a snap connection between the antenna blank 21 and the inner cover 26 . just below the antenna cavity 28 there is provided a battery cavity 31 for receiving a battery box ( not shown ). the front and rear covers of the phone are visible in fig1 but are removed in fig3 . the front and rear covers are of the type described in gb 9903260 . 9 . the two pogopin connectors 30 are shown in enlarged scale in fig5 . the pogopin connectors 30 are provided as spring loaded contacts with bleeding holes in the base contact ( barrel ), it consists of a metal barrel 33 , an internal metal spring ( not visible ) and a plunger 34 ( moving part ). the spring in the connector is under constant load in contact position . the antenna blank 21 is clicked on the inner - cover frame 26 of the phone . this construction avoids the dielectric body of the antenna ( antenna blank ) being placed between the radiator plate 24 and the ground plane of the antenna ( pcb - shield 29 ). this structure is important to reduce the dielectric loss in the antenna . the dominating part of the field generated by the antenna will be between the radiator plate 24 and the ground plane ( shield 29 ). by not having dielectric material in this area the loss is reduced . the dielectric properties of the antenna blank 21 are still important for the performance . the permittivity of the ixef material is approximately 4 and it does load the antenna . this type of antenna structure may be called a superstrate loaded antenna ( without or substantially without dielectric material between the radiator plate 24 and the ground plane ( shield 29 ). by providing the antenna blank 21 as a “ snap on ” structure it will be possible to access the radio signal on the assembly line at the factory in order to verify the performance of the transmitter 18 . therefore , there is no need to provide a separate rf - connector , which is usually used for performance verification . by being able to remove the antenna relatively easily , it is made possible to connect test equipment to the radio transmitter through the antenna connectors — both during the manufacturing and at after market service . in design of the radiator shape a number of aspects must be taken into account . first of all the battery , which during use is placed in the battery cavity 31 , has a large influence on antenna performance . also it should be designed so that influence of hand and fingers of the user is minimized . the way these things are handled is to put the high voltage point ( the end 44 of the gsm part ) of the patch at the top of the phone — as far away from the battery as possible . the high voltage point of the patch turned out to be the one having the biggest coupling to the battery . the feeding points of the antenna 47 are provided close to the top of the antenna . the ground pin is closest to a slot 45 and the signal pin starts a quarter wave resonant element . this antenna has a part — indicated by an arrow 40 — corresponding to the gsm part , which is “ active ” in both bands ( 900 mhz and 1800 mhz ). in gsm ( 900 mhz ) this part 40 corresponds to quarter wave resonance , while in pcn ( 1800 mhz ) the part has a higher order resonance . a part corresponding to pcn part is a pcn match stub 41 . the pcn match stub 41 matches the higher order resonance of the pcn band . this antenna can basically be described by a u - shaped gsm part 40 and a pcb match stub 41 between the two arms of the u - shaped gsm part 40 . the patch antenna is constructed in such a way it can be tuned quite independently in the two bands . in pcn it is a question of making the pcn stub shorter or longer . by removing one or more of the dotted parts of the pcn adjustment part 42 , the pcn frequency will increase without affecting the gsm frequency . in gsm the unique feature of making the slot longer at the same time reduces the size ( area ) of the pcn stub . this means that even though the pcn frequency is tuned down by making the slot longer and this effect is balanced out by reducing the size of the pcn stub 41 . the radiator plate 24 is punched out of a metal sheet and mounted to the inner surface of the antenna blank 21 . this mounting is done by means of ultra sonic welding of the tab on the blank 21 extending through a plurality of holes 46 of the radiator plate 24 . the form of the radiator plate 24 is shown in fig4 . hereby it becomes possible during manufacture to adjust the match of the pcn band of the antenna by cutting off smaller or bigger parts of the pcn adjustment part 42 . in design of this antenna , bandwidth is an important parameter . in order to enhance the bandwidth , the distance between the end 44 of the gsm part and the pcn stub is separated as far as the area allows . this distance ( the width of the slot 45 ) may be reduced to tune down the resonance frequency since coupling is increased . however in order to keep a sufficient bandwidth it is preferred to keep distance between the two parts above a certain level . another bandwidth enhancing feature is to keep the structure as simple as possible in the sense that the current should avoid making strong bends . this has influence on the gsm part but is less critical for the pcn stub . by removing one or more of the dotted parts of the gsm adjustment part 43 , the gsm frequency will decrease without affecting the pcn frequency . the current path for gsm will increase . the same will count for the pcn current path , but the size reduction of the pcn stub 41 will compensate for this . the main effects of the antenna describe above is the highest voltage is designed for the top of the phone in order to minimize coupling to the battery . furthermore the coupling between the end of the gsm part and the pcn stub is minimized in order to increase the bandwidth of the antenna . the two bands of the antenna are designed so independent tuning of gsm and pcn is obtained . gsm is tuned by changing the length of the signal path by making the slot bigger , though at the same time making the pcn stub area smaller . by having such a design the pcn resonance will be almost constant when making a gsm tuning . the simple structure of the radiator gives the current a natural flow on the patch , which increases the bandwidth of the antenna .	7
fig1 shows the typical surface after the laser treatment . the entire surface of the aluminum oxide ceramic was then subjected to plasma coating with hydroxyl apatite . for the first time it was possible to detect on this surface a few spots on which the hydroxyl apatite coating could be detected . nevertheless it was not possible even after this preliminary treatment to apply a continuous coating . fig2 and 3 show the surfaces of the lasered and hydroxyl apatite ( ha ) coated specimens . surprisingly it was possible according to the invention to coat a ceramic component , preferably a component made of aluminum oxide ceramic , with hydroxyapatite if the surface of the ceramic component is coated with a titanium layer . by the method of the invention it is surprisingly possible for the first time to deposit hydroapatic on the surface of a ceramic component , with sufficient strength of adhesion . according to the invention , first ceramic components are provided with a thin titanium coating , for example by pvd ( physical vapor deposition ). according to the invention , the surface of the ceramic component can be previously roughened ,— ground or lasered , for example . the thickness of the titanium layer was about 1 μm ; a coating 5 μm thick also led to success . fig6 shows the transverse section of a specimen coated in this manner . the hydroxyapatite layer was sprayed onto this intermediate layer . the transverse section of this built - up coating is represented in fig7 and 8 at different enlargements . preferably , before the hydroxyapatite is applied by plasma coating , for example , the titanium intermediate layer is subjected also to a sand blasting process to improve adhesion . an especially high strength of adhesion is achieved if the titanium coating is given a roughness of r a ≈ 40 - 50 μm . a scratch test on the hydroxyapatite coating confirmed the outstanding strength of adhesion of the coating . preparation of a transverse section was possible without problems . the measurement of the strength of adhesion was made on five different specimens . the individual values are summarized in table 1 . from the values obtained by the strength - of - adhesion measurements it can be seen that tensions are surprisingly achieved which are in the range of that of hydroxyapatite coatings on tial6v4 alloys . according to the invention , it is also possible , instead of the conventional titanium intermediate coating , an intermediate coating of the tial6v4 alloy can be deposited , for example by the pvd method . fig9 shows the typical building of layers in the preparation of transverse sections . the corresponding strengths of adhesion are listed in table 2 . specimen force [ n ] tension [ mpa ] 1 582 1 . 9 2 700 2 . 2 3 400 1 . 3 4 498 1 . 6 a ceramic component in the form of a cylindrical test specimen was used in the tests . the cylinders , with a diameter of 20 mm and a thickness of 2 mm , were made by the conventional press - turn manufacture as greenbodies , subjected to hot isostatic pressure and annealed . the sintered bodies were then machined with diamond tools to achieve final shape . other methods for the manufacture of ceramic components can , of course , also be used . used as the material was a known aluminum oxide material , such as the one known as biolox ® material , for example . with the present invention it is thus for the first time possible by providing a titanium intermediate coating to deposit hydroxyapatite directly onto ceramic components . the ceramic components that can be made by the method of the invention are also subject matter of the present invention . thus , according to the invention , ceramic components can for the first time be made , which can be used for medical purposes , for example as prostheses . such prostheses display an improved ingrowth characteristic .	0
the present invention relates to a method for making an intravascular stent . the underlying structure of the stent can be virtually any stent design , whether of the self - expanding type or of the balloon - expandable type and whether metal or polymeric . thus metal stent designs such as those disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 733 , 665 issued to palmaz , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 800 , 882 issued to gianturco or u . s . pat . no . 4 , 886 , 062 issued to wiktor could be used in the present invention . for example , the configuration of the stent 1 shown in fig3 is such , that a wire has a reversing bend pattern 2 so that controlled radial expansion of the stent 1 is accomplished by the force generated by an inflating balloon 3 . when acted upon by the inflating balloon 3 , the stent 1 expands radially by controlled deformation and tension applied to the pattern 2 of the wire . the expanded larger diameter will conform to the inside of the vessel 4 and maintain intimate contact with the inside wall due to the low memory level of the deformable metal used for the wire . the stent could be made of virtually any bio - compatible material having physical properties suitable for the design . for example , tantalum and stainless steel have been proven suitable for many such designs and could be used in the present invention . also , stents made with biostable or bioabsorbable polymers such as poly ( ethylene terephthalate ), polyacetal , poly ( lactic acid ), poly ( ethylene oxide )/ poly ( butylene terephthalate ) copolymer could be used in the present invention . although the stent surface should be clean and free from contaminants that may be introduced during manufacturing , the stent surface requires no particular surface treatment in order to retain the coating applied in the present invention . both the inner and outer surfaces of the stent may be provided with the coating according to the present invention . in order to provide the coated stent according to the present invention , a solution which includes a solvent , a polymer dissolved in the solvent and a therapeutic substance dispersed in the solvent is first prepared . it is important to choose a solvent , a polymer and a therapeutic substance that are mutually compatible . it is essential that the solvent is capable of placing the polymer into solution at the concentration desired in the solution . it is also essential that the solvent and polymer chosen do not chemically alter the therapeutic character of the therapeutic substance . however , the therapeutic substance only needs to be dispersed throughout the solvent so that it may be either in a true solution with the solvent or dispersed in fine particles in the solvent . examples of some suitable combinations of polymer , solvent and therapeutic substance are set forth in table 1 below . table 1______________________________________polymer solvent therapeutic substance______________________________________poly ( l - lactic chloroform dexamethasoneacid ) poly ( lactic acetone dexamethasoneacid - co - glycolic acid ) polyether n - methyl tocopherolurethane pyrrolidone ( vitamin e ) silicone xylene dexamethasoneadhesive phosphatepoly ( hydroxy - dichloro - aspirinbutyrate - co - methanehydroxyvalerate ) fibrin water heparin ( buffered saline ) ______________________________________ the solution is applied to the stent and the solvent is allowed to evaporate , thereby leaving on the stent surface a coating of the polymer and the therapeutic substance . typically , the solution can be applied to the stent by either spraying the solution onto the stent or immersing the stent in the solution . whether one chooses application by immersion or application by spraying depends principally on the viscosity and surface tension of the solution , however , it has been found that spraying in a fine spray such as that available from an airbrush will provide a coating with the greatest uniformity and will provide the greatest control over the amount of coating material to be applied to the stent . in either a coating applied by spraying or by immersion , multiple application steps are generally desirable to provide improved coating uniformity and improved control over the amount of therapeutic substance to be applied to the stent . the polymer chosen must be a polymer that is biocompatible and minimizes irritation to the vessel wall when the stent is implanted . the polymer may be either a biostable or a bioabsorbable polymer depending on the desired rate of release or the desired degree of polymer stability , but a bioabsorbable polymer is probably more desirable since , unlike a biostable polymer , it will not be present long after implantation to cause any adverse , chronic local response . bioabsorbable polymers that could be used include poly ( l - lactic acid ), polycaprolactone , poly ( lactide - co - glycolide ), poly ( hydroxybutyrate ), poly ( hydroxybutyrate - co - valerate ), polydioxanone , polyorthoester , polyanhydride , poly ( glycolic acid ), poly ( d , l - lactic acid ), poly ( glycolic acid - co - trimethylene carbonate ), polyphosphoester , polyphosphoester urethane , poly ( amino acids ), cyanoacrylates , poly ( trimethylene carbonate ), poly ( iminocarbonate ), copoly ( ether - esters ) ( e . g . peo / pla ), polyalkylene oxalates , polyphosphazenes and biomolecules such as fibrin , fibrinogen , cellulose , starch , collagen and hyaluronic acid . also , biostable polymers with a relatively low chronic tissue response such as polyurethanes , silicones , and polyesters could be used and other polymers could also be used if they can be dissolved and cured or polymerized on the stent such as polyolefins , polyisobutylene and ethylene - alphaolefin copolymers ; acrylic polymers and copolymers , vinyl halide polymers and copolymers , such as polyvinyl chloride ; polyvinyl ethers , such as polyvinyl methyl ether ; polyvinylidene halides , such as polyvinylidene fluoride and polyvinylidene chloride ; polyacrylonitrile , polyvinyl ketones ; polyvinyl aromatics , such as polystyrene , polyvinyl esters , such as polyvinyl acetate ; copolymers of vinyl monomers with each other and olefins , such as ethylene - methyl methacrylate copolymers , acrylonitrile - styrene copolymers , abs resins , and ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymers ; polyamides , such as nylon 66 and polycaprolactam ; alkyd resins ; polycarbonates ; polyoxymethylenes ; polyimides ; polyethers ; epoxy resins , polyurethanes ; rayon ; rayon - triacetate ; cellulose , cellulose acetate , cellulose butyrate ; cellulose acetate butyrate ; cellophane ; cellulose nitrate ; cellulose propionate ; cellulose ethers ; and carboxymethyl cellulose . the ratio of therapeutic substance to polymer in the solution will depend on the efficacy of the polymer in securing the therapeutic substance onto the stent and the rate at which the coating is to release the therapeutic substance to the tissue of the blood vessel . more polymer may be needed if it has relatively poor efficacy in retaining the therapeutic substance on the stent and more polymer may be needed in order to provide an elution matrix that limits the elution of a very soluble therapeutic substance . a wide ratio of therapeutic substance to polymer could therefore be appropriate and could range from about 10 : 1 to about 1 : 100 . the therapeutic substance used in the present invention could be virtually any therapeutic substance which possesses desirable therapeutic characteristics for application to a blood vessel . this can include both solid substances and liquid substances . for example , glucocorticoids ( e . g . dexamethasone , betamethasone ), heparin , hirudin , tocopherol , angiopeptin , aspirin , ace inhibitors , growth factors , oligonucleotides , and , more generally , antiplatelet agents , anticoagulant agents , antimitotic agents , antioxidants , antimetabolite agents , and anti - inflammatory agents could be used . antiplatelet agents can include drugs such as aspirin and dipyridamole . aspirin is classified as an analgesic , antipyretic , anti - inflammatory and antiplatelet drug . dypridimole is a drug similar to aspirin in that it has anti - platelet characteristics . dypridimole is also classified as a coronary vasodilator . anticoagulant agents can include drugs such as heparin , coumadin , protamine , hirudin and tick anticoagulant protein . antimitotic agents and antimetabolite agents can include drugs such as methotrexate , azathioprine , vincristine , vinblastine , fluorouracil , adriamycin and mutamycin . a 1 % solution of dexamethasone in acetone was made , forming a clear solution . the solution was placed in an airbrush reservoir ( badger # 200 ). wiktor type tantalum wire stents were sprayed with the solution in short bursts while rotating the stents . the acetone quickly evaporated from the stents , leaving a white residue on the stent wire . the process was continued until all of the stent wires were coated . the drug elution rate for the stent was determined by immersing the stent in phosphate buffered saline solution ( ph = 7 . 4 ). traces of dexamethasone were observed to remain on the immersed stents for less than 31 hours . a 2 % solution of dexamethasone in acetone was made , forming a solution with suspended particles of dexamethasone . the solution was placed into a tube . wiktor type tantalum wire stents were dipped rapidly and were allowed to dry . each stent was dipped into the solution 12 - 15 times to provide a white surface coating . two stents were placed on an angioplasty balloon and were inflated on the balloon . approximately 80 % of the dexamethasone coating flaked off of the stents . a solution of 1 % dexamethasone and 0 . 5 % poly ( caprolactone ) ( aldrich 18 , 160 - 9 ) in acetone was made . the solution was placed into a tube . wiktor type tantalum wire stents were dipped rapidly and were allowed to dry . each stent was dipped into the solution 12 - 15 times to provide a white surface coating . a stent so coated was expanded on a 3 . 5 mm angioplasty balloon causing a significant amount of the coating to become detached . a solution of 1 % dexamethasone and 0 . 5 % poly ( l - lactic acid ) ( medisorb ) in acetone was made . the solution was placed into a tube . wiktor type tantalum wire stents were dipped rapidly and were allowed to dry . each stent was dipped into the solution 12 - 15 times to provide a white surface coating . a stent so coated was expanded on a 3 . 5 mm angioplasty balloon causing only a small portion of the coating ( less than 25 %) to become detached ) a solution including a 2 % dispersion of dexamethasone and a 1 % solution of poly ( l - lactic acid ) ( cca biochem mw = 550 , 000 ) in chloroform was made . the solution was placed into an airbrush ( badger ). wiktor type tantalum wire stents were sprayed in short bursts and were allowed to dry . each stent was sprayed with the solution about 20 times to provide a white surface coating . a stent so coated was expanded on a 3 . 5 mm angioplasty balloon . the coating remained attached to the stent throughout the procedure . a solution including a 2 % dispersion of dexamethasone and a 1 % solution of poly ( l - lactic acid ) ( cca biochem mw = 550 , 000 ) in chloroform was made . the solution was placed into an airbrush ( badger # 250 - 2 ). wiktor type tantalum wire stents were suspended from a fixture and sprayed in 24 short bursts ( 6 bursts from each of the four directions perpendicular to the stent axis ) and were allowed to dry . the resulting stents had a coating weight of about 0 . 0006 - 0 . 0015 grams . three of the stents were tested for long term elution by placing one stent in 3 . 0 ml of phosphate buffered saline solution ( ph = 7 . 4 ) at room temperature without stirring . the amount of dexamethasone eluted was evaluated by measuring absorbance at 244 nm in a uv - vis spectrophotometer . the results of this test are given in fig1 . a solution including a 2 % dispersion of dexamethasone and a 1 % solution of poly ( l - lactic acid ) ( medisorb 100 - l ) in chloroform was made along with a control solution of 1 % of poly ( l - lactic acid ) ( medisorb 100 - l ) in chloroform . the solutions was placed into an airbrush ( badger # 250 - 2 ). wiktor type tantalum wire stents were expanded on a 3 . 0 mm balloon , suspended from a fixture and sprayed in 16 short bursts ( 2 - 3 bursts of about 1 second followed by several minutes drying time between applications ). the resulting dexamethasone - coated stents had an average coating weight of about 0 . 0012 grams while the polymer - coated stents had an average polymer weight of about 0 . 0004 grams . the stents were sterilized in ethylene oxide . three of the sterilized dexamethasone - coated stents were tested for long term elution by placing one stent in 3 . 0 ml of phosphate buffered saline solution ( ph = 7 . 4 ) at room temperature without stirring . the amount of dexamethasone eluted was evaluated by measuring absorbance at 244 nm in a uv - vis spectrophotometer . the results of this test are given in fig2 . dexamethasone - coated stents and polymer - coated control stents were implanted in the coronary arteries of 8 pigs ( n = 12 for each type ) according to the method set forth in &# 34 ; restenosis after balloon angioplasty -- a practical proliferative model in porcine coronary arteries ,&# 34 ; by robert s . schwartz , et al , circulation 82 ( 6 ): 2190 - 2200 , december 1990 , and &# 34 ; restenosis and the proportional neointimal response to coronary artery injury : results in a porcine model &# 34 ; by robert s . schwartz et al , j am coll cardiol ; 19 ; 267 - 74 february 1992 with the result that when compared with the controls , the dexamethasone - coated stents reduced the amount of proliferation associated with the arterial injury . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the invention has been described above in connection with particular embodiments and examples , the invention is not necessarily so limited and that numerous other embodiments , examples , uses , modifications and departures from the embodiments , examples and uses may be made without departing from the inventive concepts .	0
modern financial indexes , such as value / growth indexes , are designed to reflect the behavior of active managers . the success of these indexes is gauged to a large degree by their ability to capture these behaviors . and while the modern financial indexes may be successful in this regard , they fail to prove effective for other purposes . further , as investors increasingly gravitate toward total return investments ( hedge funds , etc .) style indexes that simply mirror the broader market volatility become increasingly irrelevant to the problems of asset allocation and performance attribution . modern portfolio theory suggests constructing an optimal asset portfolio by using risk and return data to determine the proportions of various types of portfolio assets . portfolio theory thus works best when asset - type choices are distinct — when available asset classes or groups are as different as possible . the construction of an optimally efficient portfolio depends on this differentiation . modern financial indexes , designed to reflect investment strategies of active managers , fail to accommodate this goal . value and growth indexes , for example , overlap significantly in various important characteristics : that which makes these indexes characteristically similar to the managers makes them characteristically similar to each other . this high degree of overlap among known financial indexes provides inadequate differentiation and distinct choices in selecting assets for an optimally efficient portfolio . desirable investment portfolios tend to focus in a securities market around the moderate middle of the growth - value continuum ; investors can then make opportunistic forays to the extremes ( e . g ., greater growth or fundamental cheapness ). this indicates that both value and growth indexes are populated — at least at their extremes — with risky investments . this risk overlap confounds the risk - return tradeoffs on which modern portfolio theory depends . an index framework which addresses varying risk characteristics is thus required . the present invention meets this requirement and solves problems with known financial indexes by providing a volatility - based index framework . recognizing that investors share the goal of earning the highest level of return for any level of risk , a volatility - based index framework provides investors with valuable information about , among other things , the most distinct choices in risk . distinct choices both broaden and strengthen investors &# 39 ; opportunity set . volatility style indices also provide a surprising and effective new way to categorize and evaluate securities for various purposes including determining asset classes , market benchmarking , portfolio analysis , and evaluating fund performance . ‘ security ’ is a broad term extending across a broad reach of investable asset classes and their constituent securities ; the term is to be given its ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art ( i . e ., it is not to be limited to a special or customized meaning ) and includes , without limitation , equity ( common stock , preferred , convertible issues ), debt ( bonds , banknotes , debentures ), real estate , currency investments , so - called alternate assets such as natural resources , precious metals , commodities , venture capital , hedge funds , and investable strategies . focusing on volatility does not forfeit insights provided by other fundamental measures ; it amplifies them , rather , thus allowing more effective choices in the search for superior risk - adjusted returns ( e . g ., as measured by alpha ). investors can use the volatility style indices to gain insights into the risk - return opportunities among various investments . the volatility style indices can be structured to span the broad market , thus allowing plug - and - play compatibility with the capital asset pricing model ( capm ) and other aspects of modern portfolio theory . further , the volatility fracture provided by a volatility - based index framework facilitates tradeoffs between equity risk and other asset classes . as discussed later , a volatility - based index framework demonstrably provides greater differentiation in choices for security exposure , not only with regard to risk , but also with regard to other equally important indicators such as cumulative or average return and sharpe ratio . further still , volatility style indices are demonstrably persistent , with a low turnover among the indices , which facilitates predictability . fig1 illustrates a schematic diagram of examples of system and computer - readable medium embodiments provided in accordance with the present invention . an index provider 110 , market data provider 120 , financial service provider 130 , and investor 151 can communicate over a network . the network can include , for example and without limitation , wires or wireless data networks ( e . g ., networks utilizing t1 , e1 , t2 , e2 , t3 , e3 , ds4 , e4 , ds1 , ds2 , ds3 , 1 mb ethernet , 10 mb ethernet , 100 mb ethernet , 1 gb ethernet , 10 gb ethernet , backplane ethernet , resilient packet ring , frame relay , vdsl , adsl , dsl , fcs , fddi , firewire , scsi , fiberchannel , ficon , escon , sts - 1 , oc - 1 , oc - 3 , oc - 12 , 25 oc - 48 , oc - 192 , oc - 768 , atm uni , atm nni , wifi , wimax , atm , or the like ), connections through a networked medium or media ( e . g ., the internet , an extranet , an intranet , a wide area network ( wan ), a local area network ( lan ), or the like ), and various devices ( e . g ., hubs , routers , switches , relays , vpn servers , firewalls , intrusion detection systems , nat devices , aggregators , or the like ). network 101 can also include , for example , various combinations of these and other systems and communications technologies . in various embodiments , the network 101 supports secure communications , for example , using various security techniques ( operating , e . g ., at various network layers ), including but not limited to secure sockets layer ( ssl ), layer 2 tunneling protocol ( l2tp ), transport layer security ( tls ), tunneling tls ( ttls ), ipsec , http secure ( https ), extensible authentication protocol , ( eap ), and the like . as shown in fig3 , an index provider 110 is associated with an interface module 113 , an index service module 111 , and a data store 112 . the index service 111 can generate volatility style indices , for example , using data stored in data store 112 or obtained from the network ( e . g ., from market data provider 120 ). the index service can also provide on request current and historical data for volatility style indices . the data store 112 can store current and historical securities data , generated index information , user data , and any other data needed by the index provider . an interface 113 can provide access to services provided by the index service . for example , the financial service provider 130 or investor 151 can request updated index information from the index provider through the interface 113 . if a volatility style index is manages as a mutual fund , exchange - traded fund , or the like , the interface can provide real - time fund data , order processing , and any related functionality . the interface can have an api component 114 for programmatic interaction with the index provider . in various embodiments , the api component can allow hardware or software devices connected to the network to obtain automatically index information and other data provided by the index provider 110 . a market data provider 120 is associated with an interface module 123 , a market data service module 121 , and a data store 122 . the market data service 121 can provide current and historical market data ( e . g ., fundamental or technical indicators , news releases , real - time trade data , and other market data ). the data store 122 can store current and historical market data , and any other information required by the market data provider 120 or other entities on the network . an interface 123 can provide access to services provided by the market data provider 120 . for example , the index service provider 110 , financial service provider 130 , or investor 151 can request updated market information from the market data provider 120 through the interface 123 . in various embodiments , detailed analyses or comparisons can be requested via the interface and processed by the market data service 121 . the interface can have an api component for programmatic interaction with the market data provider . the interface can have an api component 124 for programmatic interaction with the market data provider . in various embodiments , the api component can allow hardware or software devices connected to the network to obtain automatically market data and other information provided by the market data provider 120 . a financial service provider 130 is associated with an interface module 133 , a financial transaction service module 131 , and a data store 122 . the financial transaction service 131 can process securities transactions and complete other market operations for other entities such as and index provider 110 or investor 151 . the data store 132 can store securities information , account information , trade information , or any other data needed by the financial service provider 130 . an interface 133 can provide access to services provided by the financial service provider 130 . for example , the index service provider 110 , market data provider 120 , or investor 151 can carry out securities transactions , check trade status , review account information , transfer assets , or the like through the interface 133 . the interface 133 can have an api component 134 for programmatic interaction with the financial service provider . in various embodiments , the api component 134 can allow hardware or software devices connected to the network 101 to initiate automatically market transactions or utilize other services provided by the financial service provider 120 . in various aspects , the investor 151 can be operatively associated with one or more computer systems 152 or devices 153 . these systems and devices can include , for example and without limitation , a cell phone , smart phone , tablet computer , laptop , netbook , desktop computer , personal entertainment device , electronic book reader , other wireless device , set - top or other television box , media player , game platform , kiosk , or any other electronic device with appropriate interface and communication facilities . it is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of embodiments of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention , while eliminating , for purposes of clarity , other elements . those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize , however , that these and other elements may be desirable for practice of various aspects of the present embodiments . because such elements are well known in the art , and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention , a discussion of such elements is not provided herein . it can be appreciated that , in some embodiments of the present methods and systems disclosed herein , a single component can be replaced by multiple components , and multiple components replaced by a single component , to perform a given function or functions . except where such substitution would not be operative to practice the present methods and systems , such substitution is within the scope of the present invention . examples presented herein , including operational examples , are intended to illustrate potential implementations of the present method and system embodiments . it can be appreciated that such examples are intended primarily for purposes of illustration . no particular aspect or aspects of the example method , product , computer readable media , and / or system embodiments described herein are intended to limit the scope of the present invention . it should be appreciated that figures presented herein are intended for illustrative purposes and are not intended as construction drawings . omitted details and modifications or alternative embodiments are within the purview of persons of ordinary skill in the art . furthermore , whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been described herein for the purpose of illustrating the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations of the details , materials and arrangement of parts / elements / steps / functions may be made within the principle and scope of the invention without departing from the invention as described in the appended claims . fig2 illustrates an example of a process for generating volatility style indices using a volatility - based index framework . it should be noted that the process of fig2 is only an example of an embodiment , and that alternative embodiments can be provided as discussed herein . the process starts at step 201 . at step 210 , a collection of securities is received . for example the collection of securities can be retrieved by the index service 111 from the index provider data store 112 or from the market data provider 120 . these securities can represent the entire market or a subset thereof . the securities in the collection can be selected based on any desired characteristic such as security type , industry type , country , or size ( e . g ., as measured by market capitalization ). in various embodiments , the securities are selected , for example by index service 111 , to represent most or all of the tradable securities market , or most or all of the tradable securities in a particular asset class . in such embodiments , the volatility style indices generated using the volatility - based index framework will collectively represent the entire market , or at least the entire market for a particular asset class . in various other embodiments , the selected securities need not represent the entire market . the securities collection can be stored in volatile or persistent memory , for example , of the index service 111 . the security collection can be stored along with any other available data ( e . g ., current and historical performance information , correlation data , and the like ). at step 215 , market data and other parameters for the securities in the collection is received . for example , index service 111 can retrieve detailed information regarding the securities collection from market data provider 120 . this market data can include , for example , information about current and historical pricing data , outstanding shares , dividends , leverage , yield , trading activity , earnings , yield , growth , value , momentum , the like , and combinations of the same . the market data can be stored in association with the stored securities data , for example in the index provider &# 39 ; s data store 112 or in memory associated with the index service 111 . further processing can also be performed on the received data . for example , the index service 111 can determine correlations among securities or derive other performance - related metrics . results can be stored , for example , in the index provider data store 112 . at step 220 , one or more primary split metrics are determined . in various embodiments , the primary split metrics can be determined by the index provider 111 . the primary metrics can be any sortable data associated with each security . in various embodiments , the primary metrics can include default probability or maturity for a bond index or country of origin or a stock &# 39 ; s market capitalization . in other embodiments , a primary metric can be float ( market capitalization minus closely held shares ). using standard terminology , securities with a higher relative market capitalization or float are referred to as large or high - cap stocks ; securities with lower relative market capitalization or float are referred to as small or low - cap stocks . at step 225 , the securities are sorted by the selected primary metrics . for example , the securities in the collection can be sorted by the index service 111 according to market capitalization or float . at step 230 , the sorted securities collection is split into two or more groups of securities . group membership is preferably mutually exclusive , but in various embodiments it can be overlapping . together , the groups can contain all or a substantial portion of the securities in the collection . for example , the sorted collection of securities can be split into two groups , one containing securities with higher relative market capitalization and one with securities containing lower relative market capitalization . the two groups can be equally sized or one can be larger than the other . in some embodiments , the first group contains the 1000 securities with the highest market capitalization and the second segment contains the 2000 securities with the next highest market capitalization , excluding the 1000 securities included in the first group . in other embodiments , the groups can be allocated such that the groups have a determined relationship along a fundamental or technical indicator such as country or region of origin , or total market capitalization of member securities . this division of the collection of securities into two or more groups can represent a first dimension on which the securities collection is divided . where the securities collection is divided into two groups based on float or market capitalization , the two groups can represent a divide between large and small securities . it should be noted that division along one or more primary split metrics is optional . in various embodiments , index construction can be carried out by classifying securities according to volatility alone , or by dividing along various other metrics only after volatility classification . further , dividing a collection of securities along one or more primary split metrics is a flexible process that can have multiple steps . for example , dividing along one or more split metrics can be repetitive , iterative , or sequential . in various embodiments , securities can first be divided based on asset type , further divided based on country of origin , and divided again based on market capitalization . this iterative process , which results in three hierarchical levels of division , is an example of dividing a securities collection along one or more primary metrics . at step 235 , volatility data is determined for the securities in each group . for example , historical price , volume , or other fundamental or technical indices can be obtained from data store 112 or from market data provider 120 by the index service 111 and used to obtain a volatility measure for each security . in various embodiments , the standard deviation of a securities price over an interval of time is used as a measure of volatility . for example , a volatility measure can be a long term volatility measure calculated by determining the standard deviation of a security &# 39 ; s price over a historical period of 60 months . the resolution of the pricing data can depend on , among other things , the historical period over which the volatility measure is calculated . for example , where 60 - month long term volatility is used , the volatility measure can be calculated using daily , monthly , or weekly price data . it should be noted that various other measures of volatility can be used . at step 240 , the securities in each group are sorted according to their determined or calculated volatilities . for example , where the collection of securities is divided into two groups representing small and large securities , the securities in each group can be sorted according to their relative volatilities . at step 245 , each group can be further divided into two or more sub - groups 250 based on volatility . sub - group membership is preferably mutually exclusive , but in various embodiments it can be overlapping . together , the sub - groups can contain all or a substantial portion of the securities in the corresponding group . for example , the securities in each group can be divided into two sub - groups : a high volatility subgroup comprising the most volatile securities in the group , and a low volatility subgroup comprising the remaining lower volatility securities . it is important to note that each group can be divided into any number of sub - groups . for example , a group can be divided into low , medium , and high volatility sub - groups . in some embodiments , each subgroup can comprise approximately the same number of securities . for example , where a group representing large securities is divided into low and high volatility subgroups , each subgroup can contain exactly or approximately half of the securities in the group of large securities . in other embodiments , the two or more sub - groups can have different numbers of constituents . for example , in various embodiments , the sub - groups can be allocated such that the subgroups have a determined relationship along a fundamental or technical indicator such as total market capitalization of member securities . each of the sub - groups 250 created by dividing the groups can represent a distinct volatility style index in the volatility - based index framework . data corresponding to the generated volatility style indices can be stored , for example , in index provider data store 112 and requested over the network 101 from the index provider 110 . fig3 shows a representation of volatility style indices 300 in a volatility - based index framework . when the construction of the one or more subgroups 250 is complete , each subgroup represents a distinct index in the volatility - based index framework . for example , where a securities collection is divided into two groups based on float or market capitalization and each of these groups is divided into two subgroups based on long term volatility , the index framework produces four distinct indices : large low volatility 310 , large high volatility 311 , small low volatility 312 , and small high volatility 313 . price , volume , and any other fundamental or technical data can be tracked independently for each index . the above describes only a few examples of generating volatility - based frameworks . in various other embodiments , for example , a volatility - based framework can be constructed without dividing a securities collection by a primary metric . in such cases , the securities collection can be grouped and divided by volatility alone , or by volatility first followed by other dimensions . it should also be understood that all grouping and division into subgroups , at all levels of index construction , can be into any number of groups . it can be understood that one or more steps of the methods described herein may be performed using , for example , any of the computer systems 310 , 306 a , and 314 a . also , in various embodiments of the present invention , market data may be input and stored on , for example , any of the data storage media 306 b , 314 b and / or on a storage medium or media on the computer system 310 a . the term “ computer - readable medium ” is defined herein as understood by those skilled in the art . it can be appreciated , for example , that method steps described herein may be performed , in certain embodiments , using instructions stored on a computer - readable medium or media that direct a computer system to perform the method steps . a computer - readable medium can include , for example and without limitation , memory devices such as diskettes , compact discs of both read - only and writeable varieties , digital versatile discs ( dvd ), optical disk drives , hard disk drives , solid state drivers , rom ( read only memory ), ram ( random access memory ), prom ( programmable rom ), eeprom ( extended erasable prom ), and other suitable computer - readable media . a computer readable medium can also include memory storage that can be physical , virtual , permanent , temporary , semi - permanent and / or semi - temporary . results of testing indicate that a volatility - based index framework can provide unexpected advantages over other indexes . fig4 shows a chart of historical cumulative returns over time for a volatility - based index framework comprising four volatility style indices . these volatility indices correspond to large low volatility , large high volatility , small low volatility , and small high volatility indices . size ( large or small ) describes market capitalization — minus closely held shares — of the securities in the index . the four indices are mutually exclusive , and together they represent substantially the entire market . as time increases , the cumulative returns of the four volatility indices become more distinct and take more definite and stable relative positions . generally , the small high volatility index has the lowest cumulative returns over time . the large high volatility index tends to have the next highest return over time . the small low volatility index generally has the second highest returns , followed by the small low volatility index which exhibits the best cumulative return performance over time . with few exceptions , this ordering of the indices &# 39 ; cumulative returns appears clearly in the chart . this ordering , however , indicates a key insight of the present invention which produces beneficial results over other techniques : rather than a division of cumulative returns along security size ( e . g ., as would be the case if the two indices with higher cumulative returns were either both of the large or both of the small volatility style indices ), the clear division in cumulative returns is between the degrees of volatility . the two indices with the highest cumulative returns were the large low volatility and small low volatility indices . the two indices with the lowest cumulative returns were the large high volatility and small high volatility indices . this indicates that the clearest distinction among index securities , with respect to cumulative returns , is among securities with differing volatilities . regardless of size , the high volatility securities tend to be associated with lower cumulative returns , and the low volatility securities tend to be associated with higher cumulative returns . that volatility provides the clearest distinction among cumulative returns is a groundbreaking development that immediately implicates modern portfolio theory : portfolio theory works best when choices are distinct — when available asset classes or groups are as different as possible . it is this differentiation on which the construction of an optimally efficient portfolio depends . volatility thus presents a surprising and effective new way to categorize securities for various purposes including determining asset classes , market benchmarking , portfolio construction , portfolio analysis , and fund performance . fig5 is a table further illustrating the advantages of a volatility - based index framework . the table shows a comparison between a volatility - based index framework and a growth - value division , as indicated by various metrics calculated using historical data . the volatility - based index framework comprises large low volatility , large high volatility , small low volatility , and small high volatility style indices . the growth - value indices comprise large value , large growth , small value , and small growth indices . for each index , historical data was used to calculate the yearly excess return , volatility , and sharpe ratio . the sharpe ratio provides a measure of excess return per unit of risk ; it characterizes how well the return of an asset compensates an investor for risk taken . in the large indices , the difference between the excess returns of the large low volatility style index and the large high volatility style index is 6 . 71 . the difference between the excess returns of the large value and large growth indices is only 2 . 9 , considerably less than the volatility - based index difference . because differentiation among different classes of securities , especially in returns , is eminently important for asset allocation in portfolio theory , the greater difference in excess returns between the large high volatility and large low volatility indices indicates a better , more distinct division of securities . similarly , in the small indices , the difference in the sharpe ratios of the small low volatility and small high volatility style indices is 10 . 62 . this difference is considerably greater than the difference of 6 . 06 in the sharpe indices of the small value and growth indices . again , these greater differences in the sharpe ratios of low and high volatility style indices as opposed to growth - value indices illustrate the much more effective differentiation and distinction of market securities provided by a volatility - based index framework . volatility style indices provide another great advantage over other indexes : equity volatility has persistence . high volatility securities are much more likely to have high volatility in subsequent periods while low volatility securities are likely to have low volatility ; average volatility securities remain generally average . from an investment perspective , persistence translates into ease of prediction for subsequent volatility . this represents a significant improvement over priced denominated metrics ( book / price , earnings / price ) where price is inherently unpredictable and is frequently characterized by a “ random walk ” process . consequently , persistence results in low turnover among the volatility style indices . thus a security in a low volatility index will tend to remain there when the indexes are recalculated ( e . g ., on a yearly basis ). this is a highly desirable index characteristic as all investors , particularly those that are tax - exposed , benefit from lower levels of transaction costs . fig6 shows a chart illustrating the persistence of volatility . as can be seen long term volatility maintains sharper distinctions over time than more ephemeral price - denominated measures . as discussed , volatility style indices can be used effectively in constructing an optimal portfolio . in modern portfolio theory , the investable market is divided into a number of asset classes . these broad asset classes can be created by dividing the investable market along various dimensions including but not limited to fundamental security type ( e . g ., stocks , bonds , options , futures , and the like ), country or market of origin , or security characteristics ( e . g ., large - small and value - growth ). each asset class is assigned an expected return and risk level ( e . g ., as standard deviation or variance ), and a covariance matrix is constructed reflecting the correlations among the variances of the various asset classes . constructing an optimal portfolio is then viewed as a mean - variance optimization problem , whereby an optimal combination of asset classes is found for each level of investor risk tolerance . an optimal combination of asset classes will specify the proportion of the portfolio which should be invested in each asset class . for a given level of expected return , the optimal portfolio will consist of the combination of asset classes that provides the least risk . fig7 shows an example of a portfolio constructed from asset classes including u . s . bonds , private equity , u . s . large growth equity , u . s . large value equity , u . s . small growth equity , u . s . small value equity , international large capitalization equity , and international small capitalization equity . as can be seen , the u . s . public equities market has been divided into four sectors , each with its own asset class : large growth , large value , small growth , and small value . risk , return , and covariance data is determined for each of these asset classes and an optimal portfolio is constructed . portfolio construction , however , is limited to the listed asset classes . if these asset classes do not represent a meaningful division of investable securities , determining optimal proportions of these asset classes yields a minimally useful result . because modern portfolio theory suggests constructing an optimal portfolio by using risk and return data to determine the proportions of various asset classes , portfolio construction works best when asset - type choices are distinct — when available asset classes or groups are as different as possible . the construction of an optimally efficient portfolio depends on this differentiation . as shown , however , volatility style indices , when compared to conventional growth - value divisions , provide greater differentiation in choices for security exposure , not only with regard to risk , but also with regard to other equally important indicators such as cumulative or average return and sharpe ratio . thus , volatility style indices can be used in place of alternative market indexes ( e . g ., growth - value indexes ) during portfolio construction to provide more distinct choices in asset classes . ultimately , this can lead to the construction of a more efficient investment portfolio with more return for any given level of portfolio risk . fig8 shows an example of portfolio construction using volatility style indices instead of traditional value - growth indexes . as can be seen , the u . s . public equities market has been divided into four individual sectors , each with its own asset class : large high volatility , large low volatility , small high volatility , and small low volatility . these volatility - based asset classes can be mutually exclusive , and collectively exhaustive . each of these asset classes , for example , can correspond to one of the volatility style indices in a volatility - based index framework as described herein . thus , these volatility style indices can substantially represent the public u . s . equities market . risk , return , and covariance data , provided for example by an index provider , can be determined for each of the asset classes represented by the volatility style indices . with these data , the volatility style indices can , in various embodiments , stand in place of other asset classes traditionally used in portfolio construction to represent the u . s . public equities market ( e . g ., growth - value indexes ). it should be kept in mind that the volatility - based index framework can be applied to any or all securities markets . thus , the bond market , futures market , options market , and all other markets can be divided into asset classes along the volatility dimension , or along the volatility dimension in combination with another dimension . further still , the collective market of investable securities can also be divided along the volatility dimension . in any case , division along the volatility dimension can include division into two groups representing , for example , low and high volatility ; notably , however , more than two groups can also be used to represent the volatility dimension . for example , in various embodiments , a collection of securities can be divided into three groups ( e . g ., representing low , normal , and high volatilities ) or into 10 groups ( representing volatility deciles ). using the volatility style indices along with the other asset classes , an optimal portfolio can then be constructed . fig8 shows a constructed portfolio &# 39 ; s proportion of — and expected return for — each asset class ( including the four volatility style indices ) for the years 1994 , 1999 , and 2004 . notably , and in contrast to the conventional portfolio of fig7 , the two u . s . large equity indexes are not held in similar proportions ; the u . s . large low volatility index consistently makes up significantly more of the portfolio than the u . s . large high volatility index . also in contrast to the conventional portfolio , the two u . s . small equity indexes are not held in similar proportion ; the u . s . small low volatility index consistently makes up significantly more of the portfolio than the u . s . small high volatility index . these differences from the allocation of fig7 &# 39 ; s conventional portfolio arise from the additional information provided by the volatility style indices . a better , more informed choice of asset classes can thus be made . fig9 shows another example of portfolio construction using volatility style indices instead of traditional value - growth indexes . in the portfolio of fig9 , in contrast to the portfolio of fig8 , the volatility style indices do not include an upward correction for the expected returns of high volatility securities . as can be seen , this effectively reduces to zero the portfolio allocations to both high volatility indices ( the large high volatility index and the small high volatility index ). this occurs because given two asset classes with equal expected returns , modern portfolio theory will prefer the asset class with lower risk . fig1 shows the performance results of two portfolios constructed using volatility style indices compared to the results of two conventional portfolios . a base case portfolio , consisting of 40 % bonds and 60 % equities , is shown along with a portfolio constructed using standard growth - value style allocation . also shown are portfolios constructed using volatility style indices . one of the volatility - based portfolios includes an upward bias in expected returns for high volatility securities , while the other volatility - based portfolio does not . as can be seen , the two portfolios constructed using volatility style indices produced the highest returns ( 7 . 82 % and 8 . 09 %). furthermore , the volatility - based portfolio not including the upward return bias , while producing the highest return , also produced the lowest volatility and downside risk . both volatility - based portfolios produced higher returns and lower standard deviations than the standard style portfolio . because investors desire both higher return and less risk , the volatility - based portfolios outperformed the standard growth - value style portfolio . further still , the volatility - based portfolio not including the upward return bias yielded the best overall performance , in terms of both risk and return . this clearly illustrates the advantages of a volatility - based index framework . passive investing often involves funds that represent broad swaths of a given market . financial indices such as those described herein may be used to create an investment fund that substantially replicates the movements of a broad segment of the market , including , for example , the entire market or a portion of the market represented by one of the financial indices . an index fund , also called an index tracker or index tracker fund , may be an “ investment ” fund , e . g . a mutual fund or exchange - traded fund , designed to replicate a specific index . “ index fund ” is a broad term extending across a broad reach of investment funds or collective investment vehicles ; the term is to be given its ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art and includes , without limitation , open - end funds , closed - end funds , mutual funds , and exchange - traded funds . an index fund may replicate or track a financial index by holding all the securities in the financial index , or by holding securities that represent a statistical market sample of the financial index ( which can be accomplished through synthetic indexing or other index - representing or index - enhancing techniques ). in synthetic indexing , for example , the securities held by the index fund may be held in proportion to the securities held by the financial index . volatility style indices such as those described herein , like other financial indices , may be tracked by an index fund . tracking may be instituted by purchasing the securities held by the fund or by setting rules for purchasing and selling securities that are substantially similar to the rules or method of constructing the index . a volatility style index fund may be created by retrieving information about a volatility style index constructed according to the method of fig2 herein . data corresponding to the generated volatility style indices can be retrieved , for example , from the index provider data store 112 . the index fund may purchase and sell securities according to the allocation of securities in one or more groups or sub - groups described at step 245 of fig2 . a volatility style index fund may be created by following the method of fig2 and purchasing or selling actual securities in one or more groups or sub - groups described at step 245 of fig2 . shares in an index fund may be sold , for example , as mutual fund shares or as securities in an exchange - traded fund . many investment strategies have unique requirements regarding , among other things , desired risk and return profiles . for example , target - date funds are structured to have an evolving risk - return profile which progressively favors less risky securities as the target date approaches . thus , over time , asset allocation in these funds shifts to accommodate the evolving target profile . in such strategies , asset classes providing clear choices in risk are particularly important , as it is the changing level of acceptable risk which drives the reallocation of assets . volatility style indices provide the distinct risk choices necessary to make such reallocation as accurate and as efficient as possible . by providing clear , persistent volatility divisions among various securities , volatility style indices allow an investment manager to more precisely tailor her investment strategy — including asset allocation — for the client &# 39 ; s desired target risk - return profile . as discussed above , known indices fail to provide such a clear distinction , resulting in inefficient asset allocation schemes which are not able to target effectively a narrow risk - return profile . many other specialized investment scenarios and holdings ( for example and without limitation , liability - driven investments , management of insurance capital , nuclear decommissioning trusts , the like , and combinations of the same ) have similarly specific risk - return requirements . for the same reasons discussed , volatility style indices provide an efficient and effective way to achieve these specific requirements . without the distinctive choices in risk provide by a volatility - based index framework , conventional asset classes simply provide insufficient choices to construct portfolios narrowly tailored to target a specific range of risk - return characteristics . as discussed above , a volatility - based index framework can be used effectively in constructing an optimal portfolio by replacing too broad asset classes and inefficiently constructed indexes . volatility style indices , however , can also be used more generally in existing investment strategies which rely on distinct asset classes created by partitioning investable securities around various dimensions . many modern investing strategies rely on partitioning the market of investable securities into various asset classes based on various characteristics , including for example legal distinctions ( e . g ., between debt , equity , and warrants ). asset class divisions , however , can be created even within a single securities market . splitting equity markets based on stock market capitalization ( e . g ., large cap , mid cap , and small cap ) is a well - known treatment reflecting the difference in behavior among these equity segments . in traditional growth - value style allocation , for example , the u . s . public equities market is partitioned by market capitalization as well as growth - value measures such as book - to - price ratios or earnings - to - price ratios . together , the sub - asset classes ( which can themselves be referred to and treated as asset classes ) created by this growth - value partitioning should represent the whole u . s . public equities market . volatility style indices can be used in any modern investing strategy which utilizes distinct asset classes . in such strategies , some or all of the asset classes can be supplanted by volatility style indices . the volatility style indices should together represent the same portion of the market as that collectively represented by the replaced asset classes . for example , in various embodiments , asset classes ( which can also be referred to as sub - asset classes ) created by dividing a securities market according to growth - value characteristics can be replaced with asset classes created by dividing the securities market according volatility . in general , any number of broader asset classes in an investment strategy can be replaced by taking the union of the asset classes to be replaced , calculating the volatilities for the securities in the union , sorting the securities by volatility , and dividing the sorted securities into volatility - based groups ( e . g ., groups containing securities with similar or at least contiguous volatilities ). the volatility - based groups can then be substituted in the investment strategy for the replaced asset classes . necessary technical and fundamental measures for the new volatility - based groups can be calculated or inputted into the investment strategy and used to recalibrate the strategy for the asset classes . in various embodiments , asset classes representing distinct fundamental security types ( e . g ., stocks , bonds , options , and futures ) can be replaced with volatility - based asset classes containing mixtures of the various fundamental types . a volatility - based style index framework can be used effectively in analyzing and evaluating investment manager performance . investment managers are increasingly committed , at least in part , to zero - beta or alternative beta strategies ; while more traditional managers aim for a conventional market - like beta of 1 . 0 strategy . volatility style indices can provide insight into the performance of both approaches to investing . fig1 and 12 show style analyses of quality strategy , an active investment strategy of gmo , an investment management firm . fig1 shows a style analysis of gmo &# 39 ; s quality strategy using traditional value - growth indexes . as shown in the first chart , the strategy &# 39 ; s style favors large capitalization equities , but is divided equally between value and growth . the second chart shows that the strategy is described by a relatively even distribution of assets among a risk free asset , large - cap value equities , and large - cap growth equities . chart 3 shows how well the asset allocation of chart 2 ( the style benchmark ) describes the returns of the strategy . r - squared is a statistical measure that represents the percentage of the strategy &# 39 ; s return profile that can be explained by movements in a portfolio corresponding to the asset allocation of chart 2 . as shown , the growth - value based asset distribution of chart 2 — the style benchmark — describes 84 . 5 % of the strategy &# 39 ; s return profile . chart 4 shows the strategy &# 39 ; s cumulative returns compared to the style benchmark . fig1 , on the other hand , shows a style analysis of the same gmo quality strategy using volatility style indices . as shown in the first chart , the strategy &# 39 ; s style , as before , favors large capitalization equities ; this time , however , the strategy clearly favors low volatility equities over their high volatility alternatives . this provides important information about distinct choices made by the strategy manager not clearly illustrated in the analysis of fig1 . the second chart no longer shows an even distribution of assets . instead , the overwhelming majority of the portfolio is described by the large low volatility style index . again , this provides more important information about asset allocation decisions made by the fund manager that is not described by the analysis of fig1 . chart 3 shows how well the asset allocation of chart 2 ( the style benchmark — this time including the volatility style indices ) describes the returns of the strategy . as shown by the r - squared value of the style benchmark , the asset allocation using volatility - based indices describes 87 . 5 % of the strategy &# 39 ; s return profile . this indicates that the asset allocation using a volatility - based index framework better describes the strategy &# 39 ; s true return profile . the term “ benchmark ” used above with respect to fig1 refers to a method of assessing portfolio performance . a benchmark is a standard to which something can be compared . “ benchmarking ” is a broad term that may refer creating a standard to which something can be compared ; the term is to be given its ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art and includes , without limitation , financial indices such as the s & amp ; p 500 , the dow jones industrial average , or the lipper indexes . fig1 illustrates an example of a process for benchmarking investment fund or investment managers using an index framework . at step 1310 of fig1 , benchmark performance data may be determined . the benchmark performance data may be determined by , for example , by selecting an index . the benchmark performance data may include market data including , for example , information about current and historical price or value , returns , dividends , leverage , yield , trading activity , earnings , growth , momentum , the like , and combinations of the same . at step 1320 , data related to an investment fund or an investment manager may be determined . the data related to an investment fund or an investment manager may be related to , for example , an investment fund comprised of securities of a particular asset class or a subset of the entire market . the data related to an investment fund or an investment manager may include market data . the step 1310 may occur before or after the step 1320 . if step 1320 is performed before step 1310 , the benchmark performance data may be determined at least in part by selecting an index comprised of securities similar to the securities that comprise all of or a portion of the investment fund or investment manager portfolio . at step 1330 , the data related to an investment fund or investment manager may be compared with the benchmark performance data . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of a process for benchmarking investment fund or investment managers using a volatility - based index framework . it should be noted that the process of fig1 is only an example of an embodiment , and that alternative embodiments can be provided , for example , by using one or more of the alternatives discussed herein . the process for benchmarking according to the embodiment of fig1 may begin at step 1410 . at step 1410 , a volatility style index may be selected . the volatility style index may be an index created according to the process of fig2 . the volatility style index may be an index of the entire market or a subset thereof . the volatility style index may also be a sorted securities collect , a group , or a subgroup as discussed herein with reference to fig2 . the volatility style index may be , for example , an index representing one or more large - cap , low volatility securities . in some embodiments , the index may be created by the same entity that performs the benchmarking process either before or during the benchmarking process . in some embodiments , the index may be constructed by a different entity than the creator of the benchmark . the constructed index may then be retrieved by the benchmarking entity . at step 1415 , information about a volatility style index may be retrieved . the information may be retrieved using a computer system , e . g . the computer system of fig1 . the information about a volatility style index may include market data , asset classification data , asset allocation data , and / or volatility - based benchmark performance data . at step 1420 , volatility - based benchmark performance data is determined . in various embodiments , determining the volatility - based benchmark performance data may simply require selecting the data to be used for comparison from the information about a volatility style index . in some embodiments , the volatility - based benchmark performance data may be determined by selecting one or more pieces of market data . the selected market data may then be used as the volatility - based benchmark performance data . in some embodiments , the selected market data may be used to calculate the volatility - based benchmark performance data . such calculations may include , for example , adding one or more prices of securities to represent a market capitalization of an index or all or some portion of an investment fund . at step 1430 , information about an investment fund or investment manager may be retrieved . the information may be retrieved using a computer system , e . g . according to the computer system of fig1 . the information about an investment fund manager may include information such as fund performance data for one or more investment funds managed by the investment manager . fund performance data may include market data about the fund or securities in the fund , for example , information about current and historical price or value , dividends , leverage , yield , trading activity , earnings , growth , momentum , the like , and combinations of the same . in various embodiments , the fund performance data may include total market capitalization of the securities held by the investment fund or funds managed by the investment manager at certain times , such as at regular intervals . after the information about the investment fund or the investment manager is retrieved , the process may continue by analyzing the information retrieved about the investment fund or the investment manager . this analysis may proceed by at least one of steps 1440 and 1445 , and may include both steps , as indicated in fig1 . at step 1440 , the investment fund or the investment manager may be classified using information retrieved about the investment fund or investment manager . the information used to classify the investment manager or investment fund may be asset classification data . asset classification data may include market data , including characteristics such as security type , industry type , country , or size ( e . g ., as measured by market capitalization ). in various embodiments , the investment manager or investment fund may be classified based on one characteristic , such as volatility . in other various embodiments , the investment manager or investment fund may be classified based on more than one characteristic , such as a large - cap , low volatility fund classification or a small - cap , high growth , high volatility fund classification . at step 1445 , asset allocation data may be generated that describes the distribution of securities among the classifications represented in the asset classification data . for example , asset allocation data may include market data , including characteristics such as security type , industry type , country , or size ( e . g ., as measured by market capitalization ). asset allocation data may include the same or substantially similar information as asset classification data . in various embodiments , the asset allocation data may describe all the securities held by one or more investment funds based on one or more characteristics , such as capitalization or volatility . in other various embodiments , the asset allocation data may be describe one or more collection of securities that represents a subset of all the securities held by one or more investment funds based on one or more characteristics , such as a large - cap , low volatility subset . after either or both steps 1420 and 1445 , the process may continue . at step 1450 , the fund performance data ( which may include the classification of the investment fund or investment manager ), the asset classification data , the asset class distribution , or the asset allocation data , may be compared with the volatility - based benchmark performance data . this comparison may be made using calculations , such as an r - squared calculation , between the investment fund or investment manager performance and the volatility - based benchmark performance data , such as the volatility index performance . the calculation may be made using alternative measures . in further various embodiments , the comparison may be made using tabled or graphical representations , and the steps described above can be accomplished in different sequences . as can be seen from the preceding analyses , a volatility - based index framework can provide a more effective and more descriptive way of analyzing and evaluating a manager &# 39 ; s performance . in addition to providing insights into a manager &# 39 ; s investment philosophies and strategies , effective style analysis can be used to determine whether a manager has skill , and therefore whether her active management fees are worth paying . in order to properly gauge such performance , a proper benchmark for the manager is required . by providing an asset portfolio that more closely mirrors the active manager &# 39 ; s strategy ( e . g ., constructed using style analysis as shown above ), volatility style indices can provide such a benchmark . the performance of the manager can then be compared to the volatility - based benchmark . a manager who outperforms her benchmark in terms of risk or return can be given a positive evaluation , and investment in the manager &# 39 ; s fund can be increased . a manager who sometimes or consistently underperforms her benchmark in terms of risk or return can be given a negative evaluation , and investment in the manager &# 39 ; s fund can be decreased . it should be understood that various embodiments of the techniques and methods described herein may be used , for example and without limitation , to create and publish an index , to license a portfolio of assets corresponding to an index , to offer a security that is linked to an index that is created using the techniques and methods described herein , to offer an exchange traded fund ( etf ), mutual fund , unit investment trust , or the like that replicates the performance of an index that is created using the techniques and methods described herein , and to develop an investment strategy based on an index that is created using the techniques and methods described herein or to create and manage a portfolio . securities indices may use certain measures of market data as input when constructing the index framework . for example , a value index may use book - to - price ratio measure as an input in constructing an index , or a growth index may use a long - term growth forecast measure as an input in constructing an index . securities indices may preferably use more than one measure as an input in constructing an index . in construction of a volatility - based securities index , individual stock information ( e . g ., market data including current and historical pricing data , outstanding shares , dividends , leverage , yield , trading activity , earnings , yield , etc .) on prior volatility may be used . measures used as input in constructing a volatility - based securities index can incorporate total return information ( e . g ., price changes plus dividend payout ). each measure may be retrieved , calculated , or otherwise determined using one or more of a number of different methods . for example , a volatility measure may be calculated using a standard deviation , a variance , interquartile range , or any other measure of statistical dispersion across a data set . each measure may further include data from over a number of different lengths of time or at different intervals . for example , a volatility measure may be calculated by determining the standard deviation of a volatility measure from five or more years in the past , for example , using monthly observations . shorter - term calculations of volatility measures over less than two years may use weekly or daily performance histories . as discussed above , volatility measures can have the statistical property of persistence meaning that low volatility stocks in one period can be more likely to have sustained low volatility in the next period . likewise , high volatility stocks can be more likely to sustain their high volatility . persistence characteristics can provide a rich taxonomy to classify stocks and subsequently construct volatility - based securities indices . construction of volatility - based securities indices may benefit from inclusion of robust fundamental information on each constituent security . however , even some of the most widely used fundamental measures for investment analysis may not be equally useful in the construction of indices of every type of style . for example , construction of a growth index may not benefit from inclusion of market capitalization data , but may benefit from inclusion of measures like growth forecasts and price ratios . in the construction of a volatility - based securities index , some widely used fundamental measures may be less useful and other fundamental measures may be more useful . many fundamental measures for investment analysis may be computed using a price ratio , which may be further described as a measure of market capitalization . for example , many fundamental measures in investment analysis are computed using a price ratio and may be treated as price / fundamental ratio . ( in practice , however , the inverse of the price / fundamental ratio may be used to facilitate computations .) further , since stock prices can be inherently unstable , price denominated measures may change rapidly even in the absence of new fundamental information , e . g . data that may be reasonably expected to impact the price or value of a security . due to inherent instability that may exist independently of fundamental information , price measures calculated as volatility measures may be less useful as an input in the construction of a volatility - based securities index . in a further example , forecasted earnings and forecasted earnings growth may be used as a fundamental measure in investment analysis . forecasted earnings and forecasted earnings growth , along with some other forecasted measures , may depend heavily on the analyst , method of analysis , input data for the analysis , and other factors . forecasted earnings and forecasted earnings growth , whether forecast over a short - term future period or a long - term future period , may contain little fundamental information and may introduce random change into measures used as input into a volatility - based securities index . some examples of fundamental measures in investment analysis that may be less useful as inputs in construction of a volatility - based securities index may include : price / earnings ( historical ); earnings ( historical )/ price ; price / earnings ( forecast ); earnings ( forecast )/ price ; price / book value ; book / price ; price / dividend payout ; dividend yield ; price / sales ; sales / price ; and earnings growth ( forecast ). fig1 - 19 show charts of some of the fundamental measures listed above . each chart shows a volatility - based index framework comprising four volatility style indices . these volatility indices correspond to large low volatility 1540 , large high volatility 1530 , small low volatility 1520 , and small high volatility 1510 indices . size ( large or small ) describes market capitalization minus closely held shares of the securities in the index . the four indices are mutually exclusive , and together they represent substantially the entire market . fig1 shows a chart of price / earnings ratios for a volatility - based index framework comprising four volatility style indices . fig1 shows a chart of price / forecast earnings ratios for a volatility - based index framework comprising four volatility style indices . fig1 shows a chart of price / book ratios for a volatility - based index framework comprising four volatility style indices . the variations in price to book ratio over time may provide support for the statement that price to book ratios provide less fundamental information as to value . fig1 shows a chart of dividend yields for a volatility - based index framework comprising four volatility style indices . fig1 shows a chart of price / sales ratios for a volatility - based index framework comprising four volatility style indices . fig1 - 19 may support the assertion that certain inputs , including price / earnings ( historical ); price / earnings ( forecast ); price / book value ; dividend yield ; and price / sales may vary in volatility more significantly over time than other input variables , resulting in a reduced statistical property of persistence . reduced persistence may reflect higher dependence on outside factors , for example , the method of analysis , and lower dependence on the fundamental value of the security . further measures may also be less useful as inputs for a volatility - based securities index . one premise of the construction of a volatility - based index , among others , may be that the relationship between risk and return across the market is demonstrably broken . under this assumption , use of certain measures of risk , including measures of either market risk ( e . g . systematic risk ) or specific risk ( e . g . residual risk ) or both may constitute using data that , under the premise , is also demonstrably broken . some examples of risk measures that depend on market or specific risk that may be less useful as inputs in construction of a volatility - based securities index may include : in the construction of a volatility - based securities index , some fundamental measures may be more useful . many variables ( e . g ., fundamental measures ) may be well suited to augmenting volatility classifications . for example , fundamental measures dependent on fundamental information may be more likely to fluctuate due to data that can reasonable impact the value of a security . further , measures or inputs that may not be denominated by price or market value may be more useful in the construction of a volatility - based securities index . some examples of fundamental measures in investment analysis that may be more useful as inputs in construction of a volatility - based securities index may include : management effectiveness ; return on equity ; return on assets ; net share repurchase activity ; leverage , which may include indicators such as debt / assets , debt / equity , interest coverage , or debt rating / default risk ; and earnings success , which may include indicators such as historical earnings growth rate and earnings variability . fig2 shows a chart of return on equity for a volatility - based index framework comprising four volatility style indices . the chart of fig1 shows a volatility - based index framework comprising four volatility style indices . these volatility indices correspond to large low volatility 1540 , large high volatility 1530 , small low volatility 1520 , and small high volatility 1510 indices . the four indices are mutually exclusive , and together they represent substantially the entire market . according to the chart , the large low volatility input remains stable over time . the other input vary more than the large low volatility input over time , with the most significant first and second order variations occurring in the small high volatility input . this chart may provide support for the statement that certain inputs , including return on equity , may provide higher quality fundamental information for a volatility analysis . weighting scheme for measures of constructing a volatility - based securities index framework any number of variables may be used as inputs in the construction of a volatility - based securities index framework . the simplicity or complexity of the vsi weighting scheme will be a function of the number of variables used and the number of indices to be created . objective or subjective weightings of the variables may be used to create an aggregate score upon which the stocks can be partitioned as shown in the method of fig2 , e . g . into groups according to low and high volatility , or into subgroups according to multiple dimensions such as market capitalization and volatility . assignment to respective volatility - based groups on the indices can be facilitated using statistical models ( e . g . linear or non - linear regression models , probit analysis , etc .) or employing bayesian models which impose asubjective limitations on factors . the advantage of rules - based assignment models allows for a more objective framework upon which to create historical simulations of the indices . in a simple implementation , a single measure of volatility / stability can be used to create two indices each containing identical amounts of market capitalization or free float . for example , a volatility - based securities index may be constructed by retrieving information relating to a set of securities , potentially including one or more type of market data , and calculating a variance of a single variable , for example , earnings , over a historical five year period on a monthly basis . the set of securities may then be listed , grouped , or sorted , or even just provided with , the volatility calculation . in this implementation , a simple ordinal ranking may suffice to create a useful volatility - based index . in a slightly more complex implementation , multiple variables or factors may be used . an objective rule - based weighting analysis may be established . for example , for each security , construction of the volatility - based securities index may require calculating a standard deviation of a single variable such as price over a five year period using monthly intervals and calculating a standard of a single variable such as earnings over a five year period . each calculated measure , in this implementation , price volatility and earnings variability , may be weighted . the weighting may be achieved by first normalizing the calculated measures and second averaging the normalized measures . the set of securities may then be listed , grouped , or sorted , or even just provided with , the volatility calculation . even more complex implementations may be used , potentially even including factors that are more or less useful to the volatility analysis . other methods of weighting , normalization , and calculation may further be used . it should be understood that various embodiments and implementation of the techniques and methods described herein may be used , for example and without limitation , for any of the uses listed herein . those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize , however , that these and other elements may be desirable for practice of various aspects of the present embodiments and implementations .	6
fig1 shows the schematic illustration of the basic principle according to the invention of the optical delay of a radiation fraction in an interferometric distance measuring arrangement . in such an arrangement for measuring industrial workpieces , a laser beam is generated as measuring radiation ms by a frequency - modulated , i . e ., tunable laser source 1 , wherein it has a coherence length of greater than 1 mm , preferably of greater than 60 mm . in the optical beam path used for measuring the surface of the workpiece , a delay component is incorporated , which has two optical couplers 2 , one of which is designed as a beam splitter for the measuring radiation of the frequency - modulated laser source 1 , wherein this radiation is split into two radiation fractions . one of the two radiation fractions is guided undelayed via the distance to be measured to the target and back again to the radiation detector , while the other fraction passes through at least one optical delay element or a delay section 3 , by which one of the radiation fractions is time - delayed in relation to the other radiation fraction such that the resulting delay corresponds to twice the run time of the measuring radiation to a distance located outside the coherence length . in the ideal case , this distance will correspond to the distance to be measured to the surface of the workpiece or to another target , but can also deviate therefrom . according to the invention , however , the delay section 3 is designed such that the time delay corresponds to a distance which lies within a distance range which at least partially also contains possible measuring distances which are greater than the coherence length . according to the invention , the lower limit of the distance range can also already lie outside the coherence length . therefore , according to the invention , a second radiation field , which is delayed in relation thereto , is added to the tuned radiation field of the prior art . both radiation fields are superimposed again at the radiation detector , wherein one of them was guided via the delay section . instead of the one signal of the arrangement of the prior art , two signals are now generated , which are mutually shifted in accordance with the delay section and propagate in the measuring interferometer . in the ideal case , both traversed sections , i . e ., optical length of the delay section and twice the distance to the target , can be identical , so that a synchronization of the radiation fields on the detector occurs . in the normal case , however , it is sufficient if the delay caused by the delay section is sufficiently close with respect to time to the delay caused by the run section to the target and back again . the maximum extent of the difference or the required chronological proximity is predefined by the measuring range of the arrangement , i . e ., the measuring arrangement can still process the runtime differences or optical path length differences , which lie within the measuring range , during the measurement . the measuring range is a function of the coherence length in this case . according to the invention , the measuring range already existing in arrangements of the prior art is therefore shifted in the direction toward the target , so that another operating point displaced on the target side results . the maximum extent of the shift is limited here in principle only by the maximum implementable time delay possibility , i . e ., in the normal case , the optical length of the delay section . finally , the delay caused by the target measurement with respect to the signal running in the reference section of the reference interferometer as a local oscillator is reduced by the delay section , so that a smaller effective measuring distance results in comparison to the undelayed arrangement . the conditions of the reception on the radiation detector and therefore the interferometric measuring principle used having its restrictions of the measuring range , which are predefined by the coherence length , are therefore fundamentally maintained . however , the location of the measuring range is shifted in space , so that in the case of unchanged coherence length and target - related relative relationships of the interferometer , the maximum measuring distance thereof is changed by the delay section . fig2 illustrates a first exemplary embodiment of a delay section 3 having fixed length for the distance measuring arrangement according to the invention , wherein the optical delay section 3 is designed in mach - zehnder configuration . the radiation field generated by the laser source 1 is guided via a collimator 4 and split by a first polarizing beam splitter 2 ′ into two differently polarized radiation fractions , wherein the optical connection between laser source 1 , collimator 4 , and first beam splitter 2 ′ is preferably embodied in fiber construction having a polarization - obtaining fiber . in this exemplary embodiment in mach - zehnder configuration , a n - polarized radiation fraction 5 is directly relayed , while in contrast the σ - polarized radiation fraction 6 is guided via the interferometer having an arm length of approximately 10 cm and an inversion prism 8 and finally combined again with the other radiation fraction . as a possible design variant , it is advantageous to use a laser source 1 which emits in a polarization mode , so that together with the use of a polarization - obtaining fiber as a connection , a coupling at 45 ° into the interferometer is possible , which in turn allows a uniform splitting into the two differently polarized radiation fractions . alternatively or additionally , however , a polarization controller connected upstream of the delay section 3 can also be used . both radiation fractions 5 and 6 are guided back together in a second polarizing beam splitter 2 ″ and relayed via a 45 ° polarizer and a collimator 4 , wherein the connections can again also be embodied in fiber construction here . to achieve sufficient stability of the interferometer arrangement , the walls 7 thereof can be embodied in zerodur . the effect of the optical delay unit according to the invention is explained in fig3 , wherein the field strength is illustrated in relation to the time , i . e ., in the time domain . the laser source generates a radiation field , which is split into two radiation fractions , wherein e ( ν , t ) designates the undelayed fraction and e ( ν , t − τ ) designates the radiation fraction delayed by τ = 2δl / c . in this case , δl corresponds to the length of respectively one of the two arms of the mach - zehnder interferometer of the delay section and c corresponds to the speed of light . both radiation fractions e ( ν , t ) and e ( ν , t − τ ) then propagate jointly and offset in time through the interferometric measuring arrangement . fig4 shows the schematic illustration of the interferometric measuring arrangement in a measuring device of the prior art for measuring surfaces , as is known , for example , from wo 2009 / 036861 a1 . such an arrangement uses a frequency - modulated laser source 1 for generating at least one laser beam and a radiation detector 11 for receiving the measuring radiation ms , which is backscattered from a surface 13 . the frequency - modulated laser source is preferably designed , for example , as a fiber ring laser , such that it has a coherence length of greater than 1 mm , in particular in the range from 1 mm to 20 cm , for example , a central wavelength between 1 . 3 and 1 . 55 μm and a tunable wavelength range of greater than 40 nm at a dynamic line width of less than 0 . 02 nm at a coherence length of 60 mm or more . the frequency - modulated laser source 1 is thus a laser source using which light which is tunable in its wavelength can be emitted within the wavelength range , i . e ., light which is frequency - modulated in its light frequency or is tunable in its light color . the coherence length therefore also permits measurements over a depth or distance range of several centimeters . the present invention thus relates to wavelength - tuned interferometry . an interferometric measuring principle using a laser source 1 which emits in a modulated manner with respect to the wavelength , i . e ., with variable wavelength , is applied , wherein the measurements are performed in the frequency domain . in this case , the laser radiation generated by a laser source 1 , for example , a laser diode , is modulated , by traversing a wavelength ramp and therefore changing the radiation in its emission frequency , for example . such a wavelength ramp can be designed in this case as a classic ramp , i . e ., having a sequence of wavelengths to be traversed which rises or falls substantially linearly . alternatively , however , the set of the different wavelengths can also be optionally modulated , i . e ., in a way deviating from the linearly arrayed sequence , as long as only the set of the wavelengths is acquired and modulated once during one traverse of the ramp . the concept of the wavelength ramp therefore comprises in the broader meaning a set of different wavelengths which can indeed be moved into a rising or falling sequence , but are not necessarily traversed and modulated in this sequence . however , a preferred embodiment is designed having a sequence of alternating rising and falling linear ramps . the laser radiation generated by the laser source 1 is coupled via an optical coupler 10 into the interferometer construction used for measuring , which is designed in common path geometry , i . e ., a partially shared interferometer beam path for a measuring interferometer arm and a reference interferometer arm . the light , which is modulated in its frequency , from the tunable laser source 1 , which is applied at the input of the delay section 3 , is thus modulated in its wavelength . the reference interferometer arm is defined in this case by a reflection at the optical exit surface of a gradient index lens , so that a constant , in particular known distance is fixed , wherein further back reflections are avoided . the reference surface therefore lies in a transceiver optic 12 , which integrates the components of the transmitter and receiver optics , within the beam shaping optic used for emitting the laser beam . the measuring interferometer arm is defined , in contrast , by the reflection at the surface 13 to be measured . the back - reflected light of a measuring interferometer arm and a reference interferometer arm is finally guided back via the optical coupler 10 onto the beam detector 11 , which is preferably designed as an ingaas detector having a bandwidth of greater than 100 mhz . finally , the distance δl to be measured can be determined in an analysis unit . in addition , a calibration interferometer ( not shown here ) having an optical detector 5 can also be used for taking into consideration or compensating for nonlinearities in the tuning behavior , wherein this calibration interferometer can be embodied in particular in an etalon configuration or mach - zehnder configuration . such a measuring arrangement can be integrated , for example , in a sample head of a coordinate measuring device for scanning measurement , as is known , for example , from wo 2009 / 036861 a1 . the structural construction of such a sample head for such a measuring device is illustrated in fig5 . the coordinate measuring device has in this case guide means for the defined scanning guiding of the sample head over the surface to be measured and the sample head has at least one emission and reception beam path for the emission of measuring radiation ms of the interferometric distance measuring arrangement . the sample head is guided by an arm element 14 and a joint 15 as guide means in a defined scanning manner over the surface to be measured , wherein a rotation of the joint 15 with respect to the arm element 14 is also possible . by way of the rotational ability in relation to the arm element 14 and the downstream joint 15 , the sample head can well follow angled or strongly varying surface profiles . fundamentally , however , still further rotational or translational degrees of freedom can be integrated in the guide means , to allow a further improved guiding of the sample head . the sample head has at least one surface - side emission and reception beam path of the measuring beam ms . in this embodiment , the beam paths are guided through a thin tube , which contains the transceiver optic 12 . the radiation detector itself or optical waveguides for relaying to a radiation detector integrated at another location can already be arranged in the thicker part 16 adjoining this tube . the sample head is controlled by the guide means such that the condition of substantially perpendicular incidence of the laser beam on the surface is maintained , in particular a deviation of +/− 5 ° to the surface normal is not exceeded . the sample head can in this case be moved such that it is moved continuously having constant alignment relative to the surface tangent , in particular having emission and reception beam path oriented perpendicularly to the surface tangent . fig6 schematically shows the integration of transceiver optic 12 into the tube of the sample head . in this design , a fiber 12 a is used for guiding the measuring radiation ms to be emitted and also to be reflected . the emission is performed in this case through a gradient index lens 12 b arranged in the tubular part , which emits the measuring radiation onto the surface 13 to be measured and couples the measuring radiation ms reflected therefrom back into the fiber 12 a . fig7 shows the integration of a delay section into the arrangement from fig4 to implement a first exemplary embodiment of the interferometric measuring arrangement according to the invention . behind the laser source 1 and a first beam splitter 2 for the measuring radiation , which splits it into two radiation fractions , at least one optical delay section 3 is incorporated , by which one of the radiation fractions can be time - delayed in relation to the other radiation fraction such that the delay which can be generated corresponds to twice the run time of the measuring radiation ms to a distance lying outside the coherence length , wherein this distance d to be measured can correspond to the surface of the target 13 . by way of the use according to the invention of the delay section 3 , measurements can now also be carried out to targets , the distance of which to the measuring arrangement is outside the boundaries set by the coherence length , but in particular is greater than the coherence length . in this first exemplary embodiment , the delay section 3 is arranged in the beam path before the transceiver optic 12 , so that the delay occurs before the emission . this first exemplary embodiment can also have in the interferometric distance measuring arrangement a further interferometer as a calibration interferometer , wherein this can also be embodied in etalon configuration or mach - zehnder configuration . fig8 a - b and fig9 a - b illustrate the radiation fields in the frequency domain for a first example and a second example of the length of the delay section in the arrangement of the first exemplary embodiment . fig8 a - b show the graphic representation in the frequency domain for a first example , wherein by way of the use of a measuring interferometer arm and a reference interferometer arm and by way of the two radiation fractions , a total of four radiation fields are generated , which are superimposed during the interferometric distance measurements on the radiation detector . the reflections of the reference arm as a local oscillator and of the target in the measuring arm are delayed in relation to one another by the runtime via the target distance d . since two radiation fractions are coupled into the interferometric measuring arrangement having the reference arm and the measuring arm , a total of four interfering radiation fields therefore result on the radiation detector , wherein in the figures , the undelayed radiation fields are indicated with 1 and the delayed radiation fields are indicated with 2 and also l is indicated for the local oscillator ( reference arm ) and t is indicated for the target ( measuring arm ). as a result of the frequency modulation of the laser radiation , a time interval or a run section difference also corresponds in this case to a spectral difference δf . the detected intensity i is a product of the radiation fields in the time or frequency domain , the fourier transformation ft of the intensity i is a folding of the fourier transformation ft of the fields e . e ( t )= e l1 ( t )+ e l2 ( t − τ mz )+ e t1 ( t − τ t )+ e t2 ( t − τ t − τ mz ) in this case , e l1 ( t ) designates the undelayed radiation fraction which only runs via the reference section , e l2 ( t − τ mz ) designates the delayed radiation fraction which only runs via the reference section , e t1 ( t − τ t ) designates the undelayed radiation fraction which runs via the target distance , and finally e t2 ( t − τ t − τ mz ) designates the radiation fraction which is both delayed and also runs via the target distance . in this case , τ mz represents the runtime of the radiation fractions guided via the delay section , and τ t represents the runtime of the radiation fractions which run via the target distance . the spectral intervals δf ( 2l ) and δf ( 2d ) can be represented as functions of the optical path differences l and d . in the graphic representation in the frequency domain of fig8 a , therefore four frequencies of the four radiation fractions or radiation fields result , from which the four beat frequencies shown in fig8 b result after the folding . the delayed radiation field interferes with the undelayed field in this case , so that an enlargement of the target distance or of the corresponding spectral interval δf ( 2d ), indicated by the arrow in fig8 a , results in a change of the frequency e ( f t1 , t ) and therefore the shift shown in fig8 b of the beat frequency i l2 _ t1 . for a frequency modulation with an increase of the optical frequency f , the first undelayed reflection has the highest frequency e ( f l1 , t ) at the time t . after the folding , the interference term of the two l fields has the highest intensity , but is suppressed because of its location outside the coherence range . the lowest beat frequency component i l2 _ t1 of the interference of the radiation fields e ( f t1 , t ) and e ( f l2 , t ), in contrast , represents the desired useful signal . fig9 a - b show the graphic representation in the frequency domain for a second example of the radiation fields for the first exemplary embodiment , in which the delay caused by the delay component is selected to be greater than the runtime via the target section or is greater than twice the runtime of the measuring radiation to the surface to be measured . in this case , the enlargement shown in fig9 a of the target distance d or of the corresponding spectral interval δf ( 2d ) results in a reduction of the beat frequency for i l2 _ t1 in fig9 b . such a shift can offer advantages , since in this case the beats i l1 - t2 and i t1 _ t2 + i l1 _ l2 are also shifted toward higher frequencies and therefore can be suppressed more strongly because of coherence . in general , both sides of the coherence length with the exception of a direct - current region become usable by shifting the operating range outside the normal coherence length . however , the unambiguity is lost and care must be taken so that the correct side of the operating distance is selected . fig1 shows the schematic illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of the interferometric measuring arrangement according to the invention , in which the delay section 3 is incorporated in the beam path after the integrated transceiver optic 12 in an arrangement according to fig4 , so that the splitting into the radiation fractions with delay of one of the parts only occurs after the reception and immediately before the radiation detector 11 . according to the invention , the entire delay can also be caused by different partial delay sections , however , which can also be arranged at various points of the beam path , if the desired total delay or optical path difference results for a radiation fraction . a third exemplary embodiment of an interferometric measuring arrangement according to the invention is schematically illustrated in fig1 . while in the first and second exemplary embodiments , fixed delay sections of a defined length are used , in this case , with a construction otherwise unchanged from the first exemplary embodiment according to fig7 , a number of delay sections of different length which can be switched over is used , so that a plurality of selectable discrete delay times is provided . a certain overlap between the delay sections in conjunction with the possible coherence length can be advantageous in the calibration of the individual delay sections . in this case , the length difference between the delay sections is somewhat less than the coherence length , whereby a measuring range overlap occurs . upon leaving one range , one also reaches the next range by switching over to the next delay length . the same distance can then be measured using two delay sections , which permits an assumption of a distance calibration . the delay sections can be formed in this case as fibers , as are available as standard components for applications of optical coherence tomography . thus , for example , the producers general photonics , newport , ozoptics , and santec offer as standard products fiber - coupled optical delay sections having delay times of up to 350 ps or a length of 110 mm . alternatively to delay sections which can be switched over , according to the invention , continuously or discreetly adjustable variants of delay sections , for example , interferometers having adjustable arm lengths , can also be used . the effect of a delay section on measurements is illustrated in the following fig1 to 19 on the basis of simple simulation results . in this case , fig1 shows the illustration of a coherence curve for the following simulations , which illustrate signal strengths and coherence effects . the fundamental coherence curve is defined as follows : coh ⁡ ( z ) = ⅇ - ( 2 ⁢ ⁢ z · ln ⁡ ( 2 ) l coh ) 2 with z as an optical path difference and a coherence length of l coh := 50 mm . length : d l := 0 m reflectivity : r := 1 % oscillator - laser field : e l ( t ):= e laser ( t , d l )·√{ square root over ( r )} target - laser field : e t ( t ):= e laser ( t , d t )·√{ square root over ( r · l )} fig1 shows the beam cross section for a first simulation example of a distance measuring arrangement of the prior art without delay section . the parameters for this example having a target distance of 30 mm and an optical path difference of 60 mm resulting therefrom read as follows : distance up to the beam waist : d w 0 := 25 mm na := w 0 z 0 ⁡ ( w 0 ) = 0 . 00411 and a power level , resulting from the target loss , of − 58 dbm , wherein the albedo of a dark metal surface assumed as a target is set at 10 %. distance z ( horizontal ) and beam cross section ( vertical ) are each specified in millimeters . for the sake of simplicity , to illustrate the coherence influence , it is applied as a modulation loss in the fourier space , i . e ., the fourier transformed p ′= ft ( p ) of the detected power p =( e · ē ) is multiplied by the coherence function p = p ′· coh . the distance d or the optical path difference ( opd t ≈ 2 · d in air ) corresponds to the frequency f via the equation the associated tomogram of the received signal for the first simulation example is illustrated in fig1 , wherein the power level in db is plotted against the optical path difference d specified in millimeters . in reality , from a distance of 30 mm , the detection limit is reached because of coherence losses and noises . therefore , in the simulation which does not consider these influences , the required signal strength should lie above the threshold , which is illustrated by a dashed line , of − 60 db , so that the conditions prevailing in reality can be taken into consideration . as can be seen in the figure , the signal strength , shown by solid lines , without delay according to the invention reaches its maximum at an optical path difference of 60 mm or at a target distance of 30 mm and is therefore slightly above the sensitivity of approximately − 60 db . fig1 shows the illustration of the beam cross section for a second simulation example . the target distance is now 10 cm , so that an optical path difference ( opd ) of 200 mm results . the numeric aperture corresponds to the first simulation example from fig1 . the distance to the beam waist is 100 mm , so that the exit pupil has a diameter of 0 . 857 mm . as can be seen from the associated tomogram of the received signal illustrated in fig1 , the maximum of the signal strength is significantly below the threshold of − 60 db to be set for realistic conditions , and is therefore for below a level of detectability . this is contrasted with the results of a simulation having introduction according to the invention of a delay , as illustrated in fig1 for the second simulation example . a possible range is predefined by the coherence length of the laser in the case of the selection of the optical path difference of the delay section opd mz . for a good signal analysis without delay , the distance or the opd t thereof should be in the range of the coherence length : if a delay section is used , this range is shifted by the opd mz of this section : so that for the selection of the length of the delay section , the possible range results from in this case , which is also described by fig8 , an enlargement of the target distance results in an enlargement of the measured beat frequency , which corresponds to the so - called “ normal ” measuring range . the utilization of the other range , corresponding to fig9 , is also possible , in which the delay section is greater than the opd of the distance and the enlargement of the target distance results in a reduction of the beat frequency , the so - called “ inverse ” measuring range : if the unambiguity of the measuring range — normal or inverse — can be determined by a movement of the target , for example , the delay distance can be in both ranges : d = 100 mm → opd t = 200 mm and l coh = 50 mm , and the restriction to the normal measuring range , the delay section must be in the range if a delay section is used , the laser field consists of two terms , wherein they are mutually delayed and d mz designates the length of the delay section according to the invention ( in air , the equation the losses generated by the splitting and guiding together of the radiation field are taken into consideration by the factor ¼ . the target distance is again 10 cm and therefore the optical path difference ( opd t ) is 200 mm . to cause a delay , an additional section of the length of , for example , d mz = 90 mm ( opd = 180 mm ) is introduced for one of the two radiation fractions , which lies within the possible normal range . in the tomogram , the effects of three of the four resulting beat frequencies are now identifiable . at 200 mm , the normal signal assignable to the target is recognizable , while in contrast at 180 mm , the signal associated with the delay section occurs . at 20 mm , the interference signal of delayed local oscillator radiation field and undelayed measuring interferometer radiation field , i . e ., the interferometer arm comprising the target , is recognizable . the interference signal located at 380 mm , composed of delayed local oscillator radiation field and delayed measuring interferometer radiation field , is not shown in the figure for reasons of clarity . the signal at 20 mm is , in spite of the additional losses of 6 db caused by the delay section , still above the sensitivity threshold and therefore well detectable . fig1 shows the illustration of the beam cross section for a third simulation example of a distance measuring arrangement according to the invention having an optic optimized for a target distance of 100 mm . the following parameters apply for this simulation example : distance up to the beam waist : d w 0 := 100 mm na := w 0 z 0 ⁡ ( w 0 ) = 0 . 01974 the albedo of a dark metal surface assumed as a target is set in this example at 10 %, so that a power level resulting from the target loss of − 44 dbm results . the numeric aperture can therefore be enlarged by the factor 5 and the losses can be reduced by 7 dbm , which means a correspondingly higher signal strength . the associated tomogram of the received signal is illustrated in fig1 for the third simulation example with delay according to the invention . the significant exceeding of the detectability threshold at 20 mm can be recognized clearly . fig2 shows a concrete embodiment of the delay section 3 illustrated in fig2 . the coupling is performed from below into a first 50 % beam splitter 2 ′″. a first radiation part 6 propagates in drilled - out and sealed air channels in a zerodur part 7 . a second radiation fraction 5 to a second 50 % beam splitter 2 ″″, which guides together both radiation fractions 5 and 6 again . the two radiation fractions 2 ′″ and 2 ″″ can be manufactured from sio 2 , for example , and the coupling and decoupling surfaces thereof can have an antireflective coating . the inversion prism 8 from fig2 is embodied with the two illustrated reflectively coated ( for example , with gold ) zerodur parts 8 ′ and 8 ″. the density in the air channels does not change via temperature and the optical path remains constant . the paths within the beam splitter are identical for both interferometer arms . the illustrated part 3 of the mach - zehnder interferometer is therefore athermal .	6
while the instant invention is applicable broadly to any fused silica refractory shape , such as blocks , plates , brick , and the like , it will be discussed in detail herein with respect to brick . an essential criterion of the present invention is the use of a high purity fused silica ( sio 2 ). as used herein the term &# 34 ; high purity &# 34 ; means at least 98 wt . %, preferably 99 . 5 wt . % silica , most preferably 99 . 5 wt . % and higher . moreover , as is conventional in brick making , it is preferred to use a fused silica particle size distribution from about - 4 to - 325 mesh ( tyler standard ). the remaining essential component of the mix is the bonding system and this consists of high purity collodial silica solution and a high purity ammonium lignosulfonate . the colloidal silica solution should have a solids content of 30 to 50 wt .%. the purity level of the solution should be 99 + wt . % silica plus aqueous vehicle . the viscosity of the solution should be less than 30 centipoise at room temperature . the ph of the solution is not critical with solutions having low and high ph being equally effective . as to the high purity ammonium lignosulfonate it is preferred that it have an ash content of less than about 3 wt .%, preferably less than about 2 wt . %, and contain less than about 0 . 25 wt . % calcium in the ash . it is preferred not to utilize any other constituents in the mix and in the resultant finished products . the brick can be formed from the mix simply by admixing the fused silica and the bonding system , forming the desired brick shape with a conventional impact press , and then firing the brick . the brick is preferably fired at high temperatures , i . e ., about 2100 ° to 2200 ° f . with a hold time sufficient for the mass to reach thermal equilibrium , but not for such extended time that the brick devitrify to more than 10 % crystalline silica , as measured by quantitative x - ray diffraction . for a conventional kiln load of pressed brick a sufficient hold time will probably range between 5 to 10 hrs . only routine experimentation is needed to obtain the optimum balance between hold time and obtaining the desired set physical properties since each kiln will vary somewhat in its ability to fire a given load of brick because of differences in heating sources , design and the like . the result is a fused silica brick with a density of above 120 pcf with a porosity of about 9 to 12 % and having a room temperature modulus of rupture above 1000 psi . with respect to proportions , the bonding system is a plus addition to the silica refractory and is added in an amount of about 3 to 8 wt .% correspondingly 97 to 92 wt . % the fused silica . with respect to the components of the binder system itself while equal parts by weight of each can be utilized , it is preferred to use about 3 parts by wt . of the collodial silica to 2 . 5 parts by wt . of the ammonium lignosulfonate . the invention will be further described in connection with the following examples which are set forth for purposes of illustration only . a series of four mixes were prepared and brick formed therefrom on an impact press . the resultant brick were then tested for bulk density , strength , and porosity . the mix formulation , brick - forming conditions , and test results are set forth in table i below . in addition the brick were compared to two commercial silica brick mixes , visil brand vitreous silica brick ( a pressed composition ) and masrock brand fused silica brick prepared by slip casting . table i__________________________________________________________________________ example no . 1 2 3 4 visil masrock__________________________________________________________________________fused silica , 4 / 10 mesh 30 % fused silica , 10 / 20 20 % fused silica , 20 / 50 15 % fused silica , 50 / 100 5 % fused silica , - 325 30 % plus additionscolloidal silica * 3 . 0 -- 1 . 1 -- colloidal silica ** -- 3 . 0 -- -- ammonium lignosulfonate 2 . 5 2 . 5 -- 5 . 5 ( 51 % solids ) stearic acid flakes -- -- 3 . 0 -- water ( deionized ) -- -- 1 . 9 -- brick size 9 × 4 . 5 × 3 . 0 &# 34 ; impact time , sec . 20 25 25 35bulk density at press , pcf 124 124 117 125bulk density after 121 121 113 121drying , pcfproperties after firingto 2050 ° f . linear change - 0 . 2 0 . 0 - 0 . 2 -- modulus of rupture , psi 1280 -- ( 1 ) -- 915 2580on whole brickbulk density , pcf 119 -- -- 118 122apparent porosity , % 12 . 7 -- -- 14 . 3 12 . 4apparent specific gravity 2 . 19 -- -- 2 . 21 2 . 20properties after firingto 2100 ° f .% linear change -- 0 . 3 -- -- modulus of rupture , psi 1560 -- -- on whole brickbulk density , pcf 119 -- -- apparent porosity , % 12 . 6 -- -- apparent specific gravity 2 . 19 -- -- properties after firingto 2150 ° f .% linear change -- -- - 0 . 1modulus of rupture , psi 1250 -- 600 915 2580on whole brickbulk density , pcf 121 -- 119 118 122apparent porosity , % 11 . 7 -- 12 . 9 14 . 3 12 . 4apparent specific gravity 2 . 20 -- 2 . 18 2 . 21 2 . 20properties after firingto 2175 ° f .% linear change - 0 . 3 -- -- modulus of rupture , psi 1730 -- -- on whole brickbulk density , pcf 122 -- -- apparent porosity , % 10 . 7 -- -- apparent specific gravity 2 . 19 -- -- cold crushing strength , psi 7150 -- -- 5390 9730on 2 × 2 × 3 &# 34 ; cubes : air permeability , centi - 0 . 5 -- -- 0 . 6 -- darcysx - ray diffraction analysis % quartz & lt ; 1 -- -- 8 tr % cristobalite & lt ; 1 -- -- 5 & lt ; 1 % amorphous ( by difference ) 99 + -- -- 87 99 + properties after firingto 2200 ° f .% linear change - 0 . 6 - 0 . 33 -- modulus of rupture , psi 1900 1870 -- 915 2580bulk density , pcf 122 123 -- 118 122apparent porosity , % 9 . 9 9 . 6 -- 14 . 3 12 . 4apparent specific gravity 2 . 18 2 . 17 -- 2 . 21 2 . 10x - ray diffraction analysis % quartz & lt ; 1 & lt ; 1 -- 8 tr % cristobalite 4 2 -- 5 & lt ; 1 % amorphous ( by difference ) 96 98 -- 87 99 + __________________________________________________________________________ * ph 3 ** ph 9 ( 1 ) because this mix had such low density , no further tests were performe thereon . individual brick of example 1 were burned at one of each of the five burns , that of example 2 were burned only at 2200 ° f ., and that of example 4 were burned only at 2150 ° f . table 1 clearly shows that fused silica brick made with high purity fused silica grain and high purity binders could be made and fired to 2175 ° f . without detectable loss of their amorphous state . the low porosity of 10 . 7 % and 99 + % amorphous state was quite unexpected since it is well known that above 2000 ° f . amorphous silica has the tendency to devitrify and silica of high purity , 99 + %, tends to be sluggish its ability to sinter . while the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment , it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth , but on the contrary , it is intended to cover such alternatives , modifications , and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	2
the figures described above and the written description of specific structures and functions below are not presented to limit the scope of what applicants have invented or the scope of the appended claims . rather , the figures and written description are provided to teach any person skilled in the art to make and use the inventions for which patent protection is sought . those skilled in the art will appreciate that not all features of a commercial embodiment of the inventions are described or shown for the sake of clarity and understanding . persons of skill in this art will also appreciate that the development of an actual commercial embodiment incorporating aspects of the present inventions will require numerous implementation - specific decisions to achieve the developer &# 39 ; s ultimate goal for the commercial embodiment . such implementation - specific decisions may include , and likely are not limited to , compliance with system - related , business - related , government - related and other constraints , which may vary by specific implementation , location , and from time to time . while a developer &# 39 ; s efforts might be complex and time - consuming in an absolute sense , such efforts would be , nevertheless , a routine undertaking for those of skill in this art having benefit of this disclosure . it must be understood that the inventions disclosed and taught herein are susceptible to numerous and various modifications and alternative forms . most of the current design for scale - out storage systems rely upon relatively large individual storage systems that must be connected by at least a single very high - speed , high bandwidth interconnections in order to provide the needed bandwidth for the users and provide the required transfer bandwidth to each storage element . the present invention provides an alternative to this design technique using a dedicated fabric network that can be used in combination with a multi - dimensional topology capable of a distributed non transparent switching architecture used to interconnect each single storage node . this approach provide better bandwidth and scalability that the traditional one using a less network bandwidth per single network channel , resulting in a less expensive architecture a modern scale - out storage system must provide high bandwidth , have low latency in data access , must be continuously available , must not lose data , and its performance must scale as its capacity scales . existing large scale storage systems have some of these features but not all of them . this situation is not acceptable in an environment where big data set data are need to be continuously , efficiently and quickly available for intensive processing . in the present invention we introduce the concept of an architecturally simplified storage node where the inside storage capacity can be relatively small . these storage nodes are connected together in a parallel way using a dedicate data plane . each of these node provide at least one secondary network interface that is use for external connectivity , like for example , but not limited to , datacenter connectivity , pr external commuting nodes connectivity . with this architecture in mind 1000 s and more of these nodes can be densely connected together using multidimensional network topologies , like e . g . but not limited to hypercubes , 2d torus or 3d torus , introducing the concept of massively parallel distributed storage architecture as new way to build efficient storage systems . in general , one petabyte of storage capability can be achieved , with this approach , using e . g . 2048 elements with 512 gb of capacity each or e . g . 8192 elements of 128 gb each . if these storage units are organized in a multidimensional parallel array , closely interconnected together , with each single node - to - node link channel capable of a real bandwidth of 1 . 4 gbyte / s , they could deliver respectively 700 giga byte per seconds with more than 40 mega iops and more than 11 terabytes per second of bandwidth and more than 0 . 6 giga iops , using standard pcie ssds . copy of the single data could also be distributed on multiple discrete nodes creating a high level of data redundancy where if a single entire node failed , data would still be available in another node . fig1 . shows , in a preferred embodiment , the architecture of a possible storage node . the storage node comprises at least a main board 100 with inside : a cpu ( 1 ), a least one , single or multi - core , with its local ram memory ( 1 a ), at least one disk ( 2 ), for example , but not limited to , pcie , sas or sata ssds or other equivalent devices , at least single or multiport network interface controller ( 3 ), used to connect other storage nodes through the storage fabric ( 101 ), at least a supplementary network interface controller nic ( 4 ) used for user external ( datacenter or user ) connections . the cpu ( 1 ) is equipped with a dedicated embedded flash ( 5 ) or other boot capable devices , like , for example , a dedicated disk , that is used for system boot and initialization . the elements ( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ), ( 4 ) can be combined , entirely or in part , in a single system on chip using dedicate asic , fpgas . fig . 2 shows , in a preferred embodiment , a possible realization of the storage system proposed based on a data plane realized in hypercube network topology . the choice of the hypercube topology and any related hypercube derived topologies is due to the topological properties of the hypercube that fits very well with the goal of the proposed storage architecture . the n - dimensional hypercube is a highly concurrent loosely coupled multiprocessor based on the binary n - cube topology . machines based on the hypercube topology have been considered as ideal parallel architectures for their powerful interconnection features . more in detail the hypercube interconnection ( 1 ) is used to connect all the storage element nodes ( n 1 a ) together . the hypercube is logically composed by many basic groups ( 4 ) according with the hypercubes mathematical description and each of this group is represented , in that example , but not limited to , by a multiport fabric switch ( 8 ). each of these multi - port switches represents a hypercube vertex . each of these multiport switches has the same number of fabric ports used to connect together other switches , inside the fabric , creating the network ; the number of ports is strictly related with the hypercube topological dimension . according with the literature for an hypercube we have n ( number of vertex )= 2 ̂ in ( number of network links ) that for example means that a 64 vertex hypercube require 6 network links per vertex . one of the ports of the switch is used to connect the storage node using an opportune local interface . these switches can be embedded into the storage node as showed in the detail ( a ). in this way , a single storage node represents each hypercube vertex . in a different embodiment , each single vertex of the hypercube is composed of an external switch that is used to connect multiple nodes together as shown in the detail ( b ). in this case each single vertex of the hypercube is represented by an independent switch that is used to connect at least one single storage node to the hypercube based fabric . in detail , the group ( a ) shows an hypercube group composed by the hypercube vertex ( 6 a ),( 6 b ),( 6 c ),( 6 d ),( 6 e ),( 6 f ),( 6 g ) organized as 3d cube ( 2 ̂ 3 vertex ), as shown in detail ( a 2 ). each vertex is directly connected to a single storage node . the storage node ( 3 a ) is connected to the vertex ( 6 a ), the storage node ( 3 b ) is connected to the vertex ( 6 b ) and so on . each storage node is connected with the other nodes in the group using a point - to - point connection . the detail ( b ) shows how a different organization of the storage nodes can be created using multiple switches connected to the hypercube vertex instead of using the direct connection between the vertex and the storage node as described in the detail ( a ). in this case the hypercube group ( b ) has many external switch connections to each hypercube vertex group ( 6 a ),( 6 b ),( 6 c ),( 6 d ),( 6 e ),( 6 f ),( 6 g ). one switch per single vertex of the hypercube . each switch has multiple ports for hypercube fabric connection ( 8 a ) and multiple ports ( 8 b ) that are used to connect the storage nodes ( 2 ). the detail ( c ) show how these switches can be organized . the switch ( 8 ), has n ports ( 8 a ) dedicated to the connection with the hypercube fabric , and has x ports ( 8 b ) dedicated to the connection with the storage nodes . note that number x can be different from number n . the main advantage of this configuration is the lower cost and the major flexibility of the final storage architecture compared with the solution described by the detail ( a ). other topologies can be used to achieve the same level of parallelism like , but not limited to , k - ary d - cube topologies and derivate . each of the storage nodes have at least secondary interface that is used for the external connectivity . fig3 . represent , conceptually , how the storage system can be connected on the existing environment . multiple storage nodes ( 1 ) are connected together using the storage data plane fabric ( 3 ) by the , dedicated , network interface ( 3 a ). the resulting system is connected to the external world using the user fabric ( 2 ) by the , dedicated , network interface ( 2 a ). the advantages of this architecture is the complete separation from the user network and the storage data plane . this implementation permit to off load the user fabric from the operation related to the storage organization and permit to achieve a linear scalability in terms of access bandwidth to the system .	7
[ 0042 ] fig1 shows a grip 1 according to the invention , which comprises a shank 2 and a head 3 which are connected to one another by means of a pivot 4 . a cleansing element according to the invention is diagrammatically depicted by 5 . the shape of the cleansing element and the shape of the head 3 are not subject to any particular limitations , but are preferably slightly egg - shaped , as can be seen in fig1 b . advantageously , the external dimensions of the cleansing element 5 are slightly greater than those of the head 3 . this promotes hygienic use of the grip 1 . [ 0043 ] fig2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a cleansing element 5 which comprises a u - shaped incision 6 . the lip 7 , i . e . the material inside the u - shaped incision , can be bent out , as shown in fig2 . [ 0044 ] fig3 shows another embodiment of a cleansing element 5 with an h - shaped incision 8 . the u - shaped lips 9 which are formed in this case can also be bent outwards . the lips 7 and 9 of the cleansing elements 5 shown in fig2 and 3 are used to attach the said cleansing elements to the head 3 of a grip 1 , the head 3 comprising suitable attachment openings 15 which will be discussed below . [ 0046 ] fig4 and 5 show two successive operating steps of a holder 10 for a cleansing assembly according to the invention . the holder 10 for the cleansing assembly comprises two compartments 11 and 12 . the first compartment 11 is used to hold stack of cleansing elements 5 , and the second compartment 12 is used to store the grip 1 and to attach a new cleansing element 5 to the said grip 1 . in the vicinity of the base , the compartments 11 and 12 are in communication with one another by means of an opening 13 . one of the cleansing elements 5 ′ can be pushed through the said opening 13 out of the compartment 11 into the compartment 12 by means which are not shown . these may , for example , be a slide device which can be actuated by foot . other means are also suitable , such as hand - actuable means or the like . a press - on projection 14 according to the invention is present on the base of the compartment 12 . the way in which the press - on projection 14 operates will be explained in more detail below . [ 0049 ] fig6 shows , in three steps a , b and c , the way in which a cleansing element 5 in accordance with fig2 is attached to the head 3 of a grip according to the invention , using a press - on projection 14 . the head 3 of the grip 1 comprises , on its underside , an attachment opening 15 which is to a large extent closed off by a hinged resilient lip 16 . furthermore , the head 3 comprises a stop 17 on the inside in the vicinity of the attachment opening 15 . when a cleansing element 5 has been introduced into the compartment 12 via the opening 13 and the grip 1 is lowered onto it , the position shown in fig6 a will be reached . when the grip 1 is pressed further downwards into the compartment 12 , the lip 7 will be forced out of the cleansing element 5 into the attachment opening 15 by means of the press - on component 14 , with the resilient lip 16 being opened up . the lip 7 will gradually be pressed further upwards as the grip 1 is moved further into the compartment 12 . ultimately , the position shown in fig6 c is reached . when the grip 1 is taken out of the compartment 12 , the cleansing element 5 is unambiguously attached to the head 3 , because the lip 7 is clamped between the stop 17 and the resilient lip 16 . resilient lip 16 is in this case an additional attachment means . [ 0052 ] fig6 d shows a perspective view of part of the inside of the underside of the head 3 with the cleansing element 5 in accordance with fig2 attached to it . this figure clearly shows the action of the stop 17 and the resilient lip 16 for securely clamping the lip 7 . reference is now made to fig7 with regard to the way in which a cleansing element 5 in accordance with fig3 is attached . in this case too , a cleansing element 5 is introduced into the compartment 12 via the opening 13 . as a result of the grip 1 being moved downwards into the compartment 12 , the lips 9 can be moved into an attachment opening 15 in the underside of the head 3 through interaction with the press - on projection 14 . in this case , the attachment opening 15 does not comprise a stop or resilient lip . in this embodiment , the material of the cleansing element 5 is important , since it has to be sufficiently rigid to be able to clamp the cleansing element 5 in the attachment opening 15 of the head 3 of the grip 1 as a result of the lips 9 being bent over . the cleansing element 5 is therefore attached as a result of frictional engagement between the lips 9 and the attachment opening 15 . a diagrammatic plan view is shown in fig7 c of the underside of the head 3 , with the lips 9 attached inside the attachment opening 15 . in this case too , the grip 1 is ready for use once it has been removed from the compartment 12 . of course , it is equally possible to use different shapes of incisions , with correspondingly adapted attachment openings . for example , two or more u - shaped or h - shaped incisions which are spaced apart from one another in the cleansing element can be used in combination with a corresponding number of attachment openings in the head 3 . consideration may also be given to cross - shaped or star - shaped incisions and the like . the following fig8 and 9 show two ways in which a cleansing element can be released from the attachment means after it has been attached . [ 0057 ] fig8 a and b show the way in which the cleansing element in accordance with the embodiment shown in fig6 is released , and fig9 a and b show the way in which the cleansing element in accordance with the embodiment shown in fig7 is released . in fig8 the resilient lip 16 is provided with a pull rod 19 . when this pull rod 19 is moved in the direction of the arrow , the cleansing element 5 can be released . by contrast , the embodiment shown in fig9 comprises a push rod 20 which can push the cleansing element 5 out of the opening 15 . to this end , this push rod is provided with a spherical component 21 in the vicinity of the head 3 . [ 0059 ] fig1 shows a plan view of a head 3 of a grip 1 with a cleansing element 5 with two t - shaped coupling components 22 attached to it . the width of the coupling components is therefore locally greater than the dimension of the attachment openings 15 , so that they can engage behind the material of the head 3 . in this way , the cleansing element is securely attached to the grip and the possibility of the cleansing element falling out of the grip is completely prevented . finally , fig1 shows a cleansing element 5 with three substantially h - shaped incisions 8 which are spaced apart from one another . when a cleansing element 5 of this nature is attached to a head 3 of a grip 1 , three sets of u - shaped lips 9 as shown in fig3 are formed . this ensures improved attachment of the cleansing element 5 to the head 3 over the entire bottom surface of the head 3 .	0
referring to fig1 , a prior art automatic tire inflation system known as mtis system manufactured by pressure systems international of san antonio , tex ., is shown . the reference numeral 100 generally indicates the rotary air connection for supplying air from an air supply on a vehicle in an automatic tire inflation system for a vehicle to rotating tires . the numeral 112 generally indicates one axle or spindle , a hubcap 114 is provided at each end of the axle 112 for retaining lubricant in the wheel bearings , and an air supply 116 either directly in the axle 112 or through an interior conduit ( not shown ) in the inside of the axle 112 supplies air to the rotary air connection through the inside of the axle . a pneumatic rotary union generally indicated by the reference numeral 120 is supported and positioned in the center of the axle 112 , such as by force fit plug 220 , but sealingly engages the interior of the axle 112 by seal 124 as air is injected directly into the inside of the axle 112 . the rotary union 120 has a first stationary part or stator 128 having a passageway 136 therethrough . the passageway 136 is in communication with the air supply 116 . a first resilient rotary seal 138 is supported in the passageway 136 and encircles the passageway 136 . the union 120 includes a second rotatable part or rotor including a tubular member 142 having a first end 144 and a second end 146 . the second end 146 is coaxially extendible through and is longitudinally and rotationally movable in the passageway 136 and sealably engages the rotary seal 138 and is in communication with the air supply 116 . the first end 144 of the tubular member 142 is sealably connected to the air connection or through tee 152 on the hubcap 114 through a seal 150 . the air connection 152 or through tee is provided on the hubcap 114 for connection to the tire or tires through air hoses ( not shown ) at the end of the axle 112 . the end 144 of the tubular member 142 includes a shoulder which includes a bearing 101 . in operation , air is supplied through the stationary part 128 of the rotary union 120 , through the rotatable member 142 , the through tee 152 and to the tires . the system 100 includes the air pressure supply 116 and a suitable warning system such as a flow switch 32 a and a warning indicator light 34 a in the event of loss of air pressure . the hub cap 114 also includes a plurality of air vent holes 160 and a yieldable rubber vent shield 162 normally closing the vents 160 but opening and allowing the escape of air in the event of a leak from the system 100 into the inside compartment of the hubcap 114 . the shield 162 is supported from the through tee 152 which is threadably secured by threads 164 to the wall of the hubcap 114 and supports one end of the rotatable member or rotor 142 . lubrication to the inside of the hubcap 114 is accomplished by a side fill plug 170 on the outer diameter of the hubcap 114 . this fill method requires tools for unscrewing the plug 170 and does not allow for checking lubrication levels . while hubcap 114 includes a sight glass 172 , it is usually caked up with lubricant and is not usable . in addition , if the position of the truck is such that the plug 170 is not an up position , then the vehicle will have to be rotated to bring the plug 170 into an up position for replenishing the lubricant supply . on a plurality of tires on a vehicle , this can be time - consuming . the through tee 152 can be unscrewed from the hubcap 114 , after disconnecting air hoses to the tires ( not shown ) and remove the rotor 142 for repair . however , the stationary part or stator 128 cannot be removed without removing the hubcap 114 . referring now to fig2 , 4 and 5 , the reference numeral 10 generally indicates the rotatable air connection of the present invention for supplying air from an air supply on a vehicle in an automatic tire inflation system for a vehicle to the rotating tires ( not shown ). the numeral 12 generally indicates one axle or spindle , a hubcap 14 is provided at each end of the axle 12 for retaining lubricant to the wheel bearings ( not shown ) and an air supply 16 , either directly in the axle 12 , or through an interior conduit ( not shown ) in the inside of the axle 12 for supplying air to the rotary connection through the inside of the axle . a pneumatic rotary union generally indicated by the reference numeral 20 is supported and positioned in the center of the axle 12 , such as by force fit plug 22 , but sealingly engages the interior of the axle 12 by a seal 24 if air is injected directly into the inside of the axle 12 . the rotary union 20 has a first stationary part 28 threadably secured into the center of the plug 22 by threads 23 , a passageway 36 therethrough and a hexagonal head 37 . the passageway 36 is in communication with the air supply 16 . a first resilient rotary seal 38 is supported in the passageway 36 and encircles the passageway 36 . the union 20 includes a second rotatable part or rotor including a tubular member 42 having a first end 44 and a second end 46 . the second end 46 is coaxially extendible through and is longitudinally and rotationally movable in the passageway 36 and sealably engages the rotary seal 38 and is in communication with the air supply 16 . the first end 44 of the tubular member 42 is sealably connected to the air connection or through tee 52 on the hubcap 14 through a seal 50 . the air connection 52 or through tee is provided on the hubcap 14 for connection to the tire or tires ( not shown ) at the end of the axle 12 through air hoses 55 and 57 ( fig5 ). the end 44 of the tubular member 42 includes a shoulder which includes a bearing 11 . in operation , air 16 is supplied through the stationary part 28 of the rotary union 20 . the inflation system 10 includes any suitable warning system such as a flow switch 32 and a warning indicator light 34 for indicating when the air pressure is leaking . the above description is generally disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 186 , 951 entitled “ rotary air coupling connection with bearing for tire inflation system ,” which is herewith incorporated by reference . in the present invention the hubcap 14 includes an opening 58 ( fig5 ) coaxially aligned with the rotary union 20 . a plug 60 is releasably supported in the opening 68 and said plug includes a threaded support opening 62 coaxially aligned with the rotary union 20 . the plug 60 includes one or more air vents 64 , here shown as six , positioned outside of the support opening 62 . the support opening 62 supports the through tee 52 in the opening 62 and in turn supports one end of the rotatable part 42 of the rotary union 20 and a vent shield 66 covering the outside of the air vents 64 . the hubcap opening 58 is of a size for adding and visually inspecting lubrication level in the inside of the hubcap 14 and for passing a socket wrench for engaging the head 37 of the stator member 28 for removing the stator member 28 through the hubcap opening 58 without removing the hubcap 14 . for example only , the opening 58 may be 1 . 625 inches in diameter . the plug 60 consists of a rigid material for providing a firm support for the through tee 52 and for example only may consists of a hard plastic such as delrin . the plug 60 includes a head 68 at a first end for abutting the outside of the hubcap 14 and an extension 70 extending through and beyond the inside of the hubcap 14 and terminating in a second end 72 . a circular seal 74 surrounds the plug 60 intermediate the first end 68 and the second end 72 and seals against the inside of the hubcap 14 and releasably holds the plug in position in the hubcap opening . however , the plug 60 may be easily removed from the opening 58 and a knurled surface is provided on the head 68 for that purpose . in addition , the plug 60 may be blown out the opening 58 in the event the air vents fail to exhaust the air . and if the plug 60 is blown out of opening 58 it will not be lost on the highway as occurs with conventional vent plugs since it is secured to lines 55 and 57 by the through tee 52 . as best seen in fig3 , the plug 60 includes an extension 70 and surfaces exposed to the interior of the hubcap 14 which are positioned to direct lubrication in the hubcap away from the air vents 64 so that if oil passes through vent holes 64 of the plug 60 it may be centrifugally ejected onto the face of the hubcap 14 . also in the event of a leak in the air pressure system less of the lubricant may be blown out of the hubcap 14 . the surfaces include an interior surface 76 outside of the air vents 64 and the interior surface 76 taper outwardly towards the second end 72 of the plug 60 for centrifugally directing lubrication away from the air vent 64 when the hubcap is rotating . the interior surface 76 may include a second outwardly directed tapered surface 78 . in addition , the plug 60 includes an exterior surface 80 adjacent the second end 72 of the plug 60 which includes a recess surrounding the exterior surface for directing lubrication away from the air vent 64 while the hubcap is static . for example , the overall length of the plug 60 may be one inch and the diameter of the head may be two inches . the taper 78 may be greater than the taper 76 and by way of example may be 45 °. referring now to fig5 , the combination of the through tee fitting 52 and plug 60 may be popped out or manually removed from the opening 58 without disconnecting the air hoses 55 and 57 . lubricant on the interior of the hubcap 14 may be replaced and visually observed . if desired , the plug 60 may be unscrewed from the through tee fitting 52 , the lines 55 and 57 removed , and the rotor 42 repaired . additionally , stator 28 may be threadably removed from the plug 22 . thus , all of the wear parts in the rotary union 52 may be inspected , repaired and replaced without removing the hubcap 14 . thus , a minimum of tools , a minimum of expertise , and a minimum of time and expense are required to perform minor repairs on the wear portions of the system 10 of the present invention . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims . moreover , the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process , machine , manufacture , composition of matter , means , methods and steps described in the specification . as one will readily appreciate from the disclosure , processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps , presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps .	1
a first embodiment of a tranmission mechanism for a motor driven toy according to the present invention will now be described with reference to fig1 to 7 . a high speed transmission gear 112 and a slow gear 114 are fixedly mounted on a common sleeve 150 . the gear 112 has a greater diameter than that of the slow gear or pinion 114 . the common sleeve 150 is freely rotatable around a shaft 116 indicated by a dotted line . in the same manner as in the prior art transmission described above , the high speed gear 112 is engaged with reduction gears ( not shown ) and is driven by motor torque so that the gear 112 is rotated together with the slow speed gear 114 . on an output shaft 118 are fixedly mounted driven means such as a pair of tires , a stop 122 and a cam sleeve element 124 . an associated cam sleeve portion 126 is integrally formed with an output gear 128 which is engaged with the above - described high speed gear 112 . the output gear 128 is integrally formed with a high torque gear 130 . the high torque gear 130 is provided with four round projections 154 as best shown in fig7 . a clutch mechanism 138 includes the projections 154 and recesses 156 as shown in fig6 . the four projections 154 are positioned at equal intervals concentrically on one surface of the high torque gear 130 . in the same manner , the eight recesses 156 are positioned at equal intervals concentrically on one surface of a synchronizing gear 152 . it is preferable to provide the recesses so that the distances between adjacent recesses are smaller than the diameters of the round projections in order to provide smooth engagement between the recesses and projections . thus , the projections 154 and recess 156 are engageable with each other . it is also preferable that the diameters of the projections 156 be somewhat smaller than those of the recesses . this is effective to provide a suitable displacement between the recesses and the projections in the engagement state to thereby provide smooth engagement between the slow speed gear 114 and the synchronizing gear 152 and between the slow speed gear 114 and the output gear 130 . the synchronizing gear 152 and the high torque gear can be simultaneously engaged with the slow gear 114 and are slidable in the axial direction . the synchronizing gear 152 , the gears 128 and 130 and the cam sleeve 126 are biased to normally move rightwardly . the cam sleeve 126 has a slanted cam surface 127 while the fixed cam sleeve 124 has an associated cam surface 125 . in operation , when the vehicle is driven on a flat or downward grade surface , that is , when a low load is applied to the vehicle , the high speed gear 112 is rotated through the reduction gears ( not shown ) by the motor in engagement with the output gear 128 which is retained at the rightmost end while the cam surface 127 of the cam sleeve portion 126 is in full contact with the cam surface 125 of the fixed cam surface 124 . thus , the rotational torque of the motor is transmitted to the driven members , that is , the tires 120 in the same manner as in the prior art . however , in the transmission gear system according to the present invention , it should be noted that for high - speed torque operation the high speed gear 130 and the synchronizing gear 152 are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 144 at the same rotational speed and the two gears are not engaged with any other gears to thereby apply a smooth rotational torque to the output shaft 118 during high - speed low torque operation . when low - speed high - torque is necessary for the vehicle due to the load applied to the wheels , the load applied to the wheels is transmitted to the output gear 128 through cam action between the surfaces 125 and 127 . as a result , the output gear 128 is moved leftward against the spring 136 disengaging from the high speed gear 112 . at this time , the synchronizing gear 152 is rotated synchronously with the slow gear 114 by assistance of the clutch mechanism 138 while the projections 154 are engaged with or disengaged from the recesses 156 , the output gear 128 is completely disengaged from the high speed gear 112 , and the rotation of the high torque gear 130 is simultaneously synchronized with the rotation of the slow gear 114 . the synchronizing gear 152 serves to absorb the difference in circumferential rotational speeds between the high speed gear 112 and slow speed gear 114 to thereby completely eliminate shock caused in a changeover between high - speed low - torque and low - speed high - torque operations . thus , at low - speed high - load operation the slow speed gear 114 is directly engaged with the high torque gear 130 and hence the output gear 128 so that the torque is transmitted to the output shaft without action of the clutch mechanism . this advantageously simplifies the torque transmission during high - load operation . fig8 shows another embodiment of the present invention in which a modified fixed cam sleeve 124a is engaged with an associated axially movable cam sleeve 126a . the cam sleeve 124a has a forward direction slanted cam surface 125a and a reverse direction slanted cam surface 125b while the cam sleeve 126a has a forward direction slanted cam surface 127a and a reverse direction slanted cam surface 127b . the remainder of the structure is the same as that of the previous embodiment of the invention . the operation of the embodiment is substantially similar . the transmitted torque from the motor can be reversed by the high speed gear 112 in a manner well - known in the art . it is , therefore , possible to operate the vehicle in reverse . this is due to the fact that for high - speed low - torque operation the output gear 128 is engaged only with the high speed gear 112 while for low - speed high - torque operation the high torque gear 130 is engaged with the slanted gear 114 . the present invention has been described with reference to specific preferred embodiments thereof although the invention is not limited thereto .	0
the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which like reference numerals refer to like parts . fig1 is a block diagram schematically showing a main structure of respective image forming systems according to first to fourth embodiments of the present invention . a user file 11 is a file of an image or a document which a user can use . a print application 10 is an application to be operated by the user and is provided for selection of a file to be printed from the user file 11 . in addition , the print application 10 is provided with a function for converting the selected file into print data and delivering the print data to a printer service unit 30 . a database file 21 is a file in which print data and ids of print paper are recorded in association with each other . a database application 20 includes a registration function , a reference function , and a deletion function . the registration function of the database application 20 allows registration of the print data and the ids in a one - to - multiple relation . in other words , the registration function allows registration of plural ids for one body of print data . by supplying an id to the database application 20 , the reference function of the database application 20 allows sending back of print data corresponding to the id . by supplying an id to the database application 20 , the deletion function of the database application 20 allows deletion of print data corresponding to the id . a print control unit 40 is firmware which controls all operations relating to printing . an output paper id monitor unit 50 is capable of : communicating with an rfid 80 , which is attached to a print paper 90 which has just undergone printing shown in fig6 , in a non - contact manner with each other ; always monitoring an output paper id detector 70 ( fig4 and 5 ), which reads out id information specific to the rfid 80 ; and when the id is detected , immediately informing the print control unit 40 of the id . a print request id monitor unit 60 is capable of communicating with the rfid 80 , which is attached to the print paper 90 on which an image which a user desires to copy is printed , in a non - contact manner with each other ; always monitoring a print request id detector 71 ( fig5 ), which reads out id information specific to the rfid 80 ; and when the id is detected , immediately informing a printer service unit 30 of the id . the printer service unit 30 is software which communicates with the print application 10 , the database application 20 , the print control unit 40 , and the print request id monitor unit 60 and controls operations of the entire system . the printer service unit 30 performs control of normal printing and extra copy printing . functions of the print application 10 , the database application 20 , and the printer service unit 30 can be realized by software using a computer as described later . the user file 11 and the database file 21 are accumulated in a storage unit such as a hard disk drive in a computer as described later and are used when executing the respective applications . here , operation for normal printing will be described . the user executes the print application 10 , selects a file which the user desires to print from the user file 11 , and instructs the print application 10 to print the file . when the printing instruction is received , the print application 10 reads out the designated user file 11 , converts the user file 11 into print data , and delivers the print data to the printer service unit 30 . the printer service unit 30 transfers the delivered print data to the print control unit 40 . the print control unit 40 creates a bitmap image on the basis of the transferred print data and controls a print mechanism of a printer 200 in fig2 , described later , to print the bitmap image on the print paper 90 . in parallel with this print operation , the id of the print paper 90 to be outputted is monitored through the output paper id monitor unit 50 . the output paper id monitor unit 50 monitors an output signal of the output paper id detector 70 and , when the print paper 90 passes , detects the id of the paper . when the id information is detected , the output paper id monitor unit 50 informs the print control unit 40 of the id information . when the printing is completed , the print control unit 40 informs the printer service unit 30 of the completion of the printing together with the id information informed from the output paper id monitor unit 50 . the printer service unit 30 informs the database application 20 of the id information informed from the print control unit 40 together with the print data . the database application 20 registers the informed print data and id information in the database file 21 in association with each other . then , when the registration of the print data and the id information in the database file 21 is completed , the printer service unit 30 informs the print application 10 of the completion of the print operation based upon the delivered print data . when the notification of the completion of the print operation is received from the printer service unit 30 , the print application 10 informs the user of completion of the printing . a user brings an rfid part of the print paper 90 , on which an image for which the user desires to print extra copies is printed , close to the print request id detector ( fig4 ) 71 , and causes the print request id detector 71 to read the id . the print request id detector 71 informs the printer service unit 30 of the id information . the printer service unit 30 sends the informed id information to the database application 20 and instructs the database application 20 to retrieve print data corresponding to this id information from the database file 21 . the database application 20 retrieves the registered database file 21 . if the print data corresponding to this id information exists , the database application 20 sends the related print data to the printer service unit 30 . if the print data does not exist , the database application 20 returns information indicating failure of retrieval to the printer service unit 30 . if the print data is sent back from the database application 20 , the printer service unit 30 transfers the print data to the print control unit 40 . the print control unit 40 creates a bitmap image on the basis of the transferred print data and controls the print mechanism of the printer 200 to execute printing on the print paper 90 . in parallel with this print operation , the id of the print paper 90 to be outputted is monitored through the output paper id monitor unit 50 . when the id is detected , the output paper id monitor unit 50 informs the print control unit 40 of the id information . when the printing is completed , the print control unit 40 informs the printer service unit 30 of the completion of the printing together with the id information informed from the output paper id monitor unit 50 . the printer service unit 30 sends the id information informed from the print control unit 40 to the database application 20 . the database application 20 registers the print data , for which extra copies have been printed , and the informed id information in the database file 21 in association with each other . in other words , every time one image of print data registered in the database file 21 is printed , id information for the print data is registered anew . fig2 shows an external view of the image forming system according to the first embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is a block diagram schematically showing an internal structure of the image forming system according to this embodiment . as shown in fig3 , the functions of the print application 10 , the user file 11 , the database application 20 , the database file 21 , and the printer service unit 30 are included in a computer 100 , and the functions of the print control unit 40 , the output paper id monitor unit 50 , and the print request id monitor unit 60 are included in the printer 200 . the computer 100 and the printer 200 are connected via a network . the user file 11 and the database file 21 are saved in a hard disk in the computer 100 . fig4 is an external view of the printer 200 . in the printer 200 , paper is fed from the back of a main body thereof and discharged from the front of the main body after printing . in a course of the printing , specific id information incorporated in the rfid 80 attached to the print paper 90 is read by the output paper id detector 70 . in addition , the print request id detector 71 is provided in the upper front part of the main body separately from the output paper id detector 70 . when the part of the printed print paper 90 where the rfid 80 is attached is brought close to the upper front part of the main body , the specific id incorporated in the rfid 80 of the printed print paper 90 is read by the print request id detector 71 . the output paper id monitor unit 50 includes the output paper id detector 70 , and the print request id monitor unit 60 includes the print request id detector 71 . fig5 is a block diagram showing an internal structure of the output paper id detector 70 and the print request id detector 71 . the output paper id detector 70 and the print request id detector 71 each include an antenna 72 , an electric power circuit 73 , and a receiving circuit 74 . the electric power circuit 73 causes a high - frequency current to flow to the antenna 72 connected to the electric power circuit 73 . in other words , the electric power circuit 73 supplies electric power to the antenna 72 . at this point , the amplitude of the high - frequency current to be supplied to the antenna 72 is controlled to be constant . in addition , the electric power circuit 73 detects the high - frequency current and sends a signal of the high - frequency current to the receiving circuit 74 . the receiving circuit 74 restores id information according to a change in the signal based upon the high - frequency current from the electric power circuit 73 . the output paper id detector 70 and the print request id detector 71 each output the id information restored by the receiving circuit 74 . fig6 is an external view of the print paper 90 . as shown in fig6 , the rfid 80 is attached to an upper left portion of the print paper 90 . fig7 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the rfid 80 . as shown in fig7 , the rfid 80 includes an antenna 81 , an electric power circuit 82 , a control circuit 83 , a nonvolatile memory 84 , and a transmission circuit 85 . the electric power circuit 82 receives high - frequency power , which is supplied from the output paper id detector 70 and the print request id detector 71 , through the antenna 81 . subsequently , after rectifying the received high - frequency power , the electric power circuit 82 supplies the power to the control circuit 83 , the nonvolatile memory 84 , and the transmission circuit 85 . when the power is supplied , the control circuit 83 reads out specific id information in the nonvolatile memory 84 after elapse of a predetermined time and converts the id information into serial data . the transmission circuit 85 supplies a modulation signal to the electric power circuit 82 in accordance with the serial data converted from the id information in the control circuit 83 . the electric power circuit 82 varies its amount of power consumption in response to the modulation signal from the transmission circuit 85 . this variation in power consumption is sent to the output paper id detector 70 or the print request id detector 71 through the antenna 81 . consequently , the output paper id detector 70 and the print request id detector 71 can obtain the id information of the rfid 80 . in this manner , according to the present embodiment , in the case where the user desires to record an image , which is already printed once , on another recording paper again , the user can print the desired image anew with a simple operation of causing the printer 200 to read the rfid attached to the recording paper on which the desired image is printed . therefore , it is unnecessary to retrieve desired image data from the user file 11 of the computer 100 . fig8 is a block diagram showing the structure of the image forming system according to the second embodiment of the present invention . in the image forming system of the present embodiment , the component relating to the database is arranged on a network , which differs from the image forming system in the first embodiment . in other words , in the image forming system of the present embodiment , unlike the structure shown in fig3 , the database application 20 and the database file 21 are arranged in a computer 300 separate from the computer 100 , in which the print application 10 and the printer service unit 30 are provided , and the computer 100 and the computer 300 are connected via a network . accordingly , both computers 100 and 300 are provided with network service units 101 and 301 , respectively . in addition , the computer 100 including the printer service unit 30 , is also connected to the printer 200 including the print request id detector 71 and the like via a network . if id information detected by the print request id detector 71 is sent to the database application 20 from the printer 200 through the computer 100 , it is possible to execute printing of a file corresponding to the id information as described above . fig9 and 10 are block diagrams showing structures of the image forming systems according to the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment of the present invention , respectively . the structure of the image forming system in the third embodiment of the present invention is different from the structure of the image forming system shown in fig8 in that the printer 200 and the computer 100 are connected via a network . in addition , the structure of the image forming system according to the forth embodiment of the present invention is different from the structure of the image forming system shown in fig8 in that the print request id monitor unit 60 is separated from the printer 200 , a request input apparatus 400 including the print request id monitor unit 60 is provided anew , and the request input apparatus 400 and the computer 300 are connected via a network . accordingly , computers 100 and 300 , printer 200 and request input apparatus 400 are provided with network service units 101 , 301 , 201 and 401 , respectively . it is needless to mention that the image forming system shown in fig9 or fig1 realizes the same actions and effects as the image forming systems shown in fig3 and 8 . the present invention is not limited to the structures described in the first to fourth embodiments , and it is possible to arrange every part of the block components shown in fig3 on a network . in addition , a system configuration may be adopted in which the respective block components shown in fig3 may be arranged on a network in plural . according to the above - mentioned embodiments , in order to copy a print , an rfid part of the print , which a user desires to copy , is made to react to an id detection unit of a printer or an independent id detector to recognize print contents from id information of the print to thereby print the print contents . therefore , an image quality of an image on a copied print is never deteriorated compared with that on an original print and the image on the copied print is not inclined . in addition , it is unnecessary to retrieve an original file of an image which a user desires to copy . further , it is also possible to collectively manage documents according to a history of copying in a database . furthermore , although depending upon a structure of a printer to which the image forming system of the present invention is applied , it is also possible to adopt a single id detector , which has both the functions of the output paper id detector 70 and the print request id detector 71 , as alternative means . moreover , according to the above - mentioned embodiments , print data and ids of print paper are recorded in association with each other in the database file 21 . however , the present invention can further register other information on the print data . examples of the other information on the print data include an id of a computer which executes print processing and an id of application software which is controlled the print processing in the computer . when the print processing is executed by a user once , the information on the print data and the print data are registered in association with each other in the database file 21 . in the case in which the user desires to copy this print data later , the user inputs the ids of the computer and the application software using input means such as a keyboard . the database application 20 retrieves print data corresponding to the inputted information from the database file 20 and informs the printer service unit 30 of a result of the retrieval . in the case in which the print data is returned from the database application 20 , the printer service unit 30 transfers the print data to the pertinent application software and causes the pertinent computer to execute print processing . in addition , it is also possible to incorporate the database application 20 and the database file 21 in the printer 200 . in this case , it is possible to copy a print on the basis of the printing method unique to the present invention with the printer 200 alone . moreover , when a print is copied , in addition to an id of print paper on which an image to be copied is printed , an id of print paper on which the image is copied is also registered in association with the pertinent print data in the database file 21 , whereby it is possible to copy the print data using any one of those kinds of print paper from then on . note that , in the present invention , a size of print paper is not limited , and the present invention is applicable to print paper of any size . in addition , print data is not limited to image data , and the present invention is applied to text data or the like . in addition , the objects of the present invention are also attained by providing a storage medium having stored therein program code of software , which realizes the functions of the above - mentioned embodiments , to a system or an apparatus , and by causing a computer ( or a cpu or an mpu ) of the system or the apparatus to read out and execute the program code stored in the storage medium . in this case , the program code itself read out from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above - mentioned embodiments , and the program code itself and the storage medium having stored therein the program code constitute the present invention . as the storage medium for supplying the program code , for example , a flexible disk , a hard disk , an optical disk , a magneto - optical disk , a cd - rom , a cd - r , a magnetic tape , a nonvolatile memory card , a rom , or the like can be used . in addition , the present invention includes not only the case in which the functions of the above - mentioned embodiments are executed by causing the computer to execute the read - out program code , but also a case in which an os ( a basic system or an operating system ) or the like running on the computer performs actual processing partly or entirely on the basis of an instruction of the program code , realizing the functions of the above - mentioned embodiments by the processing . moreover , the present invention also includes a case in which , after the program code read out from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function extending board inserted in the computer or a function extending unit connected to the computer , a cpu or the like provided in the function extending board or the function extending unit performs actual processing partly or entirely , thereby realizing the functions of the above - mentioned embodiments by the processing . many widely different embodiments of the present invention may be constructed without departing from the spirit and 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 .	1
in the embodiments of the method shown in fig1 - 3 , an elastic yarn component 14 is unwound overhead from a supply package 14a , and a relatively inelastic yarn component 1 is withdrawn from a package 1a . the elastic yarn component 14 is preferably a highly elastic spandex yarn composed of one or more continuous filaments , and the inelastic yarn component 1 is a multifilament yarn of a thermoplastic material , such as nylon , or polyester . preferably , the elasticity of the elastic yarn component is at least about ten times that of the inelastic yarn component . a yarn guide 27 is arranged coaxially to the supply package 14a , and a similar yarn guide 4 is arranged coaxially to the supply package 1a . the elastic yarn component is withdrawn by a feed system 28 and then advanced to a delivery roll system 12 . the thermoplastic yarn component 1 is unwound from the supply package 1a and guided through the yarn guide 4 by means of a feed system 5 . the yarn component 1 then loops 360 ° about a draw pin 29 , and is withdrawn from the draw zone by a draw roll system 30 to then be likewise advanced to the delivery system 12 . although the yarn components are both withdrawn by the delivery system 12 , they are preferably guided separately from each other , as is shown in fig1 a . following the delivery system 12 , the yarn components are brought together and guided through an air jet entangling nozzle 19 , and withdrawn therefrom by a delivery roll system 31 . in this regard , the components are preferably brought together only after or immediately before they enter the nozzle 19 . subsequently , the resulting composite yarn is wound on a package 24 , which is rotatably driven on its circumference by a drive roll 25 . prior to being wound onto the package 24 , the composite yarn passes over an oiling roll 20 which is positioned in an oil tank 21 , and then through the yarn delivery roll system 31 . schematically indicated at 35 is a conventional yarn traversing system . in the illustrated embodiments of fig1 - 3 , the method of the invention proceeds as follows . the thermoplastic yarn component 1 is drawn between the feed system 5 and the draw system 30 . in so doing , the draw point or draw zone forms on or after the draw pin 29 . the circumferential speed of the delivery system 28 for the elastic yarn component is adjusted to the circumferential speed of the delivery system 12 , so that both the thermoplastic yarn component and the elastic yarn component advance to the delivery system in a tensioned condition , with the tension of the elastic yarn component being preferably between 0 . 1 and 0 . 3 cn / dtex , whereas the tension of the thermoplastic , low - elasticity yarn component ranges from 0 . 2 to 0 . 8 cn / dtex . the circumferential speed of the delivery roll system 31 for the resulting composite yarn is at least 2 % and preferably 6 % to 9 %, less than the circumferential speed of the delivery system 12 . while the methods shown in fig1 - 3 differ from each other by the spreading treatment , the latter serves in all embodiments to loosen the fiber assembly of the individual filaments of the inelastic yarn component , which is held together by adhesive and cohesive forces . in the method of fig1 the spreading treatment occurs in the draw zone . a yarn guide 33 with two contact edges 33 . 1 and 33 . 2 and a blade 34 which projects between the two contact edges 33 . 1 and 33 . 2 , serves as a spreading device . the yarn is guided between the contact edges 33 . 1 and 33 . 2 and the blade , thereby being tensioned and spread along the edge of the blade . in the method of fig2 the spreading device comprises a nozzle 32 , as is described in more detail in the aforesaid patent application p 38 35 169 . 2 and as described below with respect to fig5 . also , the two yarn components are preferably guided separately through the delivery system 12 , as seen in fig1 a . in the method of fig3 a nozzle 32 is likewise provided to serve as the spreading device . however , the nozzle 32 of this embodiment is arranged directly before the entangling nozzle 19 for the treatment by an air jet . in the embodiment of fig4 the method of the present invention is integrated into a false twist operation . in particular , a supply package 1a with a thermoplastic yarn component 1 , is creeled on a pin 3 of a creel 2 which is shown in part . the yarn component 1 is guided through a centrally arranged yarn guide 4 and withdrawn by a feed system 5 . the feed system 5 is driven by a motor 7 . as it passes through the feed system 5 , the yarn component is pressed by a contact roll 6 , which is biased by a spring against the surface of the feed system 5 . subsequent to the deflecting guides 8 , the yarn component is guided over a heater plate 9 and a subsequent cooling plate 10 before it enters into a false twist unit 11 , which in the illustrated embodiment is a friction false twist apparatus comprising a plurality of rotating disks . a feed system 12 withdraws the yarn component from the false twist zone . the feed system 12 is driven by a motor 13 . the yarn component is pressed against the surface of the feed system 12 by means of an apron looped about two freely rotatable rolls . the elastic yarn component 14 is wound on a supply package 14a , and which is supported on a rocking arm 17 and rests with its circumference on a drive roll 15 . the drive roll 15 is driven by a motor 16 in such a manner that the elastic yarn component is unwound . the elastic yarn component is guided over a deflecting roll 18 separated from and parallel to the thermoplastic yarn into the feed system 12 . only in or preferably after the feed system 12 , the yarn components are brought together , and they then enter into the air nozzle 19 , which is an entanglement nozzle . the two components are guided into the nozzle 19 at the same speed , and preferably they are separated from each other in the manner shown in fig1 a . the function of the entangling nozzle is to form entanglements between the individual filaments of the two yarn components which recur in a more or less regular sequence . behind the entangling nozzle 19 , the now combined composite yarn is guided over an oiling roll 20 , which is driven by a motor 22 at a slow speed . subsequently , the yarn advances over a deflecting guide 23 and through a traversing system ( not shown ) to a takeup package 24 . the package 24 rests on drive roll 25 , which is driven by motor 26 at a defined speed . preferably , a delivery system 31 as indicated in dashed lines is arranged between the entangling nozzle 19 and the takeup package 24 . the speed of the delivery system 31 is adjustable irrespective of the speed of the other yarn feed systems and drive rolls 15 and 25 respectively . the thermoplastic yarn component used in the present method may be partially oriented , and it is drawn between the feed systems 5 and 12 . consequently , the feed systems 12 and 5 are driven at a speed ratio of 1 . 1 : 1 up to 2 : 1 , with a yarn tension of 0 . 3 to 0 . 8 cn / dtex developing before the feed system 12 . the drive roll 15 of the supply package for the elastic yarn component is driven at a circumferential speed which is clearly less than that of feed system 12 . the speed ratio ranges from 1 : 2 to 1 : 4 . as a result , the tension of the elastic yarn component ranges from 0 . 1 to 0 . 4 cn / dtex before the feed system 12 . when the delivery system 31 is absent , the speed of drive roll 25 for the package 24 is lower , such as 4 % to 10 %, and preferably 6 % to 9 %, than the speed of the feed system 12 . however , the speed of the composite yarn immediately following its being guided through the nozzle 19 is substantially greater than , and preferably more than twice , the speed at which the elastic yarn component is withdrawn from its supply package . if a delivery system 31 is provided , these speed ratios will apply to the feed system 12 and the delivery system 31 . the relative yarn tension at the takeup is very low , since the tensile forces are here taken up only by the portion of the elastic yarn component in the composite yarn . however , the denier is substantially equal to the sum of the individual filaments . the drop of the relative yarn tension results from the fact that the absolute tension of the elastic yarn component before the feed system amounted to 7 cn in one example , whereas the absolute tension of the composite yarn behind the entangling nozzle was 5 cn . between the feed system 12 and the takeup , it is also possible to guide the yarn through a heating system before the air nozzle , or preferably after the nozzle and before the delivery system 31 , so as to smooth the tendency of the previously twisted thermoplastic yarn to twist . a special feature of the method of the present invention is that the yarn components are brought together only in or shortly before the entangling nozzle . if this is not so , the two yarn components will end up in a combination , which is caused by the tendency of the previously false twisted yarn to crimp and thereby disturb the appearance of the composite yarn . on the other hand , it has been shown that the bringing together of the elastic yarn component and the thermoplastic yarn component should occur as late as possible , preferably only after the feed system at the end of the false twist zone , if a combination of the two yarns by the tendency to crimp of the thermoplastic yarn is to be avoided . the friction false twister 11 may be of the type shown in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 813 , 868 , or u . s . pat . no . 4 , 339 , 915 , or u . s . pat . no . 4 , 377 , 932 . these false twisters apply frictional forces to the filaments transversely to the axis of the yarn component . also , the frictional forces act not only to rotate the filaments around the axis of the component , but also to spread the filaments transversely to the axis and to loosen the interconnection between the filaments . finally , it has also be found that the thermoplastic yarn component must be supplied to the entangling nozzle at a speed which leads to an extensive relaxation of the thermoplastic yarn in the combining zone . if not , the thermoplastic , low - elasticity yarn will not participate in the interlacing and entangling by the air jet treatment , and the intermingling and entangling of the yarns will turn out to be less intensive . on the other hand , a relaxation of the composite yarn must be limited , so that any interference with the method is avoided . in contrast thereto , the takeup speed must be selected to be sufficiently high so that neither very soft , instable , and unusable packages , nor intolerably hard packages with yarn damages are produced . shown in fig5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a suitable spreading nozzle 32 , which can be used in the method of fig2 or 3 . as illustrated , the nozzle comprises a yarn tube 43 which is mounted with its lower end in a block 39 . a compressed air connection 38 terminates in a collecting chamber 51 , which in turn leads to two compressed air channels 49 which are formed in an upper block 40 . the two compressed air channels extend along the outer circumference of the yarn tube , their diameter being smaller than that of the yarn tube . the inner boundary of the compressed air channels is formed by the outside wall of the yarn tube . the compressed air channels are diametrically opposite to each other with respect to the yarn tube . the outer walls of the compressed air channels are convergent with respect to the axial direction of the yarn tube and form a cross section with a minimum width 46 . two balls 42 are mounted on posts 41 which are fixed to the upper block 40 , so as to define a narrow gap 44 which is located between the balls 42 and which is above the outlet of the yarn tube 43 . the channels 49 exit into the open space below the balls 42 . both the channels and the yarn tube 43 are aligned with the gap 44 . the yarn tube 43 and the two compressed air channels 49 are arranged , together with the centers m of two balls 42 in a plane , in which the continuous yarn is guided and spread to open its individual filaments . thus in operation , the air exiting the channels 49 is directed to the gap 44 , and the air tends to smoothly adhere to the surface of the two balls . thus the balls cause a spreading action of the air , which in turn spreads the filaments which are entrained in the air stream . in the drawings and specification , there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention , and although specific terms are employed , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation .	3

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