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certain embodiments as disclosed herein provide for a method and system for automatic determination of hemodynamically desirable cardiac pacing parameter values . embodiments are employed , for example , but not limited to , in a pacing system analyzer ( psa ) or external cardiac pulse generator ( temporary cardiac pacemaker ). after reading this description it will become apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications . however , although various embodiments of the present invention will be described herein , it is understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only , and not limitation . fig1 shows a patient 10 and his stylized heart containing four chambers : right atrium 12 , right ventricle 14 , left atrium 16 and left ventricle 18 . in the preferred embodiment shown , surface ecg - type electrodes as part of an electrode array are attached to the patient &# 39 ; s right side of neck and the left side of lower thorax . the outer surface electrodes 20 , 22 are connected to the alternating current ( ac ) source 122 of the heart monitor 120 , which is part of the optimization apparatus 100 . the inner surface electrodes 24 , 26 are connected to the voltmeter 124 of the heart monitor 120 . the heart monitor 120 determines from the ratio of the ac applied by 122 and the voltage measured by 124 the thoracic electrical bioimpedance . alternatively , the heart monitor 120 determines from the reciprocal ratio of the ac applied by 122 and the voltage measured by 124 the thoracic electrical bioadmittance . this method is described in the above - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 which is herein incorporated by reference , which describes how the continuous measurement of thoracic electrical bioimpedance is used to determine stroke volume and cardiac output . alternatively , the thoracic electrical bioimpedance ( or bioadmittance ) can be measured using different electrode configurations , including a second electrode array , and electrodes located on an esophageal catheter / probe , all described in osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 . furthermore , a cardiac pacemaker 130 integrated into 100 is connected to at least two heart chambers of right atrium ( ra ) 12 , right ventricle ( rv ) 14 , left atrium ( la ) 16 and left ventricle ( lv ) 18 . in the event the optimization apparatus 100 is used for pacing system analysis , the connection of the heart chambers and the apparatus is accomplished by permanent pacing leads ( indicated by the dashed part of the connection 30 to the right atrium 12 , the dashed part of the connection 32 to the right ventricle 14 , the dashed part of the connection 34 to the left atrium 16 , and the dashed part of the connection 36 to the left ventricle 18 ), all of which are later connected to an implantable pacemaker , and extension cables ( indicated by the solid part of the connection 30 to the right atrium 12 , the solid part of the connection 32 to the right ventricle 14 , the solid part of the connection 34 to the left atrium 16 , and the solid part of the connection 36 to the left ventricle 18 ). the processing unit 110 of the optimization apparatus 100 processes the permutations of the pacing parameter values , i . e . the pacing parameter values applied by cardiac pacemaker 130 , such as heart rate ( pacing or stimulation rate output by the pacemaker ), and atrioventricular ( av ), inter - atrial ( aa ) and inter - ventricular ( also known as bi - ventricular ) ( vv ) delays , and records the corresponding measurements of stroke volume , cardiac output , ejection fraction ( ef ) and other indices of ventricular performance in a data storage module of the processing unit . an input device ( not illustrated ) is connected to the optimization apparatus for operator input of pacing parameters , variation ranges , and variation step widths to define an optimization cycle . according to one embodiment , a specific optimization cycle , triggered by an operator or upon the expiration of a preset time interval , automatically varies one or more pacing parameters , such as av delays , inter - atrial delay , inter - ventricular delay , or heart rate , within operator - defined ranges , and determines at each parameter setting hemodynamic parameters , such as stroke volume ( sv ), cardiac output ( co ), and other indices of ventricular performance . each application of set pacing parameters is applied , for example , but not limited to , for a period in the range of 30 to 120 seconds . the processing unit records the hemodynamic parameters with each permutation of pacing parameter values , and , upon completion of the optimization cycle , indicates the permutation of pacing parameter values leading to optimal stroke volume , cardiac output and other indices of ventricular performance . the results are numerically of graphically shown on a display 140 . in the event the display 140 features a touch screen , patient demographic parameters , such as name , age , and weight , can be entered via the touch screen . alternatively , the optimization apparatus 100 features an interface 150 to a keyboard or a port allowing communication with peripheral devices . typical applications for the aforementioned preferred embodiment are , but not limited to , pacing system analysis ( psa ) with permanent pacing leads connected to the apparatus , temporary pacing ( t . p .) after cardiac surgery using temporary myocardial pacing leads ( heart wires ), and temporary pacing treatment of congestive heart failure ( chf pacing ). fig2 illustrates a second embodiment which employs , for example , but not limited to , in a combination of a permanent cardiac pacemaker and a corresponding external programmer for permanent pacemakers , with or without an pacing system analyzer ( psa ) integrated into the programmer . with regards to temporary pacing , this embodiment is employed , for example , but not limited to , in a combination of a temporary cardiac pulse generator ( temporary cardiac pacemaker ) and a hemodynamic measurement unit interfacing with the pulse generator . fig2 shows the patient 10 after implantation of a permanent cardiac pacemaker 170 . the cardiac pacemaker 170 is connected to at least two heart chambers of right atrium ( ra ) 12 via a permanent pacing lead 172 , right ventricle ( rv ) 14 via a permanent pacing lead 174 , left atrium ( la ) 16 via a permanent pacing lead 176 , and left ventricle ( lv ) 18 via a permanent pacing lead 178 . fig2 shows the connections from the permanent cardiac pacemaker to the heart chambers , i . e . the pacing leads , by dashed lines to indicate that these pacemaker leads are implanted into the patient and , thus , not part of the optimization apparatus . the optimization apparatus 100 incorporates a heart monitor 120 , a display 140 , an interface 150 , all controlled by a control module of processing unit 110 . the optimization apparatus communicates with the permanent cardiac pacemaker through the interface 150 and an external pacemaker telemetry unit 160 , which , for example , is provided by the manufacturer of the permanent cardiac pacemaker 170 . alternatively , the telemetry unit 160 is integrated into the optimization apparatus , which is indicated by the dashed lines 162 extending the apparatus 100 . the communication between the optimization apparatus 100 and the permanent pacemaker 170 is important to synchronize any new permutation of pacing parameter values with the corresponding hemodynamic parameter measurements performed by the optimization apparatus 100 . if no communication can be established , then , at least , the physician programming the cardiac pacemaker 170 and operating the optimization apparatus 100 must know and record the related set pacing and measured hemodynamic parameters . in the embodiment shown , surface ecg - type electrodes as part of an electrode array are attached to the patient &# 39 ; s right side of neck and the left side of lower thorax . the outer surface electrodes 20 , 22 are connected to the alternating current ( ac ) source 122 of the heart monitor 120 , which is part of the optimization apparatus 100 . the inner surface electrodes 24 , 26 are connected to the voltmeter 124 of the heart monitor 120 . the heart monitor 120 determines from the ratio of the ac applied by 122 and the voltage measured by 124 the thoracic electrical bioimpedance . alternatively , the heart monitor 120 determines from the reciprocal ratio of the ac applied by 122 and the voltage measured by 124 the thoracic electrical bioadmittance . the above - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 , which is herein incorporated by reference , describes how the continuous measurement of thoracic electrical bioimpedance is used to determine stroke volume and cardiac output . alternatively , the thoracic electrical bioimpedance ( or bioadmittance ) can be measured using different electrode configurations , including a second electrode array , and electrodes located on an esophageal catheter / probe , all described in the above - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 . typical applications for the aforementioned preferred embodiment are , but not limited to , the examination of a pacemaker patient upon a follow - up visit , and hemodynamic optimization during temporary pacing after cardiothoracic surgery . fig3 illustrates a flowchart about the various steps of the optimization process . fig3 illustrates a generalized flowchart about the preparation steps of the optimization cycle , i . e . the process which executes the defined number of permutations of pacing parameter values and leads to a permutation of pacing parameter values providing the patient with maximum stroke volume , cardiac output , and other indices of ventricular performance , or any combination thereof . upon start 300 of the procedure , the patient is at rest . in order to provide immediate pacing therapy , if required , the pacemaker , which mayor may not be an integral part of the optimization apparatus , is connected to the pacing leads . in the event of pacemaker patient follow - up , the pacing leads are already part of the implanted pacemaker system . the cardiac pacemaker is stimulating on demand , or , asynchronously to the heart rhythm , with a fixed pacing rate 302 . the physician decides whether the heart monitor integrated into the optimization apparatus utilizes the transthoracic electrical bioimpedance approach , where the alternating current is applied , and the resulting voltage measured , through surface electrodes 304 . alternatively , in patients who are already intubated , the esophageal approach is utilized , where the alternating current is applied , and the resulting voltage measured , through electrodes located on an esophageal catheteprobe 306 . the operator defines the pacing parameter , namely the heart rate 310 , defines or determines the variation range for the value of the pacing parameter , and the variation step width for stepping through the variation range of the heart rate 310 . for example , the later optimization cycle for the heart rate shall begin with a heart rate of 70 , then increase the heart rate by 5 beats per minute ( variation step width = 5 ), until a heart rate of 80 beats per minute . alternatively , the heart rate can be set to a fixed value , with no range to vary . the operator determines the variation range , and the variation step width , for the atrioventricular ( av ) delay 312 . in this context , with av - delay meant to be the right - sided av - delay , the time delay applied between sensing or stimulation in the right atrium and stimulation in the right ventricle . for example , the later optimization cycle of the optimization cycle shall begin with an av - delay of 150 ms , then increase the av - delay by 50 ms ( variation step width = 50 ms ), until an av - delay of 250 ms is reached . alternatively , the av - delay can be set to a fixed value , with no range to vary . the operator determines the variation range , and the variation step width , for the inter - atrial ( m ) delay 314 . in this context , with m - delay meant to be the time delay applied between sensing or stimulation in the right atrium and stimulation in the left atrium . for example , the later optimization cycle shall begins with an m - delay of 0 ms , then increase the m - delay by 5 ms ( variation step width = 5 ms ), until an m - delay of 10 ms is reached . alternatively , the m - delay can be set to a fixed value , for example to 0 ms , with no range to vary . the operator determines the variation range , and the variation step width , for the left - sided atrioventricular ( lav ) delay 316 . in this context , lav - delay is meant to be the left - sided av - delay , the time delay applied between sensing or stimulation in the left atrium and stimulation in the left ventricle . for example , the later optimization cycle shall begin with an lav - delay of 150 ms , then increase the lav - delay by 50 ms ( variation step width = 50 ms ), until an lav - delay of 250 ms is reached . alternatively , the lav - delay can be set to a fixed value , with no range to vary . the operator determines the variation range , and the variation step width , for the inter - ventricular ( vv ) delay 314 . in this context , with vv - delay meant to be the time delay applied between sensing or stimulation in the right ventricle and stimulation in the left ventricle . for example , the later optimization cycle shall begin with an w - delay of 0 ms , then increase the w - delay by 5 ms ( variation step width = 5 ms ), until a vv - delay of 10 ms is reached . alternatively , the vv - delay can be set to a fixed value , for example to 0 ms , with no range to vary . the operator determines the time interval between a variation of pacing parameter values 320 . upon a new permutation of pacing parameter values applied for therapy , the patient &# 39 ; s hemodynamic response may take several cardiac cycles to establish . consequently , the measurement of hemodynamic parameters immediately after the application of a new permutation of pacing parameter values may not reflect the actual hemodynamic changes induced by the changed pacing therapy . for example , within the later optimization cycle , each permutation of pacing parameters shall be held constant for 30 seconds , and measurements of the first cardiac cycles upon each permutation applied may be ignored . the order of setting the variation ranges and variation step width for heart rate 310 , m - delay 314 , av - delay 316 , vv - delay 318 and time interval 320 is arbitrary and can be changed . when setting the variation ranges and variation step widths , as well as the time interval , the physician must take into account that there is a compromise between wide ranges and close step widths of pacing parameters values , and the time the automatic optimization cycle will take , that is , the time the patient can be exposed to the measurements . upon set pacing parameter variation ranges and variation step widths , an optimization module or optimization means of the optimization apparatus calculates and displays the time required for the automatic optimization cycle or scan 330 . depending on the calculated time and the time restrictions the patient &# 39 ; s state of heath or situation mandates , the physician is able to readjust the previously set ranges and step widths . in the event the time required for the automatic optimization cycle is acceptable , the physician confirms the start of the automatic optimization cycle through the predefined pacing parameter variation ranges with the predefined variation step widths . the optimization apparatus stores the default set of pacing parameters prior to the start of the automatic optimization cycle , which can be reset upon termination of the automatic optimization cycle . upon termination of the optimization cycle 340 , the hemodynamic parameter values obtained are displayed with the corresponding permutations of pacing parameter values . the results are displayed in form of a table , with the permutation of pacing parameter values leading to maximum stroke volume , cardiac output , ejection fraction and other indices of ventricular performance , marked . alternatively , two - or three - dimensional graphs are utilized to display a spectrum of pacing parameter value sets and their therapeutical impact on this particular patient . the physician then has the choice of applying a preferred permutation of pacing parameter values parameter set , or a modification of it , for therapy , or return to the previously used and stored default set of pacing parameter values 350 . during pacing system analysis , any new placement of permanent pacing leads may suggest the execution of a new automatic optimization cycle 360 . the physician has the option to reprogram the previously set pacing parameter value ranges and variation step widths 362 , or initiate a new automatic optimization cycle with the pacing parameter ranges and step widths previously used 364 . alternatively , the pacemaker optimization is ended 370 . fig4 illustrates schematically the sensing and pacing sequence of the avv - mode . fig4 illustrates schematically the four heart chambers , and their respective sensing and pacing channels , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , left atrium ( la ) 204 , and left ventricle ( lv ) 206 , and a preferred operating mode ( avv mode ) of the cardiac pacemaker integrated into the optimization apparatus of fig1 . the pacemaker provides the functions to measure ( sense ) in each heart chamber the intrinsic activity , if extant , and to deliver a pacing stimulus . in this context , the av - delay 210 is the programmed atrioventricular pacing interval , initiated by an atrial stimulus . the m delay 212 is the programmed inter - atrial pacing interval , initiated by an atrial stimulus . the w - delay 214 is the programmed inter - ventricular pacing interval , initiated by a ventricular stimulus . fig4 illustrates the most complex sensing and pacing therapy the avv mode provides . by disabling the pacing and sensing in specific heart chambers , the function of the complex cardiac is reduced to known and established pacing modes . in the event that no left - atrial sensing and stimulation is required , or applicable , the left - atrial channel is disabled . the three heart chambers remaining , and their respective sensing and pacing channels 216 , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , and left ventricle ( lv ) 206 , are of particular interest in pacing therapy addressing congestive heart failure , known as biventricular , or chf , pacing . to our knowledge , the application of a vv - delay , which can assume a positive or negative value , has neither been published nor investigated . upon disabling pacing and sensing in the left ventricle , the two heart chambers remaining , and their respective sensing and pacing channels 218 , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , and right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , are of particular interest in classical physiological pacing therapy , known as dual - chamber , or ddd , pacing . fig5 illustrates schematically the sensing and pacing sequence of the avav - mode . fig5 illustrates schematically the 4 heart chambers , and their respective sensing and pacing channels , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , left atrium ( la ) 204 , and left ventricle ( lv ) 206 , and another preferred operating mode ( avav mode ) of the cardiac pacemaker integrated into the optimization apparatus of fig1 . the pacemaker provides the functions to measure ( sense ) in each heart chamber the intrinsic activity , if extant , and to deliver a pacing stimulus . in this context , the av - delay 210 is the programmed right - sided atrioventricular pacing interval , initiated by an atrial stimulus . the aa delay 212 is the programmed inter - atrial pacing interval , initiated by an atrial stimulus . the lav - delay 220 is the programmed left - sided atrioventricular pacing interval , initiated by a left - atrial stimulus . upon disabling pacing and sensing in the left atrium ( la ) 204 and ventricle ( lv ) 206 , the 2 heart chambers remaining , and their respective sensing and pacing channels 218 , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , and right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , are of particular interest in classical physiological pacing therapy , known as dual - chamber , or ddd , pacing . as indicated above , it is not only the stroke volume ( sv ) that can be used in order to optimize or improve the pacing parameters to be programmed onto the pacemaker . in general , most indices of left - ventricular cardiac performance may be suitable measures for optimization . the optimization apparatus measures in any event the heart rate ( hr ). therefore , cardiac output ( co ), instead of stroke volume ( sv ) may be used for the optimization process : where sv = stroke volume measured in milliliters ( ml ); co = cardiac output measured in liters / minute ; hr = heart rate measured in beats / minute . for the calculation of the stroke volume ( sv ), the following equation of the above - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 can be used ( but not limited to ): sv = v eff · c 1 ( ( ⅆ z ( t ) ⅆ t ) min z o ) n · ( 1 t rr ) m · t lve or , in a special form with n = m = 0 . 5 and c 1 = 1 : sv = v eff · ( ⅆ z ( t ) ⅆ t ) min z o · f tc ( ⅆ z ( t ) ⅆ t ) min z 0 = maximum rate of change of impedance ; z 0 = base impedance ; t rr = r − r interval ; t lve = left - ventricular ejection time ; ft c = corrected flow time ; ft c = t lve / t rr v eff is a factor , which is typical for a particular patient , as it is derived , among other factors , from the patient &# 39 ; s weight . v eff is considered quasi - constant , because , according to the afore - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 , v eff depends also on the basic impedance z 0 . considering the scope of possible applications , which require only several minutes for the optimization process , z 0 varies , if at all , only by a small margin , and has practically no measurable influence on the sv or co measured . if z 0 and , consequently , v eff being constant during the entire application for a particular patient , optimization without compromising accuracy can be achieved without knowledge of the patient &# 39 ; s weight and , thus , v eff . for example , a “ stroke index ” si 1 can be determined : si 1 = ( ( ⅆ z ( t ) ⅆ t ) min z o ) n · ( 1 t rr ) m · t lve with 0 . 15 ≦ n ≦ 0 . 8 and 0 m 1 . 5 according to the aforementioned osypka ep application . a special “ stroke index ” si 1 is determined with n = m = 0 . 5 : the only shortcoming of such processing is that the user does not obtain ( simple ) absolute indication of the range in which patient &# 39 ; s stroke volume is determined while the patient is undergoing the various permutations of pacing parameter values . the user , however , obtains relative values of “ stroke indices ” to compare . with z 0 considered constant , z 0 may be omitted from the equation . the following simplified equation can be used to calculate another form of “ stroke index ” si 2 : a special “ stroke index ” si 2 is determined with n = m = 0 . 5 : a further simplification but compromise in accuracy is to substitute corrected flow time ft c for left - ventricular ejection time ( known also as systolic flow time ) t lve or even fully omit ft c or t lve . accordingly , a “ stroke index ” si 3 is determined : alternatively , a “ stroke index ” si 4 is determined by normalizing stroke volume , cardiac output and the aforementioned “ stroke indices ” are , within their constraints , suitable hemodynamic parameters for determination of the optimal setting of pacing parameters . alternatively , ( left - ventricular ) ejection fraction ( ef ) is an at least as suitable hemodynamic index for pacing parameter optimization . in the above description , stroke volume is calculated based on bioimpedance ( z ). stroke volume ( and the associated stroke indices ) can alternatively be calculated based on bioadmittance ( y ), as described in the above mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 . admittance is related to impedance as follows : y ( t ) = 1 z ( t ) t 0 = 1 z 0 and ( ⅆ y ( t ) ⅆ t ) max ≅ 1 z 0 2 ( ⅆ z ( t ) ⅆ t ) min the stroke volume equation in the previous paragraph which is based on bioadmittance can be used in exactly the same way as described above for bioimpedance to derive a similar stroke index si y based on bioadmittance : si y = ( ( ⅆ y ( t ) ⅆ t ) max y 0 ) n · ( 1 t rr ) m · t lve where 0 . 15 & lt ; n & lt ; 0 . 8 and 0 ≦ m ≦ 1 . 5 . this eliminates the term v eff from the sv equation above , since this term will be constant during an entire application for a particular patient . in view of the above relationship between y 0 and z 0 , v eff is dependent also on the basic admittance . if y 0 and consequently v eff are substantially constant during an entire application for a particular patient , optimization can the achieved without compromising accuracy and without knowledge of a patient &# 39 ; s weight , using the above stroke index equation in which the term v eff is eliminated . a special stroke index is derived from the above equation with n = m = 0 . 5 , as follows : si y 1 = ( ⅆ y ( t ) ⅆ t ) max y 0 · ft c ( a ) if y 0 is considered constant , it can be eliminated from the above equation . the following simplified equation can be used to calculate another form of stroke index , si y2 : si y 2 = ( ⅆ y ( t ) ⅆ t ) max ω · ft c ( b ) in order to produce a further simplification but a compromise in accuracy , the term ft c can be eliminated from either equation a or b above to produce the following alternative stroke indices : the above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention . various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and are therefore representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention . it is further understood that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly limited by nothing other than the appended claims . | 0 |
as mentioned above , the synchronization logic of fig1 may take two or sometimes three synchronizing clock cycles to ensure synchronization . we have discovered that improved testing of a circuit design can be achieved by modeling this uncertain behavior of the synchronization logic in a manner that will expose weakness in the synchronization scheme during simulation . this approach is very convenient and low cost as compared to , e . g . attempting to modify the simulator itself to better explore clock domain boundary synchronization issues . in fig2 an asynchronous input signal at node 20 is connected to two separate paths , as follows . in a first path , a first flip flop 22 receives the input signal 20 , at a d input , and the q output 24 is connected to the input of a second flip flop circuit 26 . a first flip flop 22 has a clock input 28 and a second flip flop 26 has a clock input 30 , both of which are connected to the synchronization clock signal 32 . this much is similar to the configuration of the prior art synchronization circuit of fig1 . in the second path , the asynchronous input signal 20 is input to a third flip flop 36 . the output of flip flop 36 is connected at node 38 to a fourth flip flop circuit 40 . the output of flip flop 40 is connected at node 42 to a fifth flip flop circuit 44 so that flip flops 36 , 40 and 44 form a serial chain . the clock inputs of flip flops 36 , 40 and 44 are all connected to the synchronization clock signal 32 . a multiplexer circuit 50 is arranged to receive the output of the first path , i . e ., flip flop 26 output at node 52 as a first input to the multiplexer . the output of the second path , i . e ., the output of flip flop 44 at node 54 is connected to a second input to multiplexer 50 . a random logic state source 56 is connected to the control input 58 for controlling the multiplexer to select input 52 from the first path or input 54 from the second path as the synchronous output signal 60 . the random logic state generator 56 , which can be implemented using a random number generator , will randomly select which of the two paths is used on every transition of input 24 . thus , on every transition of input 24 , the multiplexer 50 will randomly select between the two clock delay path ( flip flops 22 and 26 ) or the three clock delay path ( using flip flops 36 , 40 and 44 ). in most designs , there will be multiple synchronization elements , and each synchronization element must be initialized with a different random number seed , to further randomize the behavior of the synchronization logic . this can be conveniently accomplished , by example , by using a counter to assign random number seeds when initializing a simulation of a design . applying this new methodology to an existing circuit design is straight forward , by simply substituting an hdl description of the circuit of fig2 wherever a synchronization circuit such as that of fig1 appears in the original design . the circuit of fig2 thus mimics the unpredictable behavior of an actual synchronization element to provide more vigorous testing of the design assumptions incorporated into the synchronization logic protocols . as mentioned in the background , when a non - synchronized signal crosses from one clock domain to another , transitions in the signal can create timing violations with respect to the element in the receiving clock domain . the present invention provides a behavioral module that ensures that such signals are sampled only when they are stable . fig3 illustrates the behavioral module . referring to fig3 clock a represents a clock signal in a first clock domain and clock b is the clock signal in a second clock domain . an original signal is created in clock domain a and is destined for logic in clock domain b . the problem is , when this signal is sampled in clock domain b , i . e ., when the receiving element is evaluated to determine its output logic state , this original signal may or may not have been stable long enough to satisfy the timing constraints of that receiving element . according to the invention , the original signal is modified so that it exhibits an x value , i . e ., undetermined , for a period of time at least equal to one clock period relative to the period of clock b . this x value is indicated by the hatched areas of 70 and 72 in fig3 . the x value is assigned to the modified signal a beginning at each transition of the original signal . so , for example , the x state 70 begins at the transition 76 on the original signal ( rising edge ) and the second x state 72 begins at the falling edge 78 of the original signal . put another way , a rising edge is modified so as to form two transitions : from 0 to x , and then later from x to 1 . conversely , a falling edge is modified to form two transitions ; from 1 to x , an then later , from x to 0 . during simulation , if this modified signal is sampled by the simulator while it has an x value , the x will quickly propagate through other logic and the simulation will fail . this mechanism guarantees that sampling of a signal from another clock domain is restricted to a safe window , and that sampling of the signal outside this window will cause the simulation to fail . this failure mechanism will permit rapid identification of faults , which is critical in the debugging of an asic design . this is particularly important with asynchronous designs , since these types of circuits are particularly difficult to design and verify using usual test practices . the duration of the x signal value after the transition does not have to be a single clock period , necessarily . this x window can have any duration greater than or equal to the receiving clock domain period . as the x window grows larger , it implies that the window in which the receiving logic cannot examine the asynchronous signal gets larger . for example , a value greater than one clock edge could be used if the signal path was a multi - cycle path . another alternative implementation would drive the modified signal to an x state until the next rising or falling edge of the receiving clock ; in designs with multi - cycle paths , the modified signal would remain x until “ n ” edges of the receiving clock . this technique is illustrated in the timing diagram of fig4 . referring now to fig4 the two clock domain signals , clock a and clock b are shown as before . the original signal , created in clock domain a is destined for logic in clock domain b . a modified signal as shown in the timing diagram includes an x window 80 that begins on the rising edge of the original signal and concludes in response to a first rising edge 82 of the clock b signal . in other words , the x window ends at the first rising edge of clock b . similarly , a second x window 84 begins at the falling edge of the original signal and ends at the next rising edge 86 of clock b . as noted , the same principle can be extended by extending the x window until a second or third next transition of the receiving domain clock signal . a random synchronization element , i . e ., a circuit for modeling the behavior of a synchronization circuit was described above with reference to fig2 . there are various ways to model the two different delay paths described above with reference to fig2 . one such alternative construction is illustrated in the circuit diagram of fig5 . in fig5 a synchronization clock signal 100 is provided as before . the asynchronous input signal 102 is applied to a first flip flop circuit 104 . flip flop 104 receives the synchronization clock signal 100 at its clock input , and provides its output at node 106 as the first input to a multiplexer circuit 108 . the asynchronous input signal 102 also is connected directly to the second input to mux 108 at node 110 . a random logic source 112 provides for random selection between the first input 106 and the second input 110 to the multiplexer , so that the multiplexer output at node 114 reflects the asynchronous input signal 102 selectably delayed by either 0 or 1 clock cycle . this delayed signal at 114 is input to a second flip flop circuit 120 and the output of 120 at node 122 is connected to the input of another flip flop circuit 124 . flip flops 120 and 124 also receive the synchronization clock signal 100 . accordingly , the synchronous output signal at 130 reflects the multiplexer output 114 further delayed by two clock cycles . accordingly , the circuit of fig5 provides randomly selected delay of two or three clock cycles . furthermore , some synchronization schemes might require only a single synchronization flip flop . the same timing uncertainty can be emulated by randomly selecting either a one or a two clock delay , applying the techniques described previously . for example , node 122 in fig5 would provide that function . in a gate - level implementation , each individual flip flop could be designed such that when its input setup or hold times were violated , the output would randomly assume the value of 0 or 1 . fig6 is a schematic diagram of a synchronization circuit in which each of the flip flops 140 and 142 have been so modified . thus , all of the randomization is contained within the individual flip flops . this is another way to flush out timing violations during a design and debugging of a digital integrated circuit . here is an example of the “ x ” transition logic that can be used in a verilog implementation of the invention : having illustrated and described the principles of my invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . i claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims . | 6 |
hereunder , an embodiment of a metal gasket and a mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings as an example of the metal gasket held between an exhaust manifold for an engine and a flange for an exhaust pipe . however , this invention is not limited to the embodiment and can be applied to , for example , other metal gaskets such as a gasket for an intake manifold , cylinder head gasket and so on . incidentally , fig1 - 10 are schematic explanatory views in which thicknesses of plates , and sizes of sealing - target holes , beads , positioning holes , positioning projections and so on are different from actual ones and enlarged for the sake of explanation . first , the metal gasket of the first embodiment of the invention will be explained . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the metal gasket 1 includes four sheets of metal structural plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 manufactured according to the shape of the flange of the exhaust pipe . the first to fourth metal structural plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 are formed by a mild steel plate , stainless annealed material ( anneal material ), stainless thermal refining material ( spring steel plate ) and so on according to demand to each metal plate . in the first to fourth metal structural plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , sealing - target holes 2 are punctured , widely known sealing means such as a full bead 3 and so on are provided around the sealing - target holes 2 , and bolt holes 4 for tightening bolts are formed in four directions . in the invention , as shown in fig3 - 6 , the first to fourth metal plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 are respectively provided with first to fourth discrimination areas 11 , 21 , 31 , 41 which overlap during assembly . additionally , first to fourth identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 , 42 are respectively provided in the first to fourth discrimination areas 11 , 21 , 31 , 41 so as not to overlap with one another during the assembly . in the first embodiment , the identification marks are punctured with the same size and same shape . incidentally , the identification marks are not required to have the same size and shape , and each metal plate 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 may have a particular size and shape as long as they are easily visible . basically , as shown in fig3 , the first discrimination area 11 of the first metal plate 10 is provided with a first identification mark 12 and a first penetration window 13 which can see through the second to fourth identification marks 22 , 32 , 42 of the first second to fourth metal plates 20 , 30 , 40 which are lower layers of the metal plates in the assembly . also , as shown in fig4 , the second discrimination area 21 of the second metal plate 20 is provided with the second identification mark 22 , and a second penetration window 23 . the second penetration window 23 can see the third and fourth identification marks 32 , 42 of the third and fourth metal plates 30 , 40 which are the lower layers of the metal plates in the assembly . however , the second penetration window 23 cannot see the first identification mark 12 of the first metal plate 10 which is the upper layer of the metal plates in the assembly . also , as shown in fig5 , the third discrimination area 31 of the third metal plate 30 is provided with the third identification mark 32 , and a third penetration window 33 . the third penetration window 33 can see through the fourth identification mark 42 of the fourth metal plate 40 which is the metal plate on the lower layer of the metal plates in the assembly . however , the third penetration window 33 cannot see the first and second identification marks 12 , 22 of the first and second metal plates 10 , 20 which are the upper layers of the metal plates in the assembly . moreover , as shown in fig6 , the fourth discrimination area 41 of the fourth metal plate 40 is provided with the fourth identification mark 42 , and made so as not to be able to see through the first to third identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 of the first to third metal plates 10 , 20 , 30 which are the upper layers of the metal plates in the assembly . according to the structure , the identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 , 42 are provided in the respective metal plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 in a position wherein each mark does not overlap with one another , and the penetration windows 13 , 23 , 33 are provided in the respective metal plates 10 , 20 , 30 except for the metal plate 40 which is the bottom layer . the penetration windows 13 , 23 , 33 can see the identification marks of the metal plates on the lower side in the assembly , but cannot see the identification marks of all the metal plates on the upper side . next , the metal gasket of the second embodiment of the invention will be explained . as shown in fig7 and 8 , in a metal gasket 1 a , only the following respect differs from the metal gasket 1 of the first embodiment , and the other structures are the same . in the first metal plate 10 a on the top layer , the first identification mark is not provided and identification marks 22 a , 32 a , 42 a are not punctured and formed with an engraved mark . according to the structure , one identification mark is reduced , so that the manufacturing time can be reduced and also discrimination becomes easier . according to the metal gaskets 1 , 1 a with the above - mentioned structure , during normal assembly , all of the identification marks 22 , 32 , 42 , 22 a , 32 a , 42 a can be seen through the penetration windows 13 , 23 , 33 . however , if the assembly sequence of the lamination is incorrect , some of the identification marks cannot be seen . as a result , an assembler or observer can easily recognize an error , so that the mis - assembly can be prevented . moreover , when the identification marks are provided only on the surface of the upper side of each metal plate , the mis - assembly wherein the front and back sides are incorrect can be easily recognized . alternatively , in order to show the direction of each metal plate during the assembly , identification marks such as a triangle shape or arrow for a sense of direction can be formed , so that the error of an assembly direction can be recognized . also , if the identification marks are formed by numbers , a portion which is assembled incorrectly can be recognized , so that it is useful . incidentally , when the mis - assembly is recognized , the front and back sides and assembly sequence of the lamination of the respective metal plates are accurately prepared , and the metal plates are assembled again , or once they are removed from the manufacturing line , and once again , the correct assembly sequence of the lamination is prepared and returned to the manufacturing line . next , the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket of the first embodiment according to the invention will be explained . as shown in fig9 , the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket is a method detecting the mis - assembly by variations of distances l to the identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 , 42 of the metal gasket 1 , and a distance meter 51 and a discrimination device 52 are used for a detection device 50 . the distance meter 51 may be a contact type . however , a noncontact type such as an ultrasonic distance meter or a laser meter is preferred because it is easy to use . in this method , the distances l between the positions of the identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 , 42 of the metal gasket 1 and a predetermined standard position ( for example , the position of the distance meter and the like ) are measured sequentially by transferring the distance meter 51 or the metal gasket 1 , and then the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly is determined . in the algorithm wherein the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly is determined by a measured value , when the variation of the distances l has the same pattern as the variation of the distances l set in advance , the algorithm determines that there is no mis - assembly , and when the variation of the distances l has a different pattern , the algorithm determines that there is a mis - assembly . next , the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket of the second embodiment according to the invention will be explained . as shown in fig1 , in the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket , the reflectance of the identification marks 22 a , 32 a , 42 a of the metal gasket 1 a is changed from the reflectance of the peripheral parts , and the detection device 50 a is provided with a light source 51 aa illuminating a light ray ; a light detection device 51 ab measures a reflected light ; and a determination device 52 a determines the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly by the measured value of the reflected light . the reflected light is measured at the light detection device 51 ab by transferring the light source 51 aa and the light detection device 51 ab to the identification marks 22 a , 32 a , 42 a of the metal gasket 1 a , or illuminating the light ray sequentially by transferring the metal gasket 1 a . the measured value is sent to the determination device 52 a , so that the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly is determined . in the algorithm determining the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly by the measured value , when the number of the reflectance of the illuminated lights is the number of the reflectance of the identification marks 22 a , 32 a , 42 a , the algorithm determines that there is no mis - assembly , and when the numbers are smaller , the algorithm determines that there is a mis - assembly . according to the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket , due to the usage of the distance meter device such as an optical distance meter or an ultrasonic distance meter ; or a relatively simple optical device , the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly of the metal gasket can be determined by the very simple algorithm , so that the mis - assembly detection method can be easily automated . the disclosure of japanese patent application no . 2007 - 000575 , filed on jan . 5 , 2007 , is incorporated in the application . while the invention has been explained with reference to the specific embodiments of the invention , the explanation is illustrative and the invention is limited only by the appended claims . | 5 |
the present invention is adapted to provide a caller with the ability to activate , deactivate and / or otherwise control rbt content as heard on the caller &# 39 ; s mobile handset , personal digital assistant , smart - phone , station , terminal , telephone or user equipment ( sometimes referred to collectively herein as equipment or telephone ). caller control of rbt includes , but is not limited to the ability to set and / or modify a caller &# 39 ; s boolean or non - boolean parental control , maturity level or restriction rating setting prior to making a call so as to override a called party &# 39 ; s rbt selections and the ability to replace or override a called party &# 39 ; s rbt selections while a call is being made by the caller . other embodiments allow the subscriber whose equipment is correlated to the caller to override or modify the restrictions on a call by call or session by session basis . the subscriber can further control the call by call or session by session maturity level or restriction rating option according to a predetermined time limit . in other words , the maturity level or restriction rating can be valid until “ turned off ” by the subscriber , and the subscribed maturity level or restriction rating can remain valid until “ turned on ” by the sub - scriber . the mechanism is implemented by providing a feature code operable to flip the restriction level by the caller . in one aspect of the present invention , a restriction level is implemented in a non - boolean manner , such as a progressive level of restriction , hence it is possible for subscriber to move up and down the restriction level . this can be done by making a service call — a call to flip restriction or change the subscription option , e . g ., the restriction level . alternatively , the restriction can be boolean ( either on or off ), whereby the subscriber would only have the option to turn a restriction on or off . in a first embodiment of the present invention , when a call is made by a caller to a called party , the call is routed from an end office switch or a mobile switching center ( msc ) of the calling party , to a network node , typically an end office switch or a gateway mobile switching center ( gmsc ) of the called party ( the home gmsc ). the calling party &# 39 ; s end office switch or msc stores the calling subscriber &# 39 ; s profile either permanently , or fetches dynamically from a database such as the home location register ( hlr ). such profile can include boolean information such as whether parental control is implemented or non - boolean , such as information regarding a maturity level or restriction rating that is correlated to the caller equipment . this information could also be kept in a home subscriber server ( hss ). the home gmsc queries the home location register ( hlr ) of the subscriber that is correlated to the called party equipment to obtain information from a profile of said subscriber . the mechanism for sending the appropriate rbt content based on caller control to the terminating side can be accomplished using either a push method or a pull method . a service control point ( scp ) typically handles the rbt service by invoking the rbt service from , e . g ., an intelligent peripheral ( ip ) player that is adapted to play rbt content back to the caller . just as there are different protocols that can be used to signal the called party &# 39 ; s equipment , there are several methods and systems that can be used to implement the present invention . for example , using the push method , the signaling from the caller may use isdn user part ( isup ) to the gmsc and customized applications for mobile network enhanced logic ( camel ) from the gmsc to the scp and camel from the scp to the ip player . alternatively , the signaling from the caller may use isup to the gmsc and isup , session initiation protocol ( sip ) or h . 232 directly to the ip player . in a pull method , the scp may query the gmsc or a calling services database ( which may be the originating switch ) or may defer to the ip player that can query the calling database . in response to information received about the caller , the ip player may respond , or be directed to respond , with rbt content based on said information . for example , if the information indicates that a caller is under parental control or has a restriction based on maturity level or restriction rating , a rbt content selected by a called party that is not compatible with the restriction can be replaced with more suitable rbt content , and if no suitable content is available , then a default rbt content , such as ringing or equivalent content in other media , can be played to the caller . referring now to fig1 , a signaling diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention wherein maturity level or restriction rating information is pushed to an ip player is provided . as seen therein , in message 101 , a caller initiates a call . in message 102 , the originating exchange fetches the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating from a local or remote database . in message 103 , the originating exchange sends the initial message ( e . g . isup iam , sip invite , etc .) to the terminating exchange . it includes the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . in message 104 , the terminating exchange fetches the called subscriber data from home subscriber database ( e . g . hlr , hss , etc .). in message 105 , the terminating exchange contacts the application server ( e . g . scp ) to take control of the call . in message 106 , the application server instructs the terminating exchange to connect to the ip player . in message 107 , the terminating exchange connects to the ip player . it includes the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating in the initial message . in message 108 , the ip player selects appropriate tone according to the called subscriber profile and the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . in step 109 , the ip player starts playing rbt content . referring now to fig2 , a signaling diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention wherein maturity level or restriction rating information is pulled by an ip player is provided . as seen therein , in message 201 , a caller initiates a call . in message 202 , the originating exchange sends the initial message ( e . g . isup iam , sip invite , etc .) to the terminating exchange without the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . in message 203 , the terminating exchange fetches the called subscriber data from home subscriber database ( e . g . hlr , hss , etc .). in message 104 , the terminating exchange contacts the application server ( e . g . scp ) to take control of the call . in message 205 , the application server instructs the terminating exchange to connect to the ip player . in message 206 , the terminating exchange connects to the ip player . in message 207 , the player fetches the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating from a database . this database can be a standalone element , or part of a home subscriber database , originating exchange , or some other node . in message 208 , the ip player selects appropriate tone according called subscriber profile and caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . in step 209 , the ip player starts playing rbt content . referring to fig3 , a flow chart of the method of a first embodiment of the present invention is provided . for purposes of this embodiment , it is assumed that the subscriber whose equipment is used to call a called party , has a profile stored in a calling party database setting forth a certain maturity level or restriction rating . as seen therein , in step 301 , a rbt is selected after the caller has called the called party , based on the called subscriber &# 39 ; s rbt profile . in step 302 , information in the caller &# 39 ; s profile is reviewed against rbt content rating information concerning the called party &# 39 ; s rbt content . it is determined , based on this review whether the selected rbt content is compatible with the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . if it is compatible , then in step 303 , it is determined if the rbt content was previously blocked by the caller . if it is not blocked , then in step 304 , the rbt content is played or displayed to the caller . if , in step 302 , the content is not compatible with the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating , or if in step 303 , the rbt content has previously been blocked , then in step 305 , it is determined if a random play list is selected and an alternate rbt content available . if so , then in step 306 , an alternate rbt content is selected and the compatibility review / previous block steps 302 and 303 are performed . if not , then in step 307 it is determined whether an alternate rbt content choice selected by the called party is available . if so , in step 308 , the alternate rbt content is selected and the compatibility review / previous block steps 302 and 303 are performed . if not , then in step 309 , it is determined if a system default is available and not yet selected . if so , then in step 310 , the system default is selected and the compatibility review / previous block steps 102 and 103 are performed . if not , then in step 311 , a conventional ring is played to the calling party . the method terminates at step 312 after first reaching either step 304 or 311 the first embodiment of the present invention facilitates the provision by service providers to its subscribers the ability to control , for example by blocking , the presentation of inappropriate material to the caller of the equipment , such as adult material and vulgar and offensive songs . in the absence of the present invention , it is not possible for callers to control rbt content , which they may deem offensive . in the first embodiment of the present invention , information regarding the maturity level or restriction rating of the caller is saved in a calling party database and made available to an scp or rbt platform . in one aspect of the first embodiment , a caller is automatically assigned a maturity level or restriction rating . alternatively , the caller , identified by the network based on service agreement or subscription , may voluntarily select or subscribe to a maturity level or restriction rating . this maturity level or restriction rating can be stored locally in the switch , or in a database such as , for example , a line information database , service control point , home location register , or home subscriber server . when a call , data session , or multimedia session is originated , the originating switch or database is adapted to push the maturity level or restriction rating of the caller to the terminating switch or service provider . in the absence of such forwarding , it is possible for the terminating service provider to pull in the maturity level or restriction rating of the equipment used by the caller from the originating switch on an as - needed basis . the maturity level or restriction rating can then be conveyed from the originating switch to the terminating switch in a number of ways , such as an isdn user part ( isup ) initial address message ( iam ), camel application part / intelligent network application protocol ( cap / inap ) initial dp message , and session initiation protocol ( sip ): invite . in a similar manner , a transaction capability application part ( tcap ) or sip query from the terminating switch can pull in the maturity level or restriction rating . both initial dp and iam messages support the calling party &# 39 ; s category ( cpc ) parameter , which typically conveys information such as ordinary , test , operator , payphone , prison , hotel , hospital , police , cellular , cellular - roaming , and unknown caller . in the present invention , this parameter is enhanced to include a maturity level or restriction rating as selected by the subscriber / caller and attributed to their equipment . for example , this classification could be child , teen junior , teen senior , young adult , and adult . instead of extending cpc , it is also possible to use generic digits or another parameter to convey the same information to the service platform . the maturity levels or restriction ratings used by the present invention can be correlated to ratings currently applied to movies and other media . advantageously , in the present invention , a subscriber is able to assign rbt content appropriate to a caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . the present invention can be adapted to specify multiple defaults , one for each content rating and / or maturity level or restriction rating . similarly , random play can also be applied to groups identified only by their maturity level or restriction rating . this present invention is not limited to facilitating parental control of rbt content . the present invention can be used in any service that is based on the known information regarding the maturity level or restriction rating of the caller , such as gaming applications , video applications , and other applications where legally mandated or user selected restriction on materials presented is required or necessary . the present invention can also be used in connection with the presentation of rbt content ( advertisements , or called party selected material ) during silent intervals ( muted , put on hold , etc .) in a call or communication session . in a second embodiment of the present invention , a method and system is provided in which a caller , once a call is set in motion , can disable the playing of rbt content by , for example , entering certain key strokes on the keypad of their equipment . for example , when a caller places a call , the caller would have certain options that can be exercised during call placement , or after call placement and during rbt playback : ( 1 ) to deactivate rbt for that particular call , certain entry codes are entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller into an input means of the telephone , such as a keypad , voice recognition system , and / or touchscreen , and are decoded by the system [ indicate which parts of the system cooperate to receive and decode and then deactivate or modify the rbt content ] ( for example , such caller entry may be : “* rbt * p * b -[ number ]”). alternatively , this service may be subscribed to on a permanent basis , whereby the subscriber is able to deactivate rbt for all calls . [ in such cases , the service may be bound to a telephone by a hardwired circuit , software implemented on the platform or on a subscriber identity module ( sim ).] ( 2 ) to deactivate a particular rbt for a particular call , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pp ”. this can be used in the event that a random play rbt option is permitted by the operator . when this code is entered , the player will jump to the next tone in the list . ( 3 ) to deactivate rbt for a particular call and all future calls , for that particular called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* rbt * c * b -[ number ]”. ( 4 ) to reactivate rbt for a particular call and all future calls , for that particular called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* rbt * r * b -[ number ]”. if a caller has permanently subscribed to the deactivation of rbt content , the subscriber may reactivate the rbt on a call by call basis . ( 5 ) to deactivate parental control for a particular call , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pc * p * pw * b -[ number ]” where pw is a password . ( 6 ) to deactivate parental control for that particular call and all future calls , for that particular called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pc * c * pw * b -[ number ]”. ( 7 ) to deactivate parental control for that particular call and all future calls , for any called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pc * a * pw * b -[ number ]”. ( 8 ) to reactivate parental control for that particular call and all future calls , for that particular called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pc * r * b -[ number ], pw .” all star (*) codes above are defined by the standards or service provider . if the codes are entered during rbt playback then “* b -[ number ]” at the end are not required . fig4 is a flow chart of the steps of a second embodiment of the present invention . as seen therein , in step 401 , a calling party calls a called party who is an rbt subscriber . in step 402 , a caller starts listening to or viewing the rbt content of the called party . in step 403 , the caller decides if they like the rbt content . if they like the rbt content , then in step 404 , they continue to listen to or view it until the called party answers and the process ends at step 411 . if they do not like the rbt content at step 405 , then at step 406 , the caller can have the option to request blocking of that particular rbt content . at step 407 , the caller can block the particular rbt content for all future calls made from the caller &# 39 ; s equipment . if the caller does not want to block future rbt content , they can , nevertheless , in step 408 , request if alternate rbt content is available . if alternate rbt content is available , it can be played and / or displayed at step 409 . with respect to this alternate rbt content , the method returns to step 403 so that the caller can determine if they like the alternate rbt content with the method continuing to steps 404 or 405 depending on that determination . if no alternate content is available , then in step 41 0 , default rbt content is played and / or displayed until the called party answers and the process ends at step 411 . referring now to fig5 , a block diagram of a system adapted to perform the steps of the invention is illustrated . seen therein are calling party equipment 501 which is coupled to an originating switch 502 . originating switch 502 is then coupled to called party gmsc 503 , which is coupled to called party hlr 504 . called party hlr 504 is coupled to calling party database 505 . calling party database 505 retains a profile of the level or restriction rating attributed to the equipment of the calling party . scp 506 and ip player 507 are also coupled to called party gmsc 503 . called party provisioning system 508 is coupled to ip player 507 and called party rbt profile 509 is coupled to provisioning system 508 . as will be recognized by those skilled in the art , the innovative concepts described in the present application can be modified and varied over a wide range of applications . accordingly , the scope of patented subject matter should not be limited to any of the specific exemplary teachings discussed above , but is instead defined by the following claims . | 7 |
it is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention claimed . as used herein , the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise . it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that some of the compounds of the invention may contain one or more asymmetric centers , such that the compounds may exist in enantiomeric as well as in diastereisoomeric forms . unless it is specifically noted otherwise , the scope of the present invention includes all enantiomers , diastereisomers and racemic mixtures . some of the compounds of the invention may form salts with pharmaceutically acceptable acids or bases , and such pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds described herein are also within the scope of the invention . the present invention includes all pharmaceutically acceptable isotopically enriched compounds . any compound of the invention may contain one or more isotopic atoms enriched or different than the natural ratio such as deuterium 2 h ( or d ) in place of protium 1 h ( or h ) or use of 13 c enriched material in place of 12 c and the like . similar substitutions can be employed for n , o and s . the use of isotopes may assist in analytical as well as therapeutic aspects of the invention . for example , use of deuterium may increase the in vivo half - life by altering the metabolism ( rate ) of the compounds of the invention . these compounds can be prepared in accord with the preparations described by use of isotopically enriched reagents . as will be evident to those skilled in the art , individual isomeric forms can be obtained by separation of mixtures thereof in conventional manner . for example , in the case of diastereoisomeric isomers , chromatographic separation may be employed . the iupac names of the compounds mentioned in the examples were generated with acd version 8 and some intermediates &# 39 ; and reagents &# 39 ; names used in the examples were generated with software such as chem bio draw ultra version 12 . 0 or auto nom 2000 from mdl isis draw 2 . 5 sp1 . in general , characterization of the compounds is performed by nuclear magnetic resonance and / or mass spectrometry . nmr spectra , recorded on bruker avance 300 , 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz ) in the indicated solvent at ambient temperature ; chemical shifts in ppm , coupling constants in hz . hplc - ms : hplc - system : agilent 1100 series , ms : thermo dionex surveyor msq plus . column gemininx c18 , 3 μm , 2 . 1 × 50 mm , gradient : 97 % a ( acidic : 0 . 1 % tfa in water ; basic : 1 mm nh 4 hco 3 in water ph 10 ) and 3 % b ( acidic : 0 . 085 % tfa in ch 3 cn ; basic : ch 3 cn ) for 0 . 1 min , then in 2 . 1 min to 3 % a and 97 % b , then 3 % a and 97 % b for 0 . 3 min ( flow : 0 . 8 ml / min ); or column ascentis express c18 , 2 . 7 μm , 3 × 50 mm , gradient : 97 % a ( acidic : 0 . 1 % tfa in water ; basic : 1 mm nh 4 ( co 3 ) 2 in water ph 10 ) and 3 % b ( acidic : 0 . 085 % tfa in ch 3 cn ; basic : ch 3 cn ) for 0 . 05 min , then in 2 . 9 min to 3 % a and 97 % b , then 3 % a and 97 % b for 0 . 2 min ( flow : 1 . 3 ml / min ); retention times t r in [ min ]; uv detection at 254 and 220 nm ; ionization method as indicated . all the reagents , solvents , catalysts for which the synthesis is not described are purchased from chemical vendors such as sigma aldrich , fluka , bio - blocks , combi - blocks , tci , vwr , lancaster , oakwood , trans world chemical , alfa , fisher , maybridge , frontier , matrix , ukrorgsynth , toronto , ryan scientific , silicycle , anaspec , syn chem , chem - impex , mic - scientific , ltd ; however some known intermediates , were prepared according to published procedures . solvents were purchased from commercial sources in appropriate quality and used as received . air and / or moisture - sensitive reactions were run under an argon or nitrogen atmosphere . flash chromatography : fluka silica gel 60 ( 0 . 04 - 0 . 063 mm ) and interchim puriflash ir 60 silica gel ( 0 . 04 - 0 . 063 mm ); mplc normal phase : solvent system hexane ( a )/ etoac ( b ), column d : ymc * gel silica sl06s50 ( 0 . 006 - 50 μm ), 60 × 200 mm , flow 175 ml / min , program 3 ( start with 7 % b , then in 12 min 100 % b , then 100 % b for 5 min ), program 7 ( start with 25 % b , then in 12 min 100 % b , then 100 % b for 5 . 5 min ); normal phase preparative hplc : macherey - nagel vp100 / 21 nucleosil 50a - 10 μm , hexane / etoac / meoh gradient . reverse phase preparative hplc : waters xbridge c18 150 × 30 mm , 5 μm or phenomenex gemininx c18 axia pack 100 × 30 mm , 5 μm , water / ch 3 cn gradient with 0 . 1 % tfa or 10 mm nh 4 hco 3 ( ph 10 ). the following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended , nor should they be construed as limiting the invention in any manner . those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications of the following examples can be made without exceeding the spirit or scope of the invention . method a is applied when r 5 does not contain a carboxylic acid group . to a solution of intermediate a ( 50 mg , 0 . 155 mmol ) in pyridine ( 1 ml ) was added sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 eq .) at room temp . the screw cap tube containing the mixture was quickly transferred in a 100 ° c . hot heating block , the mixture was stirred at 100 ° c . for 30 min . if the reaction failed according to tlc analysis ( or hplc analysis in cases of doubts ), method c was applied . if tlc analysis ( or hplc analysis in cases of doubt ) showed the presence of major amount of starting material , additional sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 eq .) was added and stirring at 100 ° c . was continued for another 30 min . half - saturated aq . nahco 3 solution was added at room temperature and extraction with ch 2 cl 2 followed . the organic layer was filtered through a pad of mgso 4 and silica gel , the pad was rinsed with ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 9 : 1 and the filtrate was concentrated . purification by preparative normal phase hplc ( oversized column : macherey - nagel vp 150 / 32 nucleosil 50 - 10 , hexane / etoac / meoh gradient ) afforded the compound of formula i . if further purification was required , a wash using et 2 o or additional purification by reverse phase preparative hplc , or dependending on the nature of the material , a wash procedure using et 2 o / ch 2 cl 2 was performed . method b is applied when r 5 contains a carboxylic acid group . the reaction was performed as described in method a , the workup was modified : half - saturated aq . nahco 3 solution was added at room temperature and extraction with ch 2 cl 2 followed . the ph was adjusted to 2 by adding 4m aq . hcl solution to the aqueous layer . the mixture was extracted with ch 2 cl 2 the product is formed as immiscible oil . in this case , the aq . layer was removed , meoh was added in order to dissolve the oil into the organic layer , the organic layer was filtered through a pad of mgso 4 and silica gel , the pad was rinsed with ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 8 : 2 and the filtrate was concentrated . purification by preparative reverse phase hplc ( acidic mobile phase ) afforded the compound of formula i . if further purification was needed , a wash procedure using et 2 o ( ultrasound bath ) followed or additional purification was performed by reverse phase preparative hplc ( acidic mobile phase ). to a solution of intermediate a ( 80 mg , 0 . 248 mmol ) in pyridine ( 1 ml ) was added sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 eq .) at room temperature ( screw cap tube ) the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . if the reaction failed according to tlc analysis ( or hplc analysis in cases of doubts ), method d was applied . if tlc analysis ( or hplc analysis in cases of doubt ) showed the presence of a major amount of starting material , additional sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 eq .) was added and stirring at room temp . was continued for 1 h . the workup and purification were performed as described in method a . deprotonation of intermediate b with methyl lithium and subsequent reaction with aromatic sulfonyl chlorides afforded intermediate c type compounds , which were deprotected to give the compound of formula i using 4m hydrochloric acid / dioxane in the presence of ethanol . method e is applied when r 5 is an aliphatic group . reactions of intermediate b with aliphatic sulfonyl chlorides were performed in the presence of triethylamine and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( dmap ) in chloroform ( chcl 3 )/ acetone at 50 ° c . to afford intermediate c compounds , which were deprotected to give the compound of formula i using 4m hydrochloric acid / dioxane in the presence of ethanol . to an ice cold solution of 4 , 5 - dichloro - o - phenylenediamine ( cas rn : 5348 - 42 - 5 ), ( 15 . 78 g , 89 . 14 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 185 ml ) and pyridine ( 45 ml ) was added a solution of 2 - thiophenesulfonyl chloride ( 17 . 1 g , 93 . 62 mmol , 1 . 05 eq .) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 40 ml ). the mixture ( black solution ) was stirred and allowed to warm to room temperature overnight ( without removal of the cooling bath ), then added to etoac and washed with sat . aq . nahco 3 solution . the aq . layer was extracted 2 × with etoac , the combined organic layers were dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . the crude product was combined with the crude product of an analogously performed 10 g scale attempt , chromatography on silica gel ( hexane / etoac 8 : 2 to 6 : 4 , chromatography was repeated with mixed fractions using the same eluent ) and afforded intermediate 1 ( 31 . 5 g , 67 %) as brown solid . c 10 h 8 cl 2 n 2 o 2 s 2 ( 323 . 22 ). ms ( esi + ): 325 / 323 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 9 . 8 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , 1h ); 7 . 95 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 50 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 87 , 6 . 85 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 5 . 5 - 5 . 25 ( br . s , 2h ). to an ice cold solution of intermediate 1 ( 3 . 24 g , 10 . 02 mmol ) in thf ( 90 ml ) and dmf ( 30 ml ) was added nah ( ca . 60 % in mineral oil , 0 . 6 g , ca . 15 mmol , 1 . 5 eq ., gas evolution , brown solution ). the mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 30 min ( dark colored after 5 min ), then a solution of 1 - chloromethyl ethyl ether ( 1 . 02 ml , ca . 1 . 04 g , 11 mmol , 1 . 1 eq .) was added dropwise at 0 ° c . the brown , light green mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 h , then sat . aq . nahco 3 solution ( ca . 10 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . the mixture was concentrated ( rotary evaporator ), water was added and extraction with etoac followed . the organic layer was washed with water ( 2 ×) and brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . the crude product was adsorbed on silica gel ( ch 2 cl 2 / meoh ), chromatography on silica gel ( hexane / acetone 90 : 10 to 88 : 12 to 86 : 14 to 84 : 16 to 82 : 18 to 80 : 20 ) afforded intermediate 2 ( 2 . 4 g , 63 %) as brown solid . c 13 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 3 s 2 ( 381 . 30 ). ms ( esi + ): 383 / 381 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 8 . 05 ( dd , j = 0 . 5 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 65 ( dd , j = 0 . 5 , 3 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 24 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 92 , 6 . 72 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 5 . 60 ( br . s , 2h , exchanged upon treatment with d 2 o ); 5 . 20 - 5 . 05 ( br . signal , 1h ); 4 . 78 - 4 . 62 ( br . signal , 1h ); 3 . 54 ( q , j = 7 . 0 , 2h ); 1 . 09 ( t , j = 7 . 0 , 3h ). sulfonamide formation according to method d : to an ice cold solution of intermediate 2 ( 70 mg , 0 . 184 mmol ) in thf ( 1 ml ) was added dropwise meli ( 1 . 6m in et 2 o , 0 . 25 ml , ca . 0 . 4 mmol , 2 . 2 eq .). the dark green mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 15 min , then a solution of an aromatic sulfonyl chloride for example : 3 - chloro - 4 - fluorobenzenesulfonyl chloride ( 63 . 1 mg , 0 . 275 mmol , 1 . 5 eq .) in thf ( 1 ml ) was added dropwise at 0 ° c . the orange solution was stirred at 0 ° c . for 40 min and at room temp . overnight . meoh was added at room temp . and the mixture was concentrated . purification by reverse phase preparative hplc ( acidic mobile phase ) afforded intermediate 3 ( 37 mg , 35 %) as light yellow solid . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 6 - 10 . 35 ( br . signal , 1h ); 8 . 14 ( dd , j = 2 . 1 , 6 . 7 , 1h ); 8 . 08 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 94 - 7 . 89 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 67 ( t , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 23 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 6 . 86 ( s , 1h ); 5 . 4 - 5 . 0 ( br . signal , 1h ); 4 . 5 - 4 . 1 ( br . signal , 1h ); 3 . 41 ( partially hidden , partially resolved q , j = 7 . 0 , 2h ); 1 . 04 ( t , j = 7 . 0 , 3h ). to a − 10 ° c . cold yellow solution of 5 - chloro - 2 - nitroaniline ( 8 . 00 g , 46 . 36 mmol ) in dry dmf ( 130 ml ) was added sodium hydride 60 % ( 9 . 27 g , 231 . 79 mmol ) under ar . the resulting red suspension was stirred at − 10 ° c . for 10 minutes . a solution of 1 - benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 12 . 05 g , 55 . 63 mmol ) in dry dmf ( 50 ml ) was added dropwise with a dropping funnel at − 10 ° c . ( 10 minutes of addition , exothermic reaction , maximum temperature of addition was 0 ° c ., 5 ml of dmf to rinse the funnel ). the resulting orange suspension was stirred at − 10 ° c . for 30 minutes ( color changed to brown ). the reaction mixture was quenched with half saturated nahco 3 solution ( 400 ml ) and the product was extracted five times with etoac ( 1 × 650 ml and 4 × 300 ml ). the combined organic layers were dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and the filtrate evaporated to dryness . the crude product was combined with the crude product of an analogously performed 8 g scale attempt to give 61 . 82 g of an orange oil which was purified by mplc ( crude was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 / meoh , preabsorption on silica gel , column d , program 3 , 5 runs ) to afford intermediate 4 ( 28 . 91 g , 88 % yield based on combined starting material ) as yellow solid . c 14 h 9 cln 2 o 6 s ( 352 . 75 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 31 min , 350 . 7 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): 7 . 70 ( ddd , j = 0 . 6 , 1 . 3 , 7 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( dd , j = 0 . 8 , 8 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 52 - 7 . 47 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 39 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 18 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 3 , 1h ). to an orange solution of intermediate 4 ( 14 . 41 g , 40 . 85 mmol ) in thf ( 55 ml ) and meoh ( 285 ml ) was added saturated aqueous nh 4 cl solution ( 285 ml , precipitation of starting material ) and then zinc ( 20 . 03 g , 306 . 38 mmol ) in a cold water bath ( 20 ° c .). the resulting suspension was stirred at room temperature for 20 minutes ( color changed from brown to dark green ). etoac ( 400 ml ) and saturated aqueous nh 4 cl solution ( 400 ml ) were added . the solid in suspension was filtered through a pad of celite and washed with etoac ( 3 × 250 ml ) and saturated aqueous nh 4 cl solution ( 3 × 200 ml ). the filtrate was shaken and the organic layer was collected , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and evaporated to dryness . the residue was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 , filtered through a pad of silica , washed three times with ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 9 / 1 and evaporated to dryness . the crude product was combined with the crude product of an analogously performed 14 . 41 g scale attempt to leave 27 . 23 g of red foam . the crude foam was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 99 / 1 whereupon a solid precipitates . the mixture was evaporated to dryness and re - dissolved in a mixture of etoac / meoh . the remaining solid was filtered off . the filtrate was preabsorbed on silica gel and purified by flash chromatography over silica gel eluted with ch 2 cl 2 / meoh from 99 / 1 to 97 / 3 to give 20 . 25 g of impure brown solid . this product was repurified by mplc ( crude was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 / meoh , preabsorption on silica gel , column d , program 7 , 5 runs ) to afford intermediate 5 ( 18 . 18 g , 69 % yield based on combined starting material ) as beige solid . c 14 h 11 cln 2 o 3 s ( 322 . 76 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 1 . 93 min , 323 / 325 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): 10 . 7 - 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 7 . 75 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 60 - 7 . 50 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 39 ( m , 1h ); 6 . 96 ( dd , j = 2 . 5 , 8 . 7 , 1h ); 6 . 81 ( d , j = 2 . 5 , 1h ); 6 . 62 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ), 6 . 9 - 5 . 4 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ). to a solution of 4 - chloro - 2 - nitroaniline ( cas rn : 89 - 63 - 4 ) ( 0 . 52 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) in pyridine ( 3 . 0 ml ) was added benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 0 . 65 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 64 h . more benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 0 . 65 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) and pyridine ( 3 . 0 ml ) were added and the reaction was heated to 100 ° c . for 4 h , cooled to room temperature , poured onto a mixture of ice and 6m hcl ( 20 ml ). the resulting suspension was filtered , rinsed with h 2 o , and the cake was dissolved in etoac , washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated to give 1 . 28 g brown solid . the solid was dissolved in meoh / thf ( 40 ml / 10 ml ), treated with 4 m naoh ( 4 ml ) at 100 ° c . for 15 min , and concentrated in vacuo . the residue was quenched with cold 1m hcl , extracted with etoac (× 2 ). the combined organic layer was washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 and concentrated . re - crystallization from hot etoh yielded 0 . 68 g ( 64 %) of intermediate 6 . 1 h - nmr ( 600 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ ppm 10 . 00 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( d , j = 2 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 93 ( d , j = 9 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 64 - 7 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( dd , j = 9 . 0 , 2 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 53 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 34 ( ddd , j = 7 . 9 , 6 . 9 , 1 . 0 hz , 1h ). to a suspension of intermediate 6 ( 217 mg , 0 . 61 mmol ) in meoh ( 25 ml ) and saturated aqueous nh 4 cl ( 25 ml ) was added zinc dust ( 1 . 0 g , 15 . 4 mmol ). the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 45 min . hoac ( 1 . 0 ml ) and zinc dust ( 1 . 0 g , 15 . 4 mmol ) were added and the reaction was stirred for another 45 min and was filtered . the filtrate was extracted with etoac (× 2 ). the combined organic layer was washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 25 % etoac - hexane ) to yield 158 mg ( 79 %) of intermediate 7 . 1 h - nmr ( 600 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ ppm 7 . 65 ( dt , j = 7 . 4 , 0 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 57 - 7 . 61 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 50 ( ddd , j = 8 . 4 , 7 . 1 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 35 ( ddd , j = 8 . 0 , 7 . 3 , 0 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( d , j = 0 . 9 hz , 1h ), 6 . 70 ( d , j = 2 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 59 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 45 - 6 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 32 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 17 ( br . s ., 2h ). to a solution of 2 - chloro - 3 - nitro - pyridine ( cas rn : 5470 - 18 - 8 , 0 . 64 g , 4 . 0 mmol ) in dmso ( 4 ml ) was added thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( cas rn : 6339 - 87 - 3 , 0 . 33 g , 2 . 0 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 0 . 55 g , 4 . 0 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at 60 ° c . for 24 h , diluted with etoac , extracted with 1m hcl , brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 25 %- 40 % etoac in hexanes ) to yield intermediate 8 ( 0 . 50 g , 87 %) as yellow powder . 1 h nmr ( chloroform - d ) δ ppm : 10 . 27 ( br . s , 1h ), 8 . 63 ( dd , j = 4 . 5 , 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 8 . 53 ( dd , j = 8 . 2 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 8 . 00 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 67 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 19 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 08 - 7 . 12 ( m , 1h ). to a solution of 2 - bromo - 5 - chloro - 3 - nitro - pyridine ( cas rn : 75806 - 86 - 9 , 360 mg , 1 . 5 mmol ) in dmso ( 2 ml ) was added thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( cas rn : 6339 - 87 - 3 , 165 mg , 1 . 0 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 276 mg , 2 . 0 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at 60 ° c . for 24 h , diluted with etoac , extracted with 1m hcl , brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 0 %- 100 % etoac in hexanes ) to yield intermediate 9 ( 245 mg , 77 %) as light brown solid . 1 h nmr ( methanol - d 4 ) δ : 8 . 57 - 8 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 95 ( dd , j = 4 . 0 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 86 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 14 ( dd , j = 5 . 1 , 4 . 0 hz , 1h ). to a solution of intermediate 8 ( 175 mg , 0 . 61 mmol ) in meoh ( 30 ml ) and 1m hcl ( 2 ml ) was added pd — c ( 10 %, 65 mg , 0 . 061 mmol ). the reaction was pressurized under 45 psi h 2 for 3 h using parr apparatus , filtered , and the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 50 %- 100 % etoac in hexanes , then 2 : 98 et 3 n : etoac , then 2 : 20 : 80 et 3 n : meoh : ch 2 cl 2 ) to yield intermediate 10 ( 157 mg , 84 %) as off - white solid . 1 h nmr ( chloroform - d ) δ : 7 . 61 ( dd , j = 3 . 7 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 44 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 96 - 7 . 03 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 83 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 56 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 6 . 2 hz , 1h ). to a solution of intermediate 9 ( 111 mg , 0 . 35 mmol ) in meoh ( 15 ml ) was added aqueous nh 4 cl ( 15 ml ) and zinc dust ( 0 . 56 g , 8 . 7 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h , filtered and extracted with etoac . the organic layer was washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 30 %- 100 % etoac in hexanes , then 10 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 ) to yield intermediate 11 ( 75 mg , 75 %). c 9 h 8 cln 3 o 2 s 2 ( 289 . 8 ). ms ( esi − ): 288 / 290 /[ m − h ] − . sulfonamide formation : to a solution of intermediate 2 ( 80 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ) and dmap ( 5 . 1 mg , 0 . 042 mmol , 0 . 2 eq .) in chcl 3 ( 0 . 8 ml ) and acetone ( 0 . 8 ml ) was added isobutanesulfonyl chloride ( 32 . 9 μl , ca . 39 mg , 0 . 25 mmol , 1 . 2 eq .) at room temp . followed by et 3 n ( 87 . 2 μl , ca . 63 mg , 0 . 62 mmol , 3 eq .). the orange - brown solution was stirred at 50 ° c . overnight . water and etoac were added at room temp . and extraction with etoac followed . the organic layer was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and concentrated . chromatography on silica gel ( hexane / ch 2 cl 2 / et 2 o 5 : 5 : 0 . 5 to 5 : 5 : 1 ) afforded the corresponding type intermediate 12 product ( 43 mg , 41 %) as light yellow oil . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ ppm 7 . 85 ( s , 1h ); ca . 7 . 85 - 7 . 84 ( partially hidden signal , 1h ); 7 . 74 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 00 ( s , 1h ); 5 . 05 - 4 . 88 ( br . signal , 2h ); 3 . 75 - 3 . 60 ( br . signal , 2h ); 3 . 04 ( d , j = 6 . 6 , 2h ); 2 . 43 - 2 . 30 ( heptet , 1h ); 1 . 28 ( t , j = 7 . 0 , 3h ); 1 . 14 ( d , j = 6 . 7 , 6h ). to intermediate 3 ( 47 mg , 0 . 082 mmol ) and etoh ( 0 . 2 ml ) was added 4m hcl / dioxane ( 1 ml ) at room temp . the solution was stirred for 42 h at room temp . and then concentrated . chromatography on silica gel ( ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 9 : 1 ) afforded compound 1 ( 24 . 9 mg , 59 %) as off - white solid . c 16 h 10 cl 3 fn 2 o 4 s 3 ( 515 . 81 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 14 min , 517 / 515 / 513 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 5 - ca . 9 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 7 . 99 - 7 . 95 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 74 - 7 . 69 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 63 ( d , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 58 - 7 . 55 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 30 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 17 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 1h ). to intermediate 12 ( 42 mg , 0 . 084 mmol ) in etoh ( 0 . 2 ml ) was added 4m hcl / dioxane ( 2 ml ) at room temp . the solution was stirred for 72 h at room temp . and then concentrated . chromatography on silica gel ( ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 95 : 5 to 9 : 1 ) afforded compound 2 ( 29 . 8 mg , 80 %) as white solid . c 14 h 16 cl 2 n 2 o 4 s 3 ( 443 . 39 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 66 min , 443 / 441 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ ppm 7 . 71 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 65 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 55 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 14 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 05 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 97 , 6 . 96 ( 2 partially separated s , 2 × 1h ); 3 . 02 ( d , j = 6 . 6 , 2h ); 2 . 42 - 2 . 28 ( heptet , 1h ); 1 . 14 ( d , j = 6 . 6 , 6h ). c 16 h 10 cl 2 f 2 n 2 o 4 s 3 ( 499 . 36 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 16 min , 499 / 497 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 4 - ca . 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 00 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 68 ( tt , j = 2 . 3 , 9 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 59 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 54 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 31 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 18 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 13 ( s , 1h ). c 16 h 13 cl 2 n 3 o 4 s 4 ( 498 . 45 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 98 min , 498 / 496 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 3 - 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 7 . 99 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 31 , 7 . 27 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 18 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 2 . 62 , 2 . 33 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 15 h 13 cl 2 n 3 o 5 s 3 ( 482 . 38 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 01 min , 482 / 480 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 3 - ca . 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 00 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 61 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 31 , 7 . 21 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 19 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 2 . 40 , 2 . 19 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 18 h 13 cl 2 n 3 o 5 s 3 ( 518 . 41 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 88 min , 518 / 516 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 84 ( s , 1h ); ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 10 . 65 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); ca . 10 . 65 - ca . 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 7 . 99 ( signal appears as d , “ j ”= 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 60 - 7 . 55 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 28 , 7 . 19 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 17 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 6 . 93 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ); 3 . 55 ( s , 2h ). c 17 h 11 cl 2 n 3 o 6 s 3 ( 520 . 39 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 21 min , 520 / 518 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 12 . 4 - ca . 11 . 95 ( br . signal , 1h ); ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 9 . 3 ( br . signal , 2h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 65 ( d , j = 1 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 56 - 7 . 52 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 31 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 23 ( d , j = 8 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 7 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 1h ). c 17 h 12 o 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 507 . 39 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 78 min , 507 / 505 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 3 - 10 . 05 ( br . signal , 1h ); 9 . 58 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 06 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 88 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 9 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 75 ( s , 4h ); 7 . 46 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 06 - 7 . 03 ( t - like signal , 1h ). c 18 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 7 s 3 ( 537 . 41 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 16 min , 537 / 535 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 80 ( s , 1h ); 10 . 4 - 10 . 15 ( br . signal , 1h ); 8 . 73 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 30 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 8 . 05 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 81 ( dd , j = 2 . 3 , 8 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 55 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 26 - 7 . 21 ( m , 2h ); 6 . 71 ( s , 1h ); 4 . 14 ( s , 3h ). c 18 h 16 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 523 . 43 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 58 min , 523 / 521 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 9 . 7 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 16 ( br . s , 1h ); 7 . 99 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 4 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 62 ( d , j = 8 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 2 . 5 , 1h ); 7 . 39 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 17 ( t - like signal , “ j ”= 4 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 04 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 73 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 6 . 61 ( dd , j = 2 . 3 , 8 . 8 , 1h ); 3 . 91 , 3 . 83 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). preparation : dipea ( 3 eq . ), ch 2 cl 2 , rt ( 76 % yield ) from intermediate 1 . c 17 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 4 ( 541 . 47 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 99 min , 541 / 539 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 9 ( 2 br . signals , ca . 2h ); 8 . 27 ( partially resolved dd , j = 1 . 2 , 7 . 9 , 1h ); 8 . 02 - 7 . 94 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 89 - 7 . 84 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 63 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 44 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 68 ( br . s , 1h ); 3 . 51 ( s , 3h ). c 18 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 521 . 42 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 58 min , 521 / 519 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 2 - ca . 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 12 ( d , j = 8 . 6 , 2h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 87 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 2h ); 7 . 55 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 24 , 7 . 20 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 3 . 90 ( s , 3h ). c 19 h 12 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 531 . 41 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 04 min , 531 / 529 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 1 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , 2h ); 8 . 21 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 8 . 18 ( d , j = 9 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 89 ( dd , j = 2 . 3 , 8 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 59 - 7 . 55 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 33 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 64 ( d , j = 9 . 6 , 1h ). c 15 h 9 cl 3 n 4 o 4 s 4 ( 543 . 88 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 99 min , 545 / 543 / 541 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 4 - ca . 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 91 , 7 . 63 ( 2d , j = 4 . 5 , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 56 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 31 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 12 ( s , 1h ). c 16 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 481 . 39 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 15 min , 481 / 479 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 9 . 7 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); ca . 9 . 7 - ca . 9 . 4 ( br . signal , 1h ); 8 . 01 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 59 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 30 , 7 . 28 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 18 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 15 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 1 . 0 , 1h ); 2 . 28 , 2 . 21 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 21 h 18 cl 2 n 4 o 4 s 3 ( 557 . 49 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 61 min , 557 / 555 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 - ca . 9 . 5 ( br . signal , 2h ); 7 . 97 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 81 , 7 . 75 ( 2d , j = 9 . 0 , 2 × 2h ); 7 . 56 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 27 , 7 . 22 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 15 ( s , 1h ); 2 . 38 , 2 . 19 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 14 h 12 cl 2 n 4 o 4 s 3 ( 467 . 37 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 41 min , 467 / 465 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 - 9 . 6 ( br . signal , 2h ); 7 . 99 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 91 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 47 , 7 . 32 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 17 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 64 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 3 . 93 ( s , 3h ). preparation according to method a , 15 min ( 45 % yield ) from intermediate 1 . c 19 h 15 cl 2 n 3 o 4 s 3 ( 516 . 44 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 04 min , 516 / 514 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 - ca . 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 7 . 96 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 82 ( d , j = 7 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 59 ( d , j = 3 . 1 , 1h ); 7 . 52 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 8 , 7 . 5 , 1h ); 7 . 49 ( partially resolved dd , j = 1 . 2 , 3 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 30 ( t , j = 7 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 21 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 14 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 10 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 74 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 7 , 3 . 1 , 1h ); 3 . 86 ( s , 3h ). c 16 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 4 s 4 ( 497 . 46 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 20 min , 497 / 495 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 2 - ca . 9 . 3 ( 2 br . signals , ca . 2h ); 8 . 00 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 4 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 2 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 28 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 18 ( partially hidden dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); ca . 7 . 16 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 84 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 1 . 1 , 1h ); 2 . 38 , 2 . 35 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 15 h 11 cl 2 n 3 o 4 s 3 ( 464 . 37 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 94 min , 464 / 462 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 4 - ca . 9 . 2 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 8 . 88 ( d , j = 1 . 8 , 1h ); 8 . 84 ( dd , j = 1 . 5 , 4 . 8 , 1h ); 8 . 11 ( ddd , j = 1 . 7 , 2 . 5 , 8 . 1 , 1h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 62 ( dd , j = 4 . 5 , 7 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 29 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 17 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 167 ( partially hidden dd , j ≈ 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ). c 16 h 10 cl 4 n 2 o 5 s 3 ( 548 . 27 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 21 min , 549 / 547 / 545 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 8 - ca . 9 . 1 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 7 . 99 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 69 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 56 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 30 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 17 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 1h ). c 15 h 14 cl 2 n 4 o 4 s 3 ( 481 . 40 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 44 min , 481 / 479 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 11 - ca . 10 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 8 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , 1h ); 7 . 98 ( signal appears as d , “ j ”= 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 81 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 61 ( signal appears as d , “ j ”= 3 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 53 , 7 . 41 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 16 ( signal appears as t , “ j ”= 4 . 4 , 1h ); 3 . 60 , 2 . 36 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 20 h 15 cl 2 n 3 o 4 s 3 ( 528 . 45 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 14 min , 528 / 526 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 - ca . 9 . 6 ( br . signal , 2h ); 9 . 04 ( partially resolved d , j = 1 . 7 , 1h ); 8 . 37 ( signal appears as s , 1h ); 8 . 25 ( signal appears as t , j = 8 . 5 , 2h ); 7 . 95 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 5 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 73 - 7 . 68 ( t - like signal , “ j ”= 7 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 58 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 43 ( unresolved “ d ”, “ j ”= 2 . 5 , 1h ); 7 . 14 - 7 . 11 ( partially resolved t - like signal , “ j ”= 4 . 3 , 1h ); 6 . 79 ( s , 1h ); 2 . 57 ( s , 3h ). to a solution of n -( 2 - amino - 4 - chlorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - sulfonamide ( cas rn : 926205 - 90 - 5 ) ( 140 mg , ˜ 0 . 47 mmol ) in pyridine ( 2 . 5 ml ) was added benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 102 mg , 0 . 47 mmol ) and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 16 h . more benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 51 mg , 0 . 24 mmol ) was added and the reaction was stirred for another 24 h , concentrated in vacuo to remove most of solvent . the residual thick syrup was quenched with 6m hcl and diluted with h 2 o . the resulting suspension was filtered and washed with h 2 o (× 3 ). the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 25 - 50 % etoac - hexane ) to yield 43 mg of product slightly contaminated with impurities . this material was triturated with ch 2 cl 2 to form a sandy colored solid , which was filtered and rinsed with minimal amount of ch 2 cl 2 to yield 23 mg ( 10 %) of compound 24 . 1h - nmr ( 600 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ ppm 7 . 73 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 70 - 7 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 63 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( ddd , j = 8 . 5 , 7 . 2 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 41 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( dd , j = 1 . 9 , 0 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 34 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 29 ( d , j = 2 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 07 ( dd , j = 8 . 8 , 2 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 05 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 3 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 95 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 4 . 57 ( br . s ., 2h ). to a solution of intermediate 7 ( 158 mg , 0 . 49 mmol ) in pyridine ( 3 . 0 ml ) was added thiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 90 mg , 0 . 49 mmol ) and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 16 h . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 25 - 50 % etoac - hexane ) to yield 64 mg of the desired product slightly contaminated with impurities . further purification with preparative tlc ( 50 % etoac - hexane ) yielded 52 mg ( 23 %) of compound 25 . 1 h - nmr ( 600 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ ppm 7 . 76 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 69 ( dd , j = 7 . 9 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 62 ( dd , j = 8 . 5 , 0 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( ddd , j = 8 . 4 , 7 . 3 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 46 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 37 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 16 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 06 - 7 . 11 ( m , 3h ). c 25 h 23 cln 2 o 6 s 2 ( 547 . 04 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 55 min , 547 / 545 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 5 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 28 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 79 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 4 , 7 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 72 ( dd , j = 0 . 8 , 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 66 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 50 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 41 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 32 ( dd , j = 2 . 4 , 8 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 20 - 7 . 10 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 08 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 4 , 8 . 7 , 1h ); 6 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ); 2 . 74 ( t , j = 6 . 6 , 2h ); 1 . 76 ( t , j = 6 . 6 , 2h ); 1 . 27 ( s , 6h ). c 22 h 16 cln 3 o 5 s 3 ( 534 . 03 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 36 min , 532 / 534 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 4 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 8 - 9 . 6 ( broad signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 59 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 50 ( d , j = 1 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 98 ( d , j = 8 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 80 - 7 . 70 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 14 - 7 . 10 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 00 ( dd , partially resolved , j = 1 . 3 , 8 . 5 , 1h ); 2 . 84 ( s , 3h ). c 25 h 19 cln 4 o 5 s 2 ( 555 . 03 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 2 . 11 min , 555 / 557 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 6 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 8 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 8 . 81 ( d , j = 5 . 3 , 1h ); 8 . 56 ( t , j = 1 . 6 , 1h ); 8 . 40 ( d , j = 7 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 89 ( d , j = 5 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 82 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 76 ( d , j = 7 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 68 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 39 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 18 - 7 . 14 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 06 ( d , j = 9 . 1 , 1h ); 2 . 70 ( s , 3h ). c 18 h 19 cln 2 o 5 s 2 ( 442 . 94 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 86 min , 441 / 443 [ m − h ] − . 1h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 8 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 8 . 91 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 78 ( d , j = 7 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 66 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 44 - 7 . 36 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 27 ( d , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 23 ( d , j = 2 . 4 , 1h ); 2 . 84 ( d , j = 6 . 5 , 2h ); 2 . 04 ( septuplet , j = 6 . 7 , 1h ); 0 . 91 ( d , j = 6 . 7 , 6h ). c 23 h 16 cln 3 o 5 s 2 ( 513 . 97 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 1 . 86 min , 514 / 516 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 4 - 9 . 6 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 9 . 47 ( d , j = 0 . 7 , 1h ); 8 . 65 ( d , j = 6 . 2 , 1h ); 8 . 45 ( d , j = 8 . 2 , 1h ); 8 . 37 ( d , j = 6 . 1 , 1h ); 8 . 25 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 7 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 76 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 69 ( dd , j = 0 . 7 , 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 59 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 39 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 08 - 7 . 03 ( m , 2h ); 6 . 87 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ). c 22 h 19 cln 2 o 7 s 2 ( 522 . 98 ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 6 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 02 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 78 ( d , j = 7 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 71 ( d , j = 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 65 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 55 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 40 ( t , j = 7 . 5 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 01 ( t partially resolved , j = 1 . 2 , 1h ); 6 . 71 ( d , j = 2 . 2 , 1h ); 6 . 56 ( dd , j = 2 . 3 , 8 . 8 , 1h ); 3 . 91 ( s , 3h ); 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 30 min , 523 / 525 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 9 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 61 ( d , j = 0 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 79 ( d , j = 7 . 4 , 1h ); 1 . 71 ( dd , j = 0 . 7 , 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 67 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 55 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 26 - 7 . 21 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 19 ( d , j = 2 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 6 , 1h ); 4 . 25 ( quartet , j = 7 . 1 , 2h ); 1 . 27 ( t , j = 7 . 1 , 3h ). c 18 h 11 cl 3 n 2 o 5 s 3 ( 537 . 84 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 70 min , 535 / 537 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 6 - 9 . 4 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 0 . 7 , 7 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 73 - 7 . 69 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 55 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 33 - 7 . 20 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 09 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ). c 19 h 12 cl 3 n 3 o 5 s 2 ( 532 . 80 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 2 . 36 min , 532 / 534 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 7 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 60 ( d , j = 2 . 2 , 1h ); 8 . 37 ( d , j = 2 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 80 ( d , j = 7 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 72 ( dd , j = 0 . 7 , 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 67 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 22 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 04 ( dd partially resolved , j = 0 . 5 , 2 . 3 , 1h ). c 22 h 17 cln 2 o 8 s 2 ( 536 . 96 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 1 . 68 min , 537 / 539 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 11 . 0 - 10 . 7 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 10 . 67 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 42 ( d , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 8 . 29 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 78 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 66 - 7 . 62 ( m , 2h ); 1 . 53 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 44 - 7 . 36 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 23 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ); 6 . 77 ( d , j = 2 . 5 , 1h ); 4 . 14 ( s , 3h ). c 23 h 19 cln 2 o 8 s 2 ( 550 . 99 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 1 . 77 min , 551 / 553 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 9 - 10 . 6 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 10 . 48 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 31 ( d , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 8 . 25 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 79 - 7 . 75 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 66 - 7 . 59 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 53 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 43 - 7 . 36 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 22 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ); 6 . 78 ( d , j = 2 . 5 , 1h ); 4 . 44 ( quartet , j = 7 . 0 , 2h ); 1 . 47 ( t , j = 6 . 9 , 3h ). to a solution intermediate 10 ( 72 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ) in pyridine ( 2 ml ) was added 4 - chloro - 3 - trifluoromethyl - benzenesulfonyl chloride ( 49 μl , 0 . 28 mmol ) and the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 3 days , concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 50 %- 75 % etoac in hexanes ) to yield compound 37 ( 26 mg , 18 %). 1 h nmr ( acetone - d 6 ) δ ppm : 8 . 27 ( d , j = 2 . 1 hz , 1h ), 8 . 14 ( dd , j = 8 . 4 , 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( dd , j = 6 . 4 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 71 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( dd , j = 3 . 7 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 05 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 3 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 88 ( dd , j = 7 . 8 , 6 . 3 hz , 1h ). to a solution of intermediate 11 ( 75 mg , 0 . 26 mmol ) in pyridine ( 2 ml ) was added 4 - chloro - 3 - trifluoromethyl - benzenesulfonyl chloride ( 143 mg , 0 . 52 mmol ) and the reaction was stirred at 100 ° c . for 6 h , concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 50 %- 100 % etoac in hexanes ), followed by ptlc ( etoac ) to yield compound 38 ( 24 mg , 17 %). 1 h nmr ( acetone - d 6 ) δ ppm : 8 . 52 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 47 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 - 8 . 01 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 69 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( d , j = 4 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 42 - 7 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 01 ( m , 1h ). the synthetic methods used in the preparation of the other compounds of the invention is summarized in table 1 . compounds 39 through 261 where prepared starting from intermediate 1 . compound 262 was prepared from intermediate 7 . compound 263 through 484 were prepared starting from intermediate 5 . hek - gqi5 cells stably expressing ccr2 were cultured in ( dmem high glucose , 10 % fbs , 1 % psa , 400 μg / ml geneticin and 50 μg / ml hygromycin . appropriate positive control chemokines ( mcp - 1 , mip1a or rantes ) was used as the positive control agonist for screening compound - induced calcium activity assayed on the flipr tetra . the drug plates were prepared in 384 - well microplates using the ep3 and the multiprobe robotic liquid handling systems . compounds were synthesized and tested for ccr2 activity . table 2 shows activity for ccr2 receptor ( ic 50 ) nm | 2 |
referring to the drawings and first to fig1 there is shown part of a cable stayed bridge 1 having a tension member 2 , which consists of a bundle of steel wires , strands , wire ropes or high strength bars ( hereinafter called &# 34 ; cable &# 34 ;) tensioned between an upper end portion of a tower 10 and a beam 11 of the bridge . a cylindrical protective sheath unit 3 of a predetermined length is fitted on the circumference of a lower end portion of the cable 2 immediately above the beam 11 . the sheath unit 3 consists of a couple of split segments 30 of a synthetic resin like polyethylene or a metallic material such as copper , aluminum , stainless steel or the like ( see fig3 ). after fitting the split segments 30 on the cable 2 , they are secured to each other by bolts , rivets , press - in fit or welding in such a manner as to hold the cable 2 from opposite sides . the sheath unit 3 thus fitted on the cable 2 is shifted upward along the cable by a distance corresponding to its length by pulling a rope which is passed around a pulley 12 at the upper end of the tower 10 , and then a fresh protective sheath unit 3 is fitted on the cable 2 in the same manner . the upper end of the lower or succeeding sheath unit 3 is fitted into the lower end of the preceding sheath unit 3 , and the overlapped end portions of the two sheath units 3 are fastened to each other by bolts or other suitable means . if desired , the connecting end portions of the preceding and succeeding sheath units may be secured to each other by butt welding . the two connected sheath units 3 are lifted upward by pulling the rope 13 again , and another fresh protective sheath unit 3 is fitted on the cable 2 and connected to the lower end of the second unit 3 . in this manner , fresh protective and / or aesthetic sheath units are connected one after another until the cable 2 is covered with the sheath 3 over the entire length thereof . in this instance , instead of being lifted by the rope 13 , the connected sheath units 3 may be pushed up each time by a distance corresponding to their unit length , or alternatively the first sheath unit 3 may be fitted on the upper end of the cable 2 which is accessible from the top end portion of the tower 10 , successively lowering the sheath units 3 along the cable 2 after fitting and connecting fresh sheath units 3 to the upper end of the preceding units 3 . further , it is to be understood that , instead of a pair of split segments 30 , each sheath unit may be constituted of three or more segments which can be assembled into a cylindrical shape with a number of pieces in the longitudinal direction , if desired , for fitting the same on the cable 2 by elastic deformation . furthermore , as shown particularly in fig3 a sheath 3a of a desired length can be formed by spirally wrapping a rolled covering strip 31 around the circumference at one end of a cable 2 and fastening the overlapped portions of the covering strips 31 by rivets or other suitable means . after forming a sheath 3 of a necessary length at one end of the cable 2 in this manner , the sheath unit 3 is shifted toward the other end of the cable 2 , and a fresh sheath unit 3 is formed contiguously to the preceding unit 3 . consequently , there is no necessity of providing a scaffold or scaffolds as required by the conventional methods , and it becomes possible to reduce the installation cost as well as markedly reducing the time of construction . in order to lessen the frictional resistance at the time of moving the joined sheath units toward the other end of the cable 2 , it is desired to leave a predetermined clearance ( normally about 2 - 60 mm in gap ) between the inner surfaces of each sheath unit 3 and the circumference of the cable 2 . however , if such a clearance exists after installation , the sheath 3 may vibrate independent of the cable 2 by winds or by other external disturbances , so that there is a possibility of noise being produced or the sheath being damaged . these problems can be precluded by integrating the sheath 3 and cable 2 , for example , by providing cushion material 20 such as sponge , sponge rubber , curled stainless steel wire or a spring on the inner surface of the sheath 3 or on the circumferential surface of the cable 2 as shown in fig4 . with this arrangement , the protective and / or aesthetic sheath 3 can be moved with a small frictional resistance due to elastic deformation of the cushion material 20 , and , after installation , the sheath 3 and cable 2 are integrally joined to each other by the cushion material 20 . similar effects can be obtained by providing , instead of the cushion material 20 , an age - hardening type tacky material such as silicon , foamable urethane or the like . it is also possible to lay one or more inflatable tubes 21 along the the cable 2 as shown in fig5 ( a ), inflating the tubes 21 by introducing a filler 22 thereinto as shown in fig5 ( b ) 5 ( c ) until the tubes 21 completely support the sheath 3 on cable 2 to connect them integrally to each other . alternatively , the cable 2 may be temporarily held in a reduced diameter by compressing opposite end portions of the cable 2 with clamps 23 while the sheaths are fitted thereon as shown particularly in fig6 ( a ), removing the clamps 23 afterwards so that the cable 2 may be integrally connected to the sheath 3 by restoration of its normal diameter as shown in fig6 ( b ). as illustrated in fig7 the upper and lower ends of the cable 2 are fixed by sockets 14 , and each end portion of the connected sheath unit is fitted on a pipe 15 of polyethylene , steel or the like which is retained in the socket 14 , thereby preventing each end portion of the cable 2 from being exposed to the weather and at the same time improving the corrosion resistance of each end portion of the cable 2 and its appearance . in order to further improve the corrosion resistance of each end portion of the cable 2 , it is desirable to fill the pipes 15 with a filler material 16 of a synthetic resin , rubber or the like . furthermore a water drain hole 17 may be provided at the lower end of the sheath 3 at a position opposing a slant surface of the filler material 16 to drain water which might enter the sheath 3 through its riveted joints . shown in fig8 is another embodiment in which each end of the sheath 3 is fitted in trumpet sheath 18 which is provided on the anchorage attachment . in a situation where there is a difference in linear thermal expansion coefficient between the cable 2 and sheath 3 , it is desirable to provide a space s between the upper end of the sheath 3 and socket 14 to thereby absorb the difference in the thermal expansions and contractions as shown in fig7 and 8 , or to provide an extensible joint in an intermediate portion of the sheath 3 . in the case of a very long cable 2 , there are possibilities of a corrosion resistant layer of the cable 2 being damaged due to sliding movement of to the cable 2 within the sheath 3 due to thermal expansion or contraction . this can be prevented suitably by the provision of the above - mentioned cushioning material 20 . accordingly , it is preferred to provide the cushion material 20 between the circumferential surface of the cable 2 and the inner surface of the sheath 3 in the embodiments shown in fig5 ( a ), 5 ( b ) and 5 ( c ) and fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ). where it is intended to bore apertures or tapped holes in the sheaths 3 and 3a of fig2 and 3 respectively on a construction site for receiving rivets or bolts which fasten the connecting portions of the split sheath segments 30 or of the adjacent sheath units 3 , it is desirable to provide projections on the inner surfaces of the sheaths 3 and 3a or to maintain a clearance of a predetermined gap between the sheaths 3 and 3a and the cable 2 by interposition of a spacer or other suitable means to prevent the cable 2 from being damaged by a drill or other tools . referring to fig9 there is shown a further embodiment of the invention , in which the opposing semi - cylindrical segments of each sheath unit are connected in staggered positions along the length of the cable . more specifically , as illustrated in fig9 a segment 30 of a predetermined length and a segment 31 of a half length are fitted on the lower end of a cable 2 from opposite sides thereof and connected to each other to form an initial end of a sheath . the long and short segments 30 and 31 , which are aligned with each other at the upper ends but have their lower ends terminated at staggered positions in the longitudinal direction , have the longitudinal meeting edges fastened to each other by rivets 32 or other suitable fixing means such as bolts , screws , fit joints , slits or welding . in this instance , a bell - shaped split guide tube 33 is fitted on the cable 2 beforehand to connect thereto the aligned upper ends of the segments 30 and 31 . in a manner similar to the foregoing embodiments , the connected sheath segments 30 and 31 are lifted upward by pulling a rope 13 , and a segment of the next sheath unit is fastened to the longitudinal edges of the lower half of the longer segment 3 contiguously to the lower end of the short segment 31 . namely , the segments 30 and 30 &# 39 ; of each sheth units are connected to each other and to a segment of a preceding or succeeding sheath unit in longitudinally staggered positions by rivets 32 or other fastening means which secure the longitudinal meeting edges of the respective segments . in this manner , the segments 30 and 30 &# 39 ; of the succeeding sheath units are connected one after another at the lower end of the cable 2 , while upwardly lifting the connected sheath units after connection of a single or a couple of fresh segments by a distance corresponding to an increment in length of the connected sheath train . since the segments 30 and 30 &# 39 ; are connected to each other as well as to a staggered segment 30 and 30 &# 39 ; of a longitudinally adjacent sheath unit , there is no necessity of providing fastening means for connecting the butted ends of longitudinally adjacent sheath segments and therefore the connecting work can be simplified to a significant degree . in this case , in order to prevent invasion of water through the abutted ends of the adjacent sheath segments , it is desirable to fit around the butted ends a hoop strap 35 with a back - up material 36 such as silicon rubber , duplex adhesive tape or the like , fixing the hoop strap 35 in position by a caulking strip 37 or the like ( fig9 and 10 ). the hoop strap 35 can be omitted in case the opposing end portions of the adjacent sheath segments are so shaped as to be connected with each other by fitting engagement . for lifting up the connected segments by the rope 13 , there may be employed a cable grip 40 of a net - sock which is fitted around the segments 30 and 31 of the leading sheath unit , and has loops at its fore end connected to the rope 13 so that the grip 40 is tightened to lift the sheath segments 30 and 31 as the rope 13 is wound up by a winch 14 . in this manner , the connection of fresh sheath segments and the upward lifting of the connected sheath segments are repeated alternately until the segments 30 and 31 at the leading end reaches the upper end of the cable 2 , forming a continuous cylindrical sheath a over the entire length of the cable 2 as shown particularly in fig1 . the lower ends of the opposing sheath segments at the terminal end of the sheath a are compensated with each other by the use of a short segment 31 in the same manner as at the leading end of the sheath a , and the opposite ends of the sheath a are connected respectively to connecting pipes 22 on sockets 21 through the trumpet sheath 33 . although the method of the invention has been described specifically by way of preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that various modifications and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the technical scope as encompassed by the following claims . | 3 |
the following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention , reference being made to the drawings in which the same reference numerals identify the same elements of structure in each of the several figures . fig1 shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention . as shown , a standard table — having a tabletop 22 defining a plane substantially parallel to the ground and supported by legs 24 also is provided with a downward hanging panel 26 , which is deployable for use as a partition . note that in this document , the view shown in fig1 is the “ side ” of the table , the side to which the panel 26 is attached is the “ rear ” and the side opposite thereof is the “ front .” referring to fig2 , tabletop 22 has a thickness along its rear length 28 to which the partition 26 is hingedly connected . partition 26 has a length 32 , a width 34 and a thickness 36 . a hinge having one leaf 37 fixed to rear length 28 of tabletop 22 and a second leaf 38 fixed to the outside face 40 of partition 26 joins the partition 26 to the table top 22 . the hinge knuckle 42 faces outward ( i . e . in the direction facing away from the table ). this configuration allows for the partition 26 to be rotated by roughly 180 ° about the axis of hinge knuckle 42 from a downward hanging vertical orientation below and substantially orthogonal to the tabletop 22 ( as shown in fig1 )— to an upstanding vertical position above and substantially orthogonal to tabletop 22 ( as shown in fig2 ). when the partition 26 is so raised to an upstanding position , its bottom thickness 36 a rests on tabletop 22 . once placed in an upstanding vertical position ( as shown in fig2 ) the tabletop 22 presents a physical barrier to further rotation of the hinge in the direction toward the front of the table . with the partition so positioned , no specific structures or mechanisms are required to prevent frontward rotation thereof . however , to ensure that partition 26 , does not rotate rearward ( i . e . toward hanging position ), a securing mechanism is provided for preventing the partition from dropping toward its hanging position . in one embodiment , and as shown in fig3 a hook and eye 44 is provided — with the hook , for example , inserted on the movable partition 26 and the eye inserted on the stationary table portion . the hook and eye are positioned , such that when the partition 26 is raised and is resting on the surface of tabletop 22 — the hook and eye are spaced apart such that the hook could be rotated and inserted into the eye . fig4 shows a side view of a table with its partition deployed and resting on the top surface of tabletop 22 and secured in place by way of a hook and eye . fig4 a shows an enlarged view of the hinged joint between partition 26 and tabletop 22 in the embodiment shown in fig4 . in another embodiment of the invention , a partition folds directly onto to the surface of the tabletop . in this embodiment , the rear face 40 of partition 26 serves as the tabletop surface when it is in storage position . referring to fig5 , a partition 26 is shown having a width 34 that is slightly longer than that of tabletop 22 . as such , when partition 26 is laid directly on top of tabletop 22 with top thickness 36 b substantially aligned with the front of tabletop 22 , the bottom portion of partition 26 slightly overhangs from the rear side of the table . the overhanging area 41 is wide enough to receive a leaf of a hinge 38 . the second hinge leaf 37 is attached to the rear thickness 28 of tabletop 22 . in this manner , partition 22 could be lifted upward and rearward until partition 22 is brought to upstanding orientation . when partition is so deployed and vertically oriented , rear thickness 28 ( alternatively referred to as “ rear length ” herein ) prevents any further movement of the partition in the direction toward the rear of the table . however , to ensure that the partition does not fall forward ( i . e . returning to its resting position on the surface of tabletop ) a locking mechanism is provided for locking the partition 22 to the side of the table . as shown in fig5 , a hook ( or eye ) is attached to bottom thickness 36 a of partition 22 , which mates with an eye ( or hook ) located on the underside of tabletop 22 . when partition is raised to a vertical orientation ( as shown in fig6 ) hook and eye 44 members are brought into close enough proximity to each other to be engaged . locking the partition in this fashion temporarily joins the bottom portion of the partition to the table and prevents forward movement of the same . fig7 shows an enlarged view of the hinged joint between partition 26 and tabletop 22 . fig8 shows a rear , perspective view of the table and partition of fig6 . it should be noted that rear surface 40 acts as a tabletop when the partition is in its resting position ( as shown in fig5 ) and , as such , surface 40 is preferably smoothly finished to achieve tabletop quality . it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that partitions need not be comprised of solid material . in some embodiments of the invention , partition 26 a comprises a solid frame that supports a fabric or such similar soft material . fig9 shows a partition 26 a , which comprises a substantially rectangular solid frame 48 having two substantially parallel horizontal support members 49 a , 49 b and two substantially parallel vertical members 51 a , 51 b a segment of fabric 50 having outside dimensions that are roughly the same as the inside dimensions of the frame is attached to and held within the frame 48 in one embodiment , and as shown in fig9 a , frame 48 is hingedly attached to tabletop 22 in a manner similar to that described with reference to fig1 - 4 . in this embodiment , when frame 48 is lowered to its resting position ( i . e . hanging down from the rear of the table ), fabric 50 serves as a decorative table skirt ( as shown in fig9 a ). it will be understood that partitions of the invention , when deployed , may be secured in place using any of various securing mechanisms known in the art . for example , in the embodiments described with reference to fig1 - 8 , a hook and eye was described as a temporary locking device for securing the partition in place . however , any of various securing mechanisms or male / female engagements may be utilized . it will be understood by those of ordinary skill that a “ securing mechanism ” refers to any device , hardware or mechanical design that presents a physical obstacle to substantial lateral movement of the partition when it is in a deployed position . for example , fig9 shows a bolt 52 ( handle portion showing ) that is guided by a track 54 and which inserts into a cavity or receiving chamber 56 disposed on the table portion . in fig9 , the bolt 52 is shown positioned on the side thickness 36 of the partition 48 and the receiving chamber 56 is provided on the table portion , however , the bolt may alternatively be positioned on the table portion — with the chamber 56 on the partition . as another example , fig1 shows blocking members 58 that are pivotably connected to rear thickness 28 of a table . blocking members 58 comprise a slender piece of material such as wood , metal , hard plastic or the like that is attached to rear thickness 28 by way of a pivot , such as a screw 60 or rivet in its general center . when not in use , members 58 are pivoted to rest horizontally along thickness 28 . however , when partition 26 a is deployed , members 58 may be swiveled upward , thereby presenting a physical barrier to lateral ( rearward ) movement of partition 26 a . preferably , a catch or trap 59 is positioned to maintain member 58 in place when rotated vertically ( and / or when resting horizontally — although not shown ). in one embodiment , and as shown in fig1 , a partition 26 b comprises a frame with a fabric insert similar to the one described with reference to fig9 - 11 . however , parallel vertical members 51 a , 51 b — rather than being a solid , fixed flame member — are instead telescoping members that are capable of expanding and retreating . a fabric segment 50 b is attached at its top to horizontal member 49 b and at its bottom to horizontal member 49 a . the height of the fabric ( i . e . top to bottom ) is roughly equal to the height defined by the distance between horizontal member 49 a and horizontal member 49 b when telescoping members 51 a , 51 b are extended to their maximum extension . when telescoping members 51 a , 51 b are not extended to the maximum , there is some degree of slack in the fabric . in another embodiment of the invention , and as shown in fig1 a partition may be stored on the underside of the tabletop — and substantially out of view . the partition is hingedly connected to the tabletop in a manner allowing for approximate 270 ° of rotation from a substantially horizontal orientation on the underside of the table to a vertical orientation substantially above and orthogonal thereto . as shown in fig1 a partition 64 ( shown in dotted lines ) is hingedly connected to the underside of tabletop 22 . the length of partition 64 is preferably somewhat shorter than the distance between a first set of legs on one side of the table and a second set of legs on the other side of the table . in this manner , partition 64 fits between the sets of table legs and is free to swing from a resting position on the underside of the table ( and substantially parallel thereto ) to be deployed ( and returned thereafter ). a securing mechanism is provided for securing the partition 64 in place on the underside of tabletop 22 . in a preferred embodiment , a partition is approximately 3 ′ in width . for a table whose tabletop stands at about 3 ′ off the ground , the partition will reach about 6 ′ in height . if a higher partition is desired , embodiments of the invention allow for some extension thereof . in one embodiment , and as shown in fig1 , a solid partition similar to those described in reference to fig1 - 8 is provided with an additional segment 66 that folds back onto the main partition 26 and that may be deployed when extra height is desired . as shown in fig1 , segment 66 is hingedly connected to main partition 26 . when additional height is desired , segment 66 is rotated upwardly ( in the direction of arrow 67 a ). when not being deployed , segment 66 rests on the rear side of partition main partition 26 . segment 66 is lowered from a deployed position to a resting position by being rotated in the direction shown be arrow 67 b . fig1 shows yet another embodiment of the invention , whereby a partition comprises two segments — one segment 68 extending from the tabletop and upward and another segment 70 extending from the tabletop to the floor . for example , a table may comprise a first partition that rests on the surface of a tabletop as shown in fig5 and a second partition that rests in the underside of the tabletop as shown in fig1 . the first partition rises to a vertical position , above and substantially orthogonal to the tabletop 22 , and the second partition lowers to a vertical position , below and substantially orthogonal to tabletop 22 . in another embodiment , the vertical parallel members described with reference to the partition of fig1 extend downwardly in addition to extending upwardly . an attached fabric segment selves as a bottom segment of a partition . in another embodiment of the invention , a partition is provided with clamps at or near its bottom length . the clamps are correspondingly sized to grip a tabletop thickness . in this manner , the partition may be selectively clamped onto the tabletop and easily removed . having described this invention with regard to specific embodiments , it is to be understood that the description is not meant as a limitation since further modifications and variations may be apparent or may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art . it is intended that the present application cover all such modifications and variation as fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
a conventional rotary vacuum filter will first be described with reference to fig1 . the conventional rotary vacuum filter includes a drum 10 that is suspended in a vat 11 containing a pulp slurry 12 . a plurality of parallel shower pipes 13 are spaced at regular angular intervals around the drum 10 beginning at an approximately 9 : 30 starting position and ending at an approximately 11 : 30 ending position as defined by a clock face . the shower pipes 13 extend axially around the drum 10 and are supported and fed from their respective ends by a header assembly . each of the shower pipes 13 includes a plurality of individual shower typess , such as spoon , whistle , fluid flow or weir , that spray shower water onto a pulp mat which accumulates on a surface of the drum 10 during operation . examples of typical types of shower pipes are shown u . s . pat . no . 5 , 028 , 007 issued to wokal , and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 907 , 426 issued to wood et al . the conventional showers described above operate in an open atmosphere , in which air 14 passing through and around the shower pipes 13 is not controlled and causes continual entrapment of excessive air in the filtrate . the entrapped air 15 , as shown in fig2 restricts the filtrate flow rate through the downleg 16 of the rotary vacuum filter , since the air molecules take up space intended for filtrate , and also disrupts uniform shower displacement . accordingly , the entrapped air limits washing efficiency and increases defoamer usage , which in turn causes the use of greater amounts of fresh shower water due to inefficient washing . further , the conventional showers described above tend to plug with pulp fibers and are difficult to clean , thereby creating unbalanced shower flows and uneven mat profiles and liquor distribution . referring now to fig3 a sealed shower system 40 in accordance with the invention is illustrated in close proximity , preferably less than about 50 centimeters and most preferably in a range of about 10 - 35 centimeters , from the surface of a rotary vacuum filter drum 10 . the top , bottom and sides of the shower system 40 are sealed , as will be described in greater detail , to create a controlled environment in which the amount of air passing through the shower system 40 is regulated through a controlled air passage 63 . shower water supplied through the shower system 40 preferably forms a pond 19 that extends across the face of the pulp slurry as the pulp slurry is pulled into the bottom of the shower system 40 from a lower level 17 in the vat 11 to a higher level 18 . as a pulp mat is formed and is rotated upward on the surface of the drum 10 , the shower water extends from the pond 19 to form a film 20 on the surface of the pulp mat . as shown in fig3 the bottom of the shower system 40 is sealed by a separator plate 44 . the separator plate 44 is supported on the vat structure 11 by one or more support gussets 50 , and extends across the width of the drum 10 to the end shields of the vat structure 11 . a lower portion of the separator plate 44 extends into the pulp slurry contained in the vat structure 11 during operation of the rotary vacuum filter , thereby preventing air from entering into the bottom of the shower system 40 . the separator plate 44 is preferably provided with a u - shaped receiver 52 that supports a bottom of a shower module 46 located between the separator plate 44 and a top seal 80 . the top of the shower system is sealed by a top seal 80 . in a preferred embodiment , the top seal 80 preferably comprises a removeable top seal module 48 that is bolted onto the shower module 46 for easy removal for servicing or replacement , although the top seal 80 can be permanently attached to the shower module 46 if so desired . as shown in greater detail in fig4 the top seal module 48 includes a seal tip 84 that preferably rides just a few centimeters above surface of the drum 10 . the seal tip 84 is attached to a spring arm 82 by a shear type connection mechanism 86 , for example , a bolt or rivet designed to shear at a certain load prior to the shear point of the spring arm 82 . the seal tip 84 is preferably made from plastic , teflon ™ or a composite material . a spring 88 pushes the spring arm 82 in a downward direction when the drum 10 is being rotated in the clockwise direction . in the event that the rotation of the drum 10 is reversed without removing the top seal module 48 and the seal tip 84 comes into contact with the surface of the drum 10 , the shear type connection mechanism breaks and allows the seal tip 84 to come free or collapse by sliding up the spring arm 82 , therefore , avoiding drum damage . alternative embodiments for the structure of the top seal 80 are possible . fig5 for example , illustrates a top seal curved spring arm 77 made of plastic or steel that is an option to the top seal module 48 described above . the curved spring arm 77 is attached to the shower module 46 by a bolt 49 , and rides a few centimeters above the drum surface . the use of the curved spring arm 77 greatly simplifies the design of the top seal 80 . as with the top seal module 48 , the curved spring arm 77 may also be permanently attached to the shower module 46 . referring back to fig3 the shower module 46 includes at least one shower 54 , preferably a weir type , although one or more additional showers 47 can be provided . in the illustrated embodiment , the weir type shower 54 receives shower liquid from an adjacent shower supply channel 56 , which is formed as a longitudinal structure between inner and outer surface plates 58 , 60 of the shower module 46 . the shower liquid passes through openings 55 in the shower supply channel 56 and into the shower 54 , where the shower liquid passes around a diverter plate 57 and flows smoothly to an outlet passage 61 . in a preferred embodiment , the diverter plate is attached to an outer plate 60 of the shower module 46 , and can be easily detached and removed through the oulet passage 61 to allow easy access to the internal shower structure for cleaning . the ends of the sealed shower module 46 rest on or are attached to the splash shields 70 of the vat structure 11 as illustrated in fig6 . an end sealing assembly 72 is provided on both ends of the shower module 46 that includes a horizontal shower seal 74 that is pressed into contact with an end band 76 of the drum 10 by an element 78 such as a spring , tygon or similar material . in an alternative embodiment illustrated in fig7 the vertical shower seal 75 is pressed downward into contact with the end band 76 . if desired , the end band 76 can be covered with an end band seal ( not shown ) made of a material similar to the material used for the horizontal or vertical shower seals 74 , 76 or any another material having a lower coefficient of friction than the end band 76 of the drum 10 , thereby reducing wear on the horizontal and vertical shower seals 74 , 76 . fig8 illustrates a preferred controlled air flow channel 62 in greater detail . the controlled air flow channel 63 permits a regulated amount of air to enter the shower module 46 , and has air passages 64 located on the inner and outer plates 60 and 58 of the shower module 46 . the amount of air passing through the air passages 64 is regulated by a device including a sliding plate 62 and a stationary plate 66 located on the outer plate 58 , wherein the sliding plate 62 can be positioned to block the air passages 64 to any desired degree by operation of a hand wheel to control the amount of air entering the shower module 46 . in the illustrated example , the sliding plate 62 slides over the stationary plate 66 which is located above the surface of the outer plate 58 to provide clearance for access panels or doors located on the surface of the outer plate 58 , although it is also possible to located the sliding plate 62 directly on the outer plate 58 . one or more vacuum relief valves 68 are also preferably provided in the air flow channel 64 , or at some other location in the sealed shower system , in the event that the normal air passages become clogged or some other factor causes an increase in vacuum above a predetermined design criteria , thereby preventing the shower module 46 from being pulled into contact with the drum 10 . the flexible design of the shower system 40 enables many combinations to be utilized in order to maximize performance for any particular washing installation . fig9 for example , illustrates a further embodiment in which two shower modules 46 are combined in one shower system thereby increasing the number of showers and the size of the wash zone for a given drum . in addition , different types of showers or combination of showers can be easily employed and / or interchanged . further , by locating an additional intermediate seal module 48 ( preferably having the same structure as the top seal ) between two shower modules 46 as shown in fig1 , it is possible to accomplish multistage washing on a single drum by supplying different shower liquids to each of the two shower modules 46 . in such a case , the pond 19 and film 20 formed in the lower shower are independent of the pond 21 and film 22 formed in the upper shower . the modular design and the flexibility of controlling the amount of shower water at a given location makes rotary vacuum filters of the present invention environmentally competitive with respect to maximizing washing efficiencies and conserving shower water and energy . in addition , the sealed shower design permits a low profile shower / hood 90 to be employed as shown in fig1 that reduces exhaust emissions . as shown in fig1 , the shower system 40 serves as a dual purpose because it acts as a hood in the wash zone where air is moving inward . by providing a discharge hood section 91 that encloses the entire takeoff section of the rotary vacuum filter and is attached to the shower system 40 and providing a seal 94 over the inlet vat , a continuous low profile hood is provided for the entire rotary vacuum filter . the exhaust for the hood is located at the inlet 95 and outlet 96 . a hinged connection 92 is preferably used to connect the hood section to the shower system 40 , thereby allowing the hood section 91 to be rotated back for maintenance . the illustrated hood design substantially reduces air emissions when compared to a standard brownstock open style hood , which is normally located about six feet above the filter drum . further , substantial exhaust reductions are achieved with the low level hood in bleach plants when compared to standard bleach canopy hoods , which is normally located about two feet above the drum . the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof . it will be understood , however , that modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
while it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that catalytic reactors may have various designs / embodiments , the present invention will be described on the example of a typical automotive catalytic converter with an understanding that the proposed techniques and concepts can be fully applied to other designs of catalytic reactors after appropriate and obvious design changes while using the described concepts . [ 0020 ] fig1 ( the prior art ) represents a cross section of ceramic catalyst support structure 11 of a typical automotive catalytic converter . ceramic structure 11 has a multiplicity of longitudinal passages / capillaries 12 . multiple minute particles 13 of the catalytic material ( catalyst ) are embedded into the surfaces of passages 12 ; only a few particles are shown in fig1 . the combination of the large number of passages 12 in support structure 11 and the large number of particles 13 in each passage results in a large effective surface of the catalyst combined with a relatively small amount of the expensive catalytic material by weight . the catalytic conversion of the car engine exhaust gases occurs at temperatures in the range of 500 - 600 ° c . due to lower exhaust temperatures at the cold start conditions and a significant time required for the ceramic structure to acquire the required steady - state temperature , the adequate conversion of the exhaust gases does not develop for 30 - 120 sec after the cold start had been initiated . the emitted un - converted exhaust during this time is a substantial contributor to the overall amount of the polluting chemicals emitted by automobiles . [ 0022 ] fig2 shows a longitudinal section of one embodiment of an automotive catalytic converter 20 per the instant invention . here 21 is ceramic structure , similar or identical to the prior art structure in fig1 with the capillary passages and the catalyst particles dispersed in the capillary passages and embedded into the exposed surfaces of the capillary passages . housing 22 encloses ceramic structure 21 . the exhaust gases enter housing 22 by inlet 23 and exit housing 22 by outlet 24 , as illustrated by arrows . ceramic structure 21 is surrounded by induction coil 25 which is energized from high frequency current generator 26 . if the catalyst is made from an electroconductive and / or ferromagnetic material , its particles can be easily and very quickly heated by inducing in them eddy currents generated by induction coil 25 . in cases when the catalyst is used not in the highly dispersed state , its mass is still much smaller than that of the supporting structure , thus the energy and time required for its preheating to the required temperature are still much less than for preheating of the whole reactor . it is known that any electroconductive material is subjected to heating by eddy currents generated by an induction coil fed by a high frequency current , if it is located within the electromagnetic field generated by the induction coil . the heating intensity is increasing with increasing field intensity , and with increasing degree of electroconductivity of the material . the heating effect is especially strong for magnetic ( ferromagnetic ) materials below their curie point temperature . after the curie point temperature is exceeded , the ferromagnetic properties are lost and the heating intensity is significantly decreasing thus providing a possibility for a “ self - control ” of the heating intensity and temperature . if the substrate onto which the catalyst particles are attached is not electroconductive ( e . g ., made from ceramic ) then only a minute amount of energy is needed to quickly heat the electroconductive catalyst particles to the desired temperature . if the substrate is electroconductive but not ferromagnetic , while the catalyst is both ( e . g ., the nickel - based catalyst ), then the catalyst would heat much faster than the substrate , with also a relatively small waste of energy . in many cases , special measures can be taken to reduce electroconductivity of the substrate and / or the supporting structure . the energy loss due to thermoconductivity to the surrounding catalyst - supporting structure is usually small due to small contact surfaces between the catalyst and the supporting structure and , often , due to low thermoconductivity of the substrate material ( e . g ., ceramic ). thus , a very limited source of the electromagnetic energy is required in many applications . if housing 22 is made from a material with low electroconductivity , induction coil 35 can be placed outside housing 22 as illustrated in fig3 showing another embodiment of the instant invention . if the catalyst material is not adequately electroconductive and / or electromagnetic , or in other cases when it can be desirable by whatever reasons , the catalytic material can be attached to / coated on particles made from an electroconductive and / or ferromagnetic material ( having a specified curie point , if necessary ) which are , in their turn , attached to the appropriate substrate in the reactive area . such “ piggy backing ” may even enhance the intensity of the catalyst heating process . attachment of the catalytic material to ferromagnetic particles can be used for a precise control of the heating temperature if the ferromagnetic material with its curie point corresponding to the desired temperature is selected . ferromagnetic material can be quickly heated by the induced electricity until its curie point is reached and the ferromagnetic properties are lost , thus quickly slowing down the heating process . heating only the catalyst , possibly with the associated carrier particles , answers the need for the effective reaction that takes place at the catalyst surface ( thus the reacting media would also heat up as needed ), without heating and thermally insulating the whole reactor . thus , for high - temperature fuel cells , the nickel - based catalyst can be heated to the required high temperature during the start - up ( after which the reaction zone is self - heated ), and in the above automotive catalytic converter illustrated by fig2 and 3 the cold start emissions can be significantly reduced . the automotive catalytic converters such as illustrated in fig1 - 3 provide for intensification of desired reactions between gases . the specific heat of the gases is relatively low and they are locally heated by the catalyst particles preheated by the exposure to the electromagnetic field created by the induction coil . however , some catalytically - assisted reactors have at least one reactant in a liquid state . for example , reactions in liquid - state fuel cells involve interaction between a gas ( hydrogen or oxygen ) and a liquid electrolyte . the liquid reactant has a much greater specific heat and thus cannot obtain enough thermal energy from the tiny catalyst particles or thin catalytic coatings . the induction coils , which usually operate in khz - mhz frequency range of the electric current thus may not be very effective in heating the reacting liquids . in such cases , another frequency range of the electromagnetic field can be beneficially used . the field frequency range can be “ tuned ” for the maximum efficiency in heating the desired reactants and / or catalysts , while not significantly influencing other materials , such as ones used in the supporting structures and housings . the microwave frequency range ( gigahertz or ghz ) is specially attractive since the technology is widely used for many applications , such as microwave ovens (˜ 1 . 5 ghz ) and thus has economic advantages of the magnetron generators being already in mass production . [ 0032 ] fig4 shows a catalytic converter 40 comprising ceramic catalyst - supporting structure 21 enclosed in housing 42 . the exhaust gases enter the converter housing through inlet 43 and exit through outlet 44 . this catalytic reactor is thermally assisted by microwave radiation transmitted through window 45 made from a microwave - transparent material , such as glass , ceramic , polymer , etc ., from magnetron microwave generator 46 . a significant advantage of the embodiment in fig4 is a possibility of packaging the microwave generator remotely from the reactor and connecting it by waveguide 47 . depending on the requirements , the electromagnetic field can be activated only for the cold start period or be continuously applied to the reactor . in many cases , the same high frequency generator can be used for both ultrasonic vibration generation and for induction heating , thus further reducing costs . application of ultrasonic vibration to catalytic reactors is described in another u . s . patent application by the same inventor and having the same filing date . it is readily apparent that the components of catalytic reactors to which an electromagnetic field is applied disclosed herein may take a variety of configurations . thus , the embodiments and exemplifications shown and described herein are meant for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention , the true scope of which is limited solely by the claims appended thereto . | 1 |
in order to clarify the form of a cartesian oval , the mathematical derivation of the contour curve thereof is demonstrated below . for this purpose , fig1 shows the beam geometry that forms the basis of the refraction . in this case , two light beams 20 and 21 are demonstrated schematically proceeding from a light source 60 . light beam 20 is in this case intended to represent that light which emerges perpendicularly proceeding from the light source 60 , without refraction at the wall 10 of the optical element , from the light exit area thereof . by contrast , light beam 21 emerges at an angle φ from the semiconductor light source and impinges on the inner side of the wall 10 at an angle dφ relative to the normal . for this reason , the light beam 21 is refracted and emerges at an angle α from the optical element at the light exit area thereof . since the wall 10 has the contour of a cartesian oval in an inventive manner , the light beam 21 is deflected in such a way that , after emerging from the optical element , it runs parallel to the unrefracted light beam 20 . this geometry of the beam path demonstrated in fig1 gives rise to the following relationship in this case , φ is the polar coordinate angle , α is the angle of emergence from the refractive medium , and β is the angle of incidence in the medium . the following holds true according to the law of refraction : sin α sin β = n ( 1 . 2 ) the first step is to calculate , in a manner dependent on φ , the required angle β of incidence in order to permit the light to emerge from the element in parallel - directed fashion . it follows from ( 1 . 1 ) and ( 1 . 2 ) that : sin ( φ + β ) sin β = n ( 1 . 3 ) β = arctan sin φ n - cos φ ( 1 . 4 ) this function specifies the angle β of incidence as a function of the polar coordinate angle φ . the contour is then calculated in the next step . it follows from fig1 that : ⅆ r ⅆ φ = r · tan β ( 1 . 5 ) dr r = sin φ n - cos φ d φ ( 1 . 6 ) this equation can be solved in an analytical form by substitution : r r 0 = n - cos φ 0 n - cos φ ( 1 . 7 ) this is the equation sought in polar coordinates of the contour line 11 of the cartesian oval as illustrated in fig2 . in this case , r 0 is the radius which is assigned to the angle φ 0 and serves for defining the absolute dimension of the contour . it goes without saying that equation 1 . 7 described in polar coordinates can also be transferred to the cartesian system of coordinates , which results in the following equation ( 1 . 8 ): ( n + 1 ) 2 n 2 · r 0 2 · ( x - r 0 n + 1 ) 2 + ( n + 1 ) ( n - 1 ) · r 0 2 · y 2 = 1 ( 1 . 8 ) an optical element having an exit area in the form of a cartesian oval described in accordance with equation 1 . 8 can parallelize the light of a point source only in a limited angular range , however . this angular range is prescribed by the limiting range of total reflection . the beam path of the light beams 21 a - d for a point source 60 and the resulting critical angle φ g are demonstrated in fig3 . what is achieved by virtue of the contour of the light exit area of the optical element in the form of a cartesian oval is that all the light beams 21 a - d and 22 emerging from the light source 60 within twice the critical angle φ g emerge from the optical element in parallel fashion . the critical angle φ g is given by the law of refraction ( 1 . 2 ), where the angle of emergence is α = 90 °. this results in sin β = 1 / n and the critical angle φ g = 90 °− β . a critical angle of 48 . 2 ° thus results for n = 1 . 5 . radiation lying outside this aperture angle cannot be practically utilized with this element . since semiconductor light sources generally emit into a much larger angular range , a large part of the light is lost with such elements . therefore , in order to avoid this problem area , in the context of the invention , the illumination optical element that essentially has the form of a two - dimensional cartesian oval is combined with a parabolic reflector . said reflector should likewise have the property that light emerging from the focal point is converted into a parallel bundle . this leads to the element illustrated in fig4 , with the side areas a , b and e and the light entry area f . as can be seen from fig4 , the inventive optical element is made very flat , the light entry opening f having an essentially rectangular cross section , one dimension of the cross section being significantly smaller than the other ; as will be explained below with reference to fig1 , the rectangular cross section is advantageously made so narrow that a semiconductor light source 60 can still just be fitted to the optical element in whole - area fashion . for better clarification of the 3 - dimensional configuration of the inventive optical element illustrated in fig4 , a 3 - dimensional edge image of said optical element is represented in four different views in fig4 a . in this case , the representations therein emphasize primarily the edges of the optical element , and also in hatched form the side areas a , b and 10 ( light exit opening ). in a particularly advantageous manner , it is conceivable for the outer areas a and b of the parabolic reflector either to be mirror - coated or else to be configured such that they are totally reflective . this results in a luminous efficiency of the semiconductor light source that is as optimal as possible since approximately the entire light emerging from the light source is converted into a common parallel beam bundle . fig5 shows the projection of the side area e of the optical element according to the invention ; the contour of the central region shaped as a cartesian oval and of the parabolic reflector adjoining the outside thereof is clearly manifested here . the reflector is then ideally configured such that , at the regions 40 a and 40 b of the contour which correspond to the areas c and d , upon light emergence of the beam 23 a , refraction takes place in such a way that the beams 23 a and 21 emerging from the optical element run parallel . in this case , the course of the light beam 23 a should be influenced by rotating the parabolic contour 41 a — corresponding to the outer areas a and b of the optical element — in the direction toward 41 b . for this purpose , the parabolic contour 41 is to be rotated inward by the required angle in order to avoid a situation where a light beam 23 x that does not run parallel to the other parallel beam bundle emerges from the optical element . in the case of the inventive configuration of the optical elements of the illumination system , the deflection and orientation of the light predominantly take place in the vertical plane , that is to say that the light is concentrated to form a horizontally running stripe . fig6 shows the energy distribution of the light emerging from the optical element according to the invention as the result of a calculation . the intensity profile of the light emerging from a horizontally arranged optical element is demonstrated in a false color representation in the upper part of the figure . beside and below that the intensity distribution in the x direction and y direction is demonstrated as a waveform . this makes it clear that the light beam emerging from the optical element is highly concentrated in the y direction . the light intensity emerging from the optical element is locally delimited to a significant extent in the x direction as well . the simulation on which fig6 is based assumed that the light source is fitted centrally with respect to the light entry area f of the optical element , as will be explained in detail later , but it is also conceivable to install the light source at a different position at the light entry area f in order thereby to influence the illumination characteristic of the optical element in a targeted manner . in a particularly advantageous manner , the horizontal width of the light spot can be influenced by inclining the side areas e of the optical element in such a way that the optical element tapers from the light exit area g toward the light entry area f . a corresponding geometry is illustrated in fig7 , which shows a side view from the direction of the side area a or b . it becomes clear in this case that , in this beneficial configuration of the invention , the height extent f 1 of the light entry area f of the optical element is less than the height extent g 1 of the light exit area 10 thereof . such elements , in particular also with parabolic side areas , are known from solar technology ( cpc , compound parabolic concentrator ). the following relationship holds true : sin α 1 sin α 2 = k i f l ( 1 . 8 ) where a1 and a2 describe the respective angular range within which the light beams ( 25 , 26 ) taken up by the optical element , or at which they then emerge from the optical element . it is apparent from equation ( 1 . 8 ) that enlarging the exit area decreases the angular range into which the light is emitted . in a particularly beneficial manner , it is appropriate to provide a largest possible acceptance angle in the beam direction as well , in order to avoid optical losses . this can be achieved either by mirror - coating or the corresponding configuration of the curvature of the side areas e , so that total reflection arises there . in fig7 , by way of example , a dashed line indicates the course of curvature of the side area e for a parabolic curvature . in accordance with the procedure described above and also illustrated in fig5 , it is possible , at a cartesian - oval central region shaped in this way , according to the invention , to adapt a suitable parabolically shaped reflector , for optimum utilization of the light emitted by the light source . in a further advantageous configuration of the inventive optical element , the cross section of the light entry area f thereof has a trapezoidal form , as illustrated in fig8 , in a departure from the generally rectangular form . in this case , the side areas of said trapezoidal form are inclined by the angles β and β with respect to the horizontal . in this case , it is conceivable to choose the two angles α and β of inclination to be identical in terms of their magnitude or else to be different from one another . in accordance with the representations in fig6 , fig9 shows the result of a calculation of the energy distribution of the light emerging from the advantageous optical element with inclined side areas . the angles α and β of inclination were chosen as 5 ° and 7 °, respectively , for the calculation . the intensity profile of the light emerging from an essentially vertically arranged optical element is again demonstrated in a false color representation in the upper part of the figure . beside and below that the intensity distribution at specific positions in the x direction and y direction is demonstrated as a waveform . as is clearly discernible from the figure , the radiation characteristic of the optical element in the far field , contrary to the case illustrated in fig6 , has a distinct curvature perpendicular to the radiation direction . on the other hand , this radiation characteristic also exhibits a distinct bright / dark transition . this simulation also assumed that the light source is fitted centrally with respect to the light entry area f of the optical element . in fig1 shows the projection of the light entry area f of the inventive optical element , in this case with a rectangular cross section , with a semiconductor light source 60 centrally adjoining the latter . in the general case , the semiconductor light source 60 is applied centrally on the light entry area , as shown in fig1 . in this case , in a beneficial manner , the thickness dimension of the optical element is chosen such that it exceeds the dimensions of the semiconductor light source 60 as little as possible . this gives rise to optical elements with an optimally small space requirement , which makes it possible to accommodate a multiplicity of optical elements in a very small space within an illumination source according to the invention and thus to obtain a maximum light power . what is achieved by displacing the semiconductor light source 60 along the connecting line between the points p 1 and p 2 is that the light emerges asymmetrically from the optical element . in this case , it is conceivable either to position the semiconductor light source 60 fixedly at an arbitrary location along said connecting line , in order to obtain the desired asymmetrical radiation characteristic , or else to arrange the optical element in a displaceable manner above the semiconductor light source 60 , so that the desired asymmetry of the light emission can be obtained by suitably displacing the optical element with respect to the semiconductor light source 60 . as an alternative , it is also conceivable to arrange a plurality of semiconductor light sources directly instead of a displaceable optical element at the light entry area f of the individual optical element along the connecting line between p 1 and p 2 . the luminous characteristic of the light emerging from the optical element can thus be altered advantageously without mechanical adjustment , simply through targeted electrical driving and selection . in the case of the arrangement of the optical elements with respect to the illumination device according to the invention , it is advantageously conceivable to individually arrange the individual semiconductor light sources 60 with respect to the respective optical elements arranged in an array such that the illumination device has an asymmetrical emission characteristic . in a supplementary manner or as an alternative , however , it is also conceivable to obtain the asymmetrical radiation characteristic by means of an arrangement of individually shaped optical elements adapted to the desired light emission ; in this case , it is conceivable to embody one portion of the optical elements with a rectangular light entry area f ( corresponding to fig1 ) and another portion of the optical elements with trapezoidal light entry areas f ( corresponding to fig8 ). moreover , it is possible , in a beneficial manner , for the optical elements to be embodied at least in portions in accordance with the configuration demonstrated in fig7 . if a plurality of semiconductor light sources are directly assigned to at least some of the individual optical elements within the illumination device , then it is possible , in a simple manner , by means of electronic control , to obtain a pivoting of the luminous cone emitted by the device or generally a change in the asymmetrical illumination properties of the illumination device by driving a respective one of the plurality of semiconductor light sources assigned to an optical element . such an alternate driving of the light sources fitted to an individual optical element leads to the same beam pivoting as is the case for displaceably arranged lens optical elements from the prior art , but without having to have recourse to a susceptible , not very robust mechanism . furthermore this advantageous configuration also affords the possibility of individually controlling the individual optical elements within a group of optical elements without complexity ; this cannot be realized economically practically in the case of a mechanically variable deflection device . the illumination device is configured particularly beneficially such that the semiconductor light sources can be dimmed or activated and deactivated driven jointly in groups or individually independently of the others in order to be able to illuminate the surroundings in a targeted manner and in a manner adapted to the situation . in a particularly advantageous manner , the inventive illumination device is suitable for use as a headlight in a motor vehicle in order to asymmetrically illuminate the surroundings in front of the vehicle . in a beneficial manner , in the case of use in a motor vehicle , the individual optical elements assigned to the headlight are oriented with regard to the road surface such that the x axes of the optical elements run essentially parallel thereto ; i . e . the individual optical elements should be arranged such that they are situated essentially perpendicular ( corresponding to fig4 , for example ). | 5 |
in the following paragraphs , the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the attached drawings . while this invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms , there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail specific embodiments , with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an example of the principles of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described . that is , throughout this description , the embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than as limitations on the present invention . descriptions of well known components , methods and / or processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the invention . as used herein , the “ present invention ” refers to any one of the embodiments of the invention described herein , and any equivalents . furthermore , reference to various feature ( s ) of the “ present invention ” throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature ( s ). embodiments of the present invention provide systems , methods and apparatus for universal control of entertainment or computing systems . as is know in the art there are a number of manufacturers of gaming consoles each with different hand held controllers . in some instances a user may be confused by the differences in controllers and may not have the same experience when moving from one console type to another . some embodiments of the present invention are directed at overcoming that difficulty by providing a had - held controller and system that may interoperate across platforms . additionally , in some embodiments , the games may reside on a server on a network and the user may play the games on a computing apparatus like a personal computer . further , some provided embodiments include a computing apparatus accessory which integrates a multiplicity of input devices into a novel , and in some instances reconfigurable device . one embodiment of a base station 100 is illustrated in fig1 . in this embodiment , base station 100 comprises a first communications port 50 for connecting base station 100 to a computing device 40 . as illustrated , computing device 40 , is connected to a network 10 , like the internet , and further connected to server 20 containing database 30 . as illustrated , communications port 50 is a wired port such as a universal serial bus or ethernet port , but as in known in the art may be a wireless communications port . in some embodiments , base station 100 additionally includes a second communications port 50 suitable for communications with an accessory box ( not shown ). base station 100 additionally includes controller 70 , a plurality of communications transceivers 60 and in some instances an antenna 70 . as is known in the art all communications can be through either wired or wireless media and the illustrated depictions in fig1 are exemplars . fig2 illustrates an entertainment system consistent with various provided embodiments . the system includes at least one hand held game controller 80 containing a plurality of accelerometers ( not shown ). each of the hand held game controller 80 includes a touch screen interface 90 . in some embodiments , tough screen interface contains a number of controls sufficient to control game play . in one embodiment , touch screen 90 includes a plurality of lights which “ back light ” the controls indicating a control a user should take . in other embodiments , touch screen interface 80 contains depressions or “ dimples ” indicating the controls . in other embodiments , touch screen interface 80 contains raised portions or “ buttons ” indicating the controls . in still further embodiments , touch screen 80 contains regions of “ textured ” material indicating controls . in an exemplary embodiment , the “ textured ” material is “ plexi - glass ”, glass , or plastic that has been manufactured to provide a textured feel . other materials that provide a distinct tactile feel are additionally known in the art and may be used to practice the invention . hand held controllers 80 further include a communications transceiver allowing for communication with base station 100 in a wireless format . exemplary communications transceivers that may be used to practice embodiments of the present invention include but are not limited to optical transceivers , radio frequency transceivers , infrared transceivers , bluetooth transceivers ( bluetooth is a trademark of the bluetooth special interest group ), rfid transceivers , frequency hopping radio frequency transceivers , and ultra wideband transceiver . hand held controllers 80 additionally include a plurality of accelerometers , such as orientation accelerometers , motion accelerometers , and acceleration accelerometers which provide data related to the position and movement of hand held controllers 80 . as discussed above , base station 10 includes a like communications transceiver to enable communications with hand held controllers 80 . base station 100 additionally includes a first connector or communications port 50 sufficient to connect base station 100 to computing apparatus 40 ( shown here as a monitor ). in some embodiments , base station 100 additionally includes a second connector , or port 50 sufficient to connect base station 100 to accessory box 120 . accessory box 120 likewise includes connector 50 , and associated electronics enabling communications with base station 100 . exemplary connectors include but are not limited to universal serial bus connectors , firewire connectors , twisted pair connectors , phone line connectors , and wired medium connectors . in some embodiments ( not shown ), connectors 50 are connected to additional communications components such as antennas , optical emitters , and optical detectors . in these embodiments , base station 100 includes an additional communications transceiver such as an optical transceiver , a radio frequency transceiver , an infrared transceiver , a bluetooth transceiver , a rfid transceiver , a frequency hopping radio frequency transceiver , and an ultra wideband transceiver enabling wireless communications between accessory box 120 , base station 100 and computing apparatus 40 . in an exemplary embodiment , base station 100 is configured to route data and commands from and between computing device 40 , hand held controllers 80 , and accessory box 120 . as mere exemplars , this routing may take the form of receiving communications signals from the hand held devices 80 and forwarding the data contained within these signals to computing device 40 . in other embodiments , the routing may provide for receiving data from accessory box 120 and sending data to computing device 40 . the routed data may include but is not limited to data from at least one of the plurality of accelerometers , and data from the touch screen interface and data from accessory box enabling additional functionality to the entertainment system . in another embodiment , hand held controllers 80 contain a battery recharging port 110 . a similar recharging port 110 is provided on base station 100 allowing for the recharge of the hand held controllers &# 39 ; batteries when not in use . one feature of this embodiment is that the computing device 40 is in communication with 20 server on the network 10 . the server hosts a game portal which stores information related to the games , information related to users , and in some embodiments , access information . when a user desires to play a specific game , the computing device may determine from accessory box 120 if the user is allowed to access the specific game . once the computing device retrieves information on which games a user can access it sends this data to the online game portal . on the server the access data is verified and access is granted to the particular game the user desires to play . another feature of various embodiments is illustrated in fig3 which shows a configuration allowing multiple players to participate in a common game . as this illustration depicts , users a - d can use independent entertainment systems to play a common game . each user a - d interfaces with a hand held controller 80 . the hand held controllers send user input information to base stations 100 , which route this information to computing apparatuses 40 ( shown here as personal computers “ pcs ”). computing apparatuses 40 are in communication with server 20 across network 10 . as illustrated , server 20 is in further communication with database 30 . in some embodiments , database 30 may be located on server 20 , in other embodiments , database 30 is located on another computing device 40 on network 10 . in this environment , game play is served to each of the computing devices 40 from server 20 allowing users a - d to interact with the game through the use of their entertainment system . fig4 illustrates another feature of various embodiments . in this illustration a configuration is shown where two users ( a and b ) are supported on a single entertainment system . in this illustration , user a and user b each interact with the entertainment system through the use of hand held controllers 80 . the controllers communicate user interactions to base station 100 . base station 100 routs this interaction information to computing device 40 which uses the information for game play . computing device 40 further communicates the information to server 20 across network 10 . as in the previously described system , server 20 is in communication with database 30 . one further feature is illustrated in fig4 . the addition of accessory box 120 allows for additional functionality , such as new games , to be unlocked on the system . in this embodiment , requests for new functionality cause computing apparatus to communicate with accessory box 120 and retrieve access information . the access information is then verified on database 30 . if access to the new functionality is grated , server 20 sends the additional functionality to computing device 40 . fig5 and 6 illustrate embodiments of provided methods . in fig5 flow begins in block 140 where a communications signal is communicated from a hand held controller 80 to a base station 100 . as described above , this signal may contain information from a plurality of accelerometers and inputs from a user through a touch screen . further , this signal is typically communicated wirelessly through the use of wireless transceivers ( optical or radio frequency ). flow continues to block 150 where a communication signal is sent from accessory box 120 to the base station 100 . as described above , this signal may contain data or other information , such as commands , to unlock functionality on the system . in some embodiments , this signal is sent through wired media connectors , in other embodiments , this signal is sent wirelessly . flow continues to block 160 where a command is sent from the base station to a computing apparatus 40 . in block 170 computing apparatus 40 communicates data to server 20 on network 10 . flow continues to block 180 where server 20 sends a communication to computing apparatus 40 across network 10 . in block 190 , game play is enabled on computing apparatus 40 . fig6 illustrates a further embodiment where the flow is the same for blocks 140 - 190 . in block 200 a signal is communicated from computing apparatus 40 to hand held controllers 80 through base station 100 and in block 210 game play is enabled on hand held controllers 80 . in some embodiments , the enablement of game play on hand held controllers 80 comprises the illumination of lights corresponding to controls on the hand held controllers 80 . fig7 illustrates a computing device 40 and computer software product 260 consistent with various provided embodiments . computing device 40 comprises processor 230 , memory 240 , storage media 250 , input device 220 , a plurality of communications ports 50 and output device 270 . as is known in the art , a number of other components are typically found within a computing device that have been omitted for convenience . as described above , one communications port 50 provides a path for communication with base station 100 and another provides a path for communication with server 20 across network 10 . exemplary input devices 220 that are suitable to receive computer software product 260 include but are not limited to cd rom drives , dvd rom drives , optical drives magnetic drives , and the like . computer software product 260 comprises a computing apparatus readable medium containing a set of processor 230 executable instructions that , when executed by processor 230 configure computing device 40 to execute the methods described above . in one embodiment , computer readable media comprises a hard drive located on server 20 and executable instructions sufficient to configure computing device 40 are downloaded from network 10 . in some embodiments , executable instructions are located on database 30 across network 10 . as described above , database 30 may be located on server 20 or alternatively , on another computing device 40 on network 10 . an exemplary embodiment of an accessory box 120 is illustrated in fig8 . in this embodiment , accessory box 120 comprises a memory 240 , a communications transceiver 60 and a communications port 50 . as discussed above , accessory box 120 , in some embodiments imparts additional functionality to games being played . this functionality may be revealing “ secret ” rooms , additional weapons , or other features within a game . in some embodiments , additional games are “ unlocked ” with the use of accessory box 120 . memory 240 may include volatile or non - volatile memory elements . in one embodiment , codes stored on memory 240 may be sent to base station 100 unlocking the additional functionality . in some embodiments accomplishments during game play cause server 20 to send additional codes for storage in memory 240 on accessory box 120 . these embodiments allow a user to experience different gaming as their level of accomplishment increases . in other embodiments purchases made online cause server 20 to send additional codes to accessory box 120 . fig9 illustrates embodiments where universal controllers interact with game consoles instead of a computing device 40 . as is known in the art there are many manufacturers of game consoles and each manufacturer may provide different controllers for interaction . many of these consoles provide for controller connection through a universal serial bus ( usb ) or like connection . in the illustrated embodiment hand held controller 80 , as described above , contains touch sensitive display 90 . in this embodiment , hand held controller 80 communicates with base station 100 through either a wireless or wired connection . base station 100 communicates with a game console . stated differently , base station 100 receives control signals from handheld controller 80 and communicates them the control data to the game console through its communications port . another provided embodiment of a universal controller is illustrated in fig1 . in this embodiment , the controller is tablet 290 . in this embodiment touch screen 90 is contained within housing 300 . as illustrated it contains a plurality of discrete regions that are mapped with different functionality and in some embodiments , may be illuminated with various features and controls . various embodiments of tablet 290 include regions for illumination of a keyboard , a section for interaction with stylus 280 , a mouse control region 340 and in some instances a specific game control region 350 . as illustrated , tablet 290 may communicate with the game console through a wireless media or in some embodiments through communications port 50 . fig1 illustrates some exemplary functional contents of tablet 290 . in this embodiment , tablet 290 contains touch sensitive display 90 with an exemplary number of discrete regions that could include a game control region 350 , a mouse control region 340 a keyboard region 320 a stylus sensitive region 330 . in this embodiment , tablet 290 additionally includes memory 240 and a communications transceiver 60 . in some embodiments , tablet 290 is battery powered and include battery 400 . in a number of these embodiments , power is received from communications port 50 , such as a usb port , ( not shown ) and can be used to power tablet 290 and recharge battery 400 . in other embodiment table 290 may be powered by a plug - in power cable ( not shown ). in other embodiments , tablet 290 includes a processor configured to map various functionality to the regions of tablet 290 . in other embodiments , mapping is accomplished by an external computing apparatus connected to and communicating with transceiver 60 . an embodiment of a provided computing apparatus 540 is illustrated in fig1 . this embodiment includes tablet 290 touch sensitive display 90 processor 230 , memory 240 , and storage media 250 . in some embodiments computing apparatus 540 is configured to communicate with network 10 . as illustrated , touch sensitive screen 90 includes discrete sections which are mapped with functionality . as in other embodiments , these regions include a keyboard region 320 , a stylus sensitive region 330 , a mouse control region 340 , and in some embodiments game control section 350 . mapping , in one embodiment includes designating a set of pixels on touch sensitive display 90 and associating them with a specific character . in one embodiment , the mapping of a keyboard to keyboard region includes storing a character in memory 240 with a range of pixel locations associated with that character . in an exemplary embodiment , the character is from the american standard code for information interchange ( ascii ). other character code sets are known in the art and may be used to practice the current invention . once mapped , a user striking a “ character ” on keyboard section causes a lookup in memory 240 for the associated character , the character is then read from memory 240 and transmitted by transceiver 60 ( fig1 ) or in an embodiment where tablet 240 is embedded in computing apparatus 540 the character is utilized in the manner consistent with normal usage . in like manner , user interaction with stylus sensitive region 330 , mouse control region 340 , and in some embodiments game control region 350 generate data that may be captured , or recorded , and in embodiments similar to the one illustrated in fig1 , the data is then transmitted by transceiver 60 . in embodiments where tablet 290 is embedded into computing apparatus 540 , illustrated in fig1 , data captured from these regions is used in the manner consistent with normal usage . fig1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a provided method . in this embodiment , flow begins in block 360 where discrete regions of touch sensitive display are illuminated . as discussed above these regions can include a keyboard region , a stylus sensitive region , a mouse control region and in some embodiments , a game control region . other regions may be utilized and illuminated as well . flow continues to block 370 where a character set is mapped to the keyboard region . flow then continues to block 380 where data is recorded from a user interaction with the keyboard region and in embodiments like those described in fig1 , in block 380 the data is transmitted from tablet 290 . fig1 illustrates the flow of another exemplary method . in this embodiment , flow begins in block 360 where discrete regions of a touch sensitive display are illuminated . in block 410 data from the stylus region is recorded and in embodiments like those described in fig1 , in block 380 the data is transmitted from tablet 290 . fig1 illustrates a further embodiment of a provided method . in this method , flow begins in block 360 where regions are illuminated on the display . flow continues to block 420 where data associated with the mouse control region is captured or recorded and in embodiments like those described in fig1 , in block 380 the data is transmitted from tablet 290 . in similar manner the embodiment illustrated in fig1 begins with block 360 where regions of the display are illuminated . in block 430 game controls are mapped to a game control region . in block 440 data is recorded or otherwise captured from the game control region and in embodiments like those described in fig1 , in block 380 the data is transmitted from tablet 290 . a further illustration of an integrated universal controller in the form of a tablet 290 is provided in fig1 . this illustrates a dynamic reconfiguration of tablet 290 . in this embodiment , regions of tablet 290 can me remapped from one function to another . for example , as illustrated , at one period of time , a region of tablet 290 may be illuminated and mapped as a keyboard region and at another time the same region may be illuminated as a stylus region . turning now to fig1 , an exemplary entertainment system is illustrated . components of the entertainment system include server 20 , communicating with computing apparatus 540 across network 10 . computing apparatus is additionally communicating with universal controller 80 . universal controller 80 , illustrated in some embodiments takes to form of a tablet , or stick controller , but some embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those particular configurations . as illustrated , server 20 contains processor 230 , memory 240 and storage media 250 and network interface 60 . additionally , computing apparatus and server 20 may be communicating with an additional server 20 where other games may be stored . contained within storage medium 250 is software module 410 , database 30 , software application 480 and in some embodiments , mapping files 420 . as illustrated software module 410 contains application program interface ( api ) 820 . as is known in the art , software module 410 may be written in a number of programming languages , such as c , c ++, or java ™. additionally , it may be a compiled module , compiled with any number of compilers , or it could comprise a scripts , such as a java ™ script or pearl script , or an applet written in java . in an exemplary embodiment , server 20 hosts a web portal and additionally contains a number of web pages that can be sent to a remote computing apparatus 540 . in one embodiment , a user computer communicates with server 20 through the web portal . server 20 sends software application 480 to remote computing apparatus 540 for initialization of game play . as illustrated , some embodiments include games stored on database 30 while others additionally include remote 3 rd party games hosted on remote server 20 . computing apparatus 540 additionally includes display 430 where game play is graphically depicted . api 820 allows game programmers to write games and custom interfaces for universal controller 80 . through the use of api 820 a programmer may specify which actions of universal controller 80 will map to which game play actions . in this manner , a new game programmer only need to interact with api 820 to ensure that a gamer using a universal controller 80 with computing apparatus 540 is able to play the new game . in some embodiments this is independent of where the game is actually stored . interacting with api 820 a game programmer specifies which physical actions with universal controller 80 will map to which actions within the new game . once complete software module 410 generates a mapping file 420 . in some embodiments , mapping files 420 are text files that can be read by computing apparatus 540 , in other embodiments , mapping files are scripts , such as a java ™ script , in other embodiments , mapping file 420 may be compiled into a dynamic linked library ( dll ) file and loaded into memory when software application 480 executes on remote computing apparatus 430 . an exemplary method is illustrated in fig1 . in this embodiment , flow begins in block 440 where the server 20 provides a software module with an api . as described above , the software module allows a game programmer to specify a controller mapping . flow continues to block 450 where a mapping file is generated for a particular game . flow then continues to block 460 where the mapping file is sent to a remote computing apparatus . in block 470 the mapping filed is installed on the remote computing apparatus . when game play is initialized on remote computing apparatus 540 , signals received from universal controller 80 are mapped to the appropriate actions within the game . one feature of this embodiment is that it provides a method that includes providing a software module 410 on a server 20 , the software module having an application program interface 820 , the software module 410 configured to allow a game programmer to specify a controller mapping . software module 410 then generates a mapping file 420 , from the software module , the mapping file 420 specifying a mapping of actions on a universal controller 80 , to a game developed by the game programmer . as described above , server 20 then transmits the mapping file 420 to a remote computing apparatus 540 across a network 10 , the remote computing apparatus 540 configured to operate with a universal controller 80 . the mapping file 420 is then installed on the remote apparatus 430 . the mapping file 420 configures the computing apparatus 540 to map signals received from the universal controller 80 to actions within a game displayed on a display on the display 430 computing apparatus 540 . this allows a game programmer to release new games to the public without the need for new controllers . by utilizing the provided software module , universal controller can be remapped to the requirements of the new game . a further provided method is illustrated in fig2 . in this embodiment , flow begins with block 490 where a web portal is provided on a server 20 . the web portal is configured to provide a web page to remote computing apparatus 540 across network 10 . flow continues to block 500 where server 20 determines if software application 480 has been installed on remote computing apparatus 500 . flow continues to conditional block 510 . if software application 480 is not installed on remote computing apparatus 540 , flow continues to block 520 where software application 540 is downloaded and installed on remote computing apparatus 540 . when software program 480 is executed on remote computing apparatus 530 a web browser is initialized in block 530 . in one embodiment in the first instance of browser initialization by software application 480 the browser is initialized with a toolbar enabled . in this embodiment , the enabled tool bar contains a plurality of game selections . flow continues to block 560 where auto mapping of mapping files 420 is enabled . returning to decision block 510 if it is determined that software application 480 has been installed on remote computing apparatus 540 , flow continues to block 550 . when software program 480 is initializes it is executed in block 550 . flow continues to block 570 where software program 570 initializes a web browser with a tool bar disabled . flow then continues to block 580 where server 20 determines if the web browser is accessing the web portal . if , in decision block 590 it is determined that the web browser is not accessing the web portal flow continues back to block 580 and waits until the web browser is accessing the web portal . if in decision block 590 it is determined that web browser is accessing the portal , flow continues to block 600 where the tool bar is enabled . flow then continues to block 610 where auto mapping of mapping files 420 is enabled . an exemplary web browser with a tool bar is illustrated in fig2 . methods of providing a web portal are known in the art . an exemplary method includes running web server software , such as apache web server on a computing apparatus . various embodiments of software application were developed in java ™ programming language , but the present invention is not limited to java ™. those of ordinary skill in the art know that any computer programming language can be used to develop software application 480 . for example , c or c ++. there are a number of integrated development environments ( ides ) that are advantageous for the development . an exemplary ide is visual c ++ which allows a programmer to utilize web browser objects within the program . further , when installing a software program , methods known in the art allow for a program to write a flag to a registry file and to communicate the presence of this flag to a remote server . thus allowing the server to detect whether a particular software program has been installed on the remote computing apparatus . other known methods of detection may include the installer asking a user to register the software during installation . this registration communicated to the server . other installers can be created that do not prompt the user for permission to register , merely inform the server that the software program has been installed . further , methods of determining if a web server is communicating with a particular computing apparatus are known . exemplary methods include identification by the server of the remote computing apparatus &# 39 ; internet protocol ( ip ) address . turning now to fig2 which illustrates the flow of an alternate embodiment of a provided method . in this method , flow begins in block 620 where a server 20 provides a web portal containing at least one web page . as is known in the art , web pages may be created in , for example the hyper text mark - up language ( html ) or any other similar web based language known to skilled artisans . further , web portals typically communicate using the hyper text transfer protocol ( http ), other protocols for computer communication are known in the art and some embodiments are not therefore limited to either html or http . flow continues to block 630 where the web portal provides a web page to the remote computing apparatus 540 . in this embodiment , the webpage comprises a document written in a standard web format , such as html , that includes a number of links . each of the links indicating a different game to be played . when a link is selected , flow continues to block 640 where server 20 determines which game has been selected . flow then continues to block 650 where the appropriate mapping file 420 is selected . flow then continues to block 660 where the mapping file 420 is sent to remote computing apparatus 540 . another embodiment of a provided method is illustrated in fig2 . in this method , flow begins in block 670 where a remote computing apparatus 540 receives a web page from server 20 . flow then continues to block 680 where game selection is enabled by the received webpage . flow then continues to block 690 where , once selected , a game selection is sent to server 20 . in block 700 a mapping file is received from server 20 . once the mapping file has been installed , flow continues to block 710 where the selected game is initialized . flow then continues to block 720 where a signal is received from a universal controller 80 . in block 730 the received signal is mapped to a game action . flow continues to block 740 where the mapped action is displayed on display 430 . an alternate embodiment of universal controller 80 is illustrated in fig2 . in this embodiment , universal controller 80 contains a communications transceiver 60 enabled to send signals to a computing apparatus 540 and , in some embodiments , receive signals from remote computing apparatus 540 . as illustrated , this embodiment additionally contains processor 230 , memory 240 , storage media 250 , a plurality of accelerometers 750 , battery 400 , and battery charging port 110 . on the front view controller 80 contains a touch sensitive display 90 . in this embodiment , touch sensitive display contains no deformations or tactile areas . contained within storage media are a set of processor executable instructions , that , when executed by processor 230 cause a bitmap stored in storage media 250 to be mapped and illuminated on touch sensitive display 90 . in this manner , universal controller can be updated with additional bitmaps and take on completely different appearance depending on which game is selected fro play . a method for interaction between computing apparatus 540 and universal controller 80 is depicted in fig2 . in this embodiment , flow begins in block 670 and continues through block 700 in the manner described above . flow then continues to block 760 where a new game is received from server 760 . in this embodiment , server 20 additionally stores controller interface files ( bitmaps ) that relate to each game . flow then continued to block 770 where computing apparatus 540 determines if the appropriate controller interface is on its storage media 250 . if , in decision block 780 it is determined that the file is not present locally , flow continues to block 790 where the appropriate interface is requested from server 20 . flow then continues to block 800 where the interface file is received from server 20 . flow then continues to block 810 where the interface file is sent to universal controller 80 and installed . returning to decision block 780 , it is determined that the correct interface file is on computing apparatus &# 39 ; storage media flow continues to block 810 where it is sent to universal controller 80 and installed . in an alternate embodiment ( not shown ) when a new game is received from server 20 a message is sent to universal controller 80 indicating the game to be played and the version of the interface file . if the appropriate file is stored within universal controller &# 39 ; s storage medium 250 the file is not sent from computing apparatus 540 . if the file is not on universal controller 80 , the file is transmitted from computing apparatus 540 and installed on universal controller 80 . various embodiments of a provided computing apparatus are illustrated in fig2 ( a )-( h ). in these embodiments , at least one , and in some instances two touch screen displays are used . as illustrated , some embodiments of the computing apparatus are connected in a manner to allow a wide range of movement between the displays a central feature of these embodiments , is that the computing apparatus is configured with a set of instructions that when executed by a processor contained within the apparatus , different regions of the display ( s ) are mapped to different functions . for example , as seen in fig2 ( h ), a region of the display is configured as a keyboard , and that region is mapped to the functionality of a keyboard in other situations , illustrated in fig2 ( g ) the same region is illuminated as a game control region and is mapped to receive inputs from a stylus . embodiments of the software present on the computing apparatus have been reduced to practice using java ™ programming language . other languages , such as c or c ++ are known in the art and some embodiments are not limited to the particular programming language used to implement the functionality described . further , one of ordinary skill , given this disclosure , will know how to make and use the invention , because graphics rendering , region mapping , and interaction with computer input peripherals are all within the knowledge of a skilled artisan . thus , it is seen that an online entertainment system , universal controller system , methods and computer software product are provided . one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the above - described embodiments , which are presented in this description for purposes of illustration and not of limitation . the specification and drawings are not intended to limit the exclusionary scope of this patent document . it is noted that various equivalents for the particular embodiments discussed in this description may practice the invention as well . that is , while the present invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , permutations and variations will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , it is intended that the present invention embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims . the fact that a product , process or method exhibits differences from one or more of the above - described exemplary embodiments does not mean that the product or process is outside the scope ( literal scope and / or other legally - recognized scope ) of the following claims . | 0 |
in accordance with the practice of the present invention , and with reference to the drawing figure , a saline water source such as an oil field waste brine , seawater , or other inland saline water is initially stored in a large pit , tank , or storage chamber 10 . the pit , tank , or storage chamber 10 is preferably lined or otherwise formed to be substantially water tight . if an oil or gas field waste brine is used as the saline water source , it may be necessary to remove traces of oil which are present in the brine . typically , there is approximately one - half pint of oil per barrel of brine as received from oil field operations . this oil removal is accomplished through the use of a surface skimmer 12 which collects oil floating on the surface of the brine and pumps it via line 14 and pump 16 to an oil storage tank 18 . additionally , further oil may be removed from the brine in a separation device such as heater treater 20 after removal of the brine from pit 10 via line 22 and pump 24 . heater treater 20 typically comprises a holding tank or the like which provides undisturbed residence time for separation of the oil and brine . heat is supplied to heater treater 20 to accelerate the separation process , and , optionally , chemicals may be added to heater treater 20 which further enhance separation . the brine is then filtered to remove suspended solids by pumping it via line 26 through filter 28 . filter 28 may be any suitable filtration device and is preferably a vacuum drum or plate and frame type filter . such filtration devices are commercially available from a number of sources . after filtration , the brine is sent to tank 30 where an oxidizing agent is added to the brine to convert any ferrous ions present in the brine to the ferric state . suitable oxidizing agents include hydrogen peroxide , or ozone . preferably , this oxidizing reaction is carried out at an acidic ph . depending on the ph of the brine entering tank 30 , the ph of the solution may be adjusted by the addition of an acid or base to bring it within the optimum range . an additional advantage of the oxidation step of the process is that it will destroy any traces of organic materials which may be present in the brine . after oxidization , an alkaline agent is added to tank 30 to raise the ph of the brine to about 7 . 0 and cause all iron ions present therein to precipitate as iron oxides . the brine is then sent to a suitable filter 32 where the iron oxide precipitate is removed . the brine is then pumped via pump 34 to a further holding tank 36 . at this point in the process , magnesium is removed from the brine . the presence of magnesium ions in the brine at a later point in the process will result in the production of products having a lower ecomonic value . additionally , purified magnesium compounds have economic value . magnesium is typically present in the brine as magnesium chloride which can be reacted with an alkaline material to form magnesium hydroxide as illustrated by equations i and ii below : to remove magnesium , the brine is pumped via pump 38 to reactor 40 . a sufficient amount of an alkaline agent to adjust the ph of the brine to the range of 7 . 5 to 9 . 0 is added to reactor 40 . a ph meter ( not shown ) may be used to monitor the ph of the brine solution . after reaction , the brine may be sent to a thickener or settling tank 42 where the precipitated magnesium hydroxide would be concentrated . the precipitate is then filtered in filter 44 , washed free of soluble salts , and either dried or calcined in dryer 46 . the magnesia product is useful in making refractory bricks and magnesium metal as well as an additive for cosmetics , pharmaceuticals , and insulation . as shown by equations i and ii above , the alkaline agent may be either calcium hydroxide ( hydrated lime ), hydrated lime from burned dolomite , or sodium hydroxide . if burned dolomite is used , the magnesium content of the dolomite is recovered with the magnesium hydroxide precipitate . sodium and / or calcium cations , which replace the magnesium ions in solution , are recovered later in the process as explained below . the clear brine solution from settling tank or thickener 42 and / or filtrated from filter 44 is then sent to a work tank 48 which serves as a holding tank for the brine prior to reaction with phosphoric acid . the brine in work tank 48 may be periodically sampled and analyzed at analysis station 50 to determine the concentration of divalent calcium and other metal cations contained therein . this analysis is then utilized to meter the proper amount of phosphoric acid into the brine from phosphoric acid source 52 and metering pump 54 . preferably , the amount of phosphoric acid added is in a substantially stoichiometric ratio to the concentration of divalent metal cations , principally calcium , in the brine , resulting in a chemical reaction which causes substantially all of the divalent metal cations in the brine to be removed as a precipitate as more fully explained below . the addition of a substantially stoichiometric amount of phosphoric acid to the brine will lower the ph of the brine to less than 2 . 0 . the flow rate of the brine into reactor 56 may be controlled by pump 58 and flow rate valve 60 , and is monitored periodically by flow rate indicator 62 . a preferred source of phosphoric acid is agricultural grade phosphoric acid containing 75 % orthophosphoric acid ( 54 % when reported as phosphorous pentoxide ). the brine and phosphoric acid are thoroughly agitated in reactor 56 to form a reaction mixture . any suitable agitation device may be utilized including a stirred tank reactor or motionless mixing device . to the reaction mixture , an alkaline agent is added to adjust the ph of the mixture to the range of 1 . 8 to 2 . 9 . a metering pump and ph meter may be used to control the addition of alkaline agent . as the alkaline agent , either soda ash ( na 2 co 3 ), caustic soda ( naoh ), potassium hydroxide , or potassium carbonate are preferred . the addition of an alkaline agent causes the precipitation of a mixture of fertilizer salts including principally dicalcium phosphate ( cahpo 4 . 2h 2 o ). additionally , most trace impurities in the brine such as strontium , iron , aluminum , flourine , and the like , will also be precipitated at this stage as complex mineral salts . this is because other ions will react with the phosphoric acid at ph &# 39 ; s lower than that which calcium will react . this first stage of precipitation may not be necessary where impurity levels in the brine are sufficiently low . such precipitated compounds are separated from the brine solution by filtration , such as by belt filter 64 . the precipitate is then dried in dryer 66 . the dried precipitate is a citrate soluble fertilizer material having an approximate npk analysis of 0 - 40 - 0 . the reaction mixture is then taken to a further agitated reactor 68 where more alkaline reagent is added to bring the ph of the reaction mixture to the range of 3 . 5 to 6 . 0 . this causes essentially complete precipitation of all remaining dicalcium phosphate from the brine solution . because of the preliminary precipitation step , the dicalcium phosphate precipitated at this stage of the process is quite pure as is useful as a premium grade animal feed supplement . the precipitated dicalcium phosphate is removed via belt filter 70 and then dried in dryer 72 . by controlling the ph of the brine solution after the addition of phosphoric acid , the ratio of calcium phosphates precipitated at each stage ( reactors 56 and 68 ) may be controlled . if impurity levels are sufficient to warrant a two - stage precipitation then , preferably , a minimum amount of calcium phosphates is initally precipitated with the major portion being precipitated in reactor 68 . in practice , this ratio is about 10 - 30 % in the first stage and 70 - 90 % in the second stage . additionally , the total amount of calcium phosphates produced by the process may be modified somewhat by the selection of alkaline agents at various stages of the process . the use of calcium hydroxide as an alkaline agent at earlier stages of the recovery process will place more calcium cations into solution for later precipitation . in this manner , the process of the present invention is flexible to market conditions for the need for more or less calcium phosphate products . additionally , while the preferred process has been described above , it is within the scope of the invention to add phosphoric acid and alkaline agent to the brine to precipitate calcium phosphates in a single stage procedure or a procedure with two or more successive states . the remaining brine is now substantially free of all divalent metal cations . the brine is pumped from storage tank 74 by pump 76 to an optional evaporation system 78 . it may be desirable to adjust the ph of the brine in storage tank 75 to minimize corrosion problems in the evaporation equipment , and this may be accomplished by further addition of an alkaline agent such as sodium hydroxide to the brine . the brine itself is a useful product which can be used as a raw material for chlor - alkali plants . optionally , it may be evaporated to recover crystallized salt . evaporation system 78 is preferably a forced circulation evaporator - crystallizer with vapor recompression . such systems are commercially available . the evaporation system provides both a pure crystallized salt and purified process water . the recovered salt is principally sodium chloride . potassium , lithium , and any remaining calcium and magnesium cations are concentrated in the bitterns produced by the evaporation process and may be recycled back to the beginning of the process . the recovered salt is a highly purified product which can be marketed for practically all commercial uses . the recovered water from evaporation system 78 is itself highly pure and contains less than 1 mg / l of total solids and an absence of deleterious anions and divalent metal cations . the water can be used as process and wash water in the process of the present invention , can be discharged directly to rivers , lakes , and streams with no environmental harm , or alternatively may be sold to industries having large purified water requirements . while the methods herein described constitute preferred embodiments of this invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise methods and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention , which is defined in the appended claims . | 2 |
turning now to the drawings in greater detail , it will be seen that in fig1 there is depicted a high - level logic flow diagram of a method of tie net routing without wiring in accordance with the present invention . basically the method is a router which finds the pins requiring connections to global nets from a nearly completed level of hierarchy , like power or ground , and traces their connection to the child . the trace attempts to find the connections to the gate an the input transistor terminals . once the trace is completed , the path is followed backwards looking for the desired global infrastructure net one layer below or above the current route . once the intersection has been found , the largest legal via that can fit in the overlap space is placed on top of the child . this via connects the child route to the child &# 39 ; s global infrastructure net , completing the route . the first step in the process is to initialize the system is performed , as shown in block 1 . 1 . a netlist is used to identify which nets are tie nets and which are not in the design that this is being run . after identifying the nets , it is confirmed that there are cells instantiated in the design that need to be tied . then it is determined that the cells instantiated have power grids with the same polarities as are needed for tie routing . finally , a complete check is done to ensure the cells instantiated either are layouts ( complete designs ) as opposed to abstracts ( a simpler abstracted representation ) or have layouts that can be found somewhere in the design management system . accordingly , the initialisation step determines if all the prerequisites are met in which case the process will be initiated . the first step of the process shown in block 12 is to create a cellview that can be created and instantiated into the design . this cellview is where all of the vias ( shapes that connect one metal layer to another metal layer in the design ) that will create the logical connections to the power grid metal layer will be created as a tie net . once the process is completed this cellview is instantiated into the design and the connections will be made . the second step shown in block 1 . 3 is for the process to identify all of the pins on all of the macros that need to be tied . this will be different depending on methodologies , and technologies being used . for example , pins on each macro that are part of the power grid distribution do not need to be tied since they are inherently connected to the power grid because they already are part of the power grid distribution . there are also pins that have logical functionality on macros that do need to be tied . these pins can be differentiated from the pins that connect to the power grid either using the logical name of the pin , or the logical function of the pin . the list of identified pins is passed onto the next part of the process . the third part of the process as shown in block 1 . 4 is for the program to iterate through each pin in the list of identified pins from the previous step . for each of the pins that need to be processed the method has the following steps : 1 . find the physical shape that represents the pin in the macro layout in block 1 . 4 ; 2 . then electrically trace from that physical shape to the other end of the macro &# 39 ; s internal net as shown in block 1 . 5 ; 3 . identify the first intersection along those traced shapes of another shape on either metal layer n + 1 or n − 1 ( one layer above or one layer below respectively ) as shown in block 1 . 6 ; and 4 . create a via in the overlay cell that makes a connection between the traced shape and the intersected shape as shown in 1 . 7 finally , the fourth part of the process as shown in block 1 . 8 is to save the cellview created in the first step and instantiate it into the design . attention is now directed to fig2 which illustrates the results the results of the process of the present invention as compared to the method used in the prior art . the top right and left top portion of fig2 represents a macro side of the hierarchy ( child side ) 10 and the chip side of hierarchy ( parent side ) 11 respectively of the conventional tie routing using wiring . likewise the right and left lower portion of fig2 represents the results of the macro side of hierarchy ( child side ) 20 and the chip side hierarchy 21 of the method in accordance with the present invention for tie routing without wiring . the macro side 10 and 20 represent the child owned area as previously discussed . the chip side hierarchy 11 and 21 represent the parent owned area as previously discussed . the vertical lines in both areas are wires that represent the power grid in the parent area ( chip side ) 10 . 1 , 10 . 2 , 11 . 1 , 11 . 2 , 20 . 1 , 20 . 2 , 21 . 1 , and 21 . 2 , and the child area ( macro side ). in the top portion , a central pin 13 (& lt ; 0 & gt ;) interconnects the internal wiring 14 used for tie connections from the child side of the macro 10 to the external wiring 15 and tie connections with the power rails of the parent side of the chip 11 . this external wiring 15 is then connected to the power rail at 11 . 2 on power rail 12 which is outside of the chip side hierarchy . in the lower portion , the internal wiring 24 used for tie connections of the child side macro 25 is connected and terminates at pin 23 (& lt ; 1 & gt ;). as should now be understood the parent owned chip side 21 power rails are not connected . the tie connections are made in the child owned area internally at 26 to power rail 20 . 2 . no extra wiring resources are used or required or used to make tie connections using the present invention . it should be recognised by one skilled in the art that this process violates the conventional premise of hierarchy design rules . this is due to the top level design is now creating shapes that potentially fall under the ownership of the children cells . which means that if the children cells change after this process has been run , accordingly , this process must be repeated or problems can occur . that is why this process should only occur after the lower level cells have stabilized and are no longer in danger of changing . one aspect of the method of the present invention will be to create ic chips having better performance in smaller more reliable packages . these ic chips are more dependable and less expensive to manufacture . other aspects of the method of the present invention can be included in an article of manufacture ( e . g ., one or more computer program products ) having , for instance , computer usable media . the media has embodied therein , for instance , computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the capabilities of the present invention . the article of manufacture can be included as a part of a computer system or sold separately . additionally , at least one program storage device readable by a machine , tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the capabilities of the present invention can be provided . the flow diagrams depicted herein are just examples . there may be many variations to these diagrams or the steps ( or operations ) described therein without departing from the spirit of the invention . for instance , the steps may be performed in a differing order , or steps may be added , deleted or modified . all of these variations are considered a part of the claimed invention . while the preferred embodiment to the invention has been described , it will be understood that those skilled in the art , both now and in the future , may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow . these claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described . | 6 |
fig4 shows a schematic diagram of a display reading apparatus according to the present invention . in fig4 numerals 101 , 102 , and 103 indicate fets ( field effect transistors ), and a numeral 104 indicates an organic el element . the organic el element 104 has an anode electrode made of transparent conductive material such as ito , which is connected to ground potential . the organic el element 104 further has a cathode electrode connected to a drain electrode of the fet 102 and a source electrode of the fet 103 . the fet 101 has a source electrode connected to a data line , a drain electrode connected to a gate electrode of the fet 102 , and a gate electrode connected to a scanning line . the fet 102 has a source electrode connected to a power source line which has a negative polarity . the fet 103 has a drain electrode connected to a lead line and a gate electrode connected to a scanning line . driving pulses are applied to the corresponding scanning , data , and lead lines , respectively . when the organic el element is directed to emit light , a pulsed positive voltage from the scanning line is applied to the gate of the fet 101 , and a pulsed positive voltage from the data line is applied to the source of the fet 101 , so that the gate electrode is opened . a current flows to the cathode electrode of the organic el element from the power source line to which a negative driving voltage has been previously applied . this current causes the el element to emit light . even if the vanishment of a pulse from the scanning line turns the fet 101 off , the electric charge stored on the gate of the fet 102 keeps the gate of the fet 102 open . the current then continues flowing through the organic el element , so that the light emission is sustained till the next scanning pulse is applied . in order to cease the emission of the organic el element , a negative pulsed voltage from the data line is applied to the fet 101 to drain the positive charge of the fet 101 from the gate of the fet 101 on applying a scanning pulse to the fet 101 , so that the current flowing through the organic el element is stopped . the above operation of the organic el element determines brightness levels of the emission as a function of the scanning cycles . on the other hand , in the case of optical writing to the organic el element , the irradiation of the organic el element with the light causes the organic el element to generate a voltage of the range of 1 . 5 - 2 v , which arises on the cathode electrode of the el element . if a scanning pulse is applied to the gate of the fet 103 , the voltage on the cathode electrode can be read out . in the case of the reading , a threshold voltage is provided to determine whether an output voltage from the el element corresponds to the light emission of the elements . the voltage from the el element is then stored in a frame memory , and is summed up every frame memory to obtain data for the optical writing . the optical writing data is displayed with the display data being overlapped thereon , by adding the data in the frame memory to the display data and then transferring the added data to a display panel . fig5 a and 5b show a display panel comprising a plurality of organic el elements arranged in a matrix and driving circuits , wherein the configuration shown in fig4 consists of a unit cell . fig5 a shows a diagram of the whole of the panel , and fig5 b is a diagram showing single organic el element which constitutes the panel 207 . referring to fig5 a , an input signal for the display on the panel 207 is supplied to an a / d ( analog - digital ) convertor 201 from a video reproducing apparatus ( not shown ) to be stored in a frame memory 203 . the data stored in the frame memory 203 is transferred to a writing circuit 205 , which then supplies the transferred data as a driving pulse to data lines in the panel 207 including the organic el elements in the matrix . on the other hand , a controller 204 controls a scanning circuit 206 to drive each of scanning lines in the panel 207 . as a result , the scanning and writing circuits causes each of the organic el element in the panel to emit light in accordance with the input signal . the scanning circuit 206 then scans a voltage on each of the lead lines , so that a reading circuit 208 can read out data from the lead line the read data is summed up in a memory 209 to be stored therein . the data stored in the memory 209 is summed up in a memory 203 to be stored therein . the controller 204 performs the above data sequence . the read data can achieve a voltage of about − 5v in the organic el element during the light emitting display period , a voltage of about − 2v in the organic el element which is irradiated by a light pen 210 , or a voltage of 0v in the remaining organic el elements . thus , a voltage induced by the light reception appears with the gate voltage overlaid thereon . in case where a comparator circuit is provided in the reading circuit , all of the organic el elements in the panel can be classified into three groups , i . e . one group of the el elements which emit light , a second group of the el elements which is irradiated with incoming light , and a third group of the remaining of the el elements , to read them out separately . furthermore , in the memory 203 , in addition to the input signals , the data which has been picked up by the reading circuit 208 is summed up through the memory 209 . thus , the memory 203 stores the data for causing the organic el elements to emit light in accordance with the input signal , and the data which has been generated by the light from the light pen 210 to be read out by the reading circuit 208 . the data stored in the memory 203 is used to control the light emission of the panel 207 using the writing circuit 205 . in other words , the image drawn by using the light pen 210 is overlapped on the display image based on the input signals , to display on the panel . it should be understood that the controller 204 can select only one image on the panel to display the image based on the input signals . referring to fig5 b , an organic el element 228 has an anode electrode connected to the ground and a cathode electrode connected to a source electrode of a fet 225 and a drain electrode of a fet 226 . the fet 225 further has a drain electrode connected to a lead line 222 and a gate electrode connected to a scanning line 221 . the fet 226 has a source electrode connected to a power source line 223 and a gate electrode connected to a drain electrode of a fet 227 . the fet 227 further has a source electrode connected to a data line 224 . the configuration described above constitutes a unit cell for the panel . thus , it is the panel 207 shown in fig5 a that comprises a desired number of unit cells arranged in the predetermined manner . in the operation of the organic el elements , when positive pulses are applied to the data line 224 and the scanning line 221 , respectively , the fet 227 is turned on , so that positive charge is supplied to the gate electrode of the fet 226 . the fet 226 then functions to cause a current to flow from the ground potential through the organic el element 228 to the negative power source line 223 . even if the application of the positive pulse to the fet 227 is terminated , while any charge remains on the gate electrode of the fet 227 , the fet 226 causes the driving current to flow through the organic el element 228 . with respect to an actual light emitting display , multiple brightness levels of the el element can be realized by varying the repetition number of pulses applied to the data line 224 and the scanning line 221 . in the embodiments shown in fig4 a , and 5 b , single organic el element consists of a unit pixel for the display . however , in the case of color display , it is noted that at least three of organic el elements , each of which corresponds to red ( r ), blue ( b ), and green ( g ) colors respectively , may consist of single unit pixel . the following description is made for explaining the operation for the ceasing the light emission . when a positive pulse is applied over the scanning line 221 , the application of a negative pulse to the data line 224 causes the fet 226 to discharge the electric charge on the gate electrode through the fet 227 to the data line 224 , so that the current flow across the organic el element is vanished to cease the light emission . in the operation for reading the organic el element shown in fig5 b , the application of a positive pulse to the scanning line 221 causes the gate of the pet 225 to be applied with the positive pulse , so that the fet 225 is turned on . the cathode voltage added on the gate voltage then appears on the lead line 222 . accordingly , the data in the organic el element can be read out by deriving the potential level of the lead line 222 to an external circuit . the present invention characterizes the configuration including organic el elements , a driving circuit , and a reading circuit , rather than the method for constituting the driving circuit . an apparatus of the present invention can perform not only data processing of a trace drawn by a light pen , but also the d lay of the image trace which is drawn by the light pen and overlapped on an image which has been previously drawn over the organic el panel 207 . in addition , by using the apparatus of the invention , it is possible to determine whether a light pen irradiate a programmed drawing , such as an icon for a computer , on an organic el panel . the above description has described the preferred embodiments of the present invention . the following description is made for explaining basic characteristics of an organic el element , in particular , charge absorption characteristics of an organic el element . organic el elements used in the following experiences comprises various kinds of layers deposited vertically in order , i . e . cupc / npabp / alq3 + dcjt / alq3 / lio / al , and each of the layer has the thickness of 0 . 18 μm . the organic el element has a light emitting area of 2 mm × 2 mm . two terminals of the organic el element are shortcircuited . till the current through the organic el element is equal or below 1 pa , the shortcircuit of the terminals is then maintained ( e . g . for five minutes ), so that electric charge in the organic el element is reduced . next , when a predetermined voltage is applied between the terminals to continue the application of the voltage , a large amount of current initially flow through the organic el element , and the amount of the current is gradually reduced to achieve a state of equilibrium . the amount of charge pumped into the organic el element is calculated , by subtracting the equilibrium current from the current achieved during the above measurement , and time - integrating the resultant current . fig6 a and 6b show the relationships between the current of the organic el element and time . fig6 a has a longitudinal axis indicative of the current level . the longitudinal axis indicates negative values , so that it is found that a current exits from the organic el element . fig6 b is a partial enlarged view of fig6 a , wherein a is the actual amount of the current of the organic el element , c is a calculated amount of the current , and numerals 1 , 2 , and 5 represent applied negative voltages , respectively . for example , a curved line a 1 in fig6 b represents the current characteristic to the applied voltage of − 1v . it is concluded that the organic el element is able to absorb the amount of charge proportional to the voltage . the following description is made for explaining an electric charge injection to the organic el element with white light . fig7 a shows the variation in the voltage generated in the organic el element with its terminals being released when white light having a brightness of substantially 1 , 000 cd / m 2 ( 1 . 6 mw / cm 2 ) irradiates the organic el element . fig7 a shows the variation caused due to the above operation . fig7 a shows the variation in the terminal voltage , in the case where the irradiation of the white light starts and is then stopped after the period of 90 seconds is elapsed . as a result , a voltage of 1 . 56v arises between the terminals of the organic el element by the irradiation of the white light of substantially 1 , 000 cd / m 2 . then , when the white light then is blocked , it is found that the voltage drop equals to about 0 . 2 v during the period of 200 seconds . this means that the organic el element has both of photosensitivity and memory storage capability . a curved line “ a ” in fig7 b represents the change in the current flowing through the organic el element irradiated by the white light with its terminals being shortcircuited . a curved line “ b ” in fig7 b indicates the change in the amount of the electric charge exiting from the organic el element , which is obtained by the integration of the above change in the current . fig8 shows the current characteristic of the organic el element , wherein a curved line “ a ” indicates the variation of the current flowing through the el element irradiated by the white light with its terminals being shortcircuited , a curved line “ b ” indicates the variation of the current flowing through the el element with its terminals being shortcircuited after the irradiation of the white light is ceased . described above , it is understood that the irradiation of the organic el element by the light produces electric charge within the organic el element , the organic el element holds the produced electric charge , and if necessary , the el element can discharge the electric charge externally . this means that the organic el element has photosensitivity and memory storage capability . accordingly , by utilizing these characteristics , a only single unit cell of the above organic el element can constitute a display panel which has more complex functions , such as optical writing capability , reading and transferring capability of the written image , and light emitting display capability than a conventional display panel . it is understood that the foregoing description and accompanying drawings set forth the preferred embodiments of the invention at the present time . various modifications , additions and alternative designs will , of course , become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing teachings without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention . thus , it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but may be practiced within the full scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 of the drawings , there is illustrated a leonard type elevator system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention as applied to an elevator system . however it is to be understood that the present invention is not restricted thereto or thereby . the arrangement illustrated comprises an ac source shown as being of a three phase type , and a converter 12 including of a plurality of semiconductor controlled rectifiers in this case thyristors , and having an input connected across the source 10 and an output connected across a series combination of a switch set 14 of a contactor ( not shown ) and a dc motor 16 for a hoist . the hoist includes a sheave 18 directly connected to a shaft 6 of dc motor and having a rope 20 trained over the same . the rope 20 is connected at one end to an elevator car 22 and at the other end to a counter weight 24 . the output of the converter 12 is also connected across a plurality of , in this case , three voltage dividing resistors 26a , 26b and 26c serially interconnected and included in a dc voltage detector generally designated by the reference numeral 26 . the dc voltage detector 26 further includes an operational amplifier 26d having a pair of inputs connected to the junction of the resistors 26a and 26b and that of the resistors 26b magnitude of and 26c respectively in the manner illustrated in fig1 and another operational amplifier 26e connected to the operational amplifier 26d . as shown in fig1 the operational amplifier 26e includes a pair of inputs connected to the output of the operational amplifier 26d through respective semiconductor diodes and resistors serially interconnected with the diodes having the opposite polarity to each other . thus the operational amplifier 26e is operative to produce an output corresponding to the absolute magnitudeof the output from the operational amplifier 26d . the source 10 is further connected to an ac voltage detector generally designated by the reference numeral 28 . the ac voltage detector 28 includes a step - down transformer 28a having a primary winding connected to the source 10 and therefore the ac side of the converter 12 and a secondary winding connected to a rectifier bridge 28b formed of semiconductor diodes , the bridge being subsequently connected across a potentiometer 28c provided with a movable tap . the movable tap on the potentiometer 28c is connected to a comparator generally designated by the reference numeral 30 . the comparator 30 includes a comparison amplifier 30a having a negative input coupled to the movable tap on the potentiometer 28c and also to a movable tap on a resistor 30b providing a point of reference potential . the comparison amplifier 30a includes a positive input connected to an output of the operational amplifier 26e in the dc voltage detector 26 to compare the voltages developed at the two inputs with each other . the amplifier 30a includes an output connected to a base electrode of a npn type transistor 30d in a common emitter circuit including a collector electrode connected to an operating relay winding 30c . the winding 30c is connected to the positive side of the dc source . relay winding 30c controls the energization of the contractor ( not shown ) controlling switch 14 so that when relay winding 30c is energized the contractor is deenergized and switch 14 is opened . assuming that the importance on the ac side and the commutation overlapping angle thereof extert only a negligible effect , the converter 12 has a maximum value output voltage edo expressed by where k designates a constant determined by the converter 12 and vac designates the effective value of the ac voltage applied across the converter 12 . also assuming that ed designates the output voltage from the converter 12 , the latter is controllable when the relationship edo & gt ; ed holds . in other words , it is not required to effect as emergency stop of the elevator car 22 as long as the relationship in the arrangement of fig1 the ac voltage detector 28 detects the ac voltage developed on the ac side of the converter 12 which is normally equal to the ac voltage across the source 10 . more specifically , the ac voltage is stepped down by the transformer 28a and full - wave rectified by the rectifier bridge 28b . thus the potentiometer 28c has developed thereacross a first dc voltage corresponding to the ac voltage . on the other hand , the dc voltage detector 26 detects the dc voltage developed on the dc side of the converter 12 to produce at the output of the operational amplifier 26e a second dc voltage providing a measure of the detected dc voltage . then the comparator 30 compares the first and second dc voltages with each other . it is to be noted that the switch 14 is in its closed position during the normal operation of the elevator car 22 . during the operation of the elevator car 22 , the voltage across the ac source 10 may be lowered to decrease the first dc voltage across the potentiometer 28c in the ac voltage detector 28 . under these circumstances , the output from the comparison amplifier 30a remains negative as long as the expression ( 2 ) holds . therefore the transistor 30d remains non - conducting preventing the energization of the relay winding 30c . thus the elevator car 22 continues to travel because the switch 14 is maintained in its closed position . on the contrary , if the ac voltage across the source 10 is lowered enough to fail to hold the expression ( 2 ) then the difference between the output from the operational amplifier 26e and the output from the potentiometer 28c exceeds the reference potential set by the resistor 30b . this causes the output from the comparison amplifier 30a the change from a negative to a positive polarity . when the output from the amplifier 30a changes to a positive polarity , the transistor 30d conducts to energize the relay winding 30c with the result that the contactor ( not shown ) is deenergized to bring the switch 14 into its open position . thereby the motor 16 disengages from the converter 12 while at the same time a brake ( not shown ) may on the act shaft 16 resulting in the emergency stoppage of the elevator car 22 . from the foregoing it is seen that in the arrangement of fig1 the circuit with the motor 16 is not uselessly opened as long as the converter 12 is able to controllably drive the dc motor . however if the converter 12 is unable to controllably drive the dc motor then the circuit with the motor 16 is immediately opened whereby the controlled rectifiers are prevented from destruction . fig2 wherein like reference numerals designate the components identical or corresponding to those shown in fig1 illustrates a modification of the present invention particularly suitable for use with elevator systems . the arrangement illustrated is different from that shown in fig1 only in that in fig2 a current detector generally designated by the reference numeral 32 is connected between the converter 12 and the voltage dividing resistor 26c and a regenerative mode sensor generally designated by the reference numeral 34 is connected to the current detector 32 to sense whether or not the converter 12 receives regenerative power from the dc motor . as shown in fig2 the current detector 32 includes an input resistor 32a connected between the converter 12 and the voltage dividing resistor 26c and hence the motor &# 39 ; s armature 16 , and a magnetic amplifier 32b of conventional construction connected across the input resistor 32a . the magnetic amplifier 32a is connected to a comparison amplifier 34a disposed in the regenerative mode sensor 34 . the comparison amplifier 34a includes a positive input connected to one of the pair of output terminals of the magnetic amplifier 32b and a negative input connected to the other output terminal of the magnetic amplifier 32b and also to ground . the regenerative mode sensor 34 further includes another comparison amplifier 34b including a positive input connected to the output of the operational amplifier 26d and a negative input connected to ground . then the outputs of the comparison amplifiers 34a and 34b are each connected to a pair of inputs to an exclusive &# 34 ; nor &# 34 ; circuit 34c respectively . the exclusive &# 34 ; nor &# 34 ; circuit 34c is connected at the output to the base electrode of a npn transistor 34d in a common emitter circuit including a collector electrode connected to the base electrode of the npn transistor 30d disposed in the comparator 30 . the current detector 32 is operative to detect the current flowing through the motor 16 while the regenerative mode sensor 34 is responsive to the outputs from current detector 32 and voltage detector 26 to determine if the converter 12 receives regenerative power from the dc motor . when the converter 12 provides generative power to the dc motor as determined by the regenerative mode sensor 34 , the transistor 34d is turned on . however when the regenerative mode sensor 34 has determined that the converter 12 receives regenerative power from the dc motor , the transistor 13d is put in its off state . it is assumed that , during the travel of the elevator car 22 , the ac voltage across the source 10 drops so that the outputs from the detectors 26 and 28 do not satisfy the expression ( 2 ). under the assumed condition , the transistor 30d included in the comparator 30 remains in its off state as long as the converter 12 provides generative power to the dc motor for the following reasons : with the converter 12 providing generative power to the dc motor , the output from the operational amplifier 26d in the voltage detector 26 has the same polarity as that from the magnetic amplifier 32b . therefore the exclusive &# 34 ; nor &# 34 ; circuit 34c delivers a high or positive output to the transistor 34d to cause the latter to conduct . under these circumstances , the transistor 30d remains nonconducting even though the comparison amplifier 30d provides an output with the positive polarity . therefore the relay winding 30c is kept deenergized to hold the main contactor ( not shown ) energized thereby to keep the contact set 14 in its closed position . on the other hand , when the converter 12 receives regenerative power from the dc motor , as determined by the regenerative mode sensor 34 , the output from the operational amplifier 26d is different in polarity from that provided by the magnetic amplifier 32b . this causes the exclusive &# 34 ; nor &# 34 ; circuit 34c to deliver a low or null output to the transistor 34d to maintain the latter in its off state . under these circumstances , when the output from the comparison amplifier 30d is changed to the positive polarity , the transistor 30d is turned on . thus the relay winding 30c is energized to deenergize the main contactor ( not shown ) thereby to put the switch 14 in its open position resulting in the stoppage of the elevator car . if the source voltage drops during the travel of the elevator car enough to fail to hold the expression ( 2 ), then the converter 12 is not able to controllably drive the dc motor but there is no fear that any of controlled rectifiers will be damaged . this is because , at that time , currents flowing through the controlled rectifiers immediately become null . when the source voltage is again restored to its normal magnitude , the converter 12 is again enabled . during the disabling of the converter 12 the elevator car 22 will freely fall in accordance with the relationship between loading on the car 22 and the weight of the counter weight 27 . if the source voltage is decreased for a short time interval then the elevator car 22 undergoes a small in change in speed , while if the decrease in source voltage continues for a long time interval then another safety device ( not shown ) installed on the elevator system is operated . thus the passenger or passengers in the elevator car 22 can be kept safe . accordingly it is not required to effect the emergency stoppage of the elevator car 22 as long as the converter 12 is operated in the conversion mode . from the foregoing it is seen that the present invention provides a leonard type elevator system operative to open the dc circuit with the dc motor when the difference between the voltage on the ac side of the converter and that on the dc side thereof exceeds a predetermined magnitude . therefore the controlled rectifiers disposed in the converter can be prevented from being damaged by opening the circuit with the dc motor only when the converter is not able to controllably drive the dc motor . also since the circuit with the dc motor is opened only when the converter receives regenerative power from the dc motor , any useless emergency stoppage of the elevator systems or the like to which the present invention is applied can be avoided . while the present invention has been illustrated and described in conjunction with a few preferred embodiments thereof it is to be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 8 |
with reference initially to fig1 a navigation device of the present invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 . as illustrated , navigation device 10 has a housing 12 , adapted to rest on a surface . navigation device 10 has a front face 14 , including an input area comprised of a keypad 16 with keys 18 , and a display designated generally by reference numeral 20 , having a display screen 22 . it should be understood that the structure of navigational device 10 is shown as illustrative of one type of navigational device . other physical structures , such as a portable handheld unit , are contemplated and within the scope of this invention . as illustrated in the block diagram of fig3 navigation device 10 of the present invention includes a processor , designated by reference numeral 24 . keypad 16 and display 20 , as well as memory 26 and an antenna 28 , are connected to processor 24 , as shown . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , and as described in detail below , display 20 displays navigational information , such as navigational route and / or landmark or hazard information , with certain selected waypoints being designated by an abbreviated character string , as generated by the device 10 . with reference to fig2 a prior art method for displaying navigation data is shown and described . in the prior art example shown in fig2 a user of a prior art navigation device has entered two waypoints , namely , waypoint 001 and waypoint 002 . a line 32 , indicative of a navigational route from waypoint 001 to weight point 002 , is shown on the display screen 30 . conventional prior art navigation devices identify waypoints in the manner illustrated in fig2 . in particular , in conventional prior art navigation devices , each entered waypoint is designated a number , with each subsequently entered waypoint being designated the next sequential number . while such an approach is useful for distinguishing one waypoint from another , it is seen that this approach does not readily indicate to the operator the actual geographical location of the selected waypoint 001 or 002 . in an effort to overcome this disadvantage , many prior art devices provide for an input interface which permits an operator to define a character string which is indicative of the geographical location of the selected waypoint . however , such prior art devices , due to hardware and space constraints , often require the operator to mentally determine an appropriate abbreviation for a geographical name . additionally , the operator must individually select each character of the abbreviation and enter it into the device for association with the selected waypoint . accordingly , this process is extremely time consuming and requires the operator to execute a significant number of input operations . with additional reference now to fig4 and 5 , operation of the present invention is illustrated and described . in operation , when an operator enters a waypoint in a conventional manner , processor 24 determines the geographical location of the selected waypoint ( e . g ., the latitude and longitude ), and determines whether there is a name , stored in memory , associated with the selected geographical location . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , in the event there is no geographical location name stored in memory in association with the selected waypoint location , then processor 24 corresponds a numerical indicia with the selected waypoint , and stores that numerical indicia in memory , and / or displays it on the display screen 22 . alternatively , the operator may select a conventional prior art feature for retrieving a list of alphabetic characters , and creating a character string indicative of the selected waypoint location . with reference to fig5 when processor 24 determines that there is a geographical name stored in memory in association with the selected waypoint location , processor 24 retrieves from memory the name ( e . g ., the character string ) associated with the waypoint , as indicated at step 40 of fig5 . as indicated at step 42 , processor 24 then determines whether the character string fits within a desired number of spaces for the character sting . in this regard , it will be understood and appreciated that space constraints on display screen 22 , as well as memory constraints , require a maximum limitation in the number of characters to be included in a character string . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , the maximum number of characters permitted in a character string is six , although it will be appreciated that another number of characters could be selected . when processor 24 determines at step 42 that the character string does not fit within the maximum number of spaces permitted in the character string , processing advances to step 43 , where processor 24 eliminates any special characters ( such as colons , apostrophes , slashes , etc .) in the character string . elimination of special characters occurs by processing the string from the right hand edge of the character string to the left hand edge , such that , once the string of characters fits within the desired number of spaces , no further special characters will be eliminated . once any and all special characters have been eliminated from the character string , the processor again determines , as indicated at step 44 , whether the now abbreviated character string fits within the maximum number of spaces permitted in the character string . in the event the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processing advances to step 45 , where the processor eliminates double consonants from the character string . again , in the process of eliminating double consonants , processor 24 works from the right most character of the character string to the left most character . as this process is carried out in the preferred embodiment , at any point at which one of a pair of double consonants is removed and the resulting abbreviated character string fits within the selected number of spaces , no additional double consonant pairs are processed . once any and all double consonants are eliminated from the character string , processing advances to step 46 where it is determined whether the character string fits within the maximum number of spaces . if the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processor advances to step 48 , where processor 24 eliminates blanks in the character string . in accordance with the preferred principles of the present invention , the processing step 48 for eliminating blanks in the character string works from the right hand edge of the character string to the left hand edge . in this regard , each time a blank space is eliminated , the processor again determines whether the character string fits within the desired number of spaces . thus , in the case where there are multiple blanks within a character string , it may not be necessary to eliminate all spaces before the resulting abbreviated character string fits within the desired number of spaces . once any and all blanks have been eliminated from the character string at step 48 , if the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , as determined at step 50 , processing advances to step 51 , where processor 24 eliminates any double vowels from the character string . in this regard , elimination of double vowels involves removal of one vowel of a pair of adjacent like vowels . again , as with other processing steps , the elimination of double vowels involves processing the character string from the right hand edge to the left hand edge , such that when removal of one vowel of a pair of double vowels results in the character string fitting within the desired number of spaces , no additional vowel pairs need be processed . when , however , any and all double vowels have been processed , and the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processing advances to step 53 , where processor 24 removes vowels from the character string . again , processor 24 works from the right most character in the string to the left most character , and removes vowels one at a time . as will by now be understood , in the event a vowel is removed and the resulting character string fits within the maximum number of spaces , no additional vowels will be removed from the string . once any and all vowels have been removed from the character string at step 53 , processing advances to step 54 , where it is again determined whether the character string fits within the maximum number of spaces permitted in a character string . in the event the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processing advances to step 56 to again remove any double consonants in the same manner as previously described . in this regard , it will be appreciated that the removal of vowels may have resulted in like consonants being paired adjacent each other . once again , this processing is carried out from the right hand most character of the string , to the left , and will stop once the string fits within the maximum number of characters . upon removal of any double consonants at step 56 , processor 24 again determines at step 58 whether the resulting character string fits within the maximum number of spaces . when it is determined that the character string still does not fit within the maximum number of spaces , processing proceeds to step 60 , where processor 24 removes a letter at the right of a character string . as illustrated by step 60 and 62 , letters will continuously be dropped from the right hand edge of the character string until the character string fits within the maximum number of spaces permitted for a character string . as illustrated in fig5 at any point during the process at which the character string fits within the maximum number of spaces permitted , processing advances to step 64 , where processor 24 determines whether the character string is the same as another character string corresponding to a different waypoint . this processing step is a safeguard to prevent two different waypoints from having the same abbreviated name . when it is determined at step 64 that this character string has the same name as another character string , processing advances to step 66 , and the right most character of the character string is replaced with a number . as will be understood , in the event a subsequent character string also matches the character string , then processing step 66 will add the next sequential number to the end of that particular character string . when , however , it is determined at processing step 64 that this character string is not matched by another character string , processing advances to step 68 where the character string is stored in memory and / or displayed on the display screen in association with the selected waypoint . with reference to fig4 an illustration of the abbreviation process just described is applied to a waypoint named &# 34 ; hillsdale lake &# 34 ;. as illustrated , hillsdale lake is two words that are longer than the desired number of spaces permitted for a cartographic marker character string . accordingly , during processing step 45 of fig5 &# 34 ; hillsdale lake &# 34 ; is abbreviated to &# 34 ; hilsdale lake &# 34 ; ( double consonant eliminated ). since hilsdale lake still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , namely six , working from the right hand edge of that character string , blanks are eliminated , resulting in hilsdalelake . since hilsdalelake still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processor 24 removes vowels from the character string , in accordance with processing step 53 , thus resulting in hlsdllk . since hlsdllk still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , the double consonants resulting from removal of vowels are processed so that one of the consonants of the pair of double consonants is removed , resulting in an abbreviated character string hlsdlk . since hlsdlk is within the desired number of spaces , that character string is useful as an abbreviated cartographic marker name for the selected waypoint , so long as it does not match a previous abbreviated name . as illustrated in fig1 display screen 22 of navigation device 10 illustrates a waypoint with the cartographic marker hlsdlk , and another waypoint i35 . it should be understood that certain character strings will not have special characters , and / or blanks , and / or double consonants , and / or double vowels , and / or vowels , and in such an event processing steps for eliminating those occurrences are bypassed . additionally , it should be understood that the sequence of processing described herein could be changed . however , the process described is the preferred process , and has been found to result in abbreviated character strings which retain enough of the substance of the original character string to allow a user to readily identify the geographical location associated with a waypoint . additionally , in accordance with another advantage of the present invention , in the event an abbreviated cartographic marker name generated by the present invention is undesirable to the operator , the operator may quickly and easily edit the abbreviated character string by changing one or more characters in the string , through the use of conventional interface techniques . even in such a circumstance , the number of in put operations needing to be executed are substantially less than required for defining and inputting the entire character string . from the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure . it will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations . this is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims . since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof , it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative , and not in a limiting sense . | 6 |
in the following , functionally similar or identical elements may have the same reference numerals . the terms “ light ”, “ lighting unit ” and “ luminairy ” relate in the following to the same . fig1 shows a lighting system 10 with several luminaries 14 . operation of the luminaries 14 can be controlled , for example the lighting color , the dimming level , the saturation . the luminaries 14 may contain several color leds ( light emitting diodes ) for generating a colored lighting . for controlling the luminaries 14 , a central lighting controller 26 is provided , which may be implemented by a standard personal computer ( pc ), which is configured by a program implementing control functionality of the luminaries , or a lighting controller comprising a processor or microcontroller , which are also configured by a program to implement the control functionality for the luminaries . the central lighting controller 26 can control one , several or all luminaries by transmitting control commands to the luminaries , or to a lighting controller ( not shown ), switched between the luminaries 14 and the central lighting controller 26 as a further control instance . the central lighting controller 26 is also configured to create lighting scenes with the luminaries 14 . a lighting scene contains presets of some or all luminaries 14 . the presets may contain the lighting color and dimming level of the luminaries 14 in order to create a desired lighting scene . a lighting scene may be created by a user via a user interface ( ui ) 24 or connected to the central lighting controller . the ui 24 may be for example formed by a program executed by a mobile device such as a pda ( personal digital assistant ), smartphone , laptop . the mobile device may be connected to the central lighting controller via a data connection 28 , for example a lan ( local area network ) or wlan . an example of a mobile device is a smartphone , which is connected to a wlan and executes a lighting system access applet , which creates the ui 24 for the lighting system 10 . since it is often a tedious task to create a lighting scene to be rendered with a complex lighting system , lighting scenes may also be received from for example professional lighting designers or lighting system vendors . since lighting scenes are datasets , they may be for example downloaded by a user via the data connection 28 from a server ( not shown ), for example a webserver , to the central lighting controller 26 . presets of lighting scenes ( either user created or downloaded ) may be stored in a preset database 16 of the lighting system controller . the presets are adapted to the instances of the concrete luminaries 14 of the lighting system 10 . this is important when a user downloads a lighting scene , since the downloaded lighting scene is usually not adapted to the concrete lighting system , but contains merely an abstract description of a lighting scene , which may then be automatically transferred to the concrete lighting system 10 . systems and methods for such an automatic transfer of an abstract lighting atmosphere or scene description into a control set for an instance of a lighting system are offered by the applicant and subject to further patent applications of the applicant . the central lighting controller 26 comprises a further luminaries data database 12 , which contains data of the luminaries 14 . the contained data particularly comprises information about the energy consumption of each luminary 14 and may contain further information such as about the functionality of each luminary 14 . a third database 20 of the central lighting controller 26 contains the actual energy costs , which may also be downloaded from a server , for example a webserver , which hosts a database with the energy costs . it should be noted that all databases 12 , 16 , and 20 must not be part of the central lighting controller 26 , but may be for example also offered by separate servers , for example webservers in the internet , home servers , or simple pcs acting as a kind of server for the central lighting controller 26 . for example , a user may execute the databases 16 and 20 in her / his pc , which may be connected to the internet , and download new lighting scenes or update the energy costs from time to time by starting a program on her / his pc for managing the databases 16 and 20 . this pc may be connected to a lan or wlan of the user in her / his home , to which also the central lighting controller 26 is connected in order to access the databases 16 and 20 on the pc . as mentioned above , the central lighting controller 26 may comprise a user interface ( ui ) 24 . over the ui 24 , a user may control for example the creation of a lighting scene with the lighting system 10 . when a user wishes to create a certain lighting scene , she / he can for example select one of the lighting scenes stored in the lighting scene database 16 . after selection of a lighting scene , a calculation module 18 of the central lighting controller 26 processes the selected lighting scene according to the following algorithm , a flowchart of which is shown in fig2 : the calculation module 18 retrieves the data of the luminaries required for the creation of the selected lighting scene from the first database 12 ( step s 10 ). then , the module 18 retrieves the lighting presets for the selected lighting scene from the preset database 16 ( step s 12 ), and retrieves the actual energy costs from the energy costs database 20 ( step s 14 ). after retrieving all of these data , the calculation module 18 begins to process a model of the lighting system &# 39 ; s behaviour ( step s 16 ) based on the retrieved lighting presets and calculates an estimated energy consumption and the costs for the selected lighting scene based on the modeling . the behaviour model is processed based on the presets contained in the lighting scene and may take static and dynamic lighting into account . thus , the model may be time dependent . the result of this estimated energy consumption calculation is then displayed on the ui 24 ( step s 18 ), before the user may finally select the lighting scene for creation . when the lighting scene is created by the lighting system 10 , the calculation module 18 may still work in the background and update the energy consumption and costs displayed with the ui 24 . the central lighting controller 26 is also adapted to create lighting programs with the lighting system 10 . a lighting program in the context of this invention is a playlist of lighting scenes . for example , a lighting program for an office space may comprise the following data : a user may also select such a lighting program via the user interface 24 with the central lighting controller 26 . the calculation module 18 may then calculate the energy consumption for the selected lighting program by calculating the energy consumption for every lighting scene contained in the program as explained above . furthermore , the calculation module 18 may calculate the energy costs by taking the time span of each lighting scene contained in the selected lighting program into account . additionally , a user may set an energy target , which should be met by a lighting created with the lighting system 10 . energy target may mean an energy consumption or energy cost target . the user selects via the ui 24 of the central lighting controller 26 the menu for energy target lighting creation and enters a given energy target , for example in terms of maximum energy costs or energy consumption of the lighting system . for example , a user may enter the total costs for lighting for a day , week or month . also , the user may enter whether a lighting scene or a lighting program should be created by the lighting system 10 . the inputted energy target serves as the starting point for lighting creation , as is described in the following : the calculation module 18 communicates to a lighting scene selector module 22 the input energy target together with the inputted selection lighting scene or program . the lighting scene selector module 22 then automatically selects one or more lighting scenes from a set of lighting scenes , which are stored in the lighting system 10 or on a server accessible over the data connection 28 . if the user selected a lighting scene selection , the module 22 selects only lighting scenes , which are suitable to meet the inputted energy target by calculating the energy consumption for each lighting scene and selecting each lighting scene with an energy consumption lower than or equal to the energy target . if the user selected a lighting program selection , the module 22 selects either a stored lighting program , which meets the energy target by calculating the energy consumption of a lighting program with the calculation module 18 and as described above , or the module 22 automatically selects a number of lighting scenes and creates a lighting program from the selected lighting scenes , with which the energy target may be met . for example , when a user inputted as an energy target a maximum cost amount per day and lighting program , the module 22 may automatically select suitable lighting scenes and create the lighting program in that it automatically determines for how long certain lighting scenes are active during the day in order to meet the energy target costs . for example , when a user inputted as energy cost target 470 euro / month for an office space , the lighting scene selector module 22 may automatically create the following playlist of lighting scenes as lighting program for a day in order to meet the energy cost target : even if all lights are switched off in the times 12 pm - 8 am and 8 pm - 12 pm , energy is consumed for example by the central lighting controller 26 so that the costs are not 0 . thus , the lighting system 10 offers a user also to create lighting scenes or programs by taking energy aspects into account . thus , the invention may improve the creation of lighting with lighting systems . the invention can be applied to all lighting system being adapted to create lighting scenes . at least some of the functionality of the invention may be performed by hard - or software . in case of an implementation in software , a single or multiple standard microprocessors or microcontrollers may be used to process a single or multiple algorithms implementing the invention . it should be noted that the word “ comprise ” does not exclude other elements or steps , and that the word “ a ” or “ an ” does not exclude a plurality . furthermore , any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention . | 7 |
referring to fig1 an exploded view of an optical data storage device is shown . a loader assembly 160 is positioned over the spindle motor 110 within the base plate 102 . the loader assembly 160 accepts a cartridge containing a shuttle with disk , and the disk cartridge is used to minimize contamination by keeping a disk out of reach of a user at all times . in one implementation , the read / write head is a “ flying ” head which is suspended over an optical media by an air - bearing surface in a near - field recording configuration where the phasing between an exit facet of the flying head and a recording layer in the media is a fraction of a wavelength . the flying head includes a near - field lens with a high index of refraction and usually has a near - field condition . a focus beam with a spot size smaller than that obtainable from a conventional optical system is achieved due to the use of this high index solid immersion lens as the near - field lens . the optical read / write head of this embodiment is described in more detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 846 , 916 , entitled “ electro - optical storage system with flying head or near - field recording and reading ,” filed on apr . 29 , 1997 and issued as u . s . pat . no . 6 , 243 , 350 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herewith by reference . referring back to fig1 a data storage device base assembly 100 is shown . the assembly 100 has a base plate 102 which is adapted to receive a spindle motor 110 . the spindle motor 110 rotates one or more data storage media such as optical disks or platters ( not shown ). the spindle motor 110 is attached to the base plate 102 . also attached to the base plate 102 is the actuator assembly 150 with an actuator body 180 , arm 170 , and a “ flying ” head 178 . the flying head 178 is suspended over the optical media by an air - bearing surface in a near - field recording configuration . a rotary actuator is used as a coarse positioned for the data storage drive , although other positioning devices may also be used . an optics module containing the flying head is attached to an actuator arm 170 of the actuator assembly 150 . any user data sector on the optical media may be addressed with a read / write beam by adjusting the rotary actuator and turning a galvo mirror ( not shown ). the actuator assembly 150 is described in more detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 205 , 350 , entitled “ voice coil motor assembly ” filed on dec . 3 , 1998 and abandoned . the flying head 178 accesses an optical media on a platter ( not shown ) which can be writable / erasable materials ( i . e ., write - many - read - many ), write - once - read - many materials , and read - only materials . the writable / erasable materials are the magneto - optic type , including but not limited to , rare earth materials . the ramp motion mechanism 200 is attached to base plate 102 to provide a pathway for loading and unloading flying head 178 . in one embodiment , the ramp motion mechanism 200 is made of plastic . to complete the assembly 100 , a cover 190 is screwed into the base plate 102 . further , a face plate assembly 195 is mounted to the front of the base plate 102 to provide data access information to the user through light - emitting diodes ( leds ). fig2 shows a detailed blown - up view of the actuator assembly 150 and the ramp motion mechanism 200 . the ramp motion mechanism 200 includes a stationary ramp , also called the static ramp or the support base , 210 , and a dynamic ramp nose , or fork , 220 . actuator assembly 150 includes the actuator arm 170 , lifter 202 , and the read / write head 178 . read / write head 178 is described as a flying head above , but it can be a number of other commercially available read / write heads . in loading or unloading operations , lifter 202 contacts surface 680 , which is a part of the static ramp 210 , and surface 685 , which is a part of the nose 220 , as shown in fig6 a . for dual read / write heads , the bottom surface 695 of the nose 220 and a corresponding part ( not shown ) of the static ramp 210 will also be used . referring to fig3 the ramp motion mechanism 200 is shown in the top view , with ramp nose 220 in extended position . the ramp motion mechanism 200 has two stable positions , retracted and extended positions . these two positions are distinguished by the position of the ramp nose 220 relative to the static ramp 210 . ramp nose 220 slides between the two ends of the channel 320 situated on the top surface of the static ramp 210 . at end 330 of channel 320 , the ramp nose 220 is in retracted position . at end 340 of channel 320 , the ramp 220 is in extended position . in the retracted position , the ramp nose 220 is inward on the static ramp 210 . in the retracted position , the ramp motion mechanism 200 provides maximum clearance for a disk cartridge to move into a loaded position . channel end 330 stops the motion of the ramp nose 220 . in the extended position the ramp nose 220 is extended out from the static ramp 210 . the ramp motion mechanism 200 is held in this position to provide a pathway for the read / write head 178 to load smoothly onto the disk . the accurate positioning and angular orientation of the ramp nose 220 are important because they control the landing site of the read / write head 178 . the ramp nose 220 is accurately controlled by the way it “ docks ” with the static ramp 210 . the surfaces and shapes of the static ramp 210 and ramp nose 220 are such that the position and angular orientation of the ramp nose are controlled completely in all six positional and angular degrees of freedom ( the three axes and three angles ). this is accomplished by means of the applied force and reaction forces that push on the ramp nose to be explained infra . the ramp nose 220 is held in one of these two positions by the force exerted by lever 310 . lever 310 in one implementation is attached to the base plate of the disk drive and is therefore also called plate lever . at the other end of lever 310 there is a spring torsion 320 . as lever 310 moves from end 330 to end 340 , or vice versa , spring 320 passes a center position , on either side of which spring 320 produces a force to push lever 310 until lever 310 is stopped by the ramp motion mechanism 200 . in one embodiment , lever 310 is made of metal . fig4 a — 4 c show the perspective , top , and side views of the ramp motion mechanism 200 respectively . fig5 shows the top view of the ramp nose 220 . ramp nose 220 has loop 410 , which is where lever 310 applies a force . fig6 a shows the contact surface 680 , which is a part of static ramp 210 , and contact surface 685 , which a part of nose 220 . in loading and unloading , lifter 202 contacts surfaces 680 and 685 . the distal end 690 of nose 220 is at a shallow angle of 20 degrees or less for loading and unloading a read / write head 178 . fig6 b shows the ramp motion mechanism 200 in the extended position as it is ready to load into and unload from disk 610 . fig6 c shows the ramp motion mechanism 200 in the retracted position . fig7 a and 7b show a plurality of reaction pads present on the ramp nose 220 to provide reaction forces that push on the ramp nose 220 as it receives a force from lever 310 at location 710 . reaction pads 720 and 715 are on one side of the nose 220 , and reaction pads 725 , 730 , 740 , and 745 are on the other side of the nose 220 . as lever 310 applies a force to nose 220 at location 710 , reaction forces to this applied force are located at the reaction pads on both sides of nose 220 . these pads dock the ramp nose 220 in the desired position and angular orientation . the ramp nose 220 is precisely controlled by the way it “ docks ” with static ramp 210 . the surfaces and shapes of the static ramp 210 and ramp nose 220 are such that the position and angular orientation of the ramp nose 220 are controlled completely in six degrees of freedom in three dimensions . thus , the ramp motion mechanism 200 provides precise , repeatable pathway for loading and unloading read / write head 178 unto and from disk 610 . although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments therein , one ordinarily skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will appreciate that various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims . for example , the ramp motion mechanism can be used to engage two or more read / write head simultaneously attached to the actuator to access information of two or more recording disks . | 6 |
in fig1 and 2 there is illustrated an aircraft comprising a ducted propeller unit generally indicated at 10 having a shroud indicated generally at 11 which carries a cabin 12 at a position forward of a propeller 13 within the shroud . also carried by the shroud is a mainplane 14 , a pair of fins 15 carried by twin booms 16 extending from the mainplane 14 , and a tailplane 17 . the aircraft has an undercarriage 18 . the mainplane fin and tailplane are respectively provided with roll 19 , yaw 20 and pitch 21 control surfaces , as is conventional referring now to fig3 the ducted propeller unit is seen to comprise the propeller 13 carried for rotation by and within the shroud 11 which is of streamlined , quasi - aerofoil section . to a leading portion 22 of the shroud , which includes an annular main spar 23 , the cabin 12 is attached by means of load - bearing elements 24 hereinafter referred to as cabin stator blades . the stator blades 24 are constructed with a transverse ( in the sense of the airflow through the duct ) crosssectional area as small as possible consistent with their load - bearing function and are profiled for minimum disturbance of the airflow through the duct . the illustrated arrangement of five equi - spaced , radially directed stator blades 24 is shown solely for the purpose of explanation and the actual number , spacing and orientation of stator blades to be used in any particular embodiment of an aircraft according to the invention will be dependent upon numerous factors apparent to those skilled in the art . the main spar 23 in the leading portion 22 of the shroud is contiguous with the main spar of the mainplane 14 . aft of the spar 23 , however , there is mounted on the leading portion 22 a vibration - isolating mount comprising mountings 25 , by which is carried on the leading portion 22 a trailing portion 26 of the shroud 11 . the trailing portion itself supports a nacelle 27 through aft stator blades 28 , the nacelle housing a prime mover 29 to which the propeller 13 is directly mounted . in a variant a further prime mover 30 located in the cabin 12 is connected to the propeller 13 by way of a flexible coupling 31 . in this way , the aircraft includes an &# 34 ; engine pod &# 34 ; comprising the propeller 13 , prime mover 29 , nacelle 27 , aft stator blades 28 , and shroud trailing portion 26 , which pod is carried on the shroud leading portion 22 and isolated in vibration from the remainder of the airframe by the mount , but which can vibrate as a whole thereby reducing the likelihood of the tips of the propeller blades fouling the surrounding portion of the shroud trailing portion 26 . likewise , stresses leading to elastic deformation of the leading portion 22 of the shroud , i . e . the primary shroud structure , should not be transferred to the shroud trailing portion 26 . where the further prime mover 30 is provided , it is mounted on flexible mountings ( not shown ) within the cabin 12 and the flexible coupling 31 permits it to vibrate relative to the propeller 13 . there is then provided within the hub 32 of the propeller 13 means ( not shown ) for disconnecting the drive of either one of the prime movers 29 and 30 e . g . in the event of engine failure . in use of the aircraft , the blades of the propeller 13 impel ambient air through the annular duct 33 defined between the shroud 11 , the hub 32 , the cabin 12 and the nacelle 27 thereby to generate thrust for flight . as illustrated in fig4 each vibration - isolating mounting 25 comprises a bracket 34 on the leading portion 22 of the shroud connected to a bracket 35 on the shroud trailing portion 26 by means of a nut and bolt 36 retained by a split pin 37 . while the bolt is received in a close - fitting aperture in the bracket 35 , the aperture in the bracket 34 on the leading portion 22 of the shroud is much larger than the cross - section of the bolt 36 thereby permitting a degree of movement between the leading and trailing shroud portions . this movement is controlled by a pair of annular mounting blocks 38 of tough , elastomeric material held by the brackets 34 and 35 and a spacer 39 around the bolt 36 . bonded to each of the blocks 38 is a steel flat washer 40 and a shaped collar 41 which is received snugly within the aperture of the bracket 34 . the spacer 39 prevents over - tightening of the bolt 36 . the mounting blocks 38 are supplied by the lord corporation of u . s . a . and their construction will be familiar to those skilled in the art . as best seen in fig4 in a further precaution against fouling of the shroud by the tips of the propeller blades , the portion of the shroud , which lies in the plane of the fan incorporates a substantially rigid , circular ring 42 of box - section to permit a constant close clearance to be maintained between the blade tips 43 and the surrounding shroud structure . positioned into the portion of this ring 42 which is immediately adjacent to the propeller blade tips is an annulus 44 of rigid polyurethane foam or like soft but rigid material of radial thickness about 12 mm which will not cause damage to the blade tips in the ( unlikely ) event of contact occurring under extreme aerodynamic or other loading . the working clearance between the blade tips 43 and the shroud interior skin 45 is typically in the region of 1 to 2 mm for each meter of the propeller diameter . as is apparent from fig1 and 2 , the primary load path between the mainplane and the remainder of the aircraft illustrated therein for the passage in particular of wing torsional and bending stresses is effected not between the wing roots and a fuselage structure as in prior , ducted propeller - equipped aircraft , but between the wing roots and the leading portion 22 of the streamlined shroud 11 . from fig5 it will be appreciated that the main spar 23 of the shroud and a main spar 46 of the mainplane form a continuous load - bearing structure extending inboard from one wing - tip 47 , all around the shroud 11 , and then outboard to the other wing - tip 48 , which structure is a distinctive feature of the illustrated aircraft and would be present where another type of primary structure is employed , be it of single spar , multiple spar or any other construction . in the illustrated embodiments , the main spar 23 within the shroud 11 is in the form of a built - up , circular frame with a stub 49 of a mainplane spar rigidly attached at either side . the joint at each wing root between the spar 23 and stub 49 is permanent and , if detachable wings are desired , then each mainplane spar 46 could be detachably jointed e . g . where indicated at xx in fig5 to its respective stub 49 . many of the components of the second aircraft , as shown in fig6 and 7 , are common to those of the aircraft first illustrated and like reference numerals are employed to identify such components . the aircraft has a cabin unit 50 , including the cabin 12 , forward of the propeller 13 and a single boom 51 extending aft of the shroud 11 which carries a tailplane 17 and a single fin 15 , the cabin unit 50 being connected to the shroud 11 by cabin stators as described above , the mainplane 14 being supported by the shroud 11 in like manner to that shown in fig5 and the boom 51 being carried by aft stators as described below with reference to fig8 and 9 . the propeller may be driven by any suitable type of prime mover and , as shown in fig8 and 9 , for increased power and safety by a pair of engines 29 and 30 respectively behind and one in front of the propeller 13 . in such a case there may be provision , as mentioned above with reference to fig3 for disconnecting the drive of either engine , e . g . in the event of its failure . in the variant illustrated in fig9 there are two propellers 52 and 53 in series each driven by its own engine 29 and 30 respectively in place of the single propeller 13 of fig3 and 8 . the propellers in this case may be driven in contra - rotation , a technique known per se , but it is also proposed for each propeller 52 and 53 to be driven by its respective engine 29 and 30 so as to rotate in the same sense as the other with provision for synchronising the rotation of the propellers . the latter case may have no advantages over contrarotation from the points of view of thrust production or safety , but it is believed that such an arrangement may permit quieter operation . to overcome any potential &# 34 ; vibration &# 34 ; problems , the or each propeller runs in bearings separated from the or each engine by which it is driven , the propeller being connected to the engine by way of a flexible shaft coupling ( shown as 54 and 55 in the drawing ). to maintain a constant clearance between the shroud 11 and the blade tips 43 irrespective of the deflection of the shroud , the propeller can be encompassed by a rigid ring such as is described above in connection with fig4 . it will be appreciated that an arrangement such as is shown in fig3 and 4 in which the propeller is mounted directly on to the prime mover could be employed in an aircraft as shown in fig6 and 7 by supporting the single tail boom 51 on the front portion 22 of the shroud . again , the arrangement of fig8 or 9 could replace the fig3 arrangement in the fig1 and 2 aircraft . as will be appreciated , to eliminate turbulent mainplane airflow from entering the duct 33 it is greatly to be preferred that the chord of the mainplane is no greater than that of the shroud and that the leading edge of the mainplane does not lie forward of the leading edge of the shroud . however , if circumstances dictate that the mainplane chord exceed the shroud chord , then it may be possible to employ a construction such as that illustrated in fig1 or fig1 . in fig1 , the mainplane has convergent roots 56 whilst in fig1 , which is believed to represent the more favorable of the two constructions , the chord of the mainplane is effectively maintained by the use of two aft fillets 57 , interconnecting the mainplane 14 and the boom 51 at each side thereof . the thickness of such fillets , which as shown in fig1 terminate only a short way into the duct 33 is considerably less than that of the mainplane 14 in its root regions and in this sense they are analogous to the above - mentioned aft stator blades . if structurally , they serve to replace two of the aft stator blades nevertheless they do not assume the stated function of the shroud to bear the bending and torsional stresses of the mainplane . it is also conceivable that a pair of forward fillets 58 could be provided and if so could replace two of the cabin stators . such an arrangement , however , would almost certainly generate some turbulent airflow within the duct 33 which , if significant , would render the arrangement unacceptable . the shroud 11 could be extended locally to form fences to prevent wing - induced vortices rolling into the duct 33 . in each aircraft embodiment described above , the duct 33 is free from exposure to any portion of the turbulent airflow emanating from the mainplane 14 during flight . this affords greater propulsive efficiency and lower noise generation than is possible with the prior art aircraft mentioned above . the only structure within or immediately upstream of the duct having an effect upon the airflow incident to the propeller ( s ) is the structure of the cabin stator blades 24 the smooth , inner skin 45 of the shroud 11 , the exterior surface of the cabin 12 and unit 50 and , in the example of fig7 the fillets 58 , each of which structures is configured for minimal disturbance of the duct airflow . the cumulative effect of these structures is very much less than that of a mainplane disposed upstream of the duct as in the prior art . furthermore , it is preferred that at least that portion of the cabin 12 or cabin unit 50 which is immediately upstream of the propeller duct is of smooth profile , and most preferably of circular or near - circular , cross - section , in order to minimize the effect of its presence upon the flow through the duct . the embodiment of fig1 has a ducted propeller 59 within the span of each wing 62 of the mainplane , ( only one being shown in full in the figure ). the installation of each ducted propeller between two portions of the span of the mainplane is entirely analogous to the central installation of the ducted propeller in the embodiments described above with reference to fig1 to 11 , each power plant having a nacelle 60 for an engine . unlike the earlier - described embodiments the aircraft of fig1 has a conventional fuselage 61 . repetition of description in relation to this embodiment is deemed to be unnecessary . it has previously been proposed to use a ducted propeller in substitution for a conventional , unshrouded propeller in applications where the &# 34 ; swirl &# 34 ; generated by an unshrouded propeller is unwelcome . such applications include crop spraying and training aircraft . the aircraft according to the present invention will therefore find application in these fields as well as in applications where excellent visibility is required , such as for miscellaneous ground - observing tasks . | 1 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , the carpet film applicator of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 . film applicator 10 includes a frame 12 , a push handle 14 , an intermediate handle 15 and a film roll dispenser 16 which holds a film roll 18 . the film roll dispenser 16 allows the film roll 18 to freely turn to dispense the plastic film 20 . plastic film 20 may be a polyethylene film with a low - tack adhesive backing to hold the film in place once it has been applied to a carpeted or other surface . polyethylene film is widely used to protect carpeted surfaces because it is relatively thin and durable . front 22 and rear 24 rollers flatten the film 20 against the floor . a trailing roller 26 smoothes the film 20 and helps to tuck the film in against a stair . a front guide bar 28 helps keep the film 20 straight as it comes off roll 18 and is directed to roller 22 . guide bar 28 is bowed outwardly to help prevent wrinkles in the film 20 when it is dispensed from roll 18 . referring to fig2 - 5 , side stair guides 30 and 32 are each slidably attached to frame 12 by a pair of bolts or pins 34 and 36 through slots 38 and 40 . the slots 38 and 40 allow the side stair guides 30 and 32 to move between a retracted position ( fig3 and 5 ) and an extended position ( fig4 ). when in the retracted position , the bottom of wheels 42 and 44 of stair guides 30 and 32 are even with the bottoms of rollers 22 and 24 . when the guides 30 and 32 are in the extended position , the guides 30 and 32 hold the rollers 22 and 24 above the floor . a pair of latch springs 46 and 48 , one on each side of applicator 10 , are attached at one end to frame 12 and at the other end to side stair guides 30 and 32 . when the latch springs 46 and 48 pull stair guides 30 and 32 down to the extended position , spring biased latch pins 50 and 52 extend an outboard of stair guides 30 and 32 and engage notches 54 and 56 . a chain or cable 58 links latch pins 50 and 52 to a rod 60 , with a release handle 62 . rotating the handle 62 tightens the chain 58 to pull the latch pins 50 and 52 inwardly against the bias of springs 64 and 66 to disengage latch pins 50 and 52 from notches 54 and 56 . referring to fig1 and 3 , when operating the carpet film applicator 10 on a flat surface , the operator pushes on the handle 14 to move the applicator 10 . as the applicator 10 is pushed along , the plastic film 20 unrolls from film roll 18 . the plastic film 20 travels over the guide bar 28 and under front 22 and rear 24 rollers and trailing roller 28 and onto the flat surface . the operator walks over the film 20 as it is smoothly applied . referring to fig4 - 7 , when the carpet film applicator 10 is operated on stairs 70 , the front 22 and rear 24 rollers are extended over the edge of a stair such that only the trailing roller 26 is resting on the stair ( see fig7 ). when the weight of applicator 10 is no longer on the side stair guide wheels 42 and 44 , the latch springs pull the side stair guides 30 and 32 downwardly to the extended position . the spring biased latch pins 50 and 52 extend through notes 54 and 56 . the applicator 10 is then pushed over the edge of the stair 70 and lowered to rest on the next lower stair . the operator may grasp the intermediate handle 15 to help lower the applicator 10 . the applicator 10 rests on the side stair guide wheels 42 and 44 which hold the applicator 10 off of the front 22 and rear 24 rollers and trailing roller 26 . the applicator 10 may be pulled backward to tuck the film 20 into the nap of the stair 70 . the operator then grasps the release handle 62 and turns the rod 60 to release the latch pins 50 and 52 . when the latch pins 50 and 52 clear the notches 54 and 56 , the applicator drops to the rollers 24 and 26 and the film 20 may now be applied to the next stair . in the preferred embodiment , 24 , 30 and 36 - inch rolls of film may be applied , although other widths may also be applied . the front and rear rollers 22 and 24 may be constructed of rubber or other material to flatten the film 20 . handle 14 may be adjustable to allow for different positions depending on operator height or for use on stairs . additionally , the applicator 10 may include a bar ( not shown ) which may be actuated by a lever ( not shown ) or by the handle 14 , which is lowered behind the trailing roller 26 to tuck in the film against a stair . it is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described , it is not limited thereto , except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof . | 8 |
referring to fig1 and fig2 , fig1 is a flow chart illustrating one preferred embodiment of the present invention , and fig2 shows a recombinant baculovirus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention . hereinafter , the method may be described as follows . at step s 11 , a recombinant virus 1 is provided . the recombinant virus includes an inducible promoter 11 , and a reporter gene 12 positioned downstream the inducible promoter 11 . in one embodiment , the inducible promoter 11 comprises a metallothionein promoter ( hereinafter abbreviated as mt promoter ), and the reporter gene 12 comprises an enhanced green fluorescence protein ( hereinafter abbreviated as egfp ). at step s 12 , the recombinant baculovirus 1 is added to the incubating environment of a mammalian cell for transduction . at step s 13 , an inducer to promote expression of the reporter gene 12 is added into the mammalian cell . in one embodiment , the inducible promoter 11 comprises a mt promoter , and the corresponding inducer may be a zinc ion , a cadmium ion , a mercury ion , a copper ion , a bismuth ion , a nickel ion , cobalt ion , or any combination of the above - mentioned . in one embodiment , the inducer is a divalent zinc ( zn 2 + ) ion because of its highest binding affinity with the mt promoter in the mammalian cell . in the above - mentioned embodiment , the zn 2 + ion ( the inducer ) binds to the mt promoter ( the inducible promoter ) to promote the expression of the downstream egfp gene ( the reporter gene ). it should be noted that an inducible promoter is adopted in the present invention which is modulated by an inducer and thus prevents the reporter gene from over - expression ; therefore , less cellular resources are taken . next , the percentage of the mammalian cell expressing the reporter gene is analyzed to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus ( s 14 ). in one embodiment , the percentage of the fluorescent mammalian cell is analyzed to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus . the percentage of the fluorescent mammalian cells may be detected using a flow cytometer to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus 1 . it should be noted that the above - mentioned embodiments are exemplary embodiments . for example , the inducible promoter 11 may be a gre5 or a gene switch system , and the corresponding inducer is a steroid ; otherwise , the inducible promoter may be a tet - on / tet - off system , and the corresponding inducer is a tetracycline ; furthermore , the inducible promoter 11 may be a dimerizer - regulated gene expression system , and the corresponding inducer is a rapamycin . in addition , the reporter gene 12 may be a luciferase . referring to the fig2 and fig3 , a method for determining virus dosage of a baculovirus is also illustrated as follows . first of all , a recombinant baculovirus 1 ( s 31 ) is provided , wherein the recombinant baculovirus 1 includes an inducible promoter 11 and a reporter gene 12 positioned downstream the inducible promoter 11 . next , the recombinant baculovirus 1 is added to the incubating environment of a mammalian cell for transduction ( s 32 ). next , an inducer is added to promote expression of the reporter gene 12 in the mammalian cell ( s 33 ). next , the percentage of the mammalian cell expressing the reporter gene 12 is analyzed to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus 1 ( s 34 ). the steps s 31 to s 34 are the same as the above - mentioned steps s 11 to s 14 shown in the fig1 , and the detailed description is hence abbreviated . finally , the virus dosage is determined based on the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus 1 ( s 35 ). one embodiment of the present invention , the recombinant baculovirus is serially diluted to define a transducing titer ( tt ) of the recombinant baculovirus 1 , in which the transducing titer is defined as the number of the transducible recombinant baculovirus per volume and calculated as : the virus dosage may be defined as mot ( multiplicity of transduction ), which is calculated as : the following descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustrations and description . they are not intended to be exclusive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents . referring to fig4 , in the present embodiment , a recombinant virus bac - me is constructed for the above - mentioned embodiments . recombinant virus bac - me is constructed on the basis of gibco pfastbac - dual , in which strong promoters such as polyhedrin and p10 are removed for the subsequent construction . the bac - me includes a metallothionein promoter and an egfp gene positioned downstream the metallothionein promoter ; tn7l and tn7r function as the substrate sequence for the transposase which transposes the transgene cassette into the genome of dh10bac e . coli cells . the metallothionein promoter ( mt promoter ) functions as an inducible promoter and originates from cho cells ( mt ii promoter ). the egfp functions as a reporter gene and is positioned downstream the mt promoter . the egfp expression in the mammalian cells is flexibly modulated by the mt promoter of the recombinant baculovirus , and is subsequently detected to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus . hela cells has been reported to be suitable for analyzing the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus and are hence adopted in the present invention , in which the cell density of hela cells is 2 . 5 × 10 5 cells / ml . the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus is determined by detecting the percentage of gfp + cells . in addition , zn 2 + ion has a better affinity with the mt promoter in mammalian cells , and znso 4 is hence adopted as the inducer in the present invention . after 12 hours culturing of hela cells in a 6 - well plate , the cells are transduced with 1 : 4 virus medium and incubating medium ( e . g . 100 μl virus medium and 400 μl pbs ) in the dark for 6 hours . the percentage gfp + cells and fluorescent intensity of cells are then analyzed with a flow cytometer . referring to fig5 a , the percentage of gfp + cells approximately reaches the highest at zn 2 + concentrations of 200 μm and 250 μm , in terms of highest transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus to the mammalian cells . as shown in fig5 b , furthermore , the mean fluorescent intensity ( fi ) reaches the highest at a zn 2 + concentration of 250 μm . in addition , it shows relatively low percentage of gfp + cells ( as illustrated in fig5 a ) and mean fluorescent intensity ( as illustrated in fig5 b ) at the zn 2 + concentration of 0 μm , indicating a low background expression level of egfp in the system . referring to fig5 c and 5d , the zn 2 + concentration is chosen as 200 μm for appropriate resource planning of egfp in the cells . the cells are transduced with 100 μl virus medium in the dark for 6 hours , and the percentage gfp + cells and fluorescent intensity of cells are then analyzed . the percentage of gfp + cells ( in terms of transduction efficiency ) and the fluorescent intensity reach a saturation point at an incubation time of 24 hours , as illustrated in fig5 c and 5d . the transducing titer is defined as a number of transducible recombinant baculovirus per unit volume , and is quantified and obtained from the transducing titer plot . the present method is validated by the following serial - dilution experiment , including : serial diluting different batches of virus medium ( b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 ) with incubating medium ( tnm - fh with 10 % fbs ( fetal bovine serum )) in a volume factor of 2 ( in the order of 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 3 . . . , and 2 11 ); transducing hela cells with the diluted virus medium for 6 hours ; incubating hela cells in the preferred induction condition ( i . e . at the zn 2 + concentration of 200 μm and incubation time of 24 hours ), and analyzing the percentage of gfp + cells to determine the transduction efficiency of the different baculovirus . the transducing titer is obtained by diluting the recombinant baculovirus . as mentioned above , the transducing titer is defined as a number of transducible recombinant baculovirus per unit volume and obtained from : referring to fig6 , it shows that the transducing titer plots of different batches of baculovirus do not overlap each other , and different batches of baculovirus are thus identified with the present method . as mentioned above , the virus dosage is defined as the multiplicity of transduction ( mot ) based on the transducing titer in the present invention . therefore , the same mot may be obtained from transducing titer of different batches of baculovirus , which is obtained from the transducing titer plots . the same transduction efficiency of different batches of baculovirus ( b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 ), as illustrated in fig7 , is obtained in the basis of the same mot . to sum up , the method for determining the transduction efficiency of baculovirus of the present invention does not adopt the conventional endpoint dilution method , and has advantages of being simple , fast , and accurate . in the application of gene therapy , the present invention can determine the virus dosage to predict the gene delivering efficiency therefore reproducible experiments are thus achieved . while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , a specific example thereof has been shown in the drawings and is herein described in detail . it should be understood , however , that the invention is not to be limited to the particular form disclosed , but to the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
fig3 through 5 and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit its scope . those skilled in the art will understand that these principles may be implemented in any type of suitably arranged immersion lithography apparatus . to simplify the drawings the reference numerals from previous drawings will sometimes not be repeated for structures that have already been identified . to better provide a thorough explanation of the technical advantages , a description of a prior art liquid immersion optics system will first be given . fig3 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of a prior art liquid immersion optics system 300 . in the exemplary arrangement shown in fig3 , a layer of photoresist material 310 is covered with a top coating 320 . a lens assembly 330 ( designated with the word “ lens ” in fig3 ) is positioned over the top surface of the top coating 320 in such a manner that a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the lens assembly 330 and the top surface of the top coating 320 . an immersion liquid 340 ( e . g ., water 340 ) is placed over the top coating 320 and fills the gap between the bottom surface of the lens assembly 330 and the top surface of the top coating 320 . the lens assembly 330 is capable of and operable for being moved ( or scanned ) laterally with respect to the top surface of the top coating 320 to achieve a whole field exposure . the immersion liquid 340 directly contacts the bottom surface of the lens assembly 330 and the top surface of the top coating 320 . this causes a number of physical and chemical reactions to occur during exposure to the immersion liquid 340 . these physical and chemical reactions will sometimes negatively impact the process performance in terms of focus , overlay , defects , etc . as will be seen , these problems may be avoided by using the apparatus and method of the present disclosure described below . fig4 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of a liquid immersion optics system 400 in accordance with the present disclosure . as shown in fig4 , an underlying layer of photoresist material 410 is provided ( the photoresist material is utilized for masking purposes during an integrated circuit manufacturing process ). the system 400 includes a lens hood 440 and a lens assembly 460 . the lens hood 440 includes a solid optical element 420 forming a base portion and a plurality of walls 430 attached or coupled to outer edges of the solid optical element 420 . when assembled , these components form a watertight ( or liquid impervious ) container ( i . e ., the lens hood 440 ). the solid optical element 420 forms the base of the lens hood 440 and the junctures between the walls 430 of the lens hood 440 and the solid optical element 420 are watertight ( or liquid impervious ) so that the lens hood 440 structured and operable to contain an immersion liquid 450 within the lens hood 440 without leakage . thus , the base and walls are structured to define an interior volume which holds or contains the immersion liquid 450 ( and at least a portion of the lens assembly 460 ). the lens assembly 460 ( designated with the word “ lens ” in fig4 ) is positioned above the top surface of the solid optical element 420 of the lens hood 440 , and in such a manner so as to form a gap between the bottom surface of the lens assembly 460 and the top surface of the solid optical element 420 . the immersion liquid 450 is disposed ( or contained or confined ) within the lens hood 440 to fill the gap between the bottom surface of the lens assembly 460 and the top surface of the solid optical element 420 . the lens assembly 460 is capable of being moved ( or scanned ) laterally with respect to the top surface of the solid optical element 420 to achieve a whole field exposure while the bottom portion of the lens assembly 460 is immersed in the immersion liquid 450 and moves within the lens hood 460 . the solid optical element 420 ( and lens hood 440 ) is stationary ( does not move ) during the scan exposure of the lens assembly 460 . as will be appreciated , the type or composition of the immersion liquid 450 may be any type or composition suitable for the process utilized . for example , and without limitation , the immersion liquid 450 may be water , argon fluoride , or a combination thereof . in one embodiment , the solid optical element 420 is selected to have an index of refraction that equals ( or substantially equals ) the index of refraction of the photoresist material 410 and / or that equals ( or substantially equals ) the index of refraction of the immersion liquid 450 . in other embodiments , each index of refraction for the optical element 420 , photoresist material 410 and the immersion liquid 450 may be different . for example , the optical element 420 may be caf ( calcium fluoride ), or luag ( lutetium aluminum garnet ) for high index immersion lithography . in one embodiment , the solid optical element 420 directly contacts the top surface of the photoresist material 410 . in another embodiment , the solid optical element 420 contacts a buffer layer 470 formed on top of the photoresist material 410 . the buffer layer 470 , for example , may be an organic material that blocks components leaching from the photoresist that may contaminate the lens hood . in one embodiment , the buffer layer 470 may have a thickness in the range of between about 200 to about 300 nm . one major advantage of the system 400 is that the immersion liquid 450 does not come into contact with the photoresist material 410 and remains dry . the immersion liquid 450 remains contained or confined within the lens hood 440 . this overcomes the shortcomings of the conventional liquid immersion process . another major advantage of the system 400 is that the solid optical element 420 directly contacts the top surface of the photoresist material 410 . therefore , no focus or leveling metrology is needed , and focus variation can be minimized . another major advantage of the present invention is that because the immersion liquid 470 does not come into contact with the photoresist material 410 , no top coating ( such as top coating 320 in fig3 ) is needed to protect the photoresist material 410 from leaching . this means that the cost of providing a top coating may be eliminated in the immersion process of the present invention . surface contamination may occur due to the contact between the solid optical element 420 and the underlying photoresist material 410 . this problem may be overcome by applying a thin layer of an anti - adhesion film ( e . g ., the buffer layer 470 ) on the top surface of the photoresist material 410 or the bottom surface of the solid optical element 420 . the presence of a thin layer of an anti - adhesion film minimizes the surface contamination . in one example , the anti - adhesion film may be teflon or teflon - like material . fig5 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart 500 of an advantageous embodiment of a method in which the system 400 may be utilized for liquid immersion scanning using an immersion liquid confined within a lens hood . the solid optical element 420 is provided as a base for the lens hood 440 ( step 510 ). walls 430 are attached to the solid optical element 420 to form a watertight ( or liquid impervious ) lens hood 440 ( step 520 ). the solid optical element 420 of the lens hood 440 is placed on the surface of a photoresist material ( step 530 ). the immersion liquid 450 is disposed or placed in the bottom of the watertight lens hood 440 ( step 540 ) to a level at which a bottom portion of the lens assembly 460 is or will be immersed . the lens assembly 460 is placed within the lens hood 440 and the bottom of the lens assembly 460 is immersed within the immersion liquid 450 ( step 550 ). conventional operation of the lens assembly 460 is performed , such as scanning laterally within the immersion liquid 450 contained within the lens hood 440 ( step 560 ). it will be understood that well known processes have not been described in detail and have been omitted for brevity . although specific steps ( and not necessarily occurring in the order described ), structures and materials may have been described , the present disclosure may not limited to these specifics , and others may be substituted as is well understood by those skilled in the art . while this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods , alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure . other changes , substitutions , and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure , as defined by the following claims . | 6 |
with reference to fig5 , a bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n and a bank of even bit lines 515 a - 515 n feed into an exemplary bit line selection network 500 of the present invention . even and odd bit lines from the two banks are interleaved . odd selection transistors 510 a - 510 n connect the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n to an odd junction bus 550 . even select transistors 520 a - 520 n connect the bank of even bit lines 515 a - 515 n to an even junction bus 560 . an even bank select transistor 540 connects the even junction bus 560 to a sense amplifier 595 . an odd bank select transistor 530 connects the odd junction bus 550 to the sense amplifier 595 . an odd bank discharge transistor 575 connects the odd junction bus 550 to ground . the even junction bus 560 is connected to ground by an even bank discharge transistor 585 . with reference to fig6 , an even bank select pulse 640 , of an exemplary bit line selection waveform diagram 600 , controls selection of the even junction bus 560 ( fig5 ). the bank of even bit lines 515 a - 515 n is selectable when the even bank select pulse 640 is applied to the even bank select transistor 540 . an odd bank select pulse 630 applied to an odd bank select transistor 530 selects the odd junction bus 550 . a control signal ( not shown ) applied to the gates of the odd select transistors 510 a - 510 n connects the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n to the odd junction bus 550 . a control signal applied to the odd select transistors 510 a - 510 n and an odd bank select - bar pulse 670 applied to the odd bank discharge transistor 575 discharges the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n . alternatively , the adjacent two odd bit lines of an even bit line to be read may be selected for discharge . the odd bank select - bar pulse 670 is the complement of the odd bank select pulse 630 . therefore , the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n discharges when the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n is not selected . an even bank select - bar pulse ( not shown ) operates similarly in comparison with the even bank select pulse 640 , the even select transistors 520 a - 520 n , and the bank of even bit lines 515 a - 515 n . the sense amplifier 595 ( fig5 ) drives a first bit line voltage response 650 high during the time the bit line is selected for reading which is defined by a first bit line select pulse 610 . the sense amplifier 595 performs a read operation by sensing the current in the first bit line 505 a while biased at a high voltage condition . at the end of the read operation , the odd bank select - bar pulse 670 , driving the odd bank discharge transistor 575 and a control signal to the odd select transistors 510 a - 510 n , connects the first bit line , along with the remainder of the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n , to ground . the falling edge of the first bit line voltage response 650 depicts the discharge transition for the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n . during the discharge of the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n , a second bit line current response 660 is detected if the sense amplifier 595 is enabled during this discharge period . the second bit line current response 660 may ascend through a sense amplifier threshold 664 . detection of this condition by the sense amplifier 595 indicates a conducting condition in the memory cell addressed on the second bit line . the width of this pulse in the second bit line current response 660 is a discharge delay 665 that defines an amount of time necessary to discharge any bit lines which may cause a cross coupling problem with the bit line about to be read . the discharge delay 665 is also a minimum of time required for delaying a second bit line select pulse 620 and for delaying activation of the sense amplifier 595 to read a succeeding location . a bit line select delay 625 is defined to be greater than a worst - case value expected for the discharge delay 665 . the bit line select delay 625 defines an amount of time the second bit line select pulse 620 ( or any even bit line select pulse ) is offset from application of the even bank select pulse 640 . the bit line select delay 625 identically defines an amount of time the first bit line select pulse 610 ( or any odd bit line select pulse ) is offset from the odd bank select pulse 630 . after the bit line select delay 625 has elapsed and the second bit line select pulse 620 is applied , the sense amplifier 595 is activated and reads the correct value within a memory cell on the second bit line 515 a . with reference to fig7 , an exemplary process flow diagram of an alternating bit line reading process 700 begins 705 a read operation at an even address with discharging 710 the bank of odd bit lines before selecting 720 the bank of even memory locations . the process 700 continues with selecting 730 an even bit line and reading 740 an even location memory cell . a determination 745 is made whether any additional memory location is to be read . if no additional memory location is to be read , the process 700 ends . if a succeeding memory location is to be read the process continues with discharging 750 the bank of even bit lines and selecting 760 the bank of odd memory locations . the process continues with selecting 770 an odd bit line and reading 780 an odd location memory cell . a determination is made whether there is an additional memory location to read 785 . if an additional memory location is to be read , the process iterates beginning with the discharging 710 of the bank of odd bit lines . otherwise the process ends . for beginning 747 a read operation at an odd address the process commences with discharging 750 the bank of even bit lines and continues as discussed supra . with reference to fig8 , an exemplary process flow diagram of a sequential read process 800 begins with reading 810 a first memory location on a first bit line and determining 820 whether an additional memory location is to be read . if there is no further memory location to be read the process ends . if there is a further memory location to be read , the process continues with selecting 830 a subsequent bit line and discharging 840 a bit line that immediately precedes the selection in time . the process proceeds with reading 860 the additional memory location . the process resumes with again making the determination 820 whether an additional memory location is to be read and proceeding accordingly . with reference to fig9 , an exemplary process flow diagram of a sequential read process 900 begins with reading 910 a first memory location on a first bit line and determining 920 whether an additional memory location is to be read . if there is no further memory location to be read the process ends . if there is a further memory location to be read , the process continues with selecting 930 a subsequent bit line and discharging 940 an immediately preceding bit line position and an immediately succeeding bit line position . the process proceeds with reading 960 the additional memory location . the process resumes with again making the determination 920 whether an additional memory location is to be read and proceeding accordingly . in further regard to the exemplary process flow diagram of fig9 , a characterization is made by two even select transistors 520 b , 520 c ( fig5 ) being selected to discharge two even bit lines 515 b , 515 c adjacent to an odd bit line 505 c before the odd bit line 505 c is read . an analogous situation is true for reading an even bit line . in an exemplary read process where two consecutive addresses to be read ( not shown ) are even ( or odd ), the first bit line read does not need discharging before reading the second bit line since the interleaved layout of even and odd bit lines prevents any coupling effects from causing a problem . the use of segregation of bit lines into banks of even and odd bit lines and alternating the reading and discharging of the banks reduces the voltage potential for coupling on adjacent bit lines . this ensures that the magnitude of the bit line select delay 625 with the present invention is significantly reduced from the cross coupling delay 465 ( fig4 ) in the prior art bit line selection network where discharging is not incorporated . a similar reasoning holds for discharging the just prior memory location from the location to be read . while the present invention has been described in terms of the use of a sensing means for reading operations , a skilled artisan in this field would readily identify the suitability of using a voltage comparator circuit , latch , sense amplifier , or cross coupled inverters to provide similar sensing capabilities . an apparatus for selection of bit lines has been described using single transistor devices in series between points to be coupled electrically . a person of skill in the art would also consider the use of a matrix of transmission gates , a crossbar switch , or a multiplexer for the same coupling purposes . | 6 |
the compact desktop soldering dispenser of fig1 has an ergonomically shaped body for ease of operator use . the dispenser consists of the front compartment 1 , compartment for a bobbin of soldering wire 2 , the dispenser cover 3 , the power on / off switch 4 , the multi - position switch 5 and the thermal sensor window 6 . for convenience of transportation within a working space , the dispenser is provided with contoured shaped sides 7 . delivery of the soldering wire 8 to an operator occurs through the teflon shield 9 , which allows easier pickup of small doses of soldering wire by the soldering iron &# 39 ; s kern . the front compartment 1 consists of the entire mechanism for delivering a soldering wire dosage amount to an operator and the second compartment 2 is designated for a standard bobbin of soldering wire 10 from which the dose is indexed . the perspective view of the soldering wire feeding mechanism shown in fig2 illustrating two major parts : the base frame plate 10 a and the cover 3 jointed by common axes 11 . the cover 3 is rotated from a closed position to an open position disposed 90 ° to the closed position in order to have convenient access to the base frame plate 10 and insert or extract e bobbin of soldering wire from support pin 12 . the base frame plate 10 of fig3 comprises the soldering wire channel 13 with expansion mouth 14 , the specially shaped pockets or windows 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 . as best seen in fig4 the stand offs 19 , 20 and 21 , are located on opposite side of the wire channel 13 . tunnel 22 , engages the hinge elements 23 with the cover plate 3 , and the hole 24 of the cover proximity sensor . the cover 3 contains the bar 25 and the cavity 26 . the soldering wire channel 13 will accommodate soldering wire 8 with various diameters . the expansion mouth 14 allows easier access to the soldering wire 8 from the bobbin 10 . the pockets or windows 15 , 16 , 17 are provided to accommodate the soldering wire sensors 27 , 28 and 29 as best seen in fig6 . the window 18 of fig4 accommodates the roller mechanism 30 / 31 of fig5 namely grooved friction rollers 30 and 31 , between which the soldering wire 8 is guided . the roller 30 sits on the axis of the electrical motor 32 , of fig6 which is attached to the base frame plate through stand off 19 . the idle friction roller 31 sits on the axes 33 , located inside of the frame 34 . at the same time the frame 34 has the joint axes connection 35 with the base frame plate 10 using the stand off 20 . when the cover 3 is closed this action pushes a pin of the cover proximity switch located in hole 24 . the stands off 21 are designated to accommodate the electronic circuit board 41 . the tunnel 22 has special shape and designated to accommodate the plunger mechanism of fig5 . the plunger mechanism comprises the plunger 36 , spring 37 and ball 38 . the major role of the plunger mechanism is to push the idle friction roller 31 towards the roller 30 , when the cover 3 is closed . a gap between two rollers is required when the cover 3 is in the open position . for this purpose the cover 3 comprises the cam shaped ridge 39 and returning spring 40 . the cover plate 3 includes the bar 25 , which locks the soldering wire channel 13 with expansion mouth 14 and the cavity 26 designed to accommodate the friction roller mechanism . the compartment 2 for the bobbin of soldering wire 10 , as the part of the cover 3 , is made from a transparent plastic to enable the operator to easily determine when the bobbin 10 is running out of wire . the compartment 2 consists of the bobbin pin 12 , located and in combination with the shape of the cover 3 allows convenient access for a bobbin replacement . a more detailed view of the feeding mechanism and electronic board 31 without the base frame plate 9 is shown on fig6 . the electronic board 41 is located under the base plate 9 and comprises the infrared soldering wire sensors 28 , 29 and 30 , pyro - electric infrared motion sensors 42 , cover proximity switch 43 and most of the electronic components , including the multi - position switch 5 of soldering material doses . the fig7 schematic logic block - diagram of the preferred embodiment and consists of the infrared sensors of soldering wire 27 , 28 and 29 , pyroelectric infrared motion sensors 42 , electronic programmable device 44 , electrical motor 32 , multi - position switch 5 , cover proximity switch 43 and touch switch 44 , all located on the electronic circuit board 31 . dc current is provided by a separate power supply 45 . [ 0063 ] fig8 presents the electrical circuit schematic of preferred embodiment of the desktop dispenser of soldering wire . the preferred manner of operation of the compact desktop soldering wire dispenser , which references to fig1 and 3 , is as follows : the device is plugged in to ac current through a wall adapter . in order to charge the compact desktop soldering dispenser with a soldering wire , the cover 3 is opened , by rotating it 90 ° into the vertical position . this action will release the friction roller mechanism by means of spring 40 , cam shaped ridge 39 , plunger 36 and ball 38 , which accordingly will release the frame 34 from the friction roller 31 and provide access to the soldering wire channel 13 . at the same time access to bobbin compartment 2 is provided . the open cover 3 will release proximity cover sensor 43 , therefore sending the logic command “ stop ” to the programmable device 44 . the desired spool 10 of soldering wire 8 is placed on the bobbin pin 12 and soldering wire 8 is subsequently fed into the soldering wire channel 13 in such a manner that leaves the free end visible to an operator after closing of cover 3 . after closing the cover 3 the roller mechanism 30 / 31 is activated and idle friction roller 31 together with drive roller 30 index the soldering wire 8 an operator accessible position . program of the programmable device 44 and an operator &# 39 ; s setting of the multi - position switch 5 will define all the necessary steps . as many changes can be made to the preferred embodiments without departing from the scope thereof ; it is considered that all matter contained herein is illustrative of the invention but not in a limiting sense . | 1 |
illustrative embodiments and exemplary applications are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to disclose the advantageous teachings of the present invention . referring now to the drawings wherein the reference numerals designate like elements throughout , fig1 shows the prior art spdt pin diode switch described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 109 , 205 mentioned above . this is a millimeter wave shunt - mounted switch designed to couple an rf input to one or the other of a pair of outputs , where first and second bias supplies are used to control the on / off state of the pin diodes . when a diode is forward biased , it presents a low loss to rf energy but , when reverse biased , affords a high impedance . thus , for example , if the dc biases # 1 and # 2 are such that the pin diode 1 is forward biased , while pin diode 2 is reverse biased , the rf output will appear at output # 2 because output # 1 is effectively held at rf ground potential . on the other hand , if the bias is such that diode 2 is forward biased and diode 1 is reverse biased , then the rf input will be switched to output # 1 . here four blocking capacitors c 1 - 4 are required to block the dc bias current from flowing back into the input source and the output loads , and for preventing the dc bias from source 1 from reaching pin diode 2 or vice versa . this reference does not , however , contemplate the situation where a bias failure occurs . hence , the single pin spst switches on either side are not intended to provide and will not provide enough isolation to protect a sensitive device at output 1 from a high power signal intended for output 2 . the present invention is based upon the spst switch 20 shown in fig2 in which the bias on the pin diode 24 will determine whether an rf signal entering input 28 will be passed through the switch to exit at output 29 . the signal enters via node 28 through a first transmission line segment through first blocking capacitor c 23 into a second transmission line segment . at the other end of this transmission line segment is central node 21 to which is connected third transmission line segment across from the second segment . the other end of the third transmission line segment is connected to a bias choke 26 and a second blocking capacitor c 23 which is in turn connected to a fourth transmission line segment which is connected to node 29 . also present at the central node 21 are connections to an open circuit resonant stub 22 and the inductive resonator 25 which is connected at its other end to the pin diode 24 whose other side is connected to ground . the bias for the pin diode comes from a bias connection 27 which is connected to the end of the bias choke 26 opposite to the transmission line segments . a quarter wavelength transmission line segment could be substituted for the bias choke 26 . these two equivalent elements are described as rf isolation means in the appended claims . the bias connection 27 is also connected to a bias controller , not shown , that coordinates the bias of the various pin diodes in the larger spdt switch of this invention . the circuit that makes up the bias controller is not shown but is within the capability of one of ordinary skill of the art to design . in the specific system embodiment contemplated here , an s - band radar transmitting and receiving at 3 . 1 to 3 . 4 ghz , there is a need to switch the spst assemblies between about a positive 50 - 80 volts and a negative 20 - 100 milliamps , preferably about a negative 80 milliamps . the operation of the spst switch is better understood by referring to fig3 and 4 which display the circuit equivalents to the open circuit resonant stub 22 , the inductive resonator 25 and the pin diode 24 when the pin diode is reverse biased ( or unbiased in the event of a bias failure ) or forward biased , respectively . fig3 shows the condition in which the pin diode is reverse biased with approximately 80 volts in one preferred embodiment . here the simple circuit model for the pin diode is a capacitor 35 . this capacitor is designed to series resonate with the inductive resonator 34 . the resonance results in an rf shunt to ground . in a bias failure condition , the model is very similar to the reverse bias condition . at zero bias , the pin diode equivalent capacitance is very close to the reverse bias equivalent capacitance . therefore , it will still resonate at the same frequency . the q ( quality factor ) is lower at zero bias , resulting in less isolation from each spst switch element . fig4 shows the model for a forward bias condition ( about + 1 volt ). here the pin diode is conducting between about 50 to 100 milliamps for the preferred embodiment . under this condition the model for the diode is a small inductor 45 . this small inductor is in series with the inductive resonator 44 . this series combination 44 / 45 is designed to parallel resonate with the resonating stub 43 . the length of the resonating stub 43 is carefully controlled in order to satisfy this resonance condition for the particular rf bandwidth of the radar system . this parallel resonance results in an rf open to ground and a good rf transmission path across the switch . the complete spdt switch of this invention uses two or more of these spst pin diode switches on the receive path of the radar transceiver and one in the transmit path as shown in fig5 . complementary biasing is employed for the two paths such that when the transmit path is forward biased , the receive path is reverse biased , and vice versa . the reduction in isolation of each spst switch assembly , when and if the bias fails , is compensated for by having at least three isolated spst switches in the transmit / receive paths instead of the normal one or two pin switches . in fig5 the spdt switch can be broken into two main parts , the transmit side with the single spst assembly 54 between the transmitter 52 and the primary node 50 , and the receive side with two ( as shown ) spst assemblies 55 , 56 between the receiver 53 and the primary node 50 . the main node is connected to the antenna 51 and a quarter wavelength stub 61 that is connected to ground . the stub 61 acts to short dc to ground while blocking the rf from reaching ground . the other stubs 58 and 59 serve the same functions . the isolating effect of having a total of three ( as shown ) spst assemblies between the high power transmitter 52 and the sensitive receiver 53 can be clearly seen in this view . in the event of a bias failure to one or more of the individual spst assemblies , there will always be enough isolation to shield the low noise amplifiers ( lnas ) in the receiver 53 . the bias controller 57 creates and switches the bias voltage from forward to reverse for the spst assemblies . when the transmit side spst assembly 54 is in a forward bias condition , the receive side spst assemblies 55 and 56 are in a reverse bias condition , and vice versa . the connections to the spst assemblies 55 and 56 on the receive side can be done in different ways . shown in fig5 is a parallel connection . in this specific embodiment it would be possible but not necessary to omit the blocking capacitors of the spst assemblies on the sides of these assemblies that face the transmission line element 60 . there could also be a series connection wherein the bias was supplied only to assembly 55 or 56 , with the dc bias then acting through the transmission line element 60 to bias the other pin diode 56 or 55 , respectively . in this alternate embodiment , the blocking capacitors of the spst assemblies 55 and 56 facing the transmission line element 60 should be removed in order for the dc voltage to bias both pin diodes . in either embodiment it is advantageous to configure the transmission line element at a length just slightly different than a quarter wavelength in order to increase the bandwidth of the switch . the preferred embodiment of this invention is fabricated using microstrip technology on an alumina substrate , and is preferably implemented using a power divider and three phase shifter bits in addition to the spdt switch described hereinabove . the present invention is expected to find immediate use in high power microwave circuits in which a need exists to switch the arrays in a radar antenna between transmit and receive modes , while protecting the sensitive circuits on the receiver path from damage in the event of a bias failure for the pin diodes . thus , the present invention has been described herein with reference to an illustrative embodiment and an illustrative application . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications , applications and embodiments within the scope thereof . for example , this spdt switch could be used with radars transmitting at different wavelengths than the embodiment described above , requiring certain routine adjustments in the circuit elements . it is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications , modifications and embodiments with the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 7 |
the map shown in fig1 shows three major roads 10 , 11 , 12 meeting at a junction 13 together with minor roads 14 , 15 which lead - off from the major road 12 and another minor road 16 which links the roads 10 and 14 . if it is assumed that an accident has occurred on the road 10 at a point marked x , the subsequent build - up in the number of vehicles on either side of the point x would cause undue delay to drivers . however if the vehicles entering the local area , shown encircled by the circle 18 in fig3 could be informed of the accident at the point x , then diverting the traffic around the accident site by making use of the minor roads 14 and 16 , the delays to traffic can be reduced . it will be assumed that communication with vehicles will be by radio using geographically spaced apart transmitters and in fig2 the hatched circles represent the coverage areas ( or radio cells ) of transmitters in a cellular radio telephone network . however the location of the transmitters ( or radio cells ) is known only to the network operator who for operational reasons may reconfigure the network in the manner referred to in the preamble of this specification . in order to be able to determine which cells are to be used to notify vehicles in the encircled area ( fig3 ) of the accident at x ( fig1 ), the circle 18 is overlaid on the map shown in fig2 and the result is that the cells a to d ( fig4 ) fall at least partially within the circle 18 . comparing fig2 and 4 it will be noted that some cells partially overlap the cells a to d but the degree of overlap is sufficiently insignificant that the cell concerned can be ignored or that the cells within the circle 18 provide adequate coverage having regard to the road network itself and the loading on the cellular radio network . access to the or each cellular network is by way of gateways and information about a geographical area can be sent to the or each gateway by a traffic centre in a packet format . fig5 illustrates a number of regional , district and / or urban traffic centres tc1 to tc3 and tc11 , tc12 arranged in respective groups , the traffic centres in each group being interconnected by respective data busses db1 , db2 . by means of the pstn the data busses db1 , db2 are interconnected to form a network and gateways gw1 and gw2 of respective cellular radio networks , for example cellular telephone networks , are connected to the network so formed . each gateway gw1 , gw2 communicates with a respective mobile switching centre msc1 , msc2 which includes a network control computer c1 , c2 which stores the location of the base station radio transceivers bs1 to bs3 , bs20 and bs21 in its cellular network and the present configuration of its network . each network control computer c1 , c2 handles all the call processing on its network . also from the encoded geographical area information provided by one or more of the traffic centres , the network control computer or the gateway is able to generate numerically the shape and size of the geographical area concerned and decide which cells or transmitter coverage areas should be activated to relay the required traffic information . in order to relay geographical area information efficiently , an embodiment of the method in accordance with the present invention encodes the geographical areas in a manner which can make use of the 32 bit address length found in the widely used internet protocol ( ip ). in order to do this it is necessary to combine a longitude angle , a latitude angle and an area shape into one address which is compatible with the standard address length found in the ip . the coding scheme can be extended to describe more complicated geographical area shapes by concatenating several geographical address code words of a type to be described . a translation from this coding scheme to cellular telephone coverage areas may be carried at a suitable stage such as at the gateway of the cellular telephone network or in the network control computer . the network control computer will then be responsible for routing a packet to as many cells as necessary to achieve the desired coverage . as this is a form of routing , it will appear in a routing options list in an internetwork - layer header . in order to distinguish easily between ordinary computer addresses and these area descriptions , the area descriptions can exclusively use a different address type , in this instance class d addresses which under ip are defined for multicast and experimental use . under ip an address class is defined by the location of the first zero in the address code word reading from left to right . thus a 32 bit class d code word has the format : ## str1 ## the remaining 28 bits have to be used for describing the shape and location of a geographical area . in the presently described embodiment , a point on the earth &# 39 ; s surface will be defined by a pair of angles from the earth &# 39 ; s centre ( see fig6 ) using internationally recognised datum points -- the zero line goes through the intersection of the greenwich meridian and the equator . the resolution required to define a point is limited by the size of the coverage areas of the respective transmitters of a cellular telephone network . additionally because of the lack of inhabited landmasses beyond the 70 degree north and south parallels , in most cases these extreme areas can be ignored and 12 bits can be used to define an angle of latitude and 13 bits for an angle of longitude without loss of resolution . the remaining 3 bits , referred to as a , b and c can be used to define the shape of a geographical area . an example of the structure of an address code word is as follows , the bit numbers have been entered above the structure : ## str2 ## one advantage of this structure is that different parts of the address can be extracted with simple masking techniques in a 16 bit computer . in this structure the degrees latitude is a 12 bit number ( first bit being a sign bit ) specifying an angle north or south from the equator giving a resolution equal to 3 . 8 km . angles to the south are treated as being negative and in 2 &# 39 ; s complement format , the most significant bit equals 1 . the equator is all zeros , 70 degrees north is 0111 1111 1111 while 70 degrees south is 1000 0000 0000 . degrees longitude is a 13 bit number specifying an angle west or east of the greenwich meridian . angles to the east will always be negative and in 2 &# 39 ; s complement the most significant bit equals 1 . the resolution ( east - west ) improves towards the poles and for example on the 45 degree parallel is 3 . 45 km . the a and bc bits are used to code an area from the point defined by the latitude and longitude angles . if more complex areas have to be defined then two or more concatenated addresses are sent . the value of the a bit determines whether the address codeword relates to the last location point in a list or is the only point , that is a = 0 , or whether there are other points in a list to follow , a = 1 . if a = 0 and only one point is defined then it is treated as a description of a square centred on the point cp ( see fig7 ), the size of which is defined by the bits bc , for example , referring to fig8 bc = 00 the square is of a side equal to x 1 centred on location point cp , bc = 01 the square is of a side equal to x 2 centred on location point cp , bc = 10 the square is of a side equal to x 3 centred on location point cp , and bc = 11 the square is of a side equal to x 4 centred on location point cp . the values of x n are defined locally but could be multiples of the minimum distance between two adjacent points on the same latitude , for example x 2 , x 3 and x 4 can be any constant multiples of x 1 such as 5 , 25 and 125 . at 45 degrees north this would give values of x 2 = 3 . 45 km ., x 3 = 86 . 3 km . and x 4 = 432 km . the following table gives a summary of how the various shapes are defined by providing information about one or more points . the notation &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; in the b and c columns indicates that a null or padding bit is used . ______________________________________shape a b c notes______________________________________square 0 these two bits are only one point is ( fig7 used to define a needed . and 8 ) list of standard sizes . circle 1 1 0 first point defines ( fig9 ) centre . 0 x x second and last point . rectangle 1 0 1 defines the first ( fig1 ) corner of the rectangle . 1 x x defines the second corner of the rectangle . if this second point is not given , then the rectangle sides run north - south , east - west . 0 x x defines the last corner of the rectangle . no more points needed . corridor 1 1 1 defines centre of a ( fig1 ) square ( size given in ( formed by next address ). connecting 1 these two bits are defines centre and sizetogether used to define a list of next square and thesquares of of standard sizes . size of a square aboutdefined the previously definedshapes ) centre - this square and the previous square ( of the same size ) are connected by their outside corners . 0 these two bits are defines centre and size used to define a list of last square and the of standard sizes . size of a square about the previously defined centre - this square and the previous square ( of the same size ) are connected by their outside corners . polygon 1 0 0 defines first vertex of ( exclusive - or the polygon . filled ) 1 x x defines the next vertex ( fig1 ) of the polygon . repeat as often as necessary . 0 x x defines the last vertex of the polygon . this point is connected back to the first point to close the polygon . ______________________________________ for ease of implementation of a corridor shape all the squares are aligned north - south , east - west . using the disclosed method of , and system for , describing geographical areas a format for a routing address is obtained which complements the ip and enables transmission between computer terminals . once the location and shape of a geographical area has been described , the description may be stored in a look up table in the network control computer . thus if subsequently another incident occurs at say the location x ( fig1 and 4 ) and the coverage areas a , b , c and d are substantially the same , the need for generating a map and overlaying it on the coverage areas of the network &# 39 ; s base station transceivers can be avoided by simply deriving the required information from the look up table . another embodiment of the invention will now be described in which by sending 32 bit messages in the ip options field of the ip header rather than in an address field as described above , the need to reserve the first 4 bits for a class d code word to identify that it is class d is avoided . consequently it is possible to code any location in the world and also to have high definition area descriptions and also to have reduced length codewords without loss of definition by defining each new geographical point relative to a preceding point . fig1 illustrates the structure of a 32 bit code word in which bits 1 , 2 and 3 each serve functions to be specified , bits 4 to 16 define the angle of latitude α , bits 17 , 18 and 19 identified by the letters pqr refer to dimensional information and in that respect correspond to bc previously defined and bits 20 to 32 define the angle of longitude b . by using 13 bits to define α , angles of latitude in the range - 90 to + 90 degrees can be given . as shown in fig1 the greenwich meridian and the equator are used as zero references for the addressing method used in this embodiment . referring back to fig1 , bit 1 has a value of binary 1 if the code word relates to defining a geographical location and a value 0 if the code word relates to a location in a look up table ( to be described later ), bit 2 has a value 0 for normal resolution and a value 1 for high resolution , finally bit 3 corresponds to a , previously described , and has a value of 0 if only one point or the last of two or more points is being defined and a value of 1 if there is at least one more point to be defined . fig1 illustrates how 2 concatenated 32 bit code words are used to define one point with high resolution . the first 3 bits of the first code word have the meanings ascribed to the first 3 bits in fig1 and the bits pqr in the second code word relate to dimensions . the remaining 29 bits in each code word are used to define α and β respectively . by way of comparison , using the code word shown in fig1 , the 13 bit resolution equals a resolution of 2 . 44 km on the equator and using the code word shown in fig1 , the 29 bit resolution equals a resolution of 7 . 5 cm on the equator . the length of code words to describe a geographical area such as wxyz in fig1 can be reduced by specifying successive points relative to the previous point . thus referring to the enlarged version of the quadrilateral shown in fig1 , the specification of the central point is specified as angles α and β . however the height and breadth of the quadrilateral are specified as angles dα and dβ , which because they are relatively small can be specified using a smaller number of bits without loss of resolution . fig1 illustrates an example of a geometrical shape and n ( where n = 4 ) points being specified in normal resolution . the second to fourth code words specify the angles dα and dβ . it will be noted that these latter code words are only 16 bits long and therefore the overall number of bits to specify 4 points is reduced significantly thereby giving a more compact description . if the relative angular descriptions of dα , dβ are linear then for normal resolution 1 milli - grade corresponds to 0 . 11 km and in high resolution the resolution is expressed in terms of micro - grades and 1 micro - grade corresponds to 11 cm . as an alternative the relative angular description dα , dβ may be expressed as a power of 1 . 3 which gives a maximal relative positioning of 3406 milli - grades ( or 380 km ) in normal resolution and 3406 micro - grades ( or 380 m ) in high resolution . when specifying a geographical area in the second embodiment , the default shape is again a square and as in the first embodiment is specified by a single point plus an indication of its dimensions . thus in this particular case the angles α , β specify the latitude and longitude with width / height dimensions is given by the formula ## equ1 ## and in normal resolution pqr may have the following meanings as given in table 1 below : table 1______________________________________ box - dimensionspqr - bits ( km ) ______________________________________000 0 × 0001 0 . 5 × 0 . 5010 1 . 5 × 1 . 5011 3 . 5 × 3 . 5100 7 . 5 × 7 . 5101 15 . 5 × 15 . 5110 31 . 5 × 31 . 5111 63 . 5 × 63 . 5______________________________________ for high resolution , each of the dimensions is reduced by a factor of 10 . for other shapes of geographical areas the bits pqr define the shape for example as given in table 2 below : table 2______________________________________pqr - bits shape number ofof first point description points______________________________________000 rectangle 2001 circle 2010 ellipse 3011 n - polygon n100 m - corridor m + 1101 none -- 110 none -- 111 none -- ______________________________________ for the sake of completeness the manner of describing a rectangle , circle , ellipse , n - polygon and m - corridor in a compact form is given in fig1 to 21 . the format of the code words will be understood from the foregoing explanations . in the case of the rectangle , by aligning the sides with the lines of latitude and longitude , it can be described using two diagonally opposite points , one of which is fully defined . the letter &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; is a null or padding bit . in fig2 the first corridor segment is formed by the points ( α1 , β1 ) and ( α2 , β2 ). the width of the first segment is contained in the pqr - bits of the second point . the second corridor segment is formed by the points ( α2 , β2 ) and ( α3 , β3 ). the width of the second segment is contained in the pqr - bits of the third point , and so on . the corridor segment widths in kilometers are calculated as in table 1 above . once a geographical area has been described , especially a polygon or a corridor , the description can be stored in a look - up table and it is sufficient for a traffic control centre to send the relevant look up table address to a network control computer . the format of a 16 bit code word is shown in fig2 . the first bit of a 16 bit code word has a value 0 to indicate that a 15 bit look up table address is to follow . the look up table method could for instance be used to describe the coverage area of a base - station cell ( when known ) and store it in the addressing module ( s ) so that messages can be sent to specific cell areas . it is also possible to describe the contour of a large city and use the number to transmit messages only in that city &# 39 ; s area . from reading the present disclosure , other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art . such modifications may involve other features which are already known in the design , manufacture and use of methods of , and systems for , transmitting descriptions of geographical areas over a communications network and component parts thereof and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein . although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features , it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present application also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof , whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention . the applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated to such features and / or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom . | 6 |
the electrochemical properties of a tubular cell illustrated in fig1 a , having developed specific surface area / roughness on both its faces s and s ′, were analysed . a ysz ( 8 mol %) dense solid electrolyte of specific surface area ( s ω , s ′ ω )/ roughness ( r , r ′) of the same type ( identical coating thicknesses : t ′= t ″); two electrodes made of strontium - doped lanthanum manganite ( lsm ), in this case la 0 . 9 sr 0 . 1 mno 3 − δ ; two current collectors based on ag - lsm ( 50 / 50 by volume ) cermet ; and two protective layers obtained from the family of lanthanum ferrocobaltites , in this case lscofe ( la 0 . 8 sro 0 . 2 co 0 . 6 feo 0 . 2 o w ). after each layer (“ tie ” layer , electrode , current collector , protective layer ) had been deposited , the tube was sintered in air at temperatures between 600 and 1500 ° c . for a few hours , with temperature holds of between 0 . 25 hours and 6 hours . the system was perfectly symmetrical in terms of deposition . fig1 b shows the structures / microstructures of the cell described above in terms of coating thicknesses , sizes and shapes of particles , interfacial states . layer ( dl ): 1 mm [ ysz ( 8 mol %)]; layer ( tl ): 1 - 100 μm surface area / roughness [ ysz ( 8 mol %)]; electrode ( pe ): 16 - 30 μm ( lsm ); current collector ( cc ): 100 - 120 μm ( ag - lsm ); covering layer ( cl ): 50 - 90 μm / protective layer ( lscofe ). influence of the architecture and structure / microstructure of ysz ( 8 mol %) ceramic cells / operating parameters — temperature : 750 - 780 ° c . ; pressure ( internal oxygen pressure ): 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ): current : 10 - 15 a several tubular electrochemical cells ( cell 1 to cell 4 ) were prepared , these consisting of : a solid electrolyte made of yttrium - stabilized zirconia [( 8 %) ysz ] of 350 mm length , 68 cm 2 active surface area and 9 mm inside diameter ; two electrodes made of strontium - doped lanthanum manganite ( lsm : la 0 . 9 sr 0 . 1 mno x ) of 15 to 30 μm thickness and 30 to 50 % porosity ; two current collectors of various compositions : silver lacquer ( thickness : 100 - 120 μm , low porosity ) ( cell 1 ) or ag - lsm ( 50 / 50 by volume ) cermet ( thickness : 100 - 120 μm ; porosity between 30 and 50 %) ( cell 2 , cell 3 , cell 4 ); and , optionally a protective layer on each of the faces of the lscofe ( la 0 . 8 sr 0 . 2 co 0 . 8 fe 0 . 2 o w ) membrane ( cell 3 , cell 4 ) ( thickness : 50 - 90 μm , porosity : 20 - 70 %) ( deposition conditions : 800 ° c ./ 0 . 5 - 2 h ). the cells had a thickness of either 0 . 5 mm , in the case of units having silver or ag - lsm cermet current collectors ( cell 1 , cell 2 ) or of 0 . 92 mm in the case of units having ag - lsm cermet current collectors and lscofe protective layers or without a “ tie ” surface ( cell 3 , cell 4 ). among the membranes tested , one of them also had ( cell 4 ) specific surface area / roughness on the surface of the ysz solid electrolyte and of the same type ( cf . fig1 a and 1b ). the tubular units were operated continuously for at least 5 days ( 120 hours ) at 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ) of oxygen at 750 or 780 ° c . ( oxygen production inside the cells ). the lifetime of the units ( from a few days to more than one month ) depended on the architectures and structures / microstructures of the ceramic membranes ( choice of current collector , presence or otherwise of a protective layer , absence or otherwise of specific surface area / roughness on the surface of the solid electrolyte ). in all situations , the coulombic efficiency ( ratio of the experimental o 2 output / theoretical o 2 output ) was 100 %. the units with no protective layer based on ferrocobaltite ( lscofe ) and no specific surface area / roughness on the surface of the solid electrolyte , degraded very rapidly ( cell potential increase of 55 % after 100 h of continuous operation in the case of the silver - lacquer - based current collector and of 18 - 20 % after 100 h in the case of the silver / lsm cermet - based current collector ). the large initial increases in cell potentials for both cells are firstly due , because of the operating conditions ( working temperature : 750 - 780 ° c . ), and to the flushing with air on the cathode side ( on the outside of the units ) and to segregation / sintering and / or evaporation phenomena occurring in the silver particles during operation . the addition of a protective layer on each side of the cell greatly reduced the rate of degradation of the unit ( increase in the cell potential of the order of 1 % in 100 h of continuous operation ) without however finally stopping it . the presence of this layer made it possible to limit the phenomena of current collector layer delamination and to greatly slow down the rate of segregation of the silver particles . the primary cause of the degradation phenomena was no longer those described above , rather the delamination of the various coatings at the interfaces , and mainly at the surface of the dense solid electrolyte . the tubular unit , having on the surface of the dense solid electrolyte a “ tie ” layer ( development of specific surface area / roughness ) of the same nature as the solid electrolyte , namely ysz ( 8 mol %), together with a “ protective ” layer , for , under severer operating conditions ( 780 ° c ./ 15 a instead of 750 ° c ./ 10 a ), a change in its cell potential of & lt ; 1 %/ 1000 h ( 42 days ) of continuous operation . the results are given in fig2 and in table 1 . fig2 shows the functions v = f ( t ) and indicates the electrochemical performance of the ysz ceramic cell having a symmetrical architecture and structures / microstructures according to the invention , compared with cells of the prior art . each of curves 1 to 4 relates to each of cells 1 to 4 , respectively : cell 1 : electrodes : lsm ; current collectors : silverlacquer ; no protective layer ; no tie layer on the ysz membrane ; cell 2 : electrodes : lsm ; current collectors : silver - lsm cermet ; no protective layer : no tie layer on the ysz membrane ; cell 3 : electrodes : lsm ; current collectors : silver - lsm cermet ; protective layer : lscofe ; no tie layer on the ysz membrane ; and cell 4 : electrodes : lsm ; current collector : silver - lsm cermet ; protective layer : lscofe ; developed surface area / roughness on the ysz membrane . the changes in the initial potentials of the various units , between 0 . 95 and 1 . 3 volts , were partly due to the thermal non - uniformity of some of the furnaces and to the thickness of the dense solid electrolyte ( 0 . 5 or 0 . 92 mm ). the various layers ( electrodes , current collectors , protective layers ) were deposited by the technique of dip coating . the “ tie ” surface was of the same nature as the dense solid electrolyte ( 8 mol % ysz ). the internal and external layers were deposited either by spray coating or by dip coating on the pre - sintered solid electrolyte . influence of the microstructures of the various coatings deposited on ysz ( 8 mol %) ceramic cells with specific surface area / roughness . operating parameters : temperature : 780 - 800 ° c . ; pressure ( internal oxygen pressure ): 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ); current : 10 - 15 - 17 a several tubular electrochemical cells ( cell 5 to cell 7 ) were prepared , these consisting of : a solid electrolyte made of yttrium - stabilized zirconia [ ysz ( 8 %)] having a length of 350 mm , an active area of 68 cm 2 and an inside diameter of 9 mm , and exhibiting specific surface area / roughness on both surfaces of the ysz solid electrolyte and of the same nature , and with a roughness r and r ′ of between 10 μm and 100 μm ; two electrodes made of strontium - doped lanthanum manganite ( lsm : la 0 . 9 sr 0 . 1 mno x ) with a thickness of 15 to 30 μm and a porosity of 30 to 50 %; two current collectors made of an ag - lsm ( 50 / 50 by volume ) cermet ; thickness : 60 to 80 μm ( cell 5 , cell 7 ) and 120 to 130 μm ( cell 6 ); porosity : between 30 and 50 %); and a protective layer on each of the faces of the lscofe ( la 0 . 8 sro 0 . 2 co 0 . 8 fe 0 . 2 o w ) membrane ( cell 3 , cell 4 ) ( thickness : 30 - 40 μm ( cell 5 , cell 7 ) and 60 - 80 μm ( cell 6 ); porosity : 20 - 70 %; deposition conditions : 800 ° c ./ 0 . 5 - 2 h ). the variable experimental parameters were the coating thicknesses and the presence or otherwise of one or more intermediate layers between the various coatings . the role of the intermediate layer between two coatings is to harmonize the tecs between the various coatings so as to limit the debonding / delamination phenomena . only one study case is presented . this involves an intermediate layer between the lsm electrode and the ag - lsm current collector ( cell 7 ). the composition of this intermediate layer is ysz / ag - lsm ( intermediate tec between the subjacent electrode layer and the superjacent current collector layer ). the operating temperature was either 780 or 800 ° c . and the temperature gradient was around ± 25 ° c . over the active region . the various layers ( tie surface , electrodes , current collectors , protective layers ) were deposited by the technique of dip coating . the ( ysz + internal and external tie surfaces ) systems , whatever the structure ( intermediate layer or not ) and the microstructure ( coating thicknesses ), were stable under the operating conditions and degraded by less than 1 % after 1 000 h of operation . the coulombic efficiency ( the ratio of the experimental output to the theoretical output ) was 100 %. the initial potential varied depending on the coating thicknesses , this being , respectively , 1 . 40 v ( current collector thickness 60 - 80 μm ; protective layer : 30 - 40 μm ) and 1 . 35 v ( current collector thickness : 120 - 130 μm ; protective layer : 60 - 80 μm ). when an intermediate layer ( thickness : 10 - 20 μm ) was added between the lsm electrode and the ag - lsm current collector ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ), the initial potential was 1 . 50 v . these differences in the initial potentials are due either , for the same structure , to the amount of conducting particles deposited per unit volume , resulting in a lowering of the total resistivity of the coatings , or to the addition of an intermediate layer slightly more resistive than a current collector , resulting in an overvoltage . the results are given in fig3 and in table 1 . fig3 shows the functions v = f ( t ) and indicates the electrochemical performance of the ysz ceramic cell having a symmetrical architecture and structures / microstructures that include intermediate layers between the electrodes and the current collectors according to the invention , compared with cells not having intermediate layers . each of curves 1 to 3 relates to each of cells 5 to 7 , respectively : cell 5 : lsm electrode ( thickness : 15 - 30 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); current collector : silver / lsm cermet ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); protective layer : lscofe ( thickness : 30 - 40 μm ; porosity : 20 - 70 %); no intermediate layer between the coatings for harmonization of the tecs ; cell 6 : lsm electrode ( thickness : 15 - 30 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); current collector : silver / lsm cermet ( thickness : 120 - 130 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %; protective layer : lscofe ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ; porosity : 20 - 70 %); no intermediate layer between the coatings for harmonization of the tecs ; cell 7 : lsm electrode ( thickness : 15 - 30 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); current collector : silver / lsm cermet ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); protective layer : lscofe ( thickness : 30 - 40 μm ; porosity : 20 - 70 %); an intermediate layer present between the electrode and current collector coatings for harmonization of the tecs — ysz / ag - lsm coating ( thickness : 10 - 20 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %). a tubular electrochemical cell identical to that of example 2 , cell 5 in terms of solid electrolyte +“ tie ” layer , lsm electrode , ag - lsm cermet current collector and lscofe protective layer was used . the system was completely symmetrical . the basic electrochemical tubular cell constituting the module of ten units consisted of : a ysz ( 8 %) solid electrolyte having a length of 350 mm , an active area of 68 cm 2 and an inside diameter of 7 . 5 mm , possessing , internally and externally , a “ tie ” surface ( development of specific surface area / roughness ) with a thickness of between 10 and 100 μm ; two electrodes made of strontium - doped lanthanum manganite ( lsm : la 0 . 9 sr 0 . 1 mno x ) ( thicknesses : 15 - 30 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); and two current collectors made of an ag - lsm ( 50 / 50 by volume ) cermet ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ; porosity between 30 and 50 %) and a protective layer on each of the faces of the membrane made of lscofe ( la 0 . 8 sr 0 . 2 co 0 . 8 fe 0 . 2 o w ) ( thickness : 30 - 40 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %) ( deposition conditions : 80 ° c ./ 0 . 5 h ). the total thickness was 0 . 92 mm . the various layers ( tie layers , electrodes , current collectors , protective layers ) were deposited by dip coating . the results presented relate to a tubular system consisting of ten elementary electrochemical cells . the system operated continuously for more than 75 days ( 1 800 hours ) at 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ) of oxygen between 780 and 800 ° c . ( oxygen production in the units ). the total potential of the ten - cell system rapidly stabilized ( after a few hours ) at 15 . 25 v , i . e . about 1 . 5 v per cell on average . the coulombic efficiency was 100 %. the results are given in fig4 a and 4b and in table 3 . fig4 a shows the functions v = f ( t ) and i = f ( t ) for a module of ten ceramic membranes with an internal / external “ tie ” surface and an lsm / ag - lsm / lscofe structure . fig4 b shows the change in coulombic efficiency over the course of time of a module of ten ceramic membranes with an internal / external “ tie ” surface and an lsm / ag - lsm / lscofe structure . purity of the oxygen produced by a module of ten ysz units described in example 3 . operating parameters : temperature : 780 - 800 ° c . ; pressure ( internal oxygen pressure ): 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ); oxygen flowrate : 0 . 6 sl / min ( analysis after two months of continuous operation ) an analysis of the gas produced ( o 2 ) at a pressure of 10 bar was carried out on a 10 - unit module after more than two months of continuous operation . the gas analysis was carried out by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry . the results indicated a level of impurities , essentially nitrogen , of less than 100 ppb . the details of the analysis are given in table 4 . in the four examples , the addition of lscofe - based protective layers very greatly slows down the ageing phenomenon of ysz units at a low current density (& lt ; 0 . 15 a / cm 2 ) and at a low operating temperature ( 750 ° c . ), without , however , definitively slowing it down over periods in excess of two months . it should be pointed out that the protective layer absolutely must be chemically inert not only with respect to the current collector material but also the materials of the electrode ( s ) and the solid electrolyte . the development on the dense solid electrolyte of specific surface area / roughness allows better “ bonding ” of the successive coatings , principally the electrode and the current collector , and at the same time increases the number of what are called “ triple ” points in electrochemistry ( points of contact between the solid electrolyte , the electrode and the gas ( o 2 )). there is delocalization of the electrode reaction within the volume , and no longer only at the solid electrolyte / electrode “ plane ” interface . the consequences of the development of this tie layer , of the same nature as the solid electrolyte and / or the electrode , combined with an electrode / current collector / protective layer structure , are numerous : stabilization of the degradation of the cells to less than 1 %/ 1000 h of operation on these units for current densities of around 0 . 20 - 0 . 30 a / cm 2 , temperatures of between 750 and 800 ° c . and oxygen pressures of between 1 and 20 bar ; the operating conditions of the units , compared with “ conventional ” ceramic membrane systems without a tie layer and with a protective layer , are more severe in terms of productivity ( 1 . 5 - 2 times ) and of temperature , with markedly less degradation ( increase in cell potentials ); the constancy of the productivity ( coulombic efficiency ) at 10 bar of oxygen ; and the purity of the oxygen produced is of the n60 type , that is to say with a level of impurities of air gases ( nitrogen , etc .) of less than 100 ppb . as further examples giving the advantageous results described above , there are electrochemical cells in which : the tie layer developed on both faces of the dense solid electrolyte is formed from the same material as the latter . however , it may be made of other constituent materials of the cell , mainly of the same nature as the electrode . in general , these may be materials of ionically conducting crystal structure ( dense solid electrolyte : aurivillius , fluorite phases ) and / or mixed ( brown - millerite , perovskite , pyrochlore ) phases ; the tie layer is characterized by the fact that it may , if it is of the same nature as the dense solid electrolyte , be inseparable from the latter . the ceramic membrane is then characterized by a membrane possessing on its faces , on both sides , a specific surface area / roughness . the formation of this tie layer may be obtained either , after sintering , from a ceramic membrane , for example by isostatic pressing , or from a presintered membrane , or from a green membrane ; the intermediate layer is defined as consisting of materials resulting from the subjacent and superjacent coatings . the thermal expansion coefficient of this layer is less than that of the superjacent layer and greater than the subjacent layer . the tie layer may be defined as being an intermediate layer between the solid electrolyte and the electrode . the intermediate layer must be sufficiently porous and of controlled thickness and must not influence the electrochemical performance of the cell . it consists either of ionically conducting materials , or of hybrid conducting materials , or of electronically conducting materials or of a mixture of the aforementioned materials ; the protective layer consists of a perovskite of the lscofe or other type , possessing hybrid conductivity properties at low temperature (& lt ; 800 ° c .). it may also consist of other ionically or hybrid conducting , crystal structures ( aurivillius , brown - millerite , pyrochlore , fluorite phases ); the protective layer does not possess hybrid , ionic or electronic conduction properties . it may be an insulator . however , the layer must be sufficiently porous and of controlled thickness in order to allow oxygen to diffuse within the system and must not influence the electrochemical performance of the cell ; beads of mullite or zirconia or alumina ( diameter between 0 . 2 and 1 mm ) may fill the cell so as to chemically fasten the internal silver wire . these beads may optionally be covered with a current collector layer , of the same nature as the current collector layer deposited on the tubular system ( silver lacquer , silver - lsm ( 50 / 50 vol %) mixture , gold lacquer , etc .). the use of perovskite - type beads may be envisioned , either with the same chemical composition as the protective layer or with a different chemical composition . | 2 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a socket for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to the present invention , and fig5 is a cross - sectional view showing a connection between the socket of fig4 and a circuit board 30 . fig6 is an enlarged view showing an outer connection portion of the socket lead of fig4 . this embodiment shows socket 10 and circuit board 30 for a burn - in test of a semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 in an sop ( small outline package ). as shown in fig4 and 5 , socket 10 comprises a socket body 11 and socket leads 15 . socket body 11 includes an upper body 12 and a lower body 13 , and socket leads 15 , which are integrated with lower body 13 , includes an inner connection portion 15 a , an elastic portion 15 b and an outer connection portion 15 c . in testing , semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 is placed on lower body 13 so that outer leads 22 of semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 contact respective inner connection portions 15 a of socket leads 15 . upper body 12 , which sits on lower body 13 , has a cavity for semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 and is aligned with lower body 13 by guide bars 19 . upper body 12 holds semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 and secures the contact between outer leads 22 of semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 and respective inner connection portions 15 a of socket leads 15 . in particular , upper body 12 vertically moves up and down along guide bars 19 and applies pressure to elastic portions 15 b of socket leads 15 so that inner connection portions 15 a securely contact outer leads 22 . with reference to fig5 socket lead 15 will be described hereinafter in detail . as mentioned above , each socket lead 15 comprises inner connection portion 15 a , elastic portion 15 b , and outer connection portion 15 c . inner connection portion 15 a makes a contact with outer leads 22 of semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 , and outer connection portion 15 c makes a contact with circuit board 30 . elastic portions 15 b are bent so that inner connection portion 15 a contacts outer lead 22 when upper body 12 sits on lower body 13 . that is , inner connection portions 15 a contact outer leads 22 of semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 when upper body 12 of socket 10 moves down , and disconnect from outer leads 22 when upper body 12 moves up to release semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 from socket 10 . as shown in fig6 outer connection portion 15 c of this embodiment has a shape of elliptical hook for easy insertion and removal of outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 into and from a through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . in addition , this shape provides elasticity to outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 . the width d 1 , between the leftmost point and the rightmost point of outer connection portion 15 c , is greater than the diameter ( d 2 in fig7 ) of through hole 33 . when socket lead 15 is inserted into through hole 33 , outer connection portion 15 c is squeezed in the direction of arrow “ b ” and pushes inner wall 32 of through hole 33 in the direction of arrow “ a ” to make a contact with through hole 33 . through hole 33 connects to a tester ( not shown ) by wiring for transferring electrical signals between the tester and circuit board 30 . when socket lead 15 is removed from through hole 33 , outer connection portion 15 c recovers its initial shape . fig7 a and fig7 b are schematic cross - sectional views respectively showing socket lead 15 before and after being inserted into circuit board 30 , respectively . with reference to fig7 a and fig7 b , the outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 will be described in detail hereinafter . with reference to fig7 a , the appropriate width d 1 of the central portion of the outer connection portion 15 c is determined by inner diameter d 2 of through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . generally , width d 1 is greater than inner diameter d 2 to such a degree that outer connection portion 15 c maintains its elasticity without a plastic deformation of the elliptical hook shape of outer connection portion 15 c after an extended use of socket 10 . preferably , 0 . 1 mm difference between width d 1 and diameter d 2 can give the elasticity without plastic deformation to outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 . in one embodiment of the present invention , socket lead 15 is made of a conductive material such as copper or a copper alloy , and outer connection portion 15 c is a loop of wire having a diameter of 0 . 27 mm . the loop has a width d 1 of about 0 . 86 mm and a height of about 1 . 94 mm . through hole 33 is circular with a diameter of about 0 . 75 mm and inner wall 32 is made of materials such as copper and gold that are conductive , abrasion - resistant , and oxidation - resistant . in this embodiment , when outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 is in through hole 33 as shown in fig7 b , the elastic force from the compressed elliptical hook shape of outer connection portion 15 c maintains the contact between inner wall 32 of through hole 33 and outer connection portion 15 c . herein , the location and size of the contact points between outer connection portion 15 c and through hole 33 may be variously controlled by changing the shape and the degree of the bent portion of outer connection portion 15 c . another advantage of the elliptical hook shape is a minimized friction between inner wall 32 of through hole 33 and outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 during insertion of socket lead 15 into through hole 33 . since the lower half of outer connection portion 15 c has a “ v ” shape , it is possible to minimize the friction which is caused when inserting outer connection portion 15 c into through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . the “ v ” shape also helps align socket lead 15 with the associated through hole 33 . in particular , if socket lead 15 is slightly misaligned , the point end of outer connection portion 15 c will guide socket lead 15 into proper alignment during insertion . the upper half of outer connection portion 15 c has an inverted “ v ” shape , which minimizes the friction when removing outer connection portion 15 c from through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . the length of outer connection portion 15 c can be such that outer connection portion 15 c does not protrude below the lower surface of circuit board 30 , when outer connection portion 15 c is inserted in through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . in the case of the conventional socket , in which outer connection portion of socket lead should be connected to a circuit board by soldering , the outer connection portion protrudes from through hole below the lower surface of the circuit board . however , in the present invention , since outer connection portion 15 c does not have to protrude from through hole 33 outside the lower surface of circuit board 30 , and the total height of circuit board 30 can be smaller than that of the circuit board for the conventional socket . further , since the lower surface of circuit board 30 of the present invention is flat and even , the operation of an apparatus that loads and unloads the socket may be improved . inner wall 32 of through hole 33 of circuit board 30 is made of conductive materials that are resistant to abrasion and oxidation , because inner wall 32 must withstand repeated insertion and removal of socket lead 15 into and from through hole 33 . preferably , a gold layer can be plated on the inner wall 32 of through hole 33 , so that inner wall 32 can sustain its conductivity after an extended use of circuit board 30 . fig8 is a cross - sectional view showing another embodiment of an outer connection portion 16 c of a socket lead 16 according to the present invention . in fig8 outer connection portion 16 c of socket lead 16 has an “ s ” shape . when socket 10 is loaded on circuit board 30 , the end of outer connection portion 16 c of socket lead 16 is inserted into through hole 33 . the dimension of “ s ” is selected to provide an elastic contact between inner wall 32 and outer connection portion 16 c . for example , the width between the rightmost point and the leftmost point of the “ s ” shape is greater than the inner diameter of through hole 33 . when being inserted into through hole 33 , outer connection portion 16 c becomes somewhat squeezed and flat and pushes inner wall 32 of through hole 33 at points e and f , because “ s ” shaped outer connection portion 16 c tries to expand against wall 32 . next , an embodiment of a sub - circuit board according to the present invention will be described hereinafter . fig9 is a cross - sectional view showing another connection method between a socket 50 and a circuit board 30 using a sub - circuit board 60 according to the present invention . sub - circuit board 60 according to the present invention electrically connects socket 50 , especially for fine - pitch packages of semiconductor integrated circuit device , to circuit board 30 . in fig9 sub - circuit board 60 includes a wiring pattern 68 , through hole 63 and connection pins 65 . wiring pattern 68 electrically connects the outer connection portion ( not shown ) of socket 50 to respective through holes 63 . solder 66 fixes connection pins 65 to respective through holes 63 . the outer connection portion of connection pin 65 is shaped for insertion into through hole 33 of circuit board 30 in the same manner as outer connection portion 15 c in fig5 . the present invention can be applied in various ways . first , the shape of the outer connection portion is not limited to an elliptical hook shape or an “ s ” shape . that is , the outer connection portion of the socket can be formed in any shape that gives elasticity to the outer connection portion of socket lead and contacts the inner wall of the associated through hole . second , the socket and the circuit board according to the present invention are not limited to those which are used for burn - in test or electrical characteristics test of semiconductor integrated circuit devices . that is , the present invention may be applied to a socket and a circuit board wherever the socket is connected to the circuit board . third , the shape of the inner connection portion of socket lead is not limited to the shape described above . the inner connection portion can have various shapes according to the type of the outline of semiconductor integrated circuit device , including but not limited to shapes for csps ( chip scale packages ) and fpbga ( fine pitch ball grid array ) packages . in the cases of csps and fpbga packages , since the solder balls of the packages are equivalent of the outer leads of conventional plastic packages , the inner connection portions of sockets contact the solder balls . an experiment was carried out to evaluate the performance of the socket according to the embodiment in fig5 . the change of the width and the contact resistance of outer connection portions of socket leads were measured after repeated insertion and removal of the socket leads into and from the circuit board under a burn - in test condition . initial widths of outer connection portion of four sockets were 0 . 86 ± 0 . 03 mm , and the diameters of the through holes of circuit board were smaller than the width of the outer connection portion by about 0 . 1 mm . after the sockets were inserted and removed twenty times , the widths of the outer connection portions decreased by only about 0 . 017 ˜ 0 . 029 mm . accordingly , this result proves that the outer connection portion of the socket can maintain its initial dimension up to twenty times of insertion and removal of the socket . table 1 shows the change of contact resistance after repeated insertion and removal of six socket leads into and from the through holes of the circuit board . as shown in table 1 , the contact resistance change after thirty insertions and removals of the socket leads was only 0 . 43 mω . in other words , the quality of electrical connection between the socket and the circuit board was not seriously affected by repeated insertion and removal of the sockets into and from the through holes of the circuit board . in summary , the present invention can eliminate the soldering process for fixing socket leads to test circuit boards and reduce the total cost for testing semiconductor integrated circuit devices due to the non - use of receptacles , compared with conventional connection methods described earlier . moreover , the present invention makes the replacement of a socket on a circuit board easy . although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove , it should be clearly understood that many variations and / or modifications of the basic inventive concepts herein taught will still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims . | 7 |
the term “ yarn ( s ),” as used herein , is to be understood as including fiber ( s ), filament ( s ), and the like used to make a suture of the present invention . typically , though , yarns are comprised of fibers and / or filaments . referring to fig1 , a scanning electron micrograph of a length of suture 2 according to the present invention is shown . suture 2 is made up of a jacket 4 and a core 6 surrounded by the jacket 4 . see fig2 . strands of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene ( uhmwpe ) 8 , such as that sold under the tradenames spectra and dyneema , strands of polyester 10 , and tinted strands 12 are braided together to form the jacket 4 . core 6 is formed of twisted strands of uhmwpe . uhmwpe , used for strands 8 , is substantially translucent or colorless . the polyester strands 10 are white ( undyed ). due to the transparent nature of the uhmwpe , the suture takes on the color of strands 10 and 12 , and thus appears to be white with a trace in the contrasting color . in accordance with the present invention , trace strands 12 are preferably provided in black . the black trace assists surgeons in distinguishing between suture lengths with the trace and suture lengths without the trace . traces also assist the surgeon in identifying whether the suture is moving . the trace can extend the entire length of the suture or only on half of a length of suture , the other half of the suture length remaining plain ( white ). alternatively , the traces can form visibly distinct coding patterns on each half of the suture length . as a result , when the suture is threaded through the eyelet of a suture anchor , for example , the two legs ( halves ) of the length of suture are easily distinguished , and their direction of travel will be readily evident when the suture is pulled during surgery . details of the present invention will be described further below in connection with the following examples : made on a 16 carrier hobourns machine , the yarns used in the braided jacket are honeywell spectra 2000 , polyester type 712 , and nylon . the jacket is formed using eight strands of 144 decitex spectra per carrier , braided with six strands of 100 decitex polyester , and two strands of tinted nylon . the core is formed of three carriers of 144 decitex spectra braided at three to six twists per inch . a no . 5 suture is produced . to make various sizes of the inventive suture , different decitex values and different ppi settings can be used to achieve the required size and strength needed . in addition , smaller sizes may require manufacture on 12 carrier machines , for example . the very smallest sizes can be made without a core . overall , the suture may range from 5 % to 90 % ultrahigh molecular weight polymer ( preferably at least 40 % of the fibers are ultrahigh molecular weight polymer ), with the balance formed of polyester and / or nylon . the core preferably comprises 18 % or greater of the total amount of filament . the suture is coated with collagen ( fibracol , medifil ), a bioabsorbable material . collagen is a natural biomaterial that acts as a hemostatic agent . collagen coating , like all suture coatings , also improves the pliability and handleability of the suture without sacrificing the physical properties of the constituent elements of the suture . in one embodiment of the present invention , a suture may be coated with native collagen . first , suitable amounts of collagen are dissolved in acetic acid of about 0 . 1 % concentration to derive a stock solution having a final concentration of about 0 . 5 mg / ml . the stock solution is further diluted with water to a final concentration of about 0 . 5 mg / ml and the suture is soaked in the stock solution at 4 ° c . the suture is then dried for at least 1 hour in a laminar flow hood free of dust and debris . about 30 mg of collagen can coat about 200 ft of the suture . a collagen - coated suture may be stored at room temperature for future use . in yet another embodiment of the present invention , a suture may be coated with denatured collagen . first , suitable amounts of collagen are dissolved in acetic acid of about 0 . 1 % concentration to derive a stock solution having a final concentration of about 0 . 5 mg / ml . the stock solution is then heated in a water bath at about 50 ° c . for about 12 hours , later diluted with water to about 0 . 5 mg / ml and the suture soaked at 4 ° c . the suture is then dried for at least 1 hour in a laminar flow hood free of dust and debris . about 30 mg of collagen can coat about 200 ft of the suture . a collagen - coated suture may be stored at room temperature for future use . in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , a partially bioabsorbable suture is provided by blending a high strength material , such as uhmwpe fibers , with a bioabsorbable material , such as plla or one of the other peptides , for example . accordingly , a suture made with about 10 % spectra or dyneema blended with absorbable fibers would provide greater strength and with less stretch . over time , 90 % or more of the suture would absorb , leaving only a very small remnant of the knot . the absorbable suture can include coatings , for example collagen . the ultra high molecular weight ( uhmw ) polymer component of the present invention provides strength , and the polyester component is provided to improve tie ability and tie down characteristics . however , it has been found that the uhmw polymer provides an unexpected advantage of acting as a cushion for the polyester fibers , which are relatively hard and tend to damage each other . the uhmw polymer prevents breakage by reducing damage to the polyester when the suture is subjected to stress . in one method of using the suture of the present invention , the suture 2 is attached to a suture anchor 14 as shown in fig3 ( prepackaged sterile with an inserter 16 ), or is attached at one or both ends to a half round , tapered needle 18 as shown in fig4 a and 4 b . fig4 a also illustrates a length of suture having regularly repeating pattern of trace threads according to the present invention . sections of the length of suture 2 have tinted tracing threads woven in . the alternating patterned and plain sections aid the surgeon in determining the direction of suture travel when pulling the suture , for example . although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof , many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art . | 1 |
the end 10 of the cable shown diagrammatically in fig1 is constituted by an electrically conductive central support 12 that is substantially cylindrical in shape . by way of example , this support may be a cable of copper wires or a metal tube of low resistivity , being made of copper or silver - plated copper , for example . two superposed layers 14 and 16 of a superconductive material surround the central support 12 . an electrically insulating sheath 18 surrounds the superconductive layer 16 . intermediate layers 20 , 22 , and 24 are interposed respectively between the support 12 and the layer 14 , between the two superconductors 14 and 16 , and between the superconductor 16 and the sheath 18 . the presence of these intermediate layers is advantageous , but nevertheless it is not essential . they may be made for example of carbon black or using stainless steel tape wound around the central support 12 and the superconductors 14 and 16 . the superconductive layers 14 and 16 may be formed by tapes or wires of superconductive material wound respectively about the intermediate layers 20 and 22 . more generally , the cable could have only one superconductor 14 or 16 . by way of example , the superconductive wires or tapes may be of the bscco ( bi 2 sr 2 ca 2 cu 3 o x ) type or of the ybacuo type . the end 10 of the cable is stripped to constitute a staircase configuration , causing the following to appear in succession starting from the cable and extending over a length that can vary : the superconductive layer 16 ; the superconductive layer 14 ; and then the central support 12 . the intermediate layers 20 , 22 , and 24 are practically not left visible , as shown in fig1 . a metal sleeve 30 ( fig2 and 3 ) is fitted over the stripped central portion 12 and the stripped superconductive layers 14 and 16 . the sleeve comprises first and second portions 32 and 34 placed end to end . the first portion 32 is in the form of a hollow cylinder of inside diameter that is very slightly greater than the diameter of the support 12 , such that the first portion 32 of the sleeve can be fastened on the visible portion of the support 12 merely by being mutually engaged or crimped . by way of example , the sleeve may be made of copper , and when the central support is also made of copper , this procures a good copper - on - copper electrical connection . the copper may also be silver - plated . the second portion 34 of the sleeve is substantially in the form of a hollow cylinder of length not less than the length of the visible strip portions of the superconductive layers 14 and 16 so as to cover them completely . the inside diameter of the second portion 34 of the sleeve is greater than the diameter of the superconductive layer 16 ( which has a diameter greater than that of the conductive layer 14 ) so that a gap is left between the inside wall of the second portion 34 of the sleeve and the superconductors 14 and 16 . an orifice 36 is pierced through the second portion 34 , which orifice is of dimensions that are sufficient to enable a powder of solder material to be poured through said orifice 36 , or to enable a molten solder alloy to be cast directly , so that the solder occupies the space between the inside wall of the second portion 34 of the sleeve and the superconductors 14 and 16 . by way of example , the orifice may be oblong in shape , as shown in fig2 to 4 . the solder material fills the space between the second portion 34 of the sleeve and the superconductors 14 and 16 , at least in part . this material is electrically conductive and advantageously possesses a melting point that is relatively low , e . g . less than about 100 ° c . by way of example , it may be an alloy of sn — bi — pb composition . this avoids damaging the superconductors by heating to too high a temperature , while also enabling a good electrical connection to be made between the superconductive layers and the sleeve 30 . the length of the sleeve is such that it covers the stripped portions 14 and 16 of the superconductors and the stripped portion 12 of the central support completely , going from the end 38 of the insulating sheath 18 and at least as far as the end 40 of the central support 12 . the sleeve 30 may include electrical contact means on the outside wall of its second portion 34 , e . g . in the form of grooves 42 machined in the outside wall of the second portion 34 of the sleeve 30 . these grooves serve to receive metal contact strips that are annular in shape . the end 10 of the cable having the sleeve 30 fitted thereon ( fig3 ) can easily be connected to one end of a conventional resistive cable , e . g . formed by an electrically conductive tube that forms the female portion of the connection , with the sleeve 30 constituting the male portion . in another embodiment shown in fig4 , the first portion 32 of the sleeve 30 comprises first and second elements 50 and 52 of cylindrical shape , the diameter of the first element 50 being smaller than the diameter of the second element 52 . an intermediate portion 54 in the form of a truncated cone interconnects the two elements 50 and 52 . the large base of the truncated cone 54 has the same diameter as the second element 52 , and the small base of the truncated cone 54 has the same diameter as the first element 50 , so that the transition between the section of the first element 50 and the larger section of the second element 52 takes place progressively . the first element 50 is hollow , and as above it can be fastened by mutual engagement on the stripped portion of the central support 12 . the second portion 34 is identical to the embodiment of fig2 and 3 . the electric contact means on the outside wall of the second portion 34 of the sleeve are not of any use in this embodiment . as above , the first and second portions 32 and 34 of the sleeve are made of metal , e . g . of copper , which is optionally silver - plated . the second element 52 may be connected to the end of a conventional cable . the above - described termination presents numerous advantages . the connections made to the superconductor ends by soldering are easy to perform and do not damage the superconductors , whether by excessive heating or by bending , so they retain all their properties . the end of the cable can be connected or disconnected to a conventional cable without difficulty , which is advantageous when the resistive portion or the superconductive portion needs to be replaced . to undo the connection , it suffices to heat the termination to a temperature higher than the melting temperature of the solder material , and then the sleeve 30 can be removed . in addition , it is easy to assemble the sleeve to the stripped end of the superconductive cable in a manner that is easily reproducible . similarly , in the event of a short circuit , the space in the sleeve that is filled with solder increases the cross - section available for conveying electric current . embodiments other than those described and shown can be devised by the person skilled in the art without going beyond the ambit of the present invention . for example , the embodiments described relate to a cable end having two superconductive layers . naturally , the cable could have only one superconductive layer . similarly , the presence of the intermediate layers such as 20 , 22 , and 24 is not essential . | 7 |
consider first fig7 , which depicts diagrammatically a medical imaging installation comprising a gamma ray sensor 1 such as a gamma camera moving in two directions in front of the subject 2 to be observed , and capturing gamma rays 3 emitted by radio - emissive particles injected beforehand into the body of the patient 2 . the gamma ray sensor 1 sends to a calculation unit 4 the sequence of photon image signals received on each basic region or pixel of the gamma ray sensor 1 , the calculation unit 4 storing in a memory 5 the number of photons for each pixel , corresponding to the intensity of the pixel . the memory 5 therefore contains a digitized image consisting of a table t of numbers x ( i , j ) each expressing the number of photons detected ( or degree of luminosity ) of a pixel from the row i and the column j of the observed region 1 . according to the invention , the installation further comprises a program stored in the memory 5 and driving the calculation unit 4 to filter the image digitized in the above manner and to produce on a display or printing device 6 a filtered image of high quality from which high - frequency noise has been extracted . an image filtering method according to one embodiment of the present invention is described next , with reference to fig5 . note the table t already referred to and constituting the digitized image . in practice , digitized images contain a large number of pixels . to simplify the explanation , a square image is considered that comprises 8 × 8 pixels , each pixel being depicted by a small square . the first operation a ) of the noise reduction method according to the invention consists in decomposing the table t into a continuous series of p basic tables of the same size , each comprising n pixels . in the example depicted in fig5 , four basic tables t 1 , t 2 , t 3 and t 4 , each having 16 pixels , are considered . then , in a step b ), the data from the sequence of basic tables t 1 - t 4 is arranged in a processing table x of p rows and n columns , each row i being formed of the ordered sequence of the pixels of the basic table of rank i . thus pixels 1 to 16 from the table t 1 , stored in order , are repeated in the first row of the table x . similarly , the pixels stored in order from the table t 2 are repeated in the second row of the table x , and so on . thus , in this example , the processing table x has four rows each of 16 columns . in the fig5 example , the table t is decomposed into four square basic tables t 1 - t 4 . however , without departing from the scope of the invention , the table t may be divided into a sequence of rectangular tables of the same size . then , in a step c ), the processing table x is normalized to obtain a normalized matrix xn in which each element xn ij in row i and column j is weighted by a transform using the mean of the values of the elements of the row i and the mean of the elements of the column j . one example of a normalization transform tn is described later . then , in the step d ), afc statistical factor analysis processing is applied to the normalized matrix xn , taking the j columns as the variables , to extract therefrom n representative orthogonal factors . d2 ) the square matrix that is the product of the normalized matrix xn and the transposed matrix xn t is calculated , d3 ) the square matrix xn t xn is diagonalized to extract therefrom n eigenvectors u k ( with k from 1 to n ) associated with n eigenvalues vp k , d4 ) the coordinates of the p rows of the normalized matrix xn are calculated on the n eigenvectors , d5 ) the squared cosines of the p rows of the n factor axes are calculated , during a step e ), the n factors are then stored in decreasing order as a function of their respective weights . during a step f ), a reconstituted processing table xr of numbers xr ( i , j ) is generated using only the first q representative factors and restoring the original values of the pixels by means of a transform that is the inverse of the normalization transform tn . finally , the reconstituted table tr is generated , constituting the reconstituted digitized image , in which high - frequency noise , for example poissonian statistical noise , has been reduced . in one embodiment , the step c ) may apply normalization by means of the following steps : c1 ) the sum f i of each row of the processing table x is calculated , c2 ) the sum f j of each column of the processing table x is calculated , c3 ) the total sum f tot of the table is calculated , c4 ) a normalization transform is used to replace each element x ij of the table by the normalized value equal to x ij divided by the product of the square roots of f i and f j . in practice , the step d4 ) of calculating the coordinates of the p rows of the normalized matrix xn on the n eigenvectors may be executed by calculating coordinate c k ( i ) of the row i on the axis k generated by the eigenvector u k using the formula : c k ( i ) = f tot 1 / 2 ∑ j = 1 n x ij ( f i f j ) 1 / 2 u k ( j ) in which u k ( j ) is the j th coordinate of the eigenvector u k . the squared cosine may be calculated , according to the step d5 ), using the formula : the coordinates of the n columns of the n eigenvectors may be calculated during a step d6 ) from the coordinate d k ( j ) of the column j on the eigenvector of axis k using the formula : d k ( j ) = 1 vp k 1 / 2 ∑ i = 1 p x ij f j c k ( i ) in which vp k is the eigenvalue associated with the eigenvector u k . during the step e ), the n factors can advantageously be classed as a function of their squared cosine by applying the above formulas . according to the invention , the reconstitution of the reconstituted processing table xr is effected independently row by row , taking into account only the q factors having the maximum squared cosine for the row i . assuming that the first q factors are taken into consideration , the reconstructed value xr ij ( q ) of the element of the reconstituted processing table xr in row i and column j is calculated from the formula : xr ij ( q ) = f i f j f tot ∑ k = 1 q c k ( i ) d k ( j ) vp k 1 / 2 from the reconstituted processing table xr , in fig5 , the reconstituted table tr is reconstructed row by row , the first row of the reconstituted processing table xr constituting the pixels of the first basic table tr 1 , and so on . according to the invention , the aim is to automate the adaptation of the filtering device to the content of the image . this automation is effected for each region of the image corresponding to one of the basic tables t 1 to t 4 . to this end the reconstituted table xr is reconstructed row by row . reconstructed values xr ij of a row i of elements of the reconstituted table xr are calculated step - by - step : the values of the elements xr ij are calculated successively for increasing values q of the number of factors taken into account , the residual variance of the row i is calculated each time , the residual variance is compared to the estimated variance of the noise to be reduced , and the calculation for the row i is stopped when the residual variance of the row i is no longer statistically greater than the estimated variance of the noise of the row i in the starting image , thus obtaining an estimated final image im_final . in practice , the residual variance var_res ( q ) is calculated as the difference between the initial variance of the row i of the processing table x and the reconstituted variance var_rec ( q ) or variance of the row i of the reconstituted processing table xr : the test of comparing the residual variance and the estimated variance of the noise may advantageously be effected by : in which xhi ( ddl ) is the value given by the χ 2 table for a risk of 5 % and a number ddl of degrees of freedom , b ) stopping reconstruction when the residual variable var_res ( q ) is less than t . if the method is applied to processing an image subject to poissonian noise , the estimated variance of the noise of the row i is taken as equal to the average of the elements x ij of the row i of the processing table x . to reduce the effect of noise on the results , the procedure described above is repeated several times on the same image , shifting the decomposition into basic tables by one pixel each time . fig5 depicts the first procedure for an offset of 0 in x and 0 in y . fig6 depicts the second procedure for an offset of 1 pixel in x and 0 pixels in y : the basic table t ′ 1 is offset by 1 pixel toward the right in the table t . for a decomposition into 4 × 4 squares , for example , the procedure is executed 16 times , with offsets in x from 0 to 3 and offsets in y from 0 to 3 . the final image ( im_final ), estimated without noise , is the mean of the 16 resulting images . this mean can take into account the number of times each pixel of the image is actually included in the afc factor analysis of correspondences processing , in order not to cause edge effects . another advantage of repetition is circumventing geometrical artifacts that may appear because of the decomposition into basic rectangles . an advantageous embodiment of the invention further chooses the level of elimination of noise , subtracting from the original image only a portion of the noise image , to obtain a so - called reduced image im_reduced . the image of the noise im_noise is the original image subtracted from the final image . accordingly , a reduced image im_reduced is produced in which the noise is partially eliminated by the following steps : calculating the image of the noise im_noise as the difference between the original image and the final image : α may range from 0 ( total elimination of the noise ) to 1 ( no elimination of the noise ). fig4 depicts the result of filtering in accordance with the invention : the left - hand view is the original image ; the middle view is the final image with the optimum filtering ; the right - hand view is the reduced image , with α = ⅓ . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments explicitly described and encompasses variants and generalizations thereof within the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . a crane 10 shown in fig8 is provided with a boom foot ( which constitutes an upper slewing body ) 102 slewingable around a vertical slewing shaft 101 , and an expansible boom ( which constitutes an upper slewing body ) b composed of n numbers of boom members b 1 to b n is mounted on the boom foot 102 . this boom b is designed to be rotatable ( capable of being raised and fallen ) around a horizontal rotating shaft 103 , and a hoisting load c is hoisted on the extreme end ( boom point ) of the boom b . it is noted that , in the following description , bn ( n = 1 , 2 ,. . . n ) indicates the n - th boom member counted from the boom foot 102 side . as shown in fig1 this crane is provided with a boom length sensor 12 , a boom angle sensor 14 , a hoisting load sensor 15 , a rope length sensor 16 , an angular velocity sensor 18 , an arithmetic control device 20 and a slewing drive hydraulic system 40 . the arithmetic control device 20 comprises a lateral bending evaluation coefficient setting means 21 , a slewing radius calculation means 22 , a boom inertia moment calculation means 23 , a rated load calculation means 24 , a hoisting load calculation means 25 , a load inertia moment calculation means 26 , an allowable angular acceleration calculation means 27 , a slewing angular acceleration calculation means 28 , a braking torque calculation means 29 , a motor pressure control means 30 and a hoisting load acceleration calculation means 31 , wherein the upper slewing body is controlled to be braked and stopped without leaving an oscillation of the hoisting load c in consideration of the lateral bending load generated in the boom b during the slewing braking . more specifically , the lateral bending evaluation coefficient setting means 21 sets the evaluation coefficient with respect to the lateral bending strength of the boom b . the slewing radius calculation means 22 calculates the slewing radius r of the hoisting load c according to the boom length lb and the boom angle φ detected by the boom length sensor 12 and the boom angle sensor 14 , respectively . the boom inertia moment calculation means 23 calculates inertia moments in of the respective boom members bn according to the boom length lb and the boom angle φ and also calculates an inertia moment ib of the whole boom b . the rated load calculation means 24 calculates a rated load w o from the data stored in a rated load memory 241 according to the slewing radius r calculated by the slewing radius calculation means 22 and the boom length lb . the hoisting load calculation means 25 calculates an actual hoisting load w according to the pressure &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; of a boom raising and falling hydraulic cylinder detected by the hoisting load sensor 15 , the slewing radius r calculated by the slewing radius calculation means 22 and the boom length lb . the load inertia moment calculation means 26 calculates an inertia moment iw of a load ( hoisting load c ) according to the hoisting load w calculated by the hoisting load calculation means 25 and the slewing radius r . the allowable angular acceleration calculation means 27 calculates an allowable angular acceleration β 1 on the basis of the lateral bending strength of the boom b from the load inertia moment iw , the boom inertia moment ib , the rated load wo and the lateral bending evaluation coefficient α of the boom b . the slewing angular acceleration calculation means 28 calculates a slewing angular acceleration β for actually braking and stopping the slewing according to an oscillating radius l of the hoisting load c obtained from the result detected by the rope length sensor 16 , a slewing angular velocity ω of the boom b detected by the angular velocity sensor 18 and the allowable angular acceleration β 1 . the hoisting load angular acceleration calculation means ( which constitutes a part of the hoisting load braking torque calculation means ) 31 momentarily calculates an angular acceleration βw of the hoisting load c when the upper slewing body is braked at the slewing angular acceleration according to the oscillating state of the hoisting load c during the slewing braking . it is noted that , in this embodiment , as described hereinafter , the oscillating state of the hoisting load c is obtained by the arithmetic operation on the basis of the theoretical formula . the braking torque calculation means 29 has such a functional structure as shown in fig2 to momentarily calculate a braking torque required to brake the upper slewing body according to the slewing angular acceleration and the angular acceleration βw of the hoisting load c . in fig2 the upper slewing body braking torque calculation means 291 calculates an upper slewing body braking torque ts required to brake the upper slewing body including the boom b at the slewing angular acceleration β . the hoisting load braking torque calculation means 292 calculate , according to the angular acceleration βw of the hoisting load c momentarily calculated by the hoisting load angular acceleration calculation means 31 , a braking torque tw of the hoisting load c required at each time . the whole braking torque calculation means 293 momentarily calculates the sum of the upper slewing body braking torque ts and the hoisting load braking torque tw . the resultant value is set as the whole braking torque tt required to brake the upper slewing body to output a set signal to a motor pressure control means 30 . the motor pressure control means 30 sets a braking pressure pb of a hydraulic motor corresponding to the whole braking torque tt to output a control signal to the hydraulic system 40 . subsequently , the arithmetic and control contents actually executed by the arithmetic control device 20 will be described . the slewing radius calculation means 22 first determines a slewing radius r &# 39 ; without taking account of a flexure of the boom b and a radius increment δr caused by the flexure of the boom b from the boom length lb and the boom angle φ , and calculates the slewing radius r therefrom . the boom inertia moment calculation means 23 calculates inertia moments in of the respective boom members bn , and further calculates the inertia moment ib ## equ1 ## of the whole boom b as the sum thereof . the inertia moment in of each boom member bn is determined by the following formula . , wherein ino represents the inertia moment ( constant ) around the center of gravity of each boom member bn in the state of φ = 0 , wn the dead weight of each boom member bn , &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; the gravity acceleration , and rn the slewing radius of gravity of each boom member bn . on the other hand , the load inertia moment calculation means 26 calculates a load inertia moment iw according to the hoisting load w and the slewing radius r . more specifically , the load inertia moment iw is expressed by the following formula . according to the data thus calculated , the allowable angular acceleration calculation means 27 determines the allowable angular acceleration β 1 as follows . in general , the boom b and the boom foot 102 of the crane 10 has a sufficient strength . however , when the boom length lb becomes long , a large lateral bending force acts on the boom b due to the inertia force generated during the slewing braking . the burden in terms of strength caused by the lateral bending force is maximum in the vicinity of the boom foot 102 . here , the evaluation of strength is performed on the basis of moment around the slewing shaft 101 . more specifically , let β &# 39 ; be the angular acceleration of the boom b during the slewing braking , βw &# 39 ; be the angular acceleration of the hoisting load c , and iu be the moment around the slewing shaft of all constituent elements ( such as the boom foot 102 ) of the upper slewing body other than the boom b , the moment nb acting around the slewing shaft 101 due to the above - mentioned slewing is given by on the other hand , the allowable condition with respect to the lateral bending strength of the boom b is given by the following formula . on the other hand , in the case that the upper slewing body is braked at the angular acceleration β &# 39 ; ( the procedure for calculation thereof will be described hereinafter ) without leaving the oscillation of the load in the state where both the upper slewing body and the hoisting load c are slewed at the angular velocity ωo without the oscillation of the hoisting load c , the relationship between the angular acceleration βw &# 39 ; of the hoisting load c and the angular acceleration β &# 39 ;, is obtained in the following procedure . as the hoisting load c , a model of a pendulum as shown in fig4 is taken into consideration . since a reversed inertia force acts on the hoisting load c during the slewing acceleration or deceleration , the following formula is obtained . , wherein θ represents the oscillating angle of the hoisting load c , l the length of a rope , and v the slewing speed of the boom top . let &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; ( a & lt ; 0 at the time of braking ) be the acceleration of the boom top , , wherein vo represents the slewing speed (= r · ωo ) of the boom top before braking . substituting the differentiated formula ( 5 ) in the formula ( 4 ), , where ω =√ g / l . applying the initial condition ( t = 0 , θ = 0 , and θ = 0 ) to the above formulas , thus , the displacement &# 34 ; u &# 34 ;, speed and &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; and acceleration &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; in the slewing direction of the hoisting load c are obtained as follows : ## equ2 ## the obtained acceleration &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; is the relative acceleration of the hoisting load c with respect to the upper slewing body , and therefore , the absolute acceleration ( i . e ., acceleration with respect to the ground ) &# 34 ; aw &# 34 ; of the hoisting load c is expressed by in fig6 the angular velocity ω of the boom b and the angular velocity ωw of the hoisting load c obtained according to the formula ( 6 ) are indicated at the solid lines 51 and 52 , respectively , in the case that the vibration mode number is 1 . in this figure , the angular velocity ωw of the hoisting load c shows a vibration with one period until the complete stop , and after the elapse of time t = t / 2 since the start of braking , the angular acceleration βw &# 39 ; of the hoisting load c becomes twice the angular acceleration β &# 39 ; of the boom b . on the other hand , in the case that the vibration mode number is n (≧ 2 ), the angular velocity ωw of the hoisting load c shows a vibration with n - periods during the slewing braking . however , the minimum value ( the maximum value if an absolute value is taken ) of the angular acceleration βw &# 39 ; of the hoisting load c is also 2β &# 39 ;. theoretically , the value never exceeds 2β &# 39 ;. accordingly , in this embodiment , a coefficient k , being set at more than 2 in consideration of a safety factor , is introduced and the arithmetic operation proceeds with βw &# 39 ;= kβ &# 39 ;. the maximum angular acceleration β &# 39 ; in the formula ( 7 ) is set as the allowable angular acceleration β 1 . the slewing angular acceleration calculation means 28 calculates the actual slewing angular acceleration β in the following procedure according to the allowable angular acceleration β 1 calculated in the manner as described above and the load oscillating radius l and the boom angular velocity ω o ( angular velocity before deceleration ) obtained from the results detected by the rope length sensor 16 and the angular velocity sensor 18 . as the hoisting load c , a model of the same single pendulum as that shown in fig4 is taken into consideration . then , a differential equation of this system is expressed as follows . both sides of the formula ( 5 ) are differentiated by time &# 34 ; t &# 34 ;, and the resultant value is substituted in the right side of the formula ( 4 ), which is then integrated under the initial condition ( at t = 0 , θ = 0 , θ = 0 ), thus obtaining the following formula . when this formula is expressed on a phase plane in connection with and θ / ω and θ , a circle is depicted which passes through an original point o ( 0 , 0 ) around a point a ( 0 , - a / g ). a time required to make a round of this circle , that is , a period t in which the pendulum moves from the original point o and then returns to its original state is given by t = 2π / ω , and therefore , if the angular acceleration β is set so as to completely stop after the time nt ( n is a natural number ) from the time ( o point ) at which the slewing stop control of a crane starts , the stop control of a crane without leaving an oscillation of a load is realized . since ω is a constant value determined by the gravity acceleration &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; and the oscillating radius &# 34 ; l &# 34 ;, the above angular acceleration β is obtained by ## equ3 ## on the other hand , the allowable condition of the lateral bending strength of the boom b is | β |≦ β 1 , and therefore , the minimum natural number &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; in the range of fulfilling the above allowable condition is selected whereby the slewing angular acceleration β for braking and stopping the slewing without leaving the oscillation of the load at the minimum time can be obtained . the braking torque calculation means 29 and the hoisting load angular acceleration calculation means 31 calculate torques required to brake the upper slewing body at the slewing angular acceleration β . this calculation procedure will be described with reference a flowchart of fig3 . first , the upper slewing body braking torque calculation means 291 in the braking torque calculation means 29 calculates a braking torque ts required to brake the main body of the upper slewing body at the slewing angular acceleration β ( step s 1 ). this upper slewing body braking torque ts is obtained by on the other hand , the hoisting load angular acceleration calculation means 31 calculates the angular acceleration βw of the actual hoisting load c in case of braking at the slewing angular acceleration β ( step s 2 ). the formula for obtaining the hoisting load angular acceleration βw is similar to the formula ( 6 ) and is expressed by the hoisting load braking torque calculation means 292 calculates a braking torque tw required to brake the hoisting load c according to the hoisting load angular acceleration βw ( step s 3 ). this hoisting load braking torque tw is obtained by the whole braking torque calculation means 293 calculates the sum of the upper slewing body braking torque ts and the hoisting load braking torque tw as the whole braking torque tt ( step s 4 ) to output it to the motor pressure control means 30 . the motor pressure control means 30 sets the braking side pressure pb of the hydraulic motor corresponding to the whole braking torque tt to output a control signal on the basis of the braking side pressure pb . in this embodiment , there is a relationship , as shown by the solid line 60 in fig7 between the whole braking torque tt and the differential pressure δp of the hydraulic motor , as expressed by the following formula . the motor differential pressure δp 1 indicates the value of δp at an intersection between a straight line expressed by the formula ( 12 ) and a straight line expressed by the formula ( 13 ). accordingly , substituting the whole braking torque tt in the formula ( 12 ) or ( 13 ), then the differential pressure δp of the hydraulic motor for obtaining the braking torque tt can be obtained . furthermore , let pa be the drive side pressure of the hydraulic motor , the braking side pressure pb of the hydraulic motor can be obtained by the operations of steps s 2 to s 5 are executed every constant control termination until the slewing stop is completed ( step s 6 ) whereby the high accurate slewing stop control in consideration of the oscillation of a load during the slewing braking can be realized , and the upper slewing body can be reliably stopped without leaving the oscillation of the hoisting load c . the present invention is not limited to the above - mentioned embodiment and the following mode , for example , can be employed . ( 1 ) while in the above - mentioned embodiment , the angular acceleration βw of the hoisting load is obtained from the theoretical formula , and the hoisting load braking torque tw is calculated on the basis thereof , it is to be noted that the present invention is not limited thereto and the oscillating state ( such as the oscillating angle θ ) of the hoisting load c during the slewing braking , for example , is momentarily detected by a sensor , and the hoisting load braking torque tw is obtained from the detected result . the concrete arithmetic operation is shown below . let &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; (= w / g ) be the mass of the hoisting load c , the relationship between the oscillating angle θ of the hoisting load c and the acceleration &# 34 ; aw &# 34 ; in the slewing direction of the hoisting load c is given by the hoisting load braking torque tw can be obtained on the basis of the oscillating angle θ from the formula ( 16 ). thus , the oscillating state of the hoisting load is detected by the sensor or the like and the slewing stop control is performed on the basis thereof , and therefore , the slewing stop control with high accuracy in well conformity with the actual circumstances can be realized . in the case of calculating the hoisting load braking torque using the theoretical formula as in the above - mentioned embodiment , a sensor is not required , thus providing the merit that the above - mentioned effect is obtained at low cost . ( 2 ) in the present invention , the braking torque of the upper slewing body and the hoisting load is obtained on the basis of a common angular acceleration similarly to the prior art , and a torque correction amount in consideration of the oscillation of the hoisting load is calculated separately therefrom so as to obtain the sum of both . also in this case , by the addition of the torque correction amount , the hoisting load braking torque is obtained as a result , thus obtaining the effect similar to that of the above - mentioned embodiment . ( 3 ) the present invention may be applied to such a construction machine irrespective of kind thereof , that is provided with a slewingable upper slewing body which hoists a load at a predetermined position . the slewing drive means employed includes a hydraulic or electric means , and the braking torque is calculated by the procedure noted above to thereby realize the high accurate control in consideration of the oscillation of the load during the slewing braking . | 1 |
fig1 depicts a view in the xz plane , roughly to scale , of a representative ceramic dewared spinner assembly suitable for a cryomas probe . warm bearing gas may be supplied through a small metallic dewar 11 at just the rear end and ducted internally in a channel 12 between the innermost sleeve , identified as the zirconia spinner stator 13 , and the inner zirconia dewar wall 14 to the bearing orifices 15 , 16 near both ends of the ceramic rotor 17 and to the inflow bernoulli bearing orifices 18 that form the axial bearing at the lower end of the rotor . the bearing gas temperature may be well below or well above room temperature , heated and sensed according to the prior art . exhaust from the axial bearing and the lower bearing orifices 16 vents axially and then downward through a small metallic bearing exhaust dewar 19 . the ceramic rotor 17 containing the warm sample 20 is driven by warm nitrogen gas from drive nozzles 21 engaging a radial - inflow microturbine 22 attached to the upper end of the rotor 17 . the drive manifold groove 23 in the spinner stator 17 is pressurized with nitrogen via another small metallic dewar not visible in this view , as it is off to the side to keep the region below the front of the spinner assembly free for the high - power reactive circuit elements needed to double tune the outer sample solenoid 24 for the lf and mf frequencies . the inner foil high - frequency ( hf ) cross coil 25 , between the ceramic dewar outer wall 26 and the sample solenoid 24 is also not visible in this view , as it is very thin , typically about 0 . 05 mm thick , and may not have any features in the xz plane , according to the prior art . teflon , about 0 . 5 mm thick has most often been used in the prior art to insulate the cross coil from the outer solenoid ; but in the cryomas case , sapphire ( single - crystal aluminum oxide ) may be a better thermal option , as it provides the thermal conduction needed so that the cross coil may be more effectively cooled by the conduction - cooled solenoid . however , its high dielectric constant will present isolation and tuning difficulties unless it is restricted to a short portion of the insulating sleeve , preferably near the center of the coils . in this context the sample being inside a rotor near room temperature typically means the sample has a temperature significantly above the coil temperature , and in an exemplary embodiment is between 100 k and 400 k in temperature . the four small capacitors at each end used to tune the cross coil to the 1 h frequency , according to the prior art in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 130 , 537 , are also not visible in this view , as they are not in the xz plane . the inflow - bernoulli axial bearing and other important spinner assembly details , especially related to the rotor tip plug and the doty bearing , are disclosed in more detail in a co - pending application . other types of bernoulli axial bearings , such as those in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 446 , 430 or in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 940 , 942 , could also be used , though with some disadvantages . the drive gas vents up the curved rotor - loading tube 30 , through which the warm rotor may be pneumatically ejected and a new one dropped into place . a high - performance magic - angle - gradient ( mag ) coil 31 , more closely related to that of barbara and bronnimann than that of cory , but made of multi - layer windings and not constrained to a right cylinder , is supported on a mag coilform 32 surrounding the spinner assembly and made according to the public domain prior art by doty . the symmetry of the mag coil allows four symmetrically disposed windows 33 through which leads 34 may be run to the solenoid through one window and likewise to the cross coils through another window , though typically fewer than four windows are required for these leads . prior art mag coils have been mounted on ceramic cylinders lined with thin - copper - foil rf shields to minimize eddy currents , but the differential thermal stresses between the copper windings and a ceramic coilform make such an arrangement unsuitable for the cryomas probe . the preferred coilform material here is a high - resistivity , high - strength , low - susceptibility , low - outgassing alloy that can be readily electro - plated , such as c654 ( 3 % si , 1 . 5 % sn , 0 . 06 % cr , bal . cu ) and related high - silicon bronzes , including c876 ( 4 . 5 % si , 5 . 5 % zn , 0 . 2 % pb , 0 . 1 % mn , 0 . 1 % fe , bal . cu ). another adequate alloy is c925 ( 11 % sn , 1 . 2 % ni , 1 . 2 % pb , 0 . 2 % p , 0 . 1 % fe , bal cu ), and related high - tin bronzes . preferably , the coilform 32 alloy would have weight composition of at least 70 % copper , less than 20 % zinc , less than 20 % nickel , less than 8 % chromium , less than 4 % aluminum , less than 4 % pb , less than 0 . 2 % iron , less than 0 . 2 % cobalt , and at least 2 . 5 % from the set comprised of tin , silicon , aluminum , and chromium , such that rt electrical conductivity is less than 12 % that of pure copper . such an alloy is herein defined as a type d alloy . the inside surface of the coilform must then be electroplated with gold , silver , or copper to several rf skin depths for low losses in the rf currents that will be induced therein from the sample coils , but the thickness must be limited to avoid excessive gradient eddy currents . for gold at 80 k for example , the thickness should be limited to approximately 0 . 003 mm . a nitrogen - gas mag - cooling loop 35 is affixed around the mag coil for cooling to approximately 85 k . the high - conductivity copper windings and the mag coilform , though of type d alloy , provide sufficient thermal conduction to keep the entire mag coil near the temperature of the mag cooling loop 35 . the ends of the dewared ceramic spinner assembly are enclosed in thermally insulating plastic sleeves 36 , 37 that also may participate in sealing the warm nitrogen bearing , drive , and exhaust gases from the cold zone 38 external to the ceramic dewar outer wall 26 . it may be impractical to insure that there will be no gas leaks between the nitrogen and helium regions , but it is necessary to insure that no nitrogen gas leaks into the cold helium zone , where it would deposit on the cold tuning elements and degrade performance . hence , the cold helium zone 38 may preferably be maintained at a pressure greater than 1 . 1 atmosphere , via a suitable helium gas pressurization supply line , to prevent leakage from the spinner exhausts 19 , 30 and from external atmosphere into the cold zone . alternatively , if the gas leaks can adequately be eliminated , the cold zone may be evacuated to high vacuum , where satisfactory high voltage operation is possible . the intermediate vacuum regime , between about 1 mtorr and 1 atmosphere , is unsuitable for high - voltage operation . the cold zone may be pressurized to 5 atmospheres if necessary to prevent leakage flow from the bearing supply dewar 11 or drive manifold 23 . in this context , “ cold ” typically means a range of about 25 k to 35 k , preferably below 30 k , and possibly below 15 k . the substantial heat leaks from the warm exhaust ducts at both ends of the spinner assembly through the plastic sleeves 36 , 37 may be accommodated by surrounding these sleeves with a cooling jacket 40 cooled by nitrogen - gas jacket - cooling loops 41 to about 90 k . this jacket , which may be of alumina ceramic or slotted type d alloy for minimal eddy currents , may then be externally insulated with teflon ( ptfe ) foam 42 from the helium gas surrounding it , which may be slightly colder , at least in places . the rf solenoid 24 is preferably aluminum - plated copper with an aluminum core . the thin , high - purity aluminum surface plating presents lower resistance at low temperatures and high magnetic fields than copper , according to the prior art , as in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 411 , 092 b1 . the aluminum core provides magnetic compensation , according to the prior art , as in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 130 , 537 . the solenoid is conduction cooled to typically 30 k via thermally conductive sapphire - dielectric capacitors from each end to a cold ground plate , as discussed shortly . the cold solenoid 24 may be externally thermally insulated from the warmer mag coilform by filling the space surrounding the rf solenoid with fine glass wool , for example , where the glass or quartz fiber diameter is typically in the range of 5 to 15 microns . note that the solenoid and all other high - voltage circuit elements may be in a pressurized helium atmosphere . primarily because helium is monatomic , the ionization breakdown voltage ( for the typical nmr pulse conditions ) in helium at rt is about one - eighth that of air . fortunately , the breakdown field e b in a dense gas at constant pressure is generally inversely proportional to t 3 / 2 , so arcing in helium below 70 k is less of a problem than in air at rt for a given voltage . however , because of the space required for the ceramic dewar , the sample coil voltages must be higher than in conventional mas probes for similar rf field strengths , so attention must be paid to high - voltage rf design . there is also the potential for ionization in the vacuum space within the ceramic dewar if the vacuum degrades to the point that the molecular mean free path is less than the separation gap between the inner wall 14 and outer wall 26 . hence , this space may need to be continuously pumped via a very small pumpdown stem ( tube ) 43 from the vacuum space to keep its pressure below 30 mtorr . for satisfactory sealing to zirconia and subsequent soldering to a larger evacuation tube , the pumpdown stem should be of platinum or of gold - plated titanium alloy or of vanadium and have a short flexible section to reduce stresses . fig2 shows a side overview of the upper portion of the cylindrical cryomas probe , for use in a wide - bore high - field nmr magnet , including the spinner assembly as was shown in more detail in fig1 . note that the magnet &# 39 ; s field strength would usually be greater than 7 t and at least greater than 4 t , as improvements in s / n in low - field applications could more easily be obtained by simply increasing the rotor size . the cold zone 38 is sealed by o - rings 51 at the rt gas - sealing barrier 52 , where also are found o - ring seals to the outside of the small dewars 11 , 19 and cold - finger dewar 53 , which insulates the commercially available cold finger ( not shown ) containing a heat exchanger . the use of o - ring seals on the small dewars facilitates their replacement and position adjustment , as needed to accommodate minor angle adjustments of the spinner axis for precise setting at the magic angle . alternatively , flexibility for adjustment of the magic angle and alleviation of stresses may be provided by utilizing short bellows tubing connections between the small dewars and the spinner assembly . the helium - gas - cooled cold finger slides into the cold - finger dewar 53 and is attached to the second - stage cold plate , 54 , typically of copper alloy with silver or gold plate . with sufficient attention to the cryo - engineering details , the heat leak can be made sufficiently small for compatibility with commonly available small , closed - cycle , gas - cooled , cold fingers that provide 6 w cooling at 30 k , for example , or perhaps larger cold fingers providing more cooling power or lower temperatures . first - stage nitrogen cooling includes the mag - coil cooling loop 35 , the cooling jacket cooling loops 41 , and the first - stage cool plate 55 , which is thermally insulated above and below with foamed teflon 56 , 57 . a low - magnetism bell dewar 60 surrounds the cold zone and is secured firmly to the barrier 52 to withstand the pressurization forces . the dewar also includes a sealed access duct 61 in the top , suitably designed for sufficiently low heat leak , through which the rotor - loading duct 30 may pass and be sealed . the inner wall 62 of the bell dewar is made predominately of a type d alloy and plated on the inside with silver , gold , or copper to a thickness of several rf skin depths at the operating temperature . it is similarly plated on its outer surface to minimize radiative heat transfer . the high voltage passive reactive elements required for tuning are mounted above the cold plate 54 , as shown in the perspective view of some of the components in fig3 . these include at least one sapphire - dielectric co - axial capacitor 72 providing thermal contact from the cold plate 54 to one lead 34 of the sample solenoid 24 , and normally a second smaller sapphire capacitor is used at the second solenoid lead . for the case where the solenoid 24 is double - tuned for lf and mf , tuning solenoid 71 is also required , which would preferably be of either aluminum - plated copper or solid aluminum . it is preferably covered with foamed teflon 74 for thermal insulation from the warmer helium in the cold zone 38 . additional cold capacitors and inductors in the cold zone would also be used as needed to achieve the desired tuning , channel isolation , and impedance transformations from the sample coil to the rf - feed - through elements 73 which lead to the rt tuning zone 80 below the barrier 52 . as in the prior art , sample solenoid differential voltages at the lf and mf will typically be limited to about 4 kv by the dielectric sleeve between the solenoid and the cross coil , partly because it may not be practical for the solenoid to be both double tuned and balanced at the mf when the mf is greater than 150 mhz . if the mf is unbalanced , half the mf voltage may also appear on some hf cross - coil matching elements . standard circuit optimization methods , which keep the rf voltages and currents on the feed - through elements small compared to such on the sample solenoid , allow the noise contributions from the feed - through elements and the variable capacitors in the rt tuning zone to be kept to several percent of the total with adequate tuning adjustment range for normal sample loading ranges . as is well known from the prior art , the preamp , rf duplexer switch , and input filters must be cooled to around 80 k for their noise contribution to be very small compared to that of the sample coil . open - cycle nitrogen - gas first - stage cooling can easily provide the required cooling capacity down to about 80 k ; but alternatively , helium gas cooling may be used for first - stage cooling to a lower temperature . yet another possible approach is the use of cold nitrogen gas carrying droplets of liquid nitrogen . these components may be mounted in the base of the probe , according to the prior art , or in a separate compartment very near the probe if connected via very low loss transmission lines , as also in the prior art . it may also be desirable to utilize one or more plug - in hi - power ceramic capacitors in the cold zone circuit in addition to the one or more fixed sapphire capacitors to facilitate multi - nuclear tuning , according to the prior art , even though the qs of commercially available hi - power ceramic capacitors do not improve much as they are cooled and their qs even at rt are much lower than is easily obtained with sapphire - dielectric hi - power coaxial capacitors . in some cases it may be desirable to add a 2 h lock channel to triple resonance capability . this may be best accommodated by adding a second cross coil between the inner 1 h cross coil and the outer solenoid 24 , according to the prior art . in this case , the 1 h cross - coil is normally oriented with its b 1 nearly transverse to b 0 and made with optimal surface coverage for high magnetic filling factor and q , while the 2 h cross - coil , typically a 2 - turn saddle coil similar to the prior art shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 641 , 098 , is oriented orthogonally and made with low surface coverage for minimal degradation in the performance of the 1 h cross coil and outer solenoid . it is also possible to effectively utilize a single solenoid 24 without an inner cross coil for double - resonance applications at least up to 7 t and possibly at 9 . 4 t even when the hf channel is for 1 h , using circuits similar to those used for more than three decades in solids nmr . although this invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments , it will be recognized that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention . all such modifications and changes are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention . examples of the preferred embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the inventive solid state control device for use with a metal sheathed heater . the inventive device may be combined with an electrical resistance heater such as a compressor heater , ( a tutco , inc . model ch compressor heater ), which is well known in the art either electrically connected to the compressor heater by means of a mechanically strong , abrasive resistant , moisture resistance , electrical insulating joint or by some other means . referring to fig2 , a heater assembly 200 is shown . heater assembly 200 includes heater 10 , as disclosed in fig1 above . features of heater 10 disclosed in fig1 have the same references numerals , except where otherwise noted . preferably , heater 10 includes an electrical resistance wire sheathed in metal for heating a material . heater assembly 200 also includes control device 30 connected to heater 10 . through lead wires 15 and 17 , control device 30 regulates output power to heater 10 . lead wire 15 from control device 30 ends in a terminal 16 . terminal 16 connects lead wire 15 to a power source . lead wire 17 connects control device 30 to heater 10 . lead wire 17 connects to heater cable 9 via joint 202 . joint 202 may be located within or outside of metal sheath 7 . the components of 202 joint may be found in the patent publication ser . no . 2005 / 0194377 noted above . other means may be used to cover joint 202 . one example is to first seal joint 202 with a waterproof , temperature resistant , electrical resistant seal or potting material , then use a heat shrinkable tube as described above , with or without an adhesive on its inside surface , to cover joint 202 . additionally , sufficiently thick , water proof , temperature resistant , electrical resistant , mechanically strong seal or potting material may be used to cover joint 202 . thus , power is supplied to heater 10 via control device 30 . when terminal 16 is connected to the power source , control device 30 allows output power to heater 10 through lead wire 17 . as disclosed in greater detail below , control device 30 also terminates output power to heater 10 under certain conditions , such that no power is provided to heater cable 9 . thus , heater 10 is not in a continuous “ on ” state to supply heat wastefully , or when it is not needed . for example , control device 30 terminates power to heater 10 based upon a sensed condition . the sensed condition may be a point in time , a temperature and the like . thus , heater 10 is off for a period of time because no output power from control device 30 is received at heater cable 9 . upon another sensed condition , control device 30 supplies output power to the heater 10 because the heat is needed . the first sensed condition and the second sensed condition may correspond to each other , such as time values , or temperature readings . fig3 a and 3b depict different configurations of heater assembly 200 when it is attached to a compressor 302 . metal sheathed heater 10 could also be combined with some other structure for placement and support . the structure , or material held by the structure , requires heating using metal sheathed heater 10 . lead wires 15 and 17 of heater assembly 200 should be of sufficient length to allow control device 30 to be positioned so as to reach heater 10 without being adversely impacted by compressor 302 . for example , referring to fig3 a , lead wire 17 allows control device 30 to be located at a distance from compressor 302 . preferably , the distance is not long . lead wire 15 also is long enough to reach a power source 304 . power source 304 may supply input power as known in the art . for example , power source 304 may be a wall outlet , a battery , generator and the like . further , control device 30 may be equipped with an appropriate means for mounting as required in a given installation . control device 30 may be mounted virtually anywhere in connection with the structure being heated , e . g ., the surrounding supports for the structure being heated . referring to fig3 a , control device 30 may be mounted on a wall , post , stand or rest on a table in the vicinity of compressor 302 . for example , mounts for control device 30 may include a plate to hold control device 30 attached by screws , nails , adhesive , glue and the like . alternatively , control device 30 may be attached directly to a wall or post using screws , nails , adhesive , glue , string wrapped around a post , and the like . for use on a table , shelf and the like , a holder may prop control device 30 into an upright position for easier viewing . the holder also may be attached to the table , shelf and the like using any of the means disclosed above . an alternate construction is to mount control device 30 to the structure being heated and connect it to heater 10 at the application by conventional termination means . referring to fig3 b , heater assembly 200 is configured with control device 30 mounted on compressor 302 . a mount 312 secures control device 30 . mount 312 may be any known mounting device known in the art . for example , mount 312 may be a plate having an adhesive strip on its back to attach to compressor 302 . alternatively , mount 312 may be a plastic or metal holder with straps or a belt that wraps around compressor 302 or is held in place by pegs or the like attached to compressor 302 with glue or adhesive . lead wires 15 and 17 include lengths to reach power source 304 and heater 10 , respectively . this configuration may be desirable when heater 10 is attached to compressor 302 on a long - term or permanent basis . control device 30 remains close enough to heater 10 and compressor 302 to take accurate readings for determining whether to supply power via lead wire 17 . further , control device 30 is located in a position to be turned on and off manually . fig4 depicts a block diagram illustrating components of control device 30 according to the disclosed embodiments . according to the preferred embodiments , control device 30 is a solid state control device . control device 30 may include a solid state relay component that acts as a switch . control device 30 acts like switch that uses low voltage to switch from an input power to an output power to heater 10 . in this embodiment , control device 30 does not have moving parts or mechanical contacts in operation , and switches “ on ” and “ off ” faster than a mechanical relay . referring to fig4 , the solid state control device 30 includes an opto - isolator 31 , a relay device 33 , and a programmable integrated circuit ( ic ) 35 that has a sensor interface 36 . preferably , the relay device 33 is a triac , but any type of device , solid state or electromechanical , which can function in a relay capacity , could be used . the opto - isolator 31 , also known as an optical coupler or optocoupler , is a semiconductor device that allows signals to be transferred between circuits or systems , while keeping those circuits or systems electrically isolated from each other . opto - isolators are used in a wide variety of communications , control , and monitoring systems . power is supplied to control device 30 at off - line supply 37 and output power to the metal sheathed heater 10 is designated as the load 39 . the input power includes a voltage at supply 37 that may be alternating current ( ac ). preferably , the voltage component of the input power is about 5 volts . the output power 401 supplied to load 39 , or heater 10 , includes a voltage component of about 240 volts . in one mode , the programmable integrated circuit ( ic ) 35 includes a timer . programmable ic 35 is powered by the off - line supply 37 , which is electrically separated from programmable ic 35 and its control signal input via the opto - isolator 31 . programmable ic 35 is initialized by the deactivation of a control voltage input 38 to the sensor interface 36 . sensor interface 36 is adapted to receive a control signal 38 based on a sensed condition . programmable ic 35 uses 60 - cycles to obtain an accurate time - base . a typical deactivation , or loss of control voltage input , action would be when compressor 302 turns off . after the timer reaches the desired delay count , the programmable ic 35 triggers the onboard triac or relay 33 , supplying current to the load 39 and powering the heater 10 . the output power 401 to load 39 remains activated until such time as both timer of the ic 35 and relay 33 are reset by the application of the control input signal 38 , i . e ., the compressor is again powered . the output power 401 to load 39 will remain deactivated as long as the control signal 38 is present , e . g ., the compressor is on . alternatively , the absence of the control signal 38 supplied to the sensor interface 36 and programmable ic 35 means that the compressor is off so that the heater should be on . once the compressor is turned off and a certain period of time elapses , the continued absence of the control voltage signal triggers the relay 33 to supply output power 401 to heater 10 . an example of a specific application for the solid state control device 30 would be when the metal sheathed heater 10 is used to heat compressor 302 . when the compressor 302 is on , there is no need to run the heater 10 . in order to accomplish this , the sensor interface 36 receives the signal 38 that represents the compressor 302 “ on ” condition or state . with this condition present , the signal 38 is received by the sensor interface 36 and causes programmable ic 35 , in turn , to trigger the relay 33 to terminate the output power 401 to the heater 10 . if the compressor 302 shuts down , then the signal 38 would cease , thus re - supplying the output power 401 to the heater 10 according to the timer sequence if present . while the present invention is illustrated so that the absence of the control signal 38 turns the heater 10 on , it could be arranged so that the presence of a control signal ( compressor off ) turns the heater 10 on , and the absence of a control signal ( compressor on ) turns the heater 10 off . also , the time period for powering the heater 10 could vary from no time lag to any predetermined period of time . in other words , heater 10 could be powered up immediately upon command , or the predetermined period may allow some time to elapse . one purpose of the timed delay when powering the heater 10 is energy efficiency . as explained above , once the compressor 302 shuts down , a period of time elapses until the heater 10 is energized . this period of time uses the inherent heat in the compressor 302 as it cools down rather than the heat supplied from the heater 10 to ensure that the refrigerant does not migrate to the oil . once the compressor 302 cools down for a sufficiently long time , then the heater 10 needs to be energized to make sure that the refrigerant does not migrate to the oil . the predetermined time period can vary widely depending on the material being heated using the heater . one example is a 120 minute delay from compressor 302 shut down to heater 10 start up . in instances where energy efficiency is not important , or the cool down period and ambient conditions may be such that heater energization upon compressor 302 shut down would be immediate , the programmable ic 35 can trigger the relay 33 immediately when the control signal 38 is present or absent . thus , the programmable ic 35 includes a timer to indicate that the relay device 33 is to supply the output power 401 to the heater 10 after a set period of time elapses from a time the sensor interface 36 senses the absence or presence of control signal 38 . the timer within programmable ic 35 may turn control device 30 to an “ on ” or “ off ” status . further , the timer within programmable ic 35 may elapse a predetermined time period on control device 30 to trigger relay device 33 to activate heater 10 on a periodic or repeating basis . alternatively , the timer within programmable ic 35 may trigger relay device 33 for a certain amount of time until compressor 302 does not need the heat any longer . at that point , relay device 33 may receive a command from the timer to terminate output power to heater 10 . while the compressor operation is one example of a condition to control the heater operation , other conditions could be used as well . for example , ambient temperature could be measured and once a certain temperature is sensed that would indicate that heating is not required , the relay 33 could be triggered to terminate the power to the heater . as noted above , the triggering based on sensed temperature could be based on either the presence or absence of a control signal . other conditions as would be known in the art could also be employed to control the heating function of the metal sheathed heater 10 . while opto - isolator 31 is shown to control the voltage to the programmable ic , other solid state devices could be employed that would provide the necessary and low voltage , e . g ., 5 volts , to the programmable ic 35 from the input power . likewise , any type of programmable ic that would have the ability to sense and receive the input control signal and trigger the relay device controlling supply of the output power to the heater , as well as having the timing function described above . the present invention offers significant improvements in the field of metal sheathed heaters , including the heaters themselves , and their methods of use . by the use of the invention , improvements are realized in operation of the metal sheathed heaters in terms of energy usage . thus , in conjunction with the invention as disclosed above , features of the invention include the following : 1 . a solid state control device for a metal sheathed electric resistance heater . 2 . a solid state control device as in 1 consisting of an electronic module featuring a programmable ic , with an optional timer as needed , opto - isolator , and a triac or relay switch device . 3 . an electrical resistance compressor heater assembly using the solid state control device . 4 . an assembly as in 3 controlled by a solid state control as in 2 . 5 . an assembly as in 4 with a solid state control attached . 6 . an assembly as in 5 with the solid state control mounted remote to the heater . 7 . an assembly as in 5 with the solid state control device sealed to prevent the entrance of moisture . 8 . an assembly as in 7 with a lead wire of the heater adequately crimped to a lead wire of the solid state control device . 9 . an assembly as in 8 with leads of sufficient length for the application . 10 . an assembly as in 9 with the solid state control having a means for mounting in the application . 11 . an assembly as in 10 with a joint sealed that is mechanically strong , abrasion resistant , sealed electrically , temperature resistant and sealed to prevent moisture penetration . 12 . an assembly as in 11 with the seal being formed by a thermally activated adhesive with a mechanically strong and abrasion resistant cover being a heat shrinkable tube also serving as a carrier of the thermally activated adhesive . 13 . an assembly as in 12 with the seal being formed by a molding or potting compound and the mechanically strong and abrasion resistant cover being a heat shrinkable tube . 14 . an assembly as in 13 with the seal being formed by a sufficiently thick , tough , mechanically strong and abrasion resistant sealer or potting material . 15 . an assembly as in 4 with the solid state control remotely mounted . 16 . an assembly as in 15 with the solid state control having means for appropriate electrical connection to the compressor heater . 17 . an assembly as in 5 with the solid state control attached to the heater so as to sense ambient conditions , such as temperature , the heater or an adjacent component . as such , an invention has been disclosed in terms of preferred embodiments thereof which fulfills each and every one of the objects of the present invention as set forth above and provides a new and improved metal sheathed heater and method of use . of course , various changes , modifications and alterations from the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof . it is intended that the present invention only be limited by the terms of the appended claims . | 7 |
fig2 shows a toothed belt according to an embodiment of this invention . a main body 1 of the toothed belt comprises a glass cord 3 as a tension member which extends in the longitudinal direction of the belt ( i . e ., in the horizontal direction in fig2 ) and is spirally wound with a predetermined pitch in the transverse direction of the belt . the tension member is provided with a backing rubber 1a , on its outer side , extending in the longitudinal direction of the belt and having a rectangular section , and is also provided with a large number of tooth rubbers 1b , on its inner side , with a predetermined pitch in the longitudinal direction of the belt . the tooth rubbers 1b are covered with a facing fabric 2 adhered to the inner surface of the main body 1 . specifically , rubber for the main body 1 is a rubber composition including hydrogenated nitrile rubber as a main component . the facing fabric 2 includes 6 , 6 nylon yarns extending in the transverse direction of the belt and wooly finished industrial 6 , 6 nylon yarns extending in the longitudinal direction of the belt . the glass cord 3 is obtained by paralleling a predetermined number of first twist yarns 5 and finally twisting the first twist yarns 5 in the reverse direction to the first twist by a predetermined final twist number as is shown in an enlarged view of fig1 . each of the first twist yarns 5 is obtained by paralleling a plurality of fiber bundles and twisting the bundles by a predetermined first twist number . each of the fiber bundles includes a large number of glass filaments 4 , and is obtained by soaking the glass filaments with an rfl treatment liquid and then heating the resultant filaments . therefore , rubber portions made of the rfl treatment liquid are present among the glass filaments 4 of each first twist yarn 5 . this toothed belt is manufactured by a general press fitting method , and includes 133 tooth rubbers 1b disposed with a pitch of 8 mm and has a width of 19 mm . furthermore , the mating flanks of the respective tooth rubbers 1b opposing each other in the longitudinal direction of the belt are swollen in the shape of an arc . the first twist number of each first twist yarn 5 of the glass cord 3 is set at 1 . 0 time or more per inch . the first twist yarns 5 are finally twisted by a final twist number of 2 . 4 times or more per inch , so as to squeeze and substantially eliminate the spaces among the first twist yarns 5 ( see fig4 ). the total number of the glass filaments included in the glass cord 3 is set within the range between 4000 and 7000 . the glass cord 3 will now be described more specifically . ( embodiment 1 ) a glass filament 4 used in this embodiment is a non - alkaline high - strength glass filament with a diameter of 7 μm . each fiber bundle is obtained by collecting 200 glass filaments 4 . the glass cord of this embodiment is fabricated as follows : three fiber bundles are paralleled and soaked with a v p - sbr ( styrene - butadiene - vinylpyridine copolymer ) type rfl treatment liquid with a concentration of 20 wt %, and then heated at a temperature of 240 ° c . for 1 minute . the resultant bundles are twisted by a first twist number of 2 . 0 times per inch so as to obtain a first twist yarn 5 . then , eleven first twist yarns 5 are paralleled and twisted by a final twist number of 2 . 4 times per inch . in this manner , the total number of the glass filaments in the glass cord is 6600 (= 200 × 3 × 11 ). this glass cord is used as a tension member , so as to manufacture a toothed belt ( having the structure as shown in fig2 ). accordingly , in the glass cord of this embodiment , the spaces among the first twist yarns 5 are squeezed and substantially eliminated by the final twist of 2 . 4 times per inch . as a result , it is possible to prevent externally intruding water from being held within the glass cord 3 , thereby largely improving the water bending fatigue resistance of the toothed belt . a glass cord fabricated in the same manner as in embodiment 1 is soaked with a 20 wt % solution of rubber cement including chlorosulfonated polyethylene as a main component , and the resultant cord is dried at a temperature of 150 ° c . for 1 minute , thereby completing a glass cord having a rubber coat 6 of this embodiment as shown in fig5 . this glass cord is used as a tension member , so as to manufacture a toothed belt ( having the structure as is shown in fig2 ). sixteen types of glass cords are fabricated in the same manner as described in embodiment 2 except that the numbers of the first twist and final twist are different . these glass cords are used as tension members , so as to manufacture toothed belts ( each having the structure as is shown in fig2 ) as embodiments 3 through 13 and comparative examples 1 through 5 . the numbers of the first twist and final twist in each of the toothed belts of embodiments 3 through 13 and comparative examples 1 through 5 are listed in table 1 . the toothed belts of the above - described embodiments and comparative examples are evaluated for their water bending fatigue resistance and elongation as follows : a belt driving test machine as is shown in fig3 is used for the evaluation of the water bending fatigue resistance . this machine comprises four large pulleys 31 disposed in the vertical and horizontal relationship as shown in fig3 and four small pulleys 32 each having a diameter of 30 mm and disposed between the adjacent large pulleys 31 . in this test , a sample belt a is wound and stretched around the pulleys 31 and 32 , and a load of 40 kgf is applied to the sample belt a by using a weight 33 . under these conditions , the large pulleys 31 are rotated at a rotation speed of 5500 rpm with water pouring at a rate of 1 litter per hour from a water pour port 34 so as to wet the bottom land of the sample belt a , so that the sample belt a is driven until it is ruptured . a sample belt is driven by using a test machine having the same configuration as that shown in fig3 so that an elongation rate (%) of the sample belt is measured when the belt is bent 1 × 10 8 times ( the belt is bent four times per cycle ). in this test , water is not poured . the results of the evaluation are also shown in table 1 . as is obvious from the results shown in table 1 , the water bending fatigue resistance can be improved by appropriately setting the final twist number of the glass cord . for example , the water bending fatigue resistance of embodiment 13 , which is lowest among embodiments 1 through 13 , is improved by approximately 30 % as compared with that of comparative example 2 which is highest among comparative examples 1 through 5 . now , embodiments 1 through 13 are examined in more detail . first , in embodiment 5 , wherein the final twist number exceeds 3 . 5 times per inch , the water bending fatigue resistance is improved similarly to or more than those of the other embodiments , but embodiment 5 is inferior in the elongation . embodiment 13 is similarly inferior in the elongation . this reveals that the final twist number is preferably set at 3 . 5 times or more per inch . furthermore , in embodiment 12 , wherein the first twist number exceeds 4 . 0 times per inch , the water bending fatigue resistance is improved similarly to or more than those of the other embodiments , but this embodiment is inferior in the elongation . this reveals that the first twist number is preferably set at 4 . 0 times or less per inch . in other words , by setting the final twist number at 2 . 0 through 3 . 5 times per inch and the first twist number at 4 . 0 times or less per inch , and more preferably 1 . 0 through 4 . 0 times per inch , the water bending fatigue resistance of a glass cord can be effectively improved while preventing disadvantages such as the strength degradation of the glass cord due to the failure in paralleling and the elongation of the belt which can be otherwise caused by increasing the twist number . in addition , comparison between embodiments 1 and 2 reveals that the water resistance driving performance of the belt can be further improved by coating a glass cord with rubber cement . table 1______________________________________ first final water pour twist twist bending belt number number life time elongation ( times / inch ) ( times / inch ) ( times ) (%) ______________________________________embodiment 1 * 2 . 0 2 . 4 2 . 6 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 02embodiment 2 2 . 0 2 . 4 3 . 2 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 02embodiment 3 2 . 0 2 . 9 4 . 3 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 03embodiment 4 2 . 0 3 . 5 5 . 2 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 06embodiment 5 2 . 0 3 . 7 4 . 3 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 12embodiment 6 3 . 0 2 . 4 3 . 6 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 03embodiment 7 3 . 0 2 . 9 4 . 3 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 03embodiment 8 3 . 0 3 . 5 3 . 5 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 06embodiment 9 4 . 0 2 . 4 3 . 3 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 03embodiment 10 4 . 0 2 . 9 3 . 2 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 04embodiment 11 4 . 0 3 . 5 3 . 8 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 07embodiment 12 4 . 2 2 . 9 4 . 6 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 12embodiment 13 4 . 5 4 . 0 8 . 6 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 16comparative 2 . 0 1 . 7 3 . 2 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 01example 1comparative 2 . 0 2 . 0 6 . 6 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 02example 2comparative 4 . 0 1 . 7 2 . 2 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 02example 3comparative 4 . 5 2 . 0 4 . 5 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 13example 4comparative 4 . 8 1 . 7 2 . 6 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 15example 5______________________________________ * note : the glass cord of embodiment 1 is not covered with rubber . | 3 |
for further background , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 969 , 993 and fig1 of the present case both show the mounting of a separator plate which is plate 10 in fig1 . one skilled in the art will readily understand that the plate 10 moves along the path of the collected stack of sheets when the plate intercepts the sheets coming in stream form onto the plate , such as shown and described in the said patent . also , one will readily understand that there is a table or collector conveyor , such as the table 11 in fig3 and the stack of sheets is formed and supported on the table which moves up and down , but at the angulation shown . the general concept is to utilize a sheet counter which controls the positioning of the separator plate 10 into the path of the sheets after a certain and selected number of sheets have passed to the stacker table mentioned . at that time , the separator plate is actuated to be inserted into the path of the stream of sheets and thereby intercept the sheets while the previously formed stack is removed . both the stacker table and the separator plate are moved upwardly to their return positions ready for receiving the next sheets , all as described in said patent which is incorporated herein to the extent necessary for that background information . the said patent shows a parallelogram type of linkage mounting for the separator plate to support and move the plate in its up and down action , and fig1 also shows a support for the separator plate 10 and it shows mechanism for moving the plate up and down . the present invention is concerned only with the manner of moving the plate 10 in its upward movement . fig1 shows the separator plate 10 to be pivotally mounted on a pin 12 on the lower end of a support 13 which is an extension of a gear rack 14 . the rack 14 is slidable up and down , at the angle shown , in a suitable frame or like support 16 , and fig2 shows a slidable cylindrical rod 17 in a conventional type of bearing mounting 18 suitably supported on the frame or the like 16 for guiding the rack 14 in its up and down movement . that is , when the separator plate 10 is in its operative position and intercepting the sheets coming toward the stacker table 11 , the rack 14 moves downwardly and thus lowers the separator plate 10 to accomodate the growing stack of sheets on the plate 10 . then , when the stack previously formed and on the table 11 is removed , then the separator plate 10 can be retracted by means of the fluid cylinder 19 attached to the separator plate 10 for extension and retraction of the plate 10 , and the plate 10 is then clear of the stack which was on the plate 10 , and the rack 14 , along with the plate 10 , can then be moved upwardly for the next cycle of action . further , it is also conventional to employ an electric solenoid 21 which actuates a latch 22 pivotal about the pin 23 on the extension 13 . the latch 22 engages a latch plate 24 affixed to the separator plate 10 to hold the separator plate against further clockwise rotation as viewed in fig1 . at any convenient time when the previously formed stack is sufficiently managed relative to the stack table 11 , then the cylinder 19 can be actuated , in any conventional arrangement of a switch , such as a switch 26 in the path of movement of the rack 14 and guide rod 17 , and that conventional switch can govern the air flow of fluid to the cylinder 19 to retract the separator plate 10 relative to the cylinder 19 , and thus allow the partial stack that was on the plate 10 to pass to the control of the table 11 , in the conventional manner . the plate 10 with the cylinder 19 are then overbalanced to where they rotate about the pin 12 in a counterclockwise direction , as viewed in fig1 and thus the plate 10 is in the next ready position for intercepting sheets . the rack 14 and the plate 10 are then moved upwardly , by means of return spring and other mechanism unshown by conventional means of a mechanism of a pinion 27 actuated through a sprocket chain 28 and a drive sprocket 29 . of course the pinion 27 was utilized for controlling the downward movement of the plate 10 when the drive sprocket 29 was rotated in the counterclockwise direction , as viewed in fig1 . upon the upward movement of the plate 10 , a dampener fluid cylinder 31 is shown attached through its rod 32 and a bracket 33 to the slide rod 17 . the cylinder 31 is mounted on the frame 16 through a bracket 34 . an extension spring of a conventional arrangement but unshown herein is suitably attached between the separator plate 10 and the frame 16 for the upward movement of the separator plate , as described , and that upward movement is dampened by the cylinder 31 . when a sufficient number of sheets have passed to the table 11 , then a sheet counter , such as the conventionally used laser counter 36 shown in fig3 actuates the solenoid switch 21 to which it is suitably connected , and the latch 22 with its notch 37 , withdrawn from the latch stop 24 and , with the extension of the plate 10 suitably arranged through the pneumatics described with cylinder 19 , the plate 10 will again rotate to the position shown in fig1 and thus its point 24 will dip into the incoming stream and again commence to intercept the incoming sheets , and the cycle is repeated . all of the foregoing is to be understood from the said patent as well as from the description and drawings incorporated herein . the contribution of the present invention is shown in fig3 and 4 where a stacker frame 41 suitably supports drive members 42 and 43 which respectively have rotatable drive sprockets or pulleys 44 and 46 . also , driven shafts 47 and 48 are suitably mounted on the frame 41 , such as by the bearing 49 shown in fig4 and these two shafts each have an electromagnetic clutch element 51 affixed to the shaft through a key 52 . a clutch plate 53 is adjacent the element 51 , and a driven sprocket or like member 54 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 48 , as shown . the sprocket 54 carries pins 56 which extend into driving relation with the plate 53 which is magnetically attracted by the element 51 when the element 51 is electrically energized , all in the conventional and well - known arrangement for an electric clutch . the shaft 48 has a pinion 57 keyed thereto , and the shaft 47 has a sprocket 58 keyed thereto . the pinion 57 is comparable to the pinion 27 in fig1 and is in gear - tooth relationship with the rack 14 for moving the rack up and down , as described in connection with fig1 . the sprocket 58 is in driving relation with the stacker table 11 which may be a sprocket chain of a conventional arrangement , and thus the chain can move up and down upon clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the sprocket 58 . therefore , the drive means 42 will rotate its driving member 44 in a counterclockwise direction , and , a sprocket chain or the like 59 is in endless driving relation with the two sprockets 54 such that , upon energizing the clutch 51 , the sprocket 54 is rotated and the sprocket chain 59 moves in the direction of the arrows marked &# 34 ; down &# 34 ;, and thus the separator plate on the rack 14 will move down , and the table 11 will also move down but at a time alternate with the downward movement of the rack 14 , as hereinafter described . another sprocket or the like 61 is mounted on each of shaft 47 and 48 , and is secured thereto by a key 62 . a drive sprocket chain or the like 63 extends endlessly over the two sprockets 62 and the drive member 46 of the drive mechanism 43 . thus , as shown by the arrows marked &# 34 ; up &# 34 ;, the separator plate 10 and the stacker table 11 are moved alternately to the upward positions . thus , the drive 43 is a retract drive , and , along with its output member 46 and the sprocket chain or the like 63 , it forms a drive means for the upward movement of the separator plate 10 and the stacker table 11 which has the usual backstop or support 64 for receiving the stack and supporting it as the table 11 moves in the direction of the arrow for its downward movement . the drive 43 can be a torque motor , eddy current clutch drive , particle clutch drive , or the like . it is constantly running , and , in actuality , it is simply overcome by the drive 42 when the drive 42 is engaged for the downward action of the separator plate 10 and the stacker table 11 . thus , the electric motor or drive 43 is running constantly and is overcome , by the fact of being a lesser powered drive compared to the electric motor or drive 42 and its drive chain 59 , when the plate 10 is driven downwardly and when the table 11 is driven downwardly at an alternate time . at the appropriate moment when it is desired to lower the completed stack , the drive 42 can be disengaged , by means of its electromagnetic clutch 51 , and the table 11 will then be rapidly lowered so that the stack theron can be moved away . subsequently , the lower support 64 is raised upwardly in response to the reverse or upward movement of the table 11 , and that upward movement for both the separator plate 10 and the table 11 is created by the drive 43 when the electromagnetic clutch 51 is disengaged . that is , the two clutches 51 on the shafts 47 and 48 are engaged only for the downward movements at which time the drive 43 is being overpowered , but is constantly running , and is available for the drive in the upward movement of both the plate 10 and the table 11 , and that upward movement occurs whenever the respective clutch 51 is disengaged . thus , when a counter , such as the counter 36 adjacent the stream of sheets and of a conventional arrangement such as in said patent , is satisfied , then the solenoid 21 which can be conventionally connected to the counter is energized and releases the plate 10 to pivot into the path of the incoming sheets and intercept them . the plate 10 continues to lower as the stack builds thereon , and , a switch , such as switch 26 could be utilized for actuating the cylinder 19 to retract the plate 10 and permit the stack to pass to the support 64 on the table 11 . at that time , the pivotting of the plate 10 about its pin 12 could actuate a switch such as in said patent , and such as switch 66 in fig3 and that switch is shown connected to the two clutches 51 by electric lines 67 and 68 . therefore , the clutch 51 on the shaft 48 would be disengaged and that would permit the drive 43 to be effective in raising the plate 10 or in its &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; movement mentioned . however , at that same time , the clutch 51 on the shaft 47 would still be engaged and would therefore be inducing the desired downward movement of the table 11 . finally , as previously mentioned , the plate 10 would again pivot clockwise , as seen in fig1 and that would again actuate the switch 66 and thereby energize the clutch 51 on shaft 48 and disconnect the clutch 51 on shaft 47 and thus create the respective downward movement of the plate 10 and the upward movement of the table 11 . the foregoing therefore discloses the invention of the system for alternately moving the separator plate and the stacker table up and down . this is accomplished by means of the constant running drive 43 and the two clutches 51 . there are also the two sprockets or like members 61 which are lift means connected with the plate 10 and the table 11 , respectively , for the upward movement of both , and they serve as two driven members operatively connected with the drive means 43 . therefore , in this novel system , there is no requirement for springs , fluid cylinders , dampeners , and other heretofore used mechanisms for returning both the separator plate 10 and the table 11 to their upward positions by inducing the upward movement with the mechanical elements just mentioned . | 1 |
in the following , a description will be given of embodiments of the present invention with reference to drawings . fig3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a radio communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . also , fig4 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of a specific configuration of a receiving circuit in fig3 . the radio communication apparatus 100 of fig3 illustrates an example of a configuration of a communication apparatus including mainly a receiving system of a cellular phone using a direct conversion method . as shown in fig3 , the radio communication apparatus 100 of the present embodiment has an antenna ( ant ) 101 , switches ( sw ) 102 and 103 , duplexers ( dup ) 104 and 105 , transmission power amplifiers ( pa ) 106 and 107 , lnas ( low - noise amplifiers ) 108 and 109 , a local oscillator ( lo ) 110 , a divider ( phase shifter ) 111 , mixers ( mix ) 112 i and 112 q , low - path filters ( lpf ) 113 i and 113 q , and a baseband circuit 114 . the lnas 108 and 109 , mixers ( mix ) 112 i and 112 q constitute a receiving circuit 120 in the radio communication apparatus 100 . the receiving circuit 120 basically has a plurality of ( two in the example in fig3 ) input terminals t 1 and t 2 corresponding to a plurality of receiving bands , input terminals t 3 and t 4 of local oscillation signals sloi and sloq having a phase difference of 90 degrees , and output terminals t 5 and t 6 of baseband signals sbbi and sbbq , to the lpfs 113 i and 113 q , having a phase difference of 90 degrees . the mixer and the lna in the receiving circuit 120 of the present embodiment have a characteristic configuration as described below . the mixers 112 i and 112 q have a capacitor in the input section receiving the output of the lna , and have a configuration which prevents secondary distortion from occurring by separating an in - phase component ( i ) and a quardrature component ( q ) in direct current . also , in the bias circuit of the lnas 108 and 109 , noise of the bias signal from the current source is reduced by the lpf , and thus the lna is configured to have little nf ( noise figure ) deterioration at large input signal time . the lnas 108 and 109 have an input section with a differential configuration having two inputs or more , and a degeneration differential inductor at emitter ( source ) section , whose middle point is grounded , and have cascode - connected transistors and a load inductor in common . in the present embodiment , these circuits are implemented in an ic , and it becomes unnecessary to have a saw filter , which has been necessary between the lna and the mixer ( mxer ). also , it is possible to achieve a direct conversion receiver for communication or broadcasting , which has a characteristic of not increasing the number of parts in the case of having a multiband capability . in the receiving circuit 120 of the present embodiment , which has such a characteristic , a filter circuit is not necessary between the lna and the mixer . thus , by providing the ic with individual lna input terminals in accordance with a frequency band , it is possible to receive a plurality of frequency bands without increasing external filter parts . for a specific configuration of the receiving circuit 120 , a detailed description will be given below in relation to fig4 . here , a description will be given of two points , one point is the reason that a filter part becomes necessary between an lna and a mixer , and the other point is the performance of a circuit which does not need a filter . one of the characteristics of the third - generation cellular phone using the wcdma method is the point that a transmission signal can be output simultaneously with a receiving operation . the transmission signal is amplified by a pa ( power amplifier ), and is supplied to an antenna through a filter circuit and switch circuit called a duplexer . also , a signal transmitted from a base station and received by the antenna is supplied to a lna through the duplexer . the level of the transmission signal input into the duplexer is as high as + 20 dbm , and thus the isolation ( a signal leakage from the input terminal of the transmission signal to the output terminal of the receiving signal ) is about 50 db . accordingly , a transmission signal of about − 30 dbm is applied to the lna input . when this high - level transmission signal is applied to a mixer , a receiving signal , which is a weak signal , is suppressed , and it becomes difficult to correctly perform demodulation . it is therefore necessary to dispose a filter circuit between the lna and the mixer in order to attenuate the transmission signal so as not to cause suppression . for this purpose , a filter circuit is used . the main reason why a strong signal causes suppression in the mixer is secondary distortion of the mixer . accordingly , like the present embodiment , if the input section receiving the output of the lna has a capacitor , and has a configuration which can keep the generation level of secondary distortion within a desired value by separating an in - phase component ( i ) and a quardrature component ( q ) in direct current , it becomes possible to dispense with a filter between the lna and the mixer . next , a description will be given of a specific configuration and functions of the receiving circuit 120 according to the present embodiment with reference to fig4 . the receiving circuit 120 has an lna section ( low - noise amplifier section ) 121 and a mixer section 122 . also , in fig4 , each signal is a differential signal , and thus a mark p ( positive ) or n ( negative ) is added to terminals t 1 to t 6 . the lna section 121 has transistors q 1 to q 7 constituted by npn bipolar transistors , transistors q 8 and q 9 constituted by p - channel mos transistors , resistor elements r 1 to r 6 , capacitors c 1 to c 5 , a differential inductor for degeneration ( in the following , called a degeneration inductor ) l 1 , a load differential inductor ( in the following , called a load inductor ) l 2 , a buffer b 1 , a switch s 1 , and a current source i 1 . the mixer section 122 has transistors q 11 to q 15 constituted by n - channel mos transistors , transistors q 21 and q 28 constituted by npn bipolar transistors , capacitors c 11 to c 14 , resistor elements r 21 to r 24 , capacitors c 21 to c 24 , and a current source i 21 . also , a power source voltage vdd is supplied from the power sources v 1 and v 2 to the lna section 121 and the mixer section 122 of the receiving circuit 120 , respectively . in the lna section 121 , the emitter of the transistor q 1 is connected to one terminal of the degeneration inductor l 1 and the emitter of the transistor q 3 . the collector of the transistor q 1 is connected to the emitter of the transistor q 5 and the collector of the transistor q 3 . the base of the transistor q 1 is connected to one terminal of the resistor element r 2 , and to the input terminal t 1 p through a dc cut capacitor c 2 . the emitter of the transistor q 1 is connected to the other terminal of the degeneration inductor l 1 and the emitter of the transistor q 4 . the collector of the transistor q 2 is connected to the emitter of the transistor q 6 and the collector of the transistor q 4 . the base of the transistor q 2 is connected to one terminal of the resistor element r 3 , and to the input terminal t 1 n through a dc cut capacitor c 3 . the emitter of the transistor q 3 is connected to one terminal of the degeneration inductor l 1 and the emitter of the transistor q 1 . the collector of the transistor q 3 is connected to the emitter of the transistor q 5 and the collector of the transistor q 1 . the base of the transistor q 3 is connected to one terminal of the resistor element r 4 , and to the input terminal t 2 pn through a dc cut capacitor c 4 . the emitter of the transistor q 4 is connected to the other terminal of the degeneration inductor l 1 and the emitter of the transistor q 2 . the collector of the transistor q 4 is connected to the emitter of the transistor q 6 and the collector of the transistor q 2 . the base of the transistor q 4 is connected to one terminal of the resistor element r 5 , and to the input terminal t 2 n through a dc cut capacitor c 5 . the collector of the transistor q 5 is connected to one terminal of the load inductor l 2 , and the connection point thereof forms one node , nd 1 , of a differential output of the lna section 121 . the collector of the transistor q 6 is connected to the other terminal of the load inductor l 2 , and the connection point thereof forms the other node , nd 2 , of the differential output of the lna section 121 . the middle point of the degeneration inductor l 1 is connected to a ground line lg 1 connected to a reference voltage ( for example , a ground voltage ). also , the base of the cascode - connected transistors q 5 , q 6 and the middle point of the load inductor l 2 are connected to a power - source line lv 1 connected to a power source v 1 . the lnas 108 , 109 are constituted by the transistors q 1 to q 6 , the resistor elements r 2 to r 5 , the degeneration inductor l 1 , and the load inductor l 2 , which have such a connection relationship . in this example , the lnas 108 , 109 use ( have ) the degeneration inductor l 1 , the load inductor l 2 , and the cascode - connected transistors q 5 , q 6 in common . a switch s 1 has a fixed contact point a and operation contact points b and c . the fixed contact point a is connected to the output of the buffer b 1 , and the fixed contact point b is connected to the other terminals of the resistor elements r 2 and r 3 , and the fixed contact point c is connected to the other terminals of the resistor elements r 4 and r 5 . the sources of the transistors q 8 , q 9 are connected to the power - source line lv 1 , the drain of the transistor q 8 is connected to the collector of the transistor q 7 , one terminal of the resistor element r 1 , and one terminal of the resistor element r 6 . individual gates of the transistors q 8 and q 9 are connected to each other . the drain of the transistor q 9 is connected to the connection point of the individual bases and the current source i 1 , and the current source i 1 is connected to the ground line lg 1 . the other terminal of the resistor element r 6 is connected to the base of the transistor q 7 , and the emitter of the transistor q 7 is connected to the ground line lg 1 . the other terminal of the resistor element r 1 is connected to the input terminal of the buffer and a first electrode of the capacitor c 1 , and a second electrode of the capacitor c 1 is connected to the ground line lg 1 . a bias circuit 1211 of the lnas 108 and 109 of a current - mirror type is constituted by the transistors q 8 and q 9 , the current source i 1 , the transistor q 7 , and the resistor element r 6 , which have such a connection relationship . also , a lpf ( low - pass filter ) 1212 is constituted by the resistor element r 1 and the capacitor c 1 . in the mixer section 122 , first electrodes of the capacitors c 11 and c 12 are connected to the output node nd 1 of the lna section 121 , and first electrodes of the capacitors c 13 and c 14 are connected to the output node nd 2 of the lna section 121 . these capacitors c 11 to c 14 constitute an input section 1221 of the mixer section 122 . the sources of the transistors q 11 to q 15 are commonly connected to a ground line ( reference voltage line ) lg 2 . the gates of the transistors q 11 to q 15 are commonly connected , the connection point of the gates thereof are connected to the drain of the transistor q 11 and a current source i 21 , and the current source i 21 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 . the collector of the transistor q 12 is connected to a second electrode of the capacitor c 11 of the input section 122 i , and is commonly connected to the emitters of the transistors q 21 and q 22 , thereby forming a node nd 11 by these connection points . the drain of the transistor q 13 is connected to a second electrode of the capacitor c 13 of the input section 122 i , and is commonly connected to the emitters of the transistors q 23 and q 24 , thereby forming a node nd 12 by these connection points . the drain of the transistor q 14 is connected to a second electrode of the capacitor c 12 of the input section 122 i , and is commonly connected to the emitters of the transistors q 25 and q 26 , thereby forming a node nd 13 by these connection points . the drain of the transistor q 15 is connected to a second electrode of the capacitor c 14 of the input section 122 i , and is commonly connected to the emitters of the transistors q 27 and q 28 , thereby forming a node nd 14 by these connection points . a current source 1222 of a current - mirror type is constituted by the transistors q 11 and q 15 , and the current source i 1 , which have such a connection relationship . individual emitters of the transistors q 21 and q 22 are connected to each other , and are connected to the node nd 11 . the collector of the transistor q 21 is connected to an output terminal t 5 n of a baseband signal sbbi to the lpf 113 i , and the collector of the transistor q 23 . also , the collector of the transistor q 21 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 through the resistor element r 21 and the capacitor c 21 , which are disposed in parallel . individual emitters of the transistors q 23 and q 24 are connected to each other , and are connected to the node nd 12 . the collector of the transistor q 24 is connected to an output terminal t 5 n of a baseband signal sbbi to the lpf 113 i , and the collector of the transistor q 22 . also , the collector of the transistor q 24 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 through the resistor element r 22 and the capacitor c 22 , which are disposed in parallel . the bases of the transistors q 21 and q 24 are connected to an input terminal t 3 n of the local oscillation signal sloi , and the bases of the transistors q 22 and q 23 are connected to an input terminal t 3 p of the local oscillation signal sloi . an i - side mixer 112 i is constituted by the transistors q 21 to q 24 , the resistor elements r 21 and r 22 , the capacitors c 21 and c 22 , the transistors q 11 to q 13 , and the current source i 21 , which have such a connection relationship . individual emitters of the transistors q 25 and q 26 are connected to each other , and are connected to the node nd 13 . the collector of the transistor q 25 is connected to an output terminal t 6 p of a baseband signal sbbq to the lpf 113 q , and the collector of the transistor q 27 . also , the collector of the transistor q 25 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 through the resistor element r 23 and the capacitor c 23 , which are disposed in parallel . individual emitters of the transistors q 27 and q 28 are connected to each other , and are connected to the node nd 14 . the collector of the transistor q 28 is connected to an output terminal t 6 n of a baseband signal sbbq to the lpf 113 q , and the collector of the transistor q 26 . also , the collector of the transistor q 28 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 through the resistor element r 24 and the capacitor c 24 , which are disposed in parallel . the bases of the transistors q 25 and q 28 are connected to an input terminal t 4 p of the local oscillation signal sloq , and the bases of the transistors q 26 and q 27 are connected to an input terminal t 4 n of the local oscillation signal sloq . an q - side mixer 112 q is constituted by the transistors q 25 to q 28 , the resistor elements r 23 and r 24 , the capacitors c 23 and c 24 , the transistors q 11 , q 14 , and q 15 , and the current source i 21 , which have such a connection relationship . next , a description will be given of the operation of the receiving system of the radio communication apparatus having the configuration of fig3 and 4 . in principle , as shown in fig3 , in the radio communication apparatus 100 , an rf signal received by the antenna 101 passes through the switches 102 and 103 and the duplexers 104 and 105 , and is input into the lnas 108 and 109 of the receiving circuit 120 included in an ic . the switch s 1 is switched in accordance with the receiving frequency by a control system not shown in the figure , an amplified signal srf either by the lna 108 or the lna 109 is multiplied by the local oscillation signals sloi and sloq by the mixers 112 i and 112 q , respectively , and the signals are converted into the baseband signals sbbi and sbbq , respectively . here , the local oscillation signals sloi and sloq are obtained by dividing the oscillation signal of the local oscillator 110 into signals having ½ the original frequency , and the signals applied to the input terminals t 3 and t 4 have a phase difference of 90 degrees , thus constituting a quadrature mixer by the mixer 112 i and the mixer 112 q . accordingly , the baseband signals sbbi and sbbq having a phase difference of 90 degrees can be obtained at the output terminals t 5 and t 6 , respectively . more specifically , in the receiving circuit 120 , the lna 108 includes differential input transistors q 1 and q 2 , the degeneration inductor l 1 , the cascode - connected transistors q 5 and q 6 , and the load inductor l 2 . by employing a cascode connection in this manner , it is possible to restrain the influence of so - called mirror effect . the lna 109 receives input at the bases of the differential transistors q 3 and q 4 uses the degeneration inductor l 1 , the cascode - connected transistors q 5 and q 6 , and the load inductor l 2 by sharing the same circuit with the lna 108 . as shown in fig4 , individual duplexers 104 and 105 corresponding to the receiving frequencies are connected to the bases of the differential transistors q 1 and q 2 , and the transistors q 3 and q 4 , which constitute both input sections , through the dc cutting capacitors c 2 and c 3 , and capacitors c 4 and c 5 . in the example in fig4 , the duplexer 104 is for the band i , and duplexer 105 is for the band ii . the bias circuit 1211 of the lnas 108 and 109 is constituted by the current source i 1 , the transistors q 8 , q 9 , and q 7 , and the resistor element r 6 , which constitute a current - mirror . the lna section 121 further includes the lpf 1212 including the resistor element r 1 and the capacitor c 1 for attenuating noise generated from the bias circuit ( regulator circuit ) 1211 , and the buffer b 1 . either the lna 108 or the lna 109 is biased by the position of the switch s 1 by the bias circuit 1211 . the switch is controlled , for example , such that the fixed contact point a and the operation contact point b are connected by a switching signal from a control system not shown in the figure in the case of the band i . also , in the case of the band ii , the switch is controlled such that the fixed contact point a and the operation contact point c are connected by the switching signal from the control system not shown in the figure . a self - transmitting signal of about − 30 dbm is input to the lna 108 and the lna 109 as a blocking signal . the input of such a large input signal increases noise , in the receiving frequency band , occurred from the current regulator circuit of the bias circuit 1211 , deteriorating the nf in the receiving frequency band of the lna 108 and the lna 109 . in the present embodiment , by inserting the lpf 1212 between the regulator and the buffer b 1 , noise from the current regulator is prevented , and the deterioration of the nf in the receiving frequency band is prevented . also , the bases of the differential input transistors q 1 and q 2 , or the transistors q 3 and q 4 are biased through the bias circuit 1211 , the lpf 1212 , the buffer b 1 , and the switch s 1 . in this case , for example , 0 . 8 v is applied to the bases , and the connection side of the resistor elements r 2 and r 3 , and the resistor elements r 4 and r 5 with the switch s 1 becomes about 0 . 9 v . in response to this , 0 . 8 v is also applied to the base of the transistor q 7 of the bias circuit 1211 , and the potential of the connection point between the resistor element r 6 and the collector of the transistor q 7 becomes 0 . 9 v . that is to say , it becomes possible to apply more stable and correct bias by providing the bias circuit 1211 with the configuration to go into a substantially equivalent state to the bias state of the lna 108 or the lna 109 to be actually amplified . the signal that has been subjected to the amplification operation by the lna 108 or the lna 109 is output from the nodes nd 1 and nd 2 to the mixer section 122 . the signal that has been amplified by the lna 108 or the lna 109 in the mixer section 122 passes through the capacitors c 11 , c 12 , c 13 , and c 14 , and is input to the mixers 112 i and 112 q of grounded - emitter transistors q 21 to q 24 , and q 25 to q 28 . the signal that has passed through the capacitor c 11 is supplied to the transistor q 21 connected to the node nd 11 and the emitter of the transistor q 22 . the signal that has passed through the capacitor c 12 is supplied to the transistor q 25 connected to the node nd 13 and the emitter of the transistor q 26 . the signal that has passed through the capacitor c 13 is supplied to the transistor q 23 connected to the node nd 12 and the emitter of the transistor q 24 . the signal that has passed through the capacitor c 14 is supplied to the transistor q 27 connected to the node nd 14 and the emitter of the transistor q 28 . by inputting an rf signal from the emitter side of a mixer constituted by a so - called gilbert cell mixer , the mixer having a small inter - modulation distortion is achieved . in the mixer section 122 of the present embodiment , the coupling , together with dc cut , of the emitters of the i - side mixer 112 i and the q - side mixer 112 q with the lna output is carried out by individual capacitors ( capacitance ). the main cause of the secondary distortion that occurs in the mixers 112 i and 112 q is the voltage offset between the base and emitter ( be ) of the pair of transistors of the gilbert cell mixer . like the present embodiment , by capacity coupling of the emitters , it is possible to prevent an increase in the secondary distortion by the direct - current voltage offset impacting from the i - side to the q - side or from the q - side to the i - side . as described above , in the present embodiment , in the lna section 121 of the receiving circuit 120 , individual duplexers 104 and 105 corresponding to the receiving frequencies are connected to the bases of the differential transistors q 1 and q 2 , and transistors q 3 and q 4 , which constitute both input sections of the lnas 108 and 109 through the dc cutting capacitors c 2 and c 3 , and capacitors c 4 and c 5 . the lna 108 and the lna 109 share the degeneration inductor l 1 , the cascode - connected transistors q 5 and q 6 , and the load inductor l 2 . the bias circuit 1211 of the lnas 108 and 109 is constituted by the current source i 1 , the transistors q 8 , q 9 and q 7 , and the resistor element r 6 , which constitute a current - mirror . the lna section 121 further includes the lpf 1212 including the resistor element r 1 and the capacitor c 1 for attenuating noise generated from the bias circuit 1211 . the signal that has been amplified by the lna 108 or the lna 109 in the mixer section 122 passes through the capacitors c 11 , c 12 , c 13 , and c 14 , and is input to the mixers 112 i and 112 q of grounded - emitter transistors q 21 to q 24 , and q 25 to q 28 . thus , according to the present embodiment , in the mixer section 122 , by capacity coupling of the emitters , it is possible to prevent an increase in the secondary distortion by the direct - current voltage offset impacting from the i - side to the q - side or from the q - side to the i - side . also , in the lna section 121 , it is possible to prevent noise generated from the current regulator , and to prevent the deterioration of the nf in the receiving frequency band by inserting the lpf 1212 between the bias circuit ( regulator ) and the buffer b 1 . as a result , it is possible to dispense with filter parts disposed between the lna and the mixer , and to prevent an increase in the number of parts in the case of having a multiband capability , to be miniaturized , and to achieve receiving processing with high precision . also , the following advantages are obtained in sharing the degeneration inductor l 1 , the cascode - connected transistors q 5 and q 6 in the output section , and the load inductor l 2 by the lnas 108 and 109 . an inductor occupies an extremely larger area compared to a transistor in an ic , and it is difficult to reduce the size thereof by semiconductor miniaturization . accordingly , the benefit of sharing the degeneration inductor and the load inductor by a plurality of lnas is great , and thus there is a great benefit in the miniaturization of the receiving circuit of a cellular phone , which is requested to have a multiband capability . also , it is not necessary to dispose a filter between the lna and the mixer , and thus there is no need to increase the number of external parts . it is therefore possible to have a multiband capability , to reduce cost , and to achieve miniaturization . accordingly , a radio communication apparatus according to the present embodiment can be applied not only to a third - generation cellular phone , but also to a direct - conversion receiving circuit for broadcasting . thus , the radio communication apparatus advantageously has a broad range of applications . in this regard , the receiving circuit of fig4 has a configuration including a bipolar transistor and a field - effect transistor ( mos transistor ). however , the receiving circuit is not limited to this configuration . for example , as shown in fig5 , instead of constituting the transistors q 8 , q 9 , and q 11 to q 15 by field - effect transistors , it is possible to constitute them by bipolar transistors . in this case , the transistors q 8 and q 9 can be formed by pnp bipolar transistors , and the transistors q 11 to q 15 can be formed by npn bipolar transistors . also , as shown in fig6 , instead of constituting the transistors q 1 to q 7 and q 21 to q 26 by bipolar transistors , it is possible to constitute them by field - effect transistors . in this case , the transistors q 1 to q 7 and q 21 to q 26 can be formed by n - channel mos transistors . also , the number of signal inputs of the receiving circuit is not limited to two , and it is possible to have three inputs or more . in this case , lnas corresponding to the number of signal inputs are provided , and the number of operation contact points of the switch s 1 is set in accordance with the number of inputs . it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications , combinations , sub - combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof . | 7 |
in fig1 the venetian blind illustrated has headrail 10 , slats 12 and bottom rail 14 . tilt cord 16 is connected to tilt drive mechanism 18 , illustrated in more detail in fig5 . tilt ladders 20 are connected to the tilt mechanism which is shown in more detail in fig6 and 7a - 7c . the overall mechanism is shown in fig1 . the ends of tilt strings 16 are alternatively pulled to operate drive mechanism 18 , and adjust ladders 20 during operation of the venetian blind . this results in the opening and closing of the blinds . lift strings 22 include portions which run between ladders 20 , and thus when the lift string is pulled downward it traverses a pulley in cord lock mechanism ( not shown ) and the whole slat mechanism is raised by virtue of the two connections of lift strings 22 to bottom rail 14 . in fig2 the ends of one of the tilt ladders 20 of fig1 are shown connected to tilt bars 24 through anchor beads 26 . headrail 10 has cradle 28 positioned within it by tabs 30 . cradle 28 is utilized to position pulleys 32 , 34 and 36 which position and support tilt bars 24 and lift and ladder strings 22 , 44 , 48 and permit rolling of the lift and tilt ladder strings ( shown underneath the tilt bars 24 in fig3 and 4 ) for ease of operation . cradle 28 is also provided with keeper 39 which prevents tilt bars 24 and lift cord 36 from becoming disengaged . tilt bars 24 are connected at the left of the drawing to carrier 38 which sits in drive mechanism cradle 40 . the carrier is also provided with a threaded hole 42 which is used to cause lateral movement of carrier 38 . thus , in operation , lateral movement of carrier 38 moves tilt bars 24 . the motion of the tilt bars moves one of the anchored tilt ladder cords toward its associated pulley , and the other away from its pulley . the result is the tilting of the slats resting on the ladder . the movement of the carrier in the opposite direction , of course , results in the opposite motion . further , in operation , pulling of lift cord 22 rotates it over pulley 34 and lifts all of the slats , while releasing of the lift cord lowers them . in fig3 the side view shows the connection between anchor beads 26 and ladder 20 showing ladder string 44 passing over pulley 32 . as can also be seen , both the ladder and the lift cord pass through orifice 46 in cradle 28 , extending through headrail 10 , and headrail 10 positions cradle 28 for operation . fig4 shows the geometry of the system in more detail , with lift cord 22 traversing pulley 34 and ladder strings 44 and 48 traversing pulleys 32 and 36 and being connected to tilt bars 24 . further , traverse string 50 between ladder strings 44 and 48 to form the ladder and retain slat 12 in place is clearly shown . in fig5 headrail 10 is provided with tabs 51 for engaging slots 52 to position housing 54 in place . the housing is provided with pulley mount 56 , and slots 52 and housing 54 are positioned so that tilt string 16 passes vertically through the orifice of cord bushing 58 mounted in headrail 10 at opening 59 . further , pulley 60 is coupled to tilt string 16 and held in position in housing 54 by cover 62 . pulley 60 is also attached to threaded rod 64 which is mounted through carrier 38 at threaded orifice 42 , as described above , prior to positioning in housing 54 . carrier 38 is provided with posts 66 which position and retain tilt bars 24 in place so that they operate as described . in fig6 an exploded view of the tilt and lift assembly , cradle 28 has holes 68 which are positioned for locating pins 70 and 72 . pulleys 36 and 34 rotate about rod 70 , when in position , and pulley 32 rotates about rod 72 . the positioning of the pulleys results in pulley 34 acting as a spacer between pulleys 32 and 36 , and thus controlling the relative positioning of tilt bars 24 , since tilt bars 24 ride in the pulleys . in addition , pulleys 32 and 36 perform the function of positioning the tilt ladder strings ( see fig3 and 4 ) which pass through indentations 74 in tilt bars 24 . as described above , pulley 34 acts as the position pulley for lift cord 22 , not shown , allowing lift cord 22 to freely travel through orifice 46 in cradle 28 , while pulleys 32 , 36 perform a similar function for the tilt ladder strings . the assembled tilt mechanism is depicted in fig7 a - 7c . as shown , tilt bars 24 are positioned and retained adjacent carrier 38 through posts 66 . carrier 38 is operated by rotation of threaded rod 64 which is positioned in housing 54 . housing 54 is retained in headrail 10 through tabs 5l . to operate the tilt mechanism , one end of tilt cord 16 is pulled downward resulting in the rotation of pulley 60 in pulley cover 62 . this rotation of the pulley rotates threaded rod 64 which moves carrier 38 and associated tilt bars 24 . fig8 a and 8b are respectively plan and side elevational views of an alternative tilt drive mechanism for use in embodiments in the present invention . the overall mechanism is shown in fig9 . the depicted alternative arrangement basically comprises a carrier 73 , at least two ladder string anchor members 75 and 76 , at least one of which is configured to engage the carrier 73 , and one or more coupled spacer bars 78 . as best shown in fig8 b , the carrier 73 has an internally threaded bore for engaging a threaded shaft such as 64 of fig5 and a pair of protruding shoulders 82 for pivotably engaging the member 75 . the member 75 has downwardly depending sides 84 with shaped keyways 86 for receiving and retaining the shoulders 82 of the carrier 72 upon assembly . the members 75 and 76 are each provided with elongated central apertures 88 , thus defining elongated side portions 89 which are equivalent to the tilt bars 24 of the previously described embodiment . the ladder strings may be retained in slots 90 , as by anchor beads or the like , in the manner already described . thus , each of the ladder string retaining members 75 , 76 cooperates with the remaining structure of the venetian blind , particularly the headrail and tilt mechanism , in equivalent fashion to the operation of the tilt bar mechanism of fig2 - 4 . the members 75 , 76 are linked together for transverse movement in either direction , as driven by the carrier 73 and associated tilt drive mechanism , by means of an elongated strip or spacer bar 78 . this strip 78 is of a proper length to space the members 75 , 76 in position adjacent the respective slat support ladders . venetian blinds are manufactured in a variety of widths and therefore the spacer strip 78 may be fabricated in corresponding lengths to accommodate different spacing between adjacent ladder strings . for ease of assembly ( and disassembly ) in the manner shown , each member 75 , 76 is provided with a slot 92 for receiving and retaining the spacer strip 78 . moreover , each end 94 of the spacer strip 78 is s - shaped ( see fig8 b ) for positively engaging the adjacent members 75 or 76 in a manner which transmits force to push or pull the mechanism as the carrier 73 is driven to the right or to the left by the tilt mechanism . venetian blinds extending beyond a given width may be provided with three or more ladder string sets . to accommodate such a structure , additional string anchor members 76 may be provided beyond the portion of the mechanism shown in fig8 a and coupled therewith by means of additional spacer strips 78 extending from the right - hand slot 92 of the member 76 in the manner already described . although not shown , other means of coupling the spacer strips to the anchor members may be provided , if desired , as , for example , rivets , screws , pins , etc . provision of the alternative tilt drive mechanism of fig8 a and 8b advantageously simplifies the assembly procedure for venetian blinds employing embodiments of the present invention while reducing the extent and cost of the parts inventory which must be maintained for the production of venetian blinds of varying widths . instead of requiring pairs of tilt bars individually dimensioned for every different width of blind being manufactured , the fabricator may use the anchor members 75 , 76 which are common for all blinds , and utilize spacer bars 78 of modular dimensions for the different widths . as the venetian blinds employing more than two ladder string sets are fabricated , it is possible to use the same elements which are needed for the venetian blinds having only two ladder string sets . thus the cost of such venetian blinds may be reduced . although there have been described above specific arrangements of tilt and lift mechanisms for venetian blinds in accordance with the invention for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be used to advantage , it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto . accordingly , any and all modifications , variations or equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art should be considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 4 |
referring now to the drawing , it is seen that the cap of the present invention , generally denoted by reference numeral 10 , is comprised of a generally hemispherically - shaped shell 12 , sized to fit onto a user &# 39 ; s head and worn above the wearer &# 39 ; s ears . the shell 12 may have size - adjustment means of any appropriate type , including velcro , elastic band , cooperating belt and buckle , and cooperating protrusions and receptacles , on the backside . located on the front of the shell 12 and extending outwardly , is a bill 14 . the bill 14 extends outwardly a distance that is shorter than a bill of a standard cap found in the art . as seen in fig1 the bill 14 is generally crescent - shaped having a first end 16 , a second end 18 , an outer edge 20 , and an inner edge 22 . the outer edge 20 is mostly curved having five continuous sections of differing radius . located on either end of the outer edge are straight sections 24 that are not curved . the straight sections are each about , or less than , 1 / 2 inch in length . the first curved section 26a has a radius of about 41 / 2 inches , the second curved section 26b has a radius of about , or less than , 21 / 8 inches , the third curved section 26c has a radius of about , or less than , 41 / 2 inches , the fourth curved section 26d has a radius of about , or less than , 21 / 8 inches , and the fifth curved section 26e has a radius of about , or less than , 41 / 2 inches . the inner edge 22 has a radius of about , or less than , 31 / 2 inches . the distance between the midpoint 28 of the outer edge 20 and the midpoint 30 of the inner edge 22 is about , or less than , 13 / 4 inches . the distance between the first end 16 and the second end 18 is about 71 / 2 inches . as seen in fig4 in an alternate embodiment of the cap 10 of the present invention , a first section 32 of cooperating hook and loop ( velcro ) material , in corresponding length to the length of the inner edge 22 , is located on the front of the shell 12 . the bill 14 has a small flange 34 extending along the length of the inner edge , the face of the flange in generally perpendicular orientation to the plane of the bill 14 . a second section 36 of cooperating hook and loop material is located along the length of the flange 34 . the bill 14 is fitted onto the shell 12 such that the first section 32 of hook and loop material is mated with the second section 36 of hook and loop material . this mating of the two sections of hook and loop material secures the bill 14 to the shell 12 and makes the bill 14 releasably attachable to the shell 12 . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
much of the simplicity and elegance of the current invention is achieved by using common mode signalling techniques between three twisted pairs to send two data signals that are produced by an audio codec . these data signals contain information about digital samples of a left and a right audio channel . consequently , to aid the reader in the understanding of the operation of the current invention , it is helpful to firstly review aspects of differential and common mode signalling using twisted pairs . differential signalling using a pair of conductors is a well understood technique and enables high speed signals to be transmitted with high noise immunity and low electromagnetic interference , particularly when used with a twisted pair of conductors . it works by applying a signal to the first conductor and an equal and opposite signal to the second conductor . the receiver takes the difference between the signals on the first and second conductors . for example , + 2v may be applied to the first conductor and − 2v may applied to a second conductor , the difference being 4v . a common mode signal appears on both conductors at the same time and is therefore the mid - point between two differential signals . in the example above the common mode signal would be 0v , half way between + 2v and − 2v . if the voltages on the conductors had been + 6v and + 2v then the differential signal would still be + 4v but the common mode signal would now be + 4v . it can therefore be seen that common mode signals may be independent of differential mode signals and provide a further independent signalling method . however , common mode signalling has some limitations compared with differential signalling . particularly , higher speed common mode signals can create significant electromagnetic emissions and cause difficultly meeting emission regulations . the signalling rates required to send the digital data signals 119 , 120 produced by the codec in the device are too high to enable simple common mode signalling to be used whilst meeting emission regulations . consequently a further technique can be used that makes use of the common mode signals of two pairs of conductors and which will be referred to as ‘ balanced common mode signalling ’. using the same general concept as differential signalling , a common mode signal is applied to a first pair of conductors and an equal and opposite common mode signal is applied to a second pair of conductors . this technique of balanced common mode signalling reduces emissions and is sufficient to enable the signal frequencies required by the invention to be transferred whilst meeting emission regulations . several techniques of balanced common mode signalling are possible as alternate embodiments of the invention . for simplicity of implementation at the transmitting end , two digital signals , a clock signal 119 and a sampled audio signal 120 , are transferred from the transmitter to the receiver using common mode signalling . however , three pairs of conductors only enable one balanced common mode signalling path at any one time . one solution to this problem uses a voltage level 2x to represent the first signal and a voltage level of − x to represent the second signal . this solution is described in greater detail below and with reference to fig5 . in summary , this technique adds the two signals together and transmits them over a single balanced common mode signalling path using two twisted pairs . voltage comparators are then used at the receiver end to detect if the resultant signal was higher than − x / 2 , x / 2 and 3x / 2 . using the results of these comparisons , the state of the original two signals can be recovered . this technique works but is less elegant than the solution implemented by the preferred embodiment of the invention which requires fewer components and so is simpler and more cost effective to implement . the preferred embodiment of the invention uses the combination of an el4543 triple transmitter and an el9111 triple receiver chip , both provided by intersil corporation . this receiver / transmitter pair is designed to encode horizontal ( hsync ) and vertical sync ( vsync ) signals using balanced common mode signalling techniques . the encoding is accomplished using common mode signals on three pairs of conductors . at any one time two of the three pairs are carrying equal and opposite balanced common mode signals . for example , if one pair is carrying + v volts then the second pair is carrying − v volts . the third pair carries a common mode signal that is the average of the other two common mode signals , the mid point signal . by varying which pair carries a positive signal , which carries a negative signal and which carries the mid - point signal , up to six states can be signalled . this technique enables the four possible states of the vsync and hsync signals to be encoded whilst still ensuring balanced common mode signalling for minimised emissions . however , the preferred embodiment of the present invention encodes the horizontal and vertical sync signals together with the video colour signals and transmits these as differential signals . consequently , the common mode signalling is not needed for transmitting these signals . the sync signalling ability of the intersil el4543 / el9111 transmitter / receiver pair is instead used to carry two data signals from the audio codec ( clock signal 119 and data signal 120 ). it has been found that the intersil transmitter / receiver pair is able to support the required bandwidth to carry these two digital signals whilst also meeting emission regulations . consequently , this arrangement provides a particularly neat and straightforward implementation for carrying digital audio signals using a balanced common mode signalling technique . the detailed operation of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to fig1 which shows a schematic block diagram of a kvma extender according to an embodiment of the invention . the preferred embodiment is a video , audio and rs232 extender , that enables rgb video , stereo audio and rs232 signals to be extended by up to 300 meters using common twisted pair cabling . the extender consists of a transmitter circuit 101 and a receiver circuit 102 . the transmitter circuit 101 is connectable to a video source 103 , a stereo audio source 104 and an rs232 serial port 105 . these sources would commonly be supplied by a conventional pc but may also be supplied by other types of equipment . the receiver circuit 102 is connectable to a display device 106 , a set of speakers 107 and an rs232 port 108 . the twisted pair cable is of the conventional type that is commonly used for ethernet and other networking applications and which consists of four twisted pairs of conductors 109 , 110 , 111 and 112 . red , green and blue colour signals and horizontal and vertical synchronisation signals are provided to the transmitter circuit 101 by the video source 103 . the vertical synchronisation signal ( vsync ) is fed into a polarity detection and conversion circuit 113 . the vsync signal may be mainly 5v and change to 0v to indicate the vertical sync period or it may be mainly 0v and change to 5v to indicate the vertical sync period . in order to be able to add the vsync signal to the green signal the vsync signal is convert into a common polarity . this is done by the circuit shown in fig2 a . a resistor plus capacitor combination 201 , 202 is used to detect the average level of the incoming vsync signal . a signal representing the detected polarity 205 is presented at the output of the exclusive or gate 204 . this signal is fed into the input of a further exclusive or gate 206 which serves to ensure that the polarity of the sync pulses presented at its output is consistent regardless of the polarity of the incoming vsync signal . this signal is then appropriately level converted using a resistor divider 207 and subtracted from the incoming green video signal 208 by feeding the signals into appropriate input pins of the intersil el4543 , 211 . appropriate termination resistors 209 , 210 are provided for the incoming green video and vsync signals . fig2 b , 2 c , 2 d and 2 e respectively show illustrative examples of incoming green 208 , vsync 203 , converted vsync 212 and the resultant summed signal 213 . a similar polarity detection and conversion circuit 114 is provided to handle the hsync signal so this may be added to the red colour signal . no synchronisation signal is applied to the blue colour signal and this is fed directly into the el4543 triple line driver chip 211 . the hsync and vsync signals could be added to any of the colours and it is an arbitrary choice to add the vsync to the green colour signal and the hsync to the red colour signal . the hysnc and vsync pulses can easily be combined with video colour signals as the colour signals always indicate a black level during the horizontal and vertical synchronisation periods . by doing this , the invention does not need to use any common mode signalling paths to signal the horizontal and vertical syncs and hence leaves these paths available for signalling audio data . analogue left and right audio signals 115 , 116 are provided to the transmitter from the audio source 104 . these are fed into a tlv320aic23 codec provided by texas instruments 117 . an external 11 . 2896 mhz crystal 118 provides a clock input to the codec 117 which is configured to sample the analogue audio signals at 44 . 1 khz at a 16 - bit resolution . the codec outputs the results of the analogue to digital conversions via a clock 119 and data signal 120 . the formats of these signals are shown in fig3 . the clock signal identifies the start of the sampled data . the audio data signal consists of 16 bits of data representing a sample of the left audio signal followed by 16 bits of data representing a sample of the right audio signal followed by 32 unused bits . the clock 119 and data 120 signals being generated by the codec 118 are fed into the vsync 120 and hsync 121 inputs of a transmitter circuit provided by an intersil el4543 triple line driver 211 . these signals are transmitted via the encoded balanced common mode signalling technique previously described over twisted pairs 109 , 110 and 111 . fig5 illustrates the way in which the common mode signals on the green 109 , blue 110 and red pairs vary according to the states of the clock 119 and data 120 signals . there are four possible states of the clock and data lines ( clock low and data low , data low and clock high , clock high and data high , clock low and data high ). these four states are indicated by the common mode signals shown in time periods 501 , 502 , 503 and 504 respectively . it can be seen that in any of time periods 501 , 502 , 503 , 504 one of the common mode signals is in the positive state , one is in the negative state and one is at the mid point level . this ensures that balanced common mode signalling requirements are maintained . for example , in time period 501 when the clock and data signals are low , this state is signalled by the green common mode signal being positive relative to the mid point level , the blue common mode signal being negative relative to the mid point level and the red common mode signal being at the mid - point level . the recovered clock 119 and data 120 signals appear at the vsync out 122 and hsync out 123 outputs of a receiver circuit , provided by an intersil el9111 triple line receiver 134 . these signals provides a continuous stream of audio sample data to the codec 124 which performs the necessary digital to analogue conversions to turn the data back into left and right analogue audio signals 125 , 126 . in order to perform this conversion , the texas instruments tlv320aic23 codec 124 is fed with suitable master clock ( mclk ) 127 and bit clock ( bclk ) 128 signals . the bit clock signal is used by the codec 124 to sample the data signal 120 . a suitable mclk frequency is double the bclk frequency . the mclk and bclk signals are not transmitted from the transmitter and are therefore generated within the receiver circuit . the bclk 128 and mclk 127 signals are derived from the clock signal 119 using a phase lock loop circuit 129 coupled with a ‘ divide by 128 ’ circuit 130 . the phase lock loop circuit consists of a 74hct4046 with associated resistor and capacitor components to create a starting frequency of the output signal 131 close to the required mclk frequency which is approximately 5 . 6448 mhz for a 44 . 1 khz sampling rate . signal 131 is fed into a ‘ divide by 128 ’ circuit 130 to create an output signal 132 . the ‘ divide by 128 ’ circuit is implemented in the current invention using two 74hct161 4 - bit counters and a tap off from this circuit gives a ‘ divide by 2 ’ function which is used to create the bclk signal which is half the frequency of the mclk signal and 64 times the frequency of the clock 119 signal . the pll circuit 129 acts to synchronise signal 132 with the clock signal 119 thus ensuring that the bclk signal 128 is synchronised to the incoming data signal so that the codec 124 knows when to sample the data 120 . fig3 shows the relationship between the bit clock signal 128 , the audio data signal 120 and the clock signal 119 . it can be seen that the current invention provides an elegant solution to the problem of sending video and audio signals over a twisted pair cable and that it can be implemented using relatively few components making it straightforward and cost effective to build . referring now to the video circuitry within the receiver circuit 102 . potentiometers 170 and 180 are provided in order to supply control signals to the el9111 triple receiver to compensate for the signal loss of the twisted pair cable . potentiometer 170 controls the sharpness of the picture and potentiometer 180 controls the brightness of the picture . the user of the extender may adjust the settings of these potentiometers to produce the best picture on the screen . these potentiometers adjust the ac and dc amplification that is applied to the received differential signals . the green + vsync signal 213 appears at the green colour output of the intersil el9111 triple receiver chip 134 and is fed into a sync extraction circuit 135 that detects signals with voltages less than the threshold level 214 shown in fig2 . by detecting voltages lower than this threshold , the vsync signal can be recovered which in turn enables the negative vsync pulses to be removed from the combined signal to recover the green colour signal 136 . the recovered vsync pulse is fed into the polarity restore circuit 137 that is in receipt of a signal 139 from the receiver &# 39 ; s microprocessor 138 that indicates the polarity of the original signal vsync 140 . using this information , the polarity restore circuit 137 restores the polarity of the vsync signal 141 to match the original polarity of vsync signal 140 . the hsync and red video signals 142 143 are extracted from the combined signal 144 using sync extraction circuit 145 and polarity restore circuit 146 in a similar manner . the preferred embodiment of the invention also implements a bidirectional serial port link between the transmitter and the receiver . incoming serial signals at the receiver 147 are level shifted 148 and periodically sampled by the pic 16f870 microprocessor 138 , as supplied by microchip inc . this microprocessor is in communication with a second pic 16f870 149 within the transmitter circuit via the twisted pair 112 and 75176 line driver / receivers 150 and 151 . a suitable data communication protocol is implemented that enables the microprocessors to exchange data . the receiving microprocessor 149 signals the state of the original signals 147 . these signals are level shifted 152 to create signals that are suitable for transmission to rs232 port 105 . similarly incoming signals 153 from rs232 port 105 are level shifted , sampled and communicated to the receiver circuit 102 via the two microprocessors 149 138 , the line diver / receivers 150 151 and the twisted pair 112 where they are level shifted back 148 for transmission to rs232 port 108 . in this way , a bidirectional rs232 signalling means is provided between the receiver and transmitter circuits . signals 154 and 155 indicating the polarity of the original hsync 157 and vsync 140 signals and derived from the polarity detection circuits 114 and 113 enable microprocessor 149 to communicate the polarity information to microprocessor 138 over the data pair 112 to create signals 139 and 156 . these signals are fed to the polarity restoration circuits 137 and 145 within the receiver circuit 102 so that the polarity of the outgoing vsync 141 and hsync 142 signals is the same as the polarity of the equivalent hsync 157 and vsync 140 input signals . fig5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the method of transferring two digital signals between a transmitter and receiver using balanced common mode signalling between two twisted pairs according to the invention . the first digital signal 401 is converted into positive signal 402 of magnitude 2x . the second digital signal 403 is converted into a negative signal 404 of magnitude x . these signals 402 and 404 are then summed to create a combined signal 405 which ranges between voltages − x and + 2x . this is then transmitted via two twisted pairs as a balanced common mode signal . comparators at the receiver are arranged to detect whether the combined signal falls above or below the threshold levels of − x / 2 , x / 2 and 3x / 2 . using this information , the receiver can determine the original signal states of signal 401 ( a ) and signal 403 ( b ) as shown in fig5 . it will readily be appreciated that the exact signal voltage levels used to implement this technique may be chosen to suit the implementation . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates one embodiment of the invention , and fig2 illustrates an embodiment in more detail . an input voltage vin is applied to the pwm unit 10 and the ldo unit 12 . the pwm unit 10 and ldo unit 12 are shown in more detail in fig2 . an error signal from an error amplifier 14 is applied to a pwm controller 15 to adjust a switching duty cycle of a power transistor 16 . a synchronous rectifier transistor 18 conducts oppositely to the transistor 16 so that there is no direct path the ground . a diode may be used instead of a synchronous rectifier . an oscillator 20 sets the switching frequency for the pwm controller 15 . the pwm controller 15 issues switching signals to gate drive logic 24 , which ensures that the transistors 16 and 18 alternately conduct . buffers 26 and 28 provide a suitable current source / sink to the gates of the transistors for a fast response . an inductor 30 smoothes out the switched current signal and provides a triangular current waveform , the average of which is the current to the load . an output capacitor 32 smoothes out the triangular current waveform and provides a relatively constant voltage ( vout ) at the output 34 . to limit reverse current through the inductor 30 to ground , a reverse current limiting circuit , such as a differential amplifier 35 , detects a reversal of current through synchronous rectifier 18 while the synchronous rectifier 18 is conducting and overrides its control signal to shut off the synchronous rectifier 18 . a resistor divider 36 supplies a feedback voltage to the input of the error amplifier 14 ( a differential amplifier or other suitable amplifier ), and the regulator adjusts the switching duty cycle so that the regulated feedback voltage is equal to the reference voltage ( vref ) applied to the other input of the error amplifier 14 by a reference source 37 . a compensation capacitor ( not shown ) is connected to the output of the error amplifier 14 to convert a current source / sink signal into a smoothed error voltage signal . the pwm controller 15 raises the duty cycle of the power transistor 16 when the output voltage vout is below the desired voltage and lowers the duty cycle of the power transistor 16 when the output voltage vout is above the desired voltage . the duty cycle is substantially constant for a given vin and a desired value of vout . the pwm unit 10 may be any type of pwm circuit , including a voltage mode , a current mode , a resonant mode , or other type . the pwm unit may instead be a pulse frequency modulation ( pfm ) unit or any other type of switching regulator . in a low load current mode , when the ldo regulator is enabled , the ldo unit 12 varies the conduction of a series transistor 42 connected between the input voltage vin and the vout terminal . an error amplifier 44 compares a reference voltage vref , generated by a reference source 45 , to the divided output voltage to generate an error signal . a compensation capacitor ( not shown ) may be connected to the output of the error amplifier 44 . the error signal is received by a buffer 46 , which controls the conduction of the series transistor 42 . the conduction is increased to raise vout and decreased to decrease vout . during a transition between modes , discussed below with reference to fig6 and 7 , reference voltage values are changed , bias currents are changed , and the series transistor is augmented . fig3 – 5 illustrate some possible circuits for performing these functions . fig3 illustrates tapped series resistors used for generating two reference voltages . a fixed voltage v supplies a current through the series resistors . a nominal reference voltage vref ( n ) is tapped from the first node , and a higher reference voltage vref ( t ) is tapped from the second node . a simple transistor switch 50 is controlled to select the desired reference voltage . fig4 illustrates a technique for changing bias currents . a differential amplifier 54 may be the error amplifier 44 for the ldo unit 12 . the reference voltage vref is applied to one input , and the feedback voltage vfb is applied to the other input . the voltage at node 56 is an error signal whose magnitude indicates the mismatch between the reference voltage and the feedback voltage . the magnitude is used to control the duty cycle of the pwm unit 10 . the error signal controls the conductivity of transistors in a buffer 60 . the output of the buffer 46 is applied to the gate of the ldo regulator series transistor 42 ( fig2 ). current sources i 1 and i 2 provide bias currents for the differential amplifier 54 . one technique for changing the bias current is to switch in and out the current source i 2 by means of a transistor switch 62 . by increasing the bias current for the differential amplifier and / or buffer , higher control currents can be applied to the various transistors in the ldo regulator to cause the ldo regulator to react more quickly to regulate the output voltage vout and remain stable ( avoid oscillation ). fig5 illustrates a technique for augmenting the series transistor 42 of fig2 with one or more additional series transistors 65 to increase the current handling capability of the ldo during a transition to quickly compensate for voltage glitches . it is desirable to have a small transistor 42 during low current modes ( e . g ., 50 ma ) to minimize losses from controlling the transistor . however , to quickly correct large voltage glitches , a larger series transistor is needed . by temporarily coupling two or more additional transistors 65 in parallel with the series transistor 42 via a switch 66 , such extra current handling capability ( e . g ., 500 ma ) is made available during the transition . when the switch 66 couples the gate of pmos transistor 65 to the error signal , the transistors &# 39 ; 42 / 65 conduction is controlled to quickly compensate for any voltage glitch . after the transition period , the gate of the transistor 65 is coupled to its source to turn it off . fig6 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a technique to provide an improved transition from a high current mode to a low current mode , such as a standby mode . it is assumed that the pwm regulator has been operating normally and the ldo regulator has been disabled . in step 70 , a mode select signal is generated , such as a low signal for entering the low load current mode . the mode select signal may be generated externally such as by a microprocessor that generates a low signal after the powered equipment ( e . g ., a cell phone ) is not used for a period of time . the mode select signal may also be generated by detecting the actual load current ( e . g ., by detecting the voltage across a series resistor ) and comparing the load current to a threshold . when the load current goes below a threshold , the mode select signal will automatically go low . the threshold may have hysteresis to avoid oscillation between modes . in step 72 , a timer 76 issues a pwm - to - ldo transition signal to a transition logic circuit 78 . the timer 76 may be a charged capacitor that is discharged at a rate determined by a resistor . the discharging may be by actuation of a transistor switch that is turned on when the mode select signal changes state . the end of the timed period may be the time when a certain capacitor voltage threshold ( detected by a comparator ) is met . the transition logic circuit 78 may consist of simple circuitry that controls various switches in a particular sequence at particular intervals . designing such circuitry is well within the skills of those of ordinary skill in the art . in step 74 , concurrently with step 72 , the ldo unit 12 is enabled by applying power to the various ldo regulator components , such as the error amplifier 44 , voltage reference source 45 , and buffer 46 . the ldo unit 12 starts up quickly ( e . g ., 2 micro seconds ). in step 80 , the bias levels of all the relevant ldo unit circuits are raised to quicken the regulation response speed of the ldo unit 12 . for example , the transition logic circuit 78 closes switch 62 in fig4 and a switch in buffer 46 to increase the current bias . as an example , the ibias in fig2 may be raised from 8 microamps to 30 microamps . such an increase in the bias current allows the ldo unit to regulate higher load currents ( e . g ., max load current raised from 50 ma to 500 ma ) without becoming unstable . in step 81 , preferably concurrently with step 80 , one or more additional transistors 65 are enabled ( or switched in ) to augment the series transistor 42 so that the ldo regulator can handle higher currents during the transition . in step 82 , which may be concurrent with step 80 , the reference voltage vref for error amplifier 44 is increased by 2 % ( or other suitable amount ) to cause the ldo unit 12 to immediately take over the voltage regulation from the pwm unit 10 . increasing the reference voltage causes the ldo unit 12 to believe that the output voltage is too low . the ldo unit 12 regulates the output voltage by changing the conductance of the series transistor 42 . in step 84 , the pwm unit 12 is disabled by removing power from its various components ( e . g ., oscillator , buffers , error amplifier , logic , comparators , switching transistors , etc .). in step 86 , the timer 76 expires and issues a signal to the transition logic circuit 78 . the timer 76 may set a period on the order of 100 microseconds . in step 88 , transition logic circuit 78 resets the ldo reference voltage and bias levels to their nominal values and disables the additional series transistor ( s ) 65 . at this time , the ldo unit 12 uses very little power , due to the low bias currents , and regulates the output voltage for low current loads ( e . g ., 50 ma max ). fig7 is a flowchart of the transition technique when the regulator transitions from the ldo regulator mode to the pwm regulator mode . in step 90 , when the powered equipment is to come out of its standby mode , the mode select signal goes high . in step 92 , the timer 76 starts upon receiving the high mode select signal . in step 94 , the bias currents for the various ldo regulator circuits are increased ( as before ) to shorten the ldo regulator reaction time and allow the ldo regulator to handle the worst case anticipated voltage glitches during the transition and remain stable . in step 95 , preferably concurrently with step 94 , one or more additional transistors 65 are enabled ( or switched in ) to augment the series transistor 42 so that the ldo regulator can handle higher currents during the transition . in step 96 , the reference voltage for the pwm error amplifier 14 is increased by 2 % ( or other suitable value ) to cause the pwm unit 10 to take over regulation from the ldo unit once the pwm unit 10 is enabled . in step 98 , the pwm unit 10 is enabled by applying power to the various pwm components . a typical pwm regulator begins regulating on the order of 60 microseconds after being powered up . since the inductor 30 is completely deenergized at start up , a soft start routine is begun to limit the peak current through the power transistor 16 . a soft start routine ramps the duty cycle of the pwm unit 10 until the steady state duty cycle is reached . one simple type of soft start circuit is shown in fig8 . the pwm comparator 100 ( within the pwm controller 15 in fig2 ) compares the error voltage to a sawtooth oscillator signal . the power transistor 16 stays on until the sawtooth level crosses the error voltage level . the output of the comparator 100 controls the gate drive logic 24 for turning off the power transistor 16 and turning on the synchronous rectifier 18 . the gate drive logic 24 is reset each oscillator cycle , which turns on the power transistor 16 and turns off the synchronous rectifier 18 . a soft start ramped signal is generated upon pwm unit start up , such as from a charging capacitor whose ramped voltage is determined by the size of the capacitor and its charging source . the ramped voltage controls a variable clamping circuit 104 to limit the error signal so that the error signal rises gradually . the clamping circuit 104 forces the duty cycle to increase slowly and linearly until there is no more clamping , at which time the soft start circuit has no further effect . there are various type of soft start circuits , and any of them may be used . during the soft start time , the ldo unit 12 is still regulating the output voltage . to prevent the synchronous rectifier 18 from staying on too long and drawing an undesirable reverse current through the inductor 30 during the soft start time ( loading down the ldo regulator ), a reverse current limiting circuit is employed ( such as the zero crossing detector 35 in fig2 ) to force the synchronous rectifier 18 off during the remainder of the switching cycle . referring back to fig7 , in step 110 the timer 76 expires . in step 112 , the transition logic circuit 78 controls various switches ( e . g ., switch 62 in fig4 ) to reset the ldo unit &# 39 ; s bias currents , disable the additional series transistor ( s ) 65 , and disable the ldo unit 12 by removing power to its components . in step 114 , the transition logic circuit resets the reference voltage for the pwm error amplifier 14 to its nominal value . the dual mode regulator is now operating in its normal pwm regulator mode . the above - described circuitry is only one of many implementation of a dual mode regulator that can practice the invention . although various circuits are shown directly coupled to other components , such circuits may be coupled to other components through other circuitry , such as resistors , transistors , buffers , diodes , transformers , capacitors , inductors , etc . any component may be connected in parallel with a similar component for increased current handling . such parallel components are still referred to herein as a single component . having described the invention in detail , those skilled in the art will appreciate that given the present disclosure , modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and inventive concepts described herein . therefore , it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described . | 8 |
fig1 illustrates a first design of a display device according to the invention . provided at the beginning of a beam path is a luminous element 12 that , depending on how it is driven , can produce a spatially different distribution of light cones , that is to say a different emission characteristic . by way of example , fig1 shows two light cones 4 that , of course , cannot be produced simultaneously , but are illustrated jointly in fig1 merely for display . a first light cone , illustrated by points , is narrow and therefore strikes a light entrance region 2 of a light guide 14 such that only a portion of the light entrance region 2 is irradiated by the light cone 4 . formed in the light guide 14 are two light channels 5 that are optically separated from one another , for example by a reflecting layer . instead of a reflecting layer between the two light channels 5 of the light guide 14 , it is also conceivable to provide other non - transmissive or only partly transmissive layers , for example a layer that is entirely or partially light absorbing or reflecting . on the other hand , light channels can also be formed by having the light guide 14 comprise a number of bundled glass fibers . suitable glass fibers for uv light can consist of silica glass or a material resembling silica glass . in the case of the narrow light cone that is shown , the light strikes only in the lower light channel such that at a light exit region 1 of the light guide 14 a light signal is also to be detected only in the region of the lower light channel . the upper light channel , which receives no light signal from the luminous element 12 , remains unilluminated . the other light cone 4 shown is substantially larger , and comprises both light channels 5 of the light entrance region 2 , and so a signal is also to be seen on the side of the light exit region 1 in the region of the two light channels 5 . only two light channels are illustrated in fig1 , but it is obvious that the invention can also be extended to light guides having more than two light channels . also shown in fig1 is a light - shaping element 11 that is arranged between the luminous element 12 and the light guide 14 . this light - shaping element 11 serves the purpose of influencing the shape of the light cones 14 and contributing to light entering the light guide 14 in an optimum way . whereas the light guide 14 is immobile with respect to the luminous element 12 in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , the light guide 14 is arranged moveably in the case of the display device illustrated in fig2 . a luminous element 12 emits light that is deflected by a light - shaping element 11 onto the light entrance region 2 of a light guide 14 . provided inside the light guide 14 are a number of light - deflecting elements 9 that deflect light signals transported through the light guide 14 , doing so in a defined way . in the beam path , a light signal from a first light - deflecting element is reflected into a horizontal region of the light guide 14 . provided there are two further light - deflecting elements 9 , which serve the purpose of reflecting light signals upward such that they leave the light guide 14 from light exit regions 10 . as in the case of the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , the light guide 14 itself can be divided into a number of light channels such that light that is irradiated into the light guide 14 in a specific part of the light entrance region 2 is guided inside a specific light channel . the light deflecting elements 9 , which reflect light signals in the direction of the light exit regions 10 , are specifically designed for individual light channels such that there is a fixed assignment between a specific light exit region 10 and a region of the light entrance region 2 . another design is a homogeneous light guide which is , therefore , not divided into individual channels . in the case of such a light guide 14 , as well , light can be irradiated by the luminous element 12 such that it emerges again at a specific location of the light guide 14 . this is possible because the light does not traverse the light guide 14 rectilinearly as a rule , but is reflected multiply at the boundary layers to the surroundings of the light guide . it is thereby possible to use the angle of irradiation and the knowledge of the geometrical shape of the light guide 14 to determine at which location a light signal irradiated at a specific angle emerges again . the light - deflecting elements 9 , which reflect light signals in the direction of the light exit regions 10 , can once again be arranged such that only light signals irradiated at a specific angle emerge at a specific light exit region 10 . a cover unit 8 is provided above the light guide 14 . it has sections that are formed as absorption elements 7 , and regions that are formed as display elements 6 . the display elements 6 are provided for the purpose of visualizing light signals emerging through the light exit regions 10 of the light guide 14 . for this purpose , they are formed either as transmission elements , that is to say allow the light beams to pass unimpeded , or else they are formed as projection elements . in the latter case , the surface is , for example , roughened such that the light is scattered . the projection or transmission elements can be colored in order to give the visible light a specific color . the absorption elements 7 ensure that crosstalk is prevented between different transmission and projection elements . in the further development of the invention shown in fig2 , there is also provided an additional movement unit 13 which can be used to displace or rotate the light guide 14 . it is thereby possible to drive a multiplicity of display elements 6 with the aid of a single light guide 14 . a description is given with the aid of fig3 of how a luminous element having bragg mirrors is constructed , and of how the emission characteristic can be controlled . the luminous element 12 has a light - emitting semiconductor chip 15 that is embedded in a reflector housing 17 . the semiconductor chip 15 has a cold supply and heat dissipation surface 16 that is connected to a heating element and / or cooling element 20 . it is thereby possible for the chip 15 to be kept at the desired operating temperature . the luminous element 12 has terminals 18 for the semiconductor chip 15 , and terminals 19 for the heating element 20 . the heating or cooling element 20 can be used to set the temperature of the luminous element accurately in order via the temperature to set the reflection or refraction properties of the bragg mirror , and thus to maintain the desired emission characteristic . it is shown schematically in fig4 how it is possible to design the drive of a luminous element 12 . the luminous element 12 is supplied with current by a supply device 24 . the control or the regulation of the luminous element adapted to a display interior temperature is taken over by a control device 21 . this has an interface for the purpose of being driven by a vehicle bus system 23 . as a rule , there is connected to the vehicle bus system an onboard computer that can also in this way provide information , for example relating to temperature / current value tables . known bus systems are , for example , the can bus or the networks for vehicles that are known as k - line and most . | 1 |
the descent device ( descender ) of the present invention 10 includes a body 12 having an outer side 14 ( which faces away from user when in use , meaning when bearing a load ) and an inner side 16 ( which faces a user when in use ). the body further includes an upper ( superior ) side 18 ( generally oriented in a superior position when in use ), a lower ( inferior ) side 20 ( generally oriented in an inferior position when in use ), a left side 22 , and a right side 24 . integrally affixed to and extending from an inner portion 26 of the upper side 18 of the body 12 is a handle ( or bar ) 28 for gripping by a user . a rope clearance space for creating a gap or clearance between a climbing rope and the handle when a load is suspended is created by the distance d from the upper edge 30 of the upper portion 32 of the body 12 to the outer side 34 of the handle . the inner side 36 of the handle may be flat and is generally coplanar with the surface 14 a of the inner side 14 of the body 12 . the body next includes an attachment lug 40 integral with an outer portion of the lower side 20 of the body 12 . the upper surface 42 of the attachment lug may be coplanar with the outer surface 14 a of the outer side 14 of the body 12 . the attachment lug 42 includes a slot or hole 44 for passing a rope or lanyard , which is then employed to couple the descender to a user &# 39 ; s climbing harness or belt . the body next includes a set of through holes , each passing from the upper side to the lower side of the descender body with the respective axes of the holes each oriented generally normal to the inner and outer sides , and thus parallel to one another . the holes include a payout hole 50 having a diameter 52 and a central axis 54 located on the longitudinal axis 56 of the descender . conjoined to an upper portion 58 of the payout hole is an anchor hole 60 having a diameter 62 smaller than that of the payout hole and a central axis 64 also located on the longitudinal axis of the descender . looked at from the top and bottom plan views ( fig3 and 5 respectively ), wherein the broken circumference of each of the payout and anchor hole in the descender body side can be seen , the conjunction or intersection of the payout hole and the anchor hole comprises roughly 90 (+/− 30 degrees ) of arc of the payout hole and 150 (+/− 30 ) degrees of arc of the anchor hole . the central axis of the anchor hole is oriented parallel to the central axis 54 of the payout hole 50 . surrounding the payout hole on the outer side 14 of the descender body 12 is a chamfered opening 66 that provides a surface for inducing a gentle bend in rope disposed through the payout hole . similarly , the upper end of the anchor hole includes a chamfered opening 68 that terminates in an arcuate shelf 70 formed at a depth from the surface 14 a of the outer side 14 of the descender body 12 , such that rope sized for use in the descender will bend proud across the shelf in relation to the surface 14 a of the outer side 14 . these features are described in more detail below and may be appreciated by reference also to fig8 - 10 . right and left holes 80 , 90 , respectively , are disposed through the descender body , each having a central axis 82 , 92 normal to the longitudinal axis 56 of the body . right and left holes each include a chamfered upper opening 84 , 94 to induce gentle bends in rope . right and left holes 80 , 90 , have chamfered lower openings 86 , 96 , at the outer side 16 of the descender body 12 . disposed between each of the left and right holes and the anchor hole 60 on the inner side of the descender body are shallow channels 88 , 98 to accept and constrain a rope segment bent proud between one or the other side holes and the anchor / payout hole . the shallow channels are , respectively , longitudinally aligned with a line 80 d , 90 d , drawn between the center of the right and left holes 80 c , 90 c , and the center of the anchor hole 60 c . payout hole 50 and anchor hole 60 each have chamfered outer openings , 100 , 102 , respectively . referring next at fig6 , the descender device is shown set up for use in a rappel / descent operation . in such use , an attachment lanyard ( a loop of kevlar strap ) 110 is attached at one end to lug 40 using a cow ( or larks foot or girth ) hitch 112 . a carabiner 114 is attached to another end . a climbing belay / rappelling rope 120 is connected at an upper end 122 to an anchoring device 124 . the free end 126 is threaded through the through - holes in the descender body in a specific pattern , described below . the carabiner is attached to the user &# 39 ; s climbing harness or belt at a tie in loop or d - ring . referring now to fig7 - 9 , there is shown the threading pattern for passing a safety line or rope through the through - holes that enables a user to selectively lock or pay out safety line in a controlled manner when executing a descent . before attachment to an anchoring device , the rope upper ( anchoring ) end is passed from the inner side 16 of the descender body through either right or left hole 80 or 90 ( either work equally well ) to the outer side 14 . using right hole 80 as the illustrative example , a segment of the free end of the rope is then pulled through the right hole to provide a sufficient length for free end 126 . the upper end is then inserted into left hole 90 and passed back from the outer side 14 through the left hole 90 to the inner side , and a length of rope is pulled until a bend 130 is brought into engagement with shelf 70 , such that the outer surface of the rope at bend 130 is proud as to the descender body upper side 14 ( i . e ., disposed above it ). the anchor line , comprising the upper end of the anchoring portion of the rope 120 , is then passed through payout hole 50 and pulled until a second bend 140 is brought into engagement with channel 98 extending from left hole 90 to the payout hole 50 . the upper end is then tied to an anchor device 124 . when so configured , ( see fig6 , 10 ), when under a load , the safety line pays out controllably and increasingly freely when the user pulls the handle bar down into a generally horizontally orientation , and the safety line is brought into increasing alignment with the central axis of the payout hole 50 . when under a load , if handle 28 is not pulled downwardly by the user , the device will remain in a generally vertical orientation ( vertical as to its longitudinal axis 56 ), and bend 130 is thereby automatically brought into contact with anchor line 120 , thus causing the device to automatically brake . the anchor hole 60 is sized very slightly smaller than the selected rope diameter , thus in this vertical orientation , the safety line is prevented from free pay out and maintains alinement of the anchor portion of the line onto bend 130 , allowing a slow pay out under anticipated loads ( comprising typical body weight with gear ) simply by pulling down on the handle . then , if and as the user wishes to slow , he controls the angle of the handle and tips it up accordingly . if he then wishes to come to a complete stop in the descent , he / she simply allows the handle bar 28 to tip freely up , which is accomplished using the force of the load only . this brings the safety line fully into the anchor hole and further brings the anchor line 120 into engagement with bend 130 to prevent further rope pay out , automatically . | 0 |
the preferred embodiment of the invention is described below in the context of a processor chip and heat sink combination mounted on a circuit board with an interposer socket . it should be noted , however , that the chip need not be a processor nor is the heat sink required . broadly , the invention is useful to reduce vibration for any type of component mounted to a circuit board . referring now to fig2 , a restraint system 30 is shown to attach a processor 40 and associated heat sink 42 to a circuit board 36 . in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention , the restraint system 30 includes a backing plate 32 from which a plurality of posts 44 protrude vertically therefrom , an insulator 34 to prevent the backing plate 32 from electrically interfering with the circuit board , an interposer socket 38 , springs 46 , and clips 48 . as shown , the posts 44 protrude upward through corresponding holes in the insulator 34 , circuit board 36 and heat sink 42 . springs 46 have an inner diameter sufficiently large to fit down over posts 44 and are held captive by clips 48 . in general , the processor 40 is sandwiched in the configuration shown under the compressive force of springs 46 . clips 48 hold the springs 46 under a desired amount of compressive force . a close - up view of a clip 48 is shown in fig3 . the clip preferably is made from a single piece of metal such as spring steel or other suitable material . as shown , one end 51 of the clip may be bent downward to prevent it from interfering with other components mounted on circuit board 36 or with proper geometries will limit the rotational movement relative to posts 44 by interference with the heat sink 42 . towards the other end of the clip , a hole 52 is formed between corresponding members 54 of the clip . because of the construction of the clip and the material from which it is made , clip members 54 are capable of being pushed apart , at least to a certain degree . then , when such a separating force is removed , the members 54 will return to their initial position as shown in fig3 . referring to fig4 , this feature permits the clip to be pushed down over post 44 with hole 52 coinciding with post end 54 . the post end 54 is shown in a generally conical shape , although other shapes are acceptable as well . in general , post end 54 comprises a tip that has a cross sectional area that increases from the most distal end of the tip towards surface 56 . as the clip is pushed down over post end 54 , the post end acts to push clip members apart until the clip engages recessed area 59 defined by post throat 58 . once at the narrower post throat 58 , the clip members 54 spring back into their unseparated position . in short , the clip “ snaps ” into place and the assembly thus is generally referred to as “ self - locking .” the surface 56 of post end 54 acts as a mechanical “ stop ” to retain the clip in place around throat 58 . the clips thus are referred to as “ self - locking clips .” referring again to fig2 , as the clips 48 are pushed down over posts 44 , springs 46 are compressed by providing the necessary compressive force to secure the processor 40 in place . this retaining mechanism advantageously does not use screws to compress the springs . because no screws are used , the problems noted above with regard , for example , to cold welding are avoided . other benefits will become apparent after reviewing the following discussion . fig5 shows an isolated view of the backing plate 32 with posts 44 protruding therefrom . as shown , there preferably are four posts 44 disposed on distal ends of four backing plate extensions 33 . the configuration shown in fig5 is exemplary only and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention or the claims which follow . fig6 shows a perspective view of self - locking mechanism 30 being assembled with a clip assembly plate 60 . clip assembly plate 60 is used to compress springs 46 . the underside of the clip assembly plate 60 is shown in fig7 and includes four clip retainer protrusions 64 protruding from a generally flat metal plate . each protrusion preferably includes a means to hold self - locking clips 48 in place as the assembly plate 60 is pressed down over posts 44 . any suitable tool ( e . g ., an arbor press ) for providing sufficient pressure to plate 60 can be used to engage and lock the restrain mechanism 30 . then , after the self - locking clips 48 have snapped into place on the posts , the assembly plate 60 can be removed and used on other sockets if desired . because the springs are compressed and the clips are snapped in place simply by pressing down on the clip assembly plate 60 , the processor 40 can be secured in place with the single act of pressing down on the plate . thus , an additional benefit of the preferred embodiment is that it permits one - step assembly which reduces assembly time and cost , is much simpler , and reduces the amount of precision needed for tensioning the socket compared to conventional interposer arrangements . all that needs to be done is press the assembly plate down until the clips engage their stops . in fact , the amount of force being exerted on the plate need not be monitored . this is in contrast to tightening the screws of conventional interposers as explained above . such screw - based tensioning generally requires the amount of torque applied to the screws to be carefully monitored to determine when the springs have been sufficiently compressed . such torque monitoring leads to relatively complex and expensive assembly tools . an alternative embodiment of the posts 44 is shown in fig8 . as shown , posts 70 include a plurality of extensions 72 each of which can serve to provide a “ stop ” for the retainer clips 48 . providing multiple stops on the posts advantageously permits the spring to be compressed to varying degrees to provide different compressive forces as desired . it should be understood that the component restraint mechanism described herein may be used in a computer system that includes a chassis , a system board , an output device ( e . g ., a display ) and an input device ( e . g ., a mouse or a keyboard ). the above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention . numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated . it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications . | 7 |
now , description will be given below of an embodiment of a centrifuge according to the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a function block diagram of a centrifuge according to an embodiment of the invention , fig2 is a flow chart used to carry out an imbalance detecting operation in the low speed area of the centrifuge shown in fig1 , fig3 shows the swinging amount of a drive shaft and the rotation speed of a motor or a rotor when the operation of the rotor with no sample imbalance is started in a state where the drive shaft is not swinging , and fig4 shows the swinging amount of the drive shaft and the rotation speed of the motor or rotor when the operation of the rotor with excessive sample imbalance is started in a state where the drive shaft is not swinging . as shown in fig1 , the present centrifuge 100 includes the drive shaft 3 of a motor 2 disposed in a rotor chamber 11 defined by a partition wall member 10 a including a bowl made of metal or the like and a door 10 ; a rotor 1 for storing therein samples to be centrifuged is removably mounted on the drive shaft 3 of the motor 2 ; and , the rotor 1 is structured such that it can be driven and rotated by the motor 2 . the number of rotations of the rotor 1 or motor 2 is detected as a rotation number signal by a rotation detector 4 including a magnetic sensor made of hall elements or the like , and the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 is detected by a displacement sensor 5 . a control circuit unit 6 includes an operation control portion 7 made of a cpu , a storage portion 8 having a rom , a ram and the like for storing therein a control program and data , a timer portion 13 having a timer ( which will be discussed later ), and a motor drive circuit 9 , which are respectively used as circuit functions . further , in the storage portion 8 , there are previously stored the allowable values of the swinging amounts of a drive shaft which will be discussed later . an operation panel portion 20 is connected to the control circuit unit 6 . the operation panel portion 20 includes a display portion 20 a and an input portion ( an operation switch ) 20 b . the display portion 20 a includes a rotation speed display portion 21 for displaying the rotation speed of the rotor 1 and motor 2 , an operating time display portion 22 for displaying the operating time of the rotor 1 and motor 2 , and the like . the input portion 20 b includes a rotation speed input switch 23 for instructing the input of the rotation speed of the rotor 1 or motor 2 , an operating time input switch 24 for instructing the input of the operating time of the rotor 1 or motor 2 , and a ten key 25 for instructing the desired input data ( numerical values ) of the rotation speed or operating time of these composing elements . to input the rotation speed of the rotor 1 or motor 2 , firstly , the rotation speed input switch 23 may be depressed and next the desired rotation speed may be input using the ten key 25 . the thus set rotation speed is displayed in the rotation speed display portion of the display portion 20 a . similarly , to input the operating time of the rotor 1 or motor 2 , the operating time input switch 24 may be depressed and next the desired operating time may be input and set using the ten key 25 . then , the thus set operating time is displayed in the operating time display portion 22 of the display portion 20 a . further , the input portion 20 b includes a start switch 26 which is used to instruct the control circuit unit 6 such that the operation of the motor 2 or rotor 1 is started according to the set rotation speed . on the other hand , there is provided a stop switch 27 which is used to instruct the stop of the rotation of the motor 2 . fig2 is a flow chart which is used to carry out a low speed area imbalance detecting operation according to the present embodiment . here , in the present embodiment , the term “ low speed area ” means an area up to 100 rpm . now , while referring to fig2 and 3 , description will be given below of the operation of the centrifuge 100 to be carried out when a large - scale rotor ( while samples are well balanced ) is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 , and the rotor is oscillated in error to thereby cause the drive shaft 3 to swing . the rotation speed and operating time , which are the conditions of the centrifuge , are respectively input in the above - mentioned manner using the input portion 20 b , and the rotor 1 for storing therein samples to be centrifuged is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 . in this mounting operation , there is a possibility that the rotor 1 can be oscillated in error to thereby cause the drive shaft 3 to swing . when the start switch 26 is depressed , firstly , a door opening / closing detector 12 detects the opening / closing state of the door 10 which is used to define the rotor chamber 11 . when the door 10 is found closed , the control circuit unit 4 starts the rotation of the motor 2 and the motor 2 is accelerated while the drive shaft 3 is swinging . the operation control portion 7 takes therein the signals of the rotation detector 4 and displacement sensor 5 . in step 101 , the centrifuge 100 waits until the rotation speed of the motor 2 reaches 20 rpm . when the rotation speed of the motor 2 exceeds 20 rpm , in step 102 , the operation control portion 7 compares the allowable value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 , which the drive shaft 3 has previously stored into the storage portion 8 , with the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 inputted by the displacement sensor 5 . as shown in fig3 , when the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 is larger than the allowable value , in step 103 , the supply of the power to the motor 2 is stopped to thereby decelerate the motor 2 ( in the present embodiment , the motor 2 is decelerated naturally without applying reverse rotation braking , dc braking or mechanical braking ). next , in step 104 , the operation control portion 7 increases the count of the counter by + 1 and stores the increased count into the storage portion 8 . the present counter is to count the number of times when the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 exceeds the allowable value . in step 105 , the operation control portion 7 checks whether the value of the counter is equal to or more than 6 or not . when it is less than 6 , the processing goes to step 106 . or , when it is 6 or more , the operation control portion 7 determines that the drive shaft 3 is caused to swing due to the sample imbalance ; and thus , in step 111 , there is displayed an imbalance alarm and the motor 2 is decelerated and stopped . in the present embodiment , the upper limit value of the counter is set for 6 . however , the upper limit value may not be always necessary to be 6 , but there can be used any arbitrary numeric value , provided that it is capable of checking the imbalance detection accurately . in step 106 , 10 seconds are set in the timer of the timer portion 13 ; and , in step 107 , the processing waits until the timer passes 10 seconds and also waits for the time when , as the rotation speed reduces , the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 decreases . although the timer is set for 10 seconds here , it is not always necessary to be 10 seconds . however , according to the results of tests , the time may preferably be twice or more than the time while the motor 2 is rotated once at the rotation speed in step 101 . ( for example , when the rotor 1 is rotating at the rotation speed of 20 rpm , the time necessary for the rotor 1 to rotate once is 3 seconds and thus twice 3 seconds is 6 seconds ; and , therefore , in the present embodiment , 10 seconds are set in the timer ). in step 101 , there is employed a method for detecting the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 at a given interval with the time as the reference . alternatively , however , there may also be employed another method which uses the given lowering speed ( for example , 5 rpm ) of the rotation speed of the motor or rotor . further , there may also be employed the number of rotations ( for example , every five rotations ). while 10 seconds pass in step 107 , in step 112 , the peak value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 to be input from the displacement sensor 5 is stored into the storage portion 8 . after the passage of the 10 seconds , the processing goes back to step 102 , where the peak value of the swinging amount stored in step 112 is compared with the allowable value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 . as described above , when the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 has not settled down , there are carried out again the processings in step 103 to step 107 and , after then , the processing goes back to step 102 . when the drive shaft 3 is caused to swing when the rotor 1 is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 , normally , the processings in step 102 to step 107 may be carried out twice or three times , whereby the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 is allowed to settle down . thus , the processing goes to step 108 , where the rotation speed of the motor 2 is 100 rpm or less . in step 109 , the rotation speed of the motor 2 is accelerated , and the processing goes to step 102 and step 108 . at the time when the rotation speed exceeds 100 rpm , the processing goes to step 110 , where the motor 2 is allowed to reach the set rotation speed . according to the present embodiment , the turning points of the rotation speed are set for 20 rpm and 100 rpm . the reason for this is that , when the centrifuge according to the embodiment is operated with such excessive imbalance that one or several bottles are omitted to be stored into the rotor , the drive shaft 3 is caused to swing suddenly and greatly in the range of 30 rpm to 80 rpm . that is , the turning points of the rotation speed may be determined according to the diameter dimension of the drive shaft and the like . next , description will be given below of the operation of the centrifuge according to the present embodiment when one bottle is omitted to be stored into the rotor 1 , with reference to fig2 and 4 . as shown in fig4 , the rotor 1 is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 without swinging the drive shaft 3 , and the start switch 26 is depressed . the door opening / closing detector 12 detects the opening / closing state of the door 10 . when the door 10 is found closed , the control circuit unit 4 allows the start of the rotation of the motor 2 , while the operation control portion 7 takes therein the signals of the rotation detector 4 and displacement sensor 5 . in step 101 , the processing waits until the rotation speed of the motor 2 reaches 20 rpm . when the rotation speed of the motor 2 exceeds 20 rpm , in step 102 , the allowable value stored in the storage portion 8 by the drive shaft 3 is compared with the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 input by the displacement sensor 5 . as shown in fig4 , since the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 is equal to or less than the allowable value in the vicinity of 20 rpm , the processing advances to step 108 and step 109 . then , the processing returns again to step 102 . in the vicinity of the time when the rotation speed exceeds 30 rpm , the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 suddenly increases and thus the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 exceeds the allowable value . therefore , in step 103 , the supply of power to the motor 2 is stopped . next , in step 104 , the counter is counted up by + 1 and , in step 105 , the counter is checked whether the value thereof is 6 or more or not . when the counter value is found less than 6 , the processing moves to step 106 . in step 106 , 10 seconds are set in the timer of the timer portion 13 and , in step 107 , the processing waits until the timer passes 10 seconds and also waits until , as the rotation speed reduces , the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 reduces . while 10 seconds pass in step 107 , the peak value of the drive shaft 3 to be taken from the displacement sensor 5 in step 112 is stored into the storage portion 8 . after the passage of the 10 seconds , the processing goes back to step 102 , where the peak value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 stored in step 112 is compared with the allowable value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 previously stored in the storage portion 8 . as described above , when an operator omits to store one bottle , since the drive shaft 3 swings suddenly and greatly , the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 is equal to or more than the allowable value ; and , therefore , the processings in steps 103 to 107 are carried out again and , after then , the processing goes back to step 102 . normally , the processings in steps 102 to 107 may be carried out five times or so , whereby the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 is allowed to settle down ; and thus , the processing advances to step 108 . the value of the counter at the then time provides 5 . since the rotation speed is less than 100 rpm , the motor 2 is accelerated again in step 109 , and the processing advances to step 102 . when the motor 2 is accelerated again , as shown in fig4 , similarly , the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 is suddenly increased again in the vicinity of about 30 rpm ; and thus , in step 103 , the supply of power to the motor 2 is stopped and , in step 104 , the counter is counted up by + 1 , whereby the counter value turns to 6 . that is , in step 105 , the counter value is 6 . thus , the processing advances to step 111 , where an imbalance alarm is displayed and the motor 2 is decelerated and stopped . execution of the above operation not only can positively detect the excessive imbalance due to omission of storage of the bottle into the rotor 1 , but also can operate the centrifuge with no wrong detection of the sample imbalance even in a state where , when the rotor 1 with the balanced samples stored therein is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 , the rotor 1 is oscillated in error . according to the present embodiment , the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 is detected using the displacement sensor 5 . however , alternatively , the imbalance can be detected similarly by detecting the swinging motion of the rotor 1 . | 6 |
fig1 depicts an elevating scraper 10 towed by a tractor 12 . the tractor is a four - wheeled agricultural tractor having a drawbar hitch 13 and a power takeoff 14 , however , it will be appreciated that the towing vehicle is not a part of the invention . the scraper 10 has a tongue 15 pivotally connected to the tractor hitch 13 permitting articulation of the scraper relative to the tractor . the tongue 15 comprises a pair of arms 16 extending forwardly from the scraper sidewalls 18 and joined at the front by a crossbeam 19 . the crossbeam 19 carries a pair of laterally spaced sleeve bearings ( not shown ) on which is journaled a tongue extension 20 which connects with the hitch 13 . an hydraulic cylinder 22 , which is connected with the hydraulic system of the tractor 12 , has an extensible rod 23 pivotally connected to an arm 24 fixed on the crossbeam 19 such that upon extension or retraction of the cylinder rod 23 the tongue extension 20 and the tongue arms 16 jackknife or pivot relative to each other about the crossbeam 19 and in so doing pivot the scraper bowl about the main transverse axis 26 of the tandem running gear to raise and lower the scraper blade 25 . an elevator 32 is mounted on the front of the scraper 10 to break loose dirt in advance of the blade 25 when in the lowered position and to assist in filling the bowl . the elevator incorporates a design particularly suited for the smaller or utility scraper , as will be discussed below , where the power takeoff 14 of the tractor is connected to the elevator bottom drive , generally indicated at 34 , by a drive line 36 . the scraper 10 is supported on four wheels , two on each side , one behind the other , mounted on rocking beams 37 in a manner such that the rear wheels 39 track behind the front wheels 38 on each side . the tandem running gear is an important feature of the invention as discussed further below . referring now to fig2 the scraper bowl includes a pair of laterally spaced side walls 18 having a downwardly inclined front edge 40 , a horizontal top edge 41 , and a horizontal bottom edge 42 which curves upwardly at the rear portion 43 thereof . a fixed end wall 44 extends between the side walls 18 at the rear and has a lower transverse edge portion 45 the function of which will be explained below . fastened to the upper edge 41 of each side wall 18 is a sideboard extension 46 permitting the dirt to be heaped in the bowl to a level above the side walls 18 at least adjacent the top of the elevator 32 as is customary practice in the operation of elevating scrapers . extending between the side walls 18 approximately midway between the front and rear of the bowl and spaced upwardly from the bottom edges 42 is a transverse axle housing 48 secured at the opposite ends by gusset plates 49 ( fig3 ) to the innerside of side walls 18 . an axle section 50 is inserted in each end of the axle housing 48 through the side walls 18 and is journaled on laterally spaced sleeve bearings 51 in the housing 48 permitting independent oscillation of the rocking beams 37 . each rocking beam 37 carries at the forward end thereof a stub axle 52 and at the rear end a stub axle 53 on which stub axles are mounted respectively the front and rear ground engaging wheels 38 and 39 . the bottom area of the scraper bowl is closed by a front door 56 ( fig2 ), the leading edge 57 of which engages with the rear of the blade support frame 58 and the trailing edge 59 of which is met by a rear door 60 which extends rearwardly terminating in an upwardly curved portion 62 which generally follows the curvature of the edge portion 43 of the side walls 18 and closes at the rear with the bottom edge 45 of the end wall 44 . the front door 56 is pivoted on a pair of trunnions 65 in the opposite side walls 18 . a pair of skirts members 66 , one suspended from each trunnion 65 supports the front door 56 for swinging motion about the axis of the trunnion 65 from a closed position to a fully open position as shown in the partial dashed line view in fig2 . the rear door 60 is pivoted on a pair of trunnions 69 in the opposite side walls 18 to the rear and above the trunnion 65 . a pair of arms 70 , one journaled on each trunnion 69 , extend down on the outside of the side walls 18 connecting at the lower ends with the curved portion 62 of the rear door 60 such that the latter may be pivoted about the axis of trunnions 69 from a closed position to a fully open position depicted in dashed lines in fig2 . an actuating link 72 , one on each side of the bowl , is pivoted at the rear end at 73 to the arm 70 and extends forwardly where it is pivoted at 74 to a lever 75 connected by a sleeve bearing to the skirt member 66 of the front door 56 . levers 76 connect the arms 70 of the rear door 60 to cylinder rods 77 of hydraulic cylinders 78 on each side of the scraper . the blind end 79 of each cylinder 78 is pivotally connected to an anchor block 80 mounted on the exterior of side walls 18 . thus , upon actuation of the cylinders 78 retracting the rod 77 the front door 56 and the rear door 60 swing rearwardly and upwardly about the trunnion axes and in the process move toward fully open positions shown respectively for each door in fig2 . the relationship of the curvature of the rear portion 62 of door 60 with the bottom edge 45 of the end wall 44 is such that the edge 45 will scrape the inner curved surface of the door 60 removing any sticky earth material as the door is being opened . thus , the bowl has a double bottom dump capability such that the dirt pours out during the dumping cycle at two locations , first behind the blade frame 58 and second , near the center of the bowl between the doors 56 and 60 , the dumping being controlled by the amount the doors are opened . as seen in fig5 the main blade 25 and blade frame 58 extend across the front of the bowl between side wall extensions or moldboards 81 each having a laterally extending portion 82 which at the rear end is directed parallel to the side walls 18 and bolted thereto by bolts 83 . projecting through an opening 82 in the rear portion 82 of each moldboard is a push rod 85 pivotally connected at the upper end 86 to a lever 87 ( fig2 ) mounted on the rotatable sleeve portion of lever 75 . thus , upon actuation of the cylinders 78 opening the doors , the push rods 85 are extended through the moldboards along a line generally inclined downwardly and parallel to the blade 25 tending to dislodge any sticky material which may have become collected in the corners of the blade . referring now to fig5 the elevator 32 is comprised of two sections or parallel 94 - 95 , one on each side of the bowl . each section 94 - 95 is supported on an elevator frame including a center support 96 at which at the lower end carries a saddle bracket 97 supporting the elevator drive 34 and at the top has a cross member 98 . spaced below the upper cross member 98 is a cross member 99 passing through the center support 96 which together with the upper cross member 98 supports the elevator paths 94 - 95 across the front of the bowl . opposite ends of the cross members 98 - 99 are pivotally connected to the side walls 18 by links 90 - 91 ( fig2 ) allowing the elevator sections to shift in a vertical plane . each elevator section 94 - 95 includes a pair of chains 100 ( depicted by the dot - dash lines in fig5 ) which are trained over drive sprockets 103 at the bottom and over idler wheels 105 at the top . the idler wheels are in laterally spaced alignment with the drive sprockets 103 at the bottom and are mounted on a rotatable shaft 108 , the opposite ends of which are journaled in a pair of extension arms 109 projecting upwardly from the upper cross member 98 of the elevator frame . the drive sprockets 103 are mounted in laterally spaced alignment with the idler wheels 105 on drums or carriers 110 having a central , inwardly directed ring 112 which bolts to the drive hub 114 at each end of the elevator drive 34 . saddle bracket 97 supports the drive at the center housing 115 which has an input shaft carrying a u - joint 116 which is connected to drive line 36 . the elevator drive 34 , according to the preferred embodiment , will be a standard planetary truck axle , the planetary sets at each end of which are utilized to drive the two elevator sections 94 - 95 . the carriers 110 are open cage structures to permit the egress of dirt which may have a tendency to collect within the rotating carriers and in this connection slots 117 are provided . a series of flights or drags 118 are carried by the chains 100 of each elevator section 94 - 95 , being spaced from each other on opposite sides of a vertical center plane through the elevator drive 34 to provide access for the drive line 36 . referring to fig4 the drive line 36 includes a telescoping section 120 connected on one end to the tractor power takeoff 14 by means of a u - joint 121 and at the opposite end to a second drive section 122 by means of a u - joint 123 . the latter mentioned drive section 122 is coupled to the input of the bottom elevator drive by the u - joint 116 . the drive line 36 is supported on the cross beam 19 carried by the tongue 15 by a pivot bearing 125 which can swing in a vertical plane to accommodate the change of angle taken by the drive line as the tongue arms 16 and tongue extension 20 jackknife or pivot relative to each other in raising and lowering the scraper blade . bearing sleeve 126 in the upper end of the pivot bearing 125 has a pivotal mounting on a transverse axis permitting up and down shifting of the elevator bottom drive 36 . the telescoping drive section 120 , in cooperation with the u - joints 121 - 123 , permits the articulation of the tractor 12 with respect to the scraper 10 . as mentioned above , one of the important features of the invention is a design enabling the scraper to be shipped in disassembled form for assembly from a scraper kit which comprises all of the components banded or crated together enabling field assembly by the user without special jigs or fixtures . referring to fig2 in this connection it will be noted that the arms 16 of the tongue have heavy side plates 130 on each side of the scraper side wall 18 and bolt on each side of a horizontal reinforcing rib 132 permanently secured to the side walls . the blade frame 58 and moldboard 81 at the front corners of the side walls 18 also bolt on as discussed above . the end wall 44 has inwardly directed flanges 137 which bolt to the side walls 18 at the rear . between the main blade frame 58 at the front and the end wall 44 at the rear is the axle housing 48 spaced upwardly from the bottom - and extending across the bowl with the opposite ends being secured to the side walls by gusset plates 49 as in fig3 . thus , the side walls 18 are rigidly held in spaced vertical relationship . in addition , the tongue 15 with the cross beam 19 further rigidifies and supports the front ends of the side walls . of course , the bottom doors 56 - 60 and actuating linkage may be disassembled as well as the elevator 32 . likewise , the running gear is capable of being disassembled and in this connection reference is made to fig3 where the axle section 50 is seen held within the axle housing 48 by means of a bolt - on outer lug 140 secured to the horizontal rib 132 . by removal of the lugs 140 , the rocking beams 37 and axle sections 50 may be withdrawn from the axle housing 48 . it is then only necessary to unbolt the tongue , blade frame 58 , axle housing 48 and the end wall 44 in order to collapse the scraper side walls 18 so that they may be shipped in a flat , side - by - side relationship . while we have described and illustrated herein a preferred embodiment of our invention as incorporated in a particular mechanism , it will be appreciated that modifications may be made therein and that other uses may be found . therefore , it should be understood that we intend to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of our invention . | 4 |
an aspect of the present invention provides a method for configuring phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa timing agreements between server and client which prevents prolonged service disruptions . these prolonged service disruptions are avoided by initializing timing agreements between server and client in such a way to uniformly enable the existence of a phase 1 sa during secure communication which allows recovery from a service disruption via dpd . in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , phase 1 and phase 2 lifetimes are configured using the following equation : equation ( 1 ) configures the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes to occur simultaneously , which enables a phase 1 sa to be uniformly available during secure communications , thus enabling efficient recovery from service disruptions via dpd and further enabling the continuation of secure communications . in an example embodiment , the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes are configured in accordance with equation ( 1 ) after every phase 2 negotiation between a client and a server . a client and a server may configure the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes in accordance with equation ( 1 ) and adjust timing agreements as necessary . an aspect of the present invention will now be discussed below with reference to fig6 - 8 . fig6 is a functional level diagram of communication between server 606 and client 604 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention . fig6 differs from the functional level diagram of the convention communication discussed above with reference to fig4 , in that ipsec portion 412 and ipsec portion 426 have been replaced with ipsec portion 608 and ipsec portion 610 , respectively . more specifically , in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , at least one of ipsec portion 608 and ipsec portion 610 will be operable to configure phase 1 and phase 2 lifetimes using equation ( 1 ) discussed above . before client 604 can securely communicate with server 602 , a secure communication link must be established . a method of establishing a secure communication link between client 604 and server 602 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention will now be discussed . presume , in this example , that client 604 initiates communication with server 602 . first application 214 sends a first packet to os stack 216 . ipsec portion 608 intercepts the packet and initiates a negotiation with server 602 . ike protocol portion 222 of client 604 then performs negotiation with ike protocol portion 210 of server 602 . a more detailed discussion of secure communication will now be described . fig7 illustrates , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , a link communication 700 , a simplified ipsec communication exchange . a y - axis 702 represents the variable t in units of time with variable t increasing with progression from the top of the page to the bottom of the page . an x - axis 704 represents exchanges of communication between client 604 and server 602 via communication channel 310 . before conventional ipsec link communication 700 is discussed in detail , please consider the following introduction to some aspects . bi - directional vertical arrows 708 , 710 , 734 and 736 represent phase 1 sa timers . a phase 1 sa timer counts down the time value of a phase 1 sa . in the figure , bi - directional vertical arrows 708 , 710 , 734 and 736 are illustrated with the same weight to represent a similar function . bi - directional vertical arrows 738 and 740 represent soft phase 2 sa timers . a phase 2 sa timer is a hard - lifetime timer that counts down the time value of a phase 2 sa . a soft - lifetime timer is conventionally set to a portion of the hard - lifetime timer , e . g ., 80 %. in the figure , bi - directional vertical arrows 738 and 740 are illustrated with the same weight to represent a similar function . unidirectional horizontal arrows 706 and 732 represent phase 1 sa negotiation initiations . a phase 1 sa negotiation initiation is a communication protocol wherein client 604 contacts server 602 to exchange security keys , authentication information and phase 1 sa time values . in the figure , unidirectional horizontal arrows 706 and 732 are illustrated with the same weight to represent a similar function . bi - directional horizontal arrows 712 and 744 represent phase 1 sa negotiation completions . in the figure , bi - directional horizontal arrows 712 and 744 are illustrated with the same weight to represent a similar function . unidirectional horizontal arrow 748 represents a phase 2 sa negotiation initiation . a phase 2 sa negotiation initiation is a communication protocol , wherein client 604 contacts server 602 to exchange updated security keys , updated authentication information , phase 2 sa soft - lifetime time values and phase 2 sa hard - lifetime time values . bi - directional horizontal arrow 752 represents a phase 2 sa negotiation completion . bi - directional horizontal arrow 754 represents a link initiation . a link initiation is the start of a secure communication channel , wherein client 604 and server 602 may securely communicate with one another . bi - directional horizontal dotted arrow 726 represents a link completion . a link completion is the end of a secure communication channel , wherein client 604 and server 602 may no longer securely communicate with one another . a large portion of the elements of fig7 are identical to fig3 . some of the identical elements between fig3 and fig7 are not be included in the discussion of fig7 . at time 312 , client 604 communicates a phase 1 sa negotiation initiation 706 to server 602 . following phase 1 sa negotiation initiation 706 , an embodiment of this invention is deployed during the negotiation of phase 1 sa , as client 604 configures a phase 1 sa timer 708 as a positive integer multiple of soft phase 2 sa timer 332 . for this particular embodiment of the invention , phase 1 sa timer 708 is configured as two times the value , or n equal to 2 , of soft phase 2 sa timer 332 . additionally , an embodiment of this invention is deployed during the negotiation of first sa , as server 602 configures a phase 1 sa timer 710 as a positive integer multiple of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 . for this particular embodiment of the invention , phase 1 sa timer 710 is configured as two times the value , or n equal to 2 , of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 . the illustration of link communication 700 as shown in fig7 is not to scale . the value of phase 1 sa timer 708 does not appear to be twice the value of soft phase 2 sa timer 332 , however , the period of time between time 324 and time 336 is very small relative to the length of time between time 336 and time 348 as represented by soft phase 2 sa timer 332 . the phase 1 sa negotiation between client 604 and server 602 is completed at time 324 and is represented by a phase 1 sa negotiation completion 712 . in conjunction with phase 1 sa negotiation completion 712 , client 604 initiates phase 1 sa timer 708 and server 602 initiates phase 1 sa timer 710 . at time 506 , communication disruption 508 is experienced by server 602 . after server 602 recovers or reinitializes , client 604 detects communication disruption 508 using ike notify messages via phase 1 sa protocol . as a result of the ike notify messages , client 604 and server 602 initiate a dpd 714 at a time 716 in order to restore server 602 to its state or condition prior to communication disruption 508 . at a time 718 secure communications are restored between client 604 and server 602 as represented by a communication restoration 720 . during the time period between time 506 and time 718 , secure data is not communicated between client 604 and server 602 and is represented as a discarded data 722 . the length of time for discarded data 722 is significantly smaller than the length of time as represented by discarded data 516 as illustrated in fig5 . the reduction in time between discarded data 722 and discarded data 516 is a direct result of an implementation of an embodiment of this invention . following communication restoration 720 , the secure transmission of the data between client 604 and server 602 is completed at a time 724 as referenced by a successful link completion 726 . following the simultaneous expiration of phase 1 sa timer 708 , phase 1 sa timer 710 , soft phase 2 sa timer 352 and soft phase 2 sa timer 354 at a time 728 , client 604 seeks to communicate with server 602 at a time 730 . since neither a phase 1 sa nor a phase 2 sa exists at time 730 , a phase 1 sa is initiated between client 604 and server 602 at time 730 as represented by a phase 1 sa negotiation initiation 732 . following phase 1 sa negotiation initiation 732 , client 604 and server 602 negotiate the value of a phase 1 sa timer 734 and a phase 1 sa timer 736 . phase 1 sa timer 734 and phase 1 sa timer 736 are configured per an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 , or the value of phase 1 sa timer 734 being configured as twice the value of a soft phase 2 sa timer 738 and the value of phase 1 sa timer 736 being configured as twice the value of a soft phase 2 sa timer 740 . the initial values of phase 1 sa timer 734 and phase 1 sa timer 736 are identical . at a time 742 , phase 1 sa negotiation is complete as represented by a phase 1 sa negotiation completion 744 and client 604 initiates phase 1 sa timer 734 and server 602 initiates phase 1 sa timer 736 . at a time 746 , client 604 communicates a phase 2 sa negotiation initiation 748 with server 602 initiating negotiation of ipsec sa . during the negotiation of ipsec sa , client 604 and server 602 agree on the protocol for communication , the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 738 and soft phase 2 sa timer 740 . the values for soft phase 2 sa timer 738 and soft phase 2 sa timer 740 are identical and are determined per an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . at a time 750 negotiation of ipsec sa is complete and is represented by a phase 2 sa negotiation completion 752 . in conjunction with phase 2 sa negotiation completion 752 , client 604 implements soft phase 2 sa timer 738 and server 602 implements soft phase 2 sa timer 740 . following phase 2 sa negotiation completion 752 , a link initiation 754 occurs at a time 756 and secure data communication between client 604 and server 602 ensues . as illustrated in fig7 , this invention prevents extended time periods of non - communication by rapidly reestablishing secure communication in the event of a communication disruption . the amount of time required for recovery of secure communications as a result of an embodiment of this invention as illustrated by discarded data 722 in fig7 is significantly less than the time required for recovery as illustrated in fig5 by discarded data 516 . by configuring the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes in accordance with equation ( 1 ), the uniform recovery of secure communications is enabled . the phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa timing agreements between server and client in accordance with the present invention enable the uniform existence of phase 1 sa , thereby enabling uniform recovery from service disruptions via dpd . this eliminates time periods during which a phase 1 sa is not available for recovery of secure communications via dpd . fig8 illustrates , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , a simplified relationship diagram representing the synchronization between peers with respect to phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa . fig8 illustrates the relationship between phase 1 sa , phase 2 sa , phase 1 sa timer , soft phase 2 sa timer and hard phase 2 sa timer as embodied by this invention . fig8 illustrates how this invention enables the uniform implementation of dpd for recovery of secure communications thereby avoiding sustained periods of non - communication as a result of communication disruptions . an x - axis 800 of fig8 represents the variable t in units of time with variable t increasing with progression from left to right on the page . before fig8 is discussed in detail , please consider the following introduction to some aspects . the area located below x - axis 800 is represented by phase 1 sas . the area located above x - axis 800 is represented by phase 2 sas . rectangular blocks 804 , 810 , 822 , 832 and 846 represent phase 2 sas . horizontal arrows 816 , 826 , 836 and 852 represent soft phase 2 sa timers . horizontal arrows 806 , 812 , 824 , 834 and 850 represent hard phase 2 sa timers . rectangular blocks 802 , 818 and 842 represent phase 1 sas . horizontal arrows 710 , 736 and 840 represent phase 1 sa timers . in order to simplify fig8 , all timers will be referenced with respect to server 602 illustrated in fig7 . at time 324 , a phase 1 sa 802 is initiated between client 604 and server 602 . the lifetime of phase 1 sa 802 is negotiated between client 604 and server 602 and is represented by phase 1 sa timer 710 . the lifetime of phase 1 sa 802 and the value for phase 1 sa timer 710 are determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 or twice the value of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 . at time 336 , a phase 2 sa 804 is initiated between client 604 and server 602 . the lifetime of phase 2 sa 804 is negotiated between client 604 and server 602 and is represented by a hard phase 2 sa timer 806 which initiates at time 336 and expires at a time 807 . the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 334 is derived from hard phase 2 sa timer 806 , which is negotiated between client 604 and server 602 during the negotiation of phase 2 sa 804 . the expiration of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 determines when a subsequent phase 2 sa may be initiated . the value of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 is determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . at a time 808 , soft phase 2 sa timer 334 expires enabling the start of a phase 2 sa 810 . during the negotiation of phase 2 sa 810 , client 604 and server 602 negotiate the values for a hard phase 2 sa timer 812 , expiring at a time 814 , and a soft phase 2 sa timer 816 . the value of soft phase 2 sa timer 816 is determined by an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . phase 1 sa 802 terminates after the expiration of phase 1 sa timer 710 at time 728 . soft phase 2 sa timer 816 expires at a time 817 and since a phase 1 sa does not exist , a phase 1 sa 818 is negotiated and the value for phase 1 sa timer 736 is determined during the negotiation of phase 1 sa 818 . the lifetime of phase 1 sa 818 and the value for a phase 1 sa timer 736 are determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . at a time 820 , a phase 2 sa 822 is negotiated , wherein the value for hard phase 2 sa timer 824 is negotiated and wherein a value for soft phase 2 sa timer 826 is derived from the negotiated value for hard phase 2 sa timer 824 . hard phase 2 sa timer 824 determines the lifetime of phase 2 sa 822 , which expires at a time 828 . soft phase 2 sa timer 826 determines the time after which a new phase 2 sa may be initiated . in an example embodiment , the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 826 is set as n equal to 2 . soft phase 2 sa timer 826 expires at a time 830 enabling the initiation of a phase 2 sa 832 . the value for hard phase 2 sa timer 834 is negotiated during the negotiation of phase 2 sa 832 . a value for soft phase 2 sa timer 836 is derived from the negotiated value for hard phase 2 sa timer 834 . hard phase 2 sa timer 834 determines the lifetime of phase 2 sa 832 and soft phase 2 sa timer 836 determines the time after which a new phase 2 sa may be initiated . the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 836 is determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . phase 1 sa timer 736 expires at a time 838 terminating phase 1 sa 818 . in conjunction with the expiration of phase 1 sa 818 , soft phase 2 sa timer 836 expires enabling the initiation of a new phase 2 sa . however , since a phase 1 sa does not exist , a phase 1 sa 842 is initiated at time 838 and the value for a phase 1 sa timer 840 is negotiated . phase 1 sa timer 840 determines the lifetime of phase 1 sa 842 and expires at a time 844 . the value for phase 1 sa timer 840 is determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . a phase 2 sa 846 is negotiated between client 604 and server 602 at a time 848 and the value for hard phase 2 sa timer 850 is negotiated during the negotiation of phase 2 sa 846 . a value for soft phase 2 sa timer 852 is derived from the negotiated value for hard phase 2 sa timer 850 . hard phase 2 sa timer 850 , expiring at a time 854 , determines the lifetime of phase 2 sa 846 and soft phase 2 sa timer 852 , expiring at a time 856 , determines the time after which a new phase 2 sa may be initiated . the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 852 is determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . as illustrated in fig8 , this invention prevents periods of time during which a communication disruption would cause an extended period of time for non - communication . the time periods during which a communication disruption can cause non - communication as illustrated for a conventional system in fig2 and represented by unavailable dpd 218 and unavailable dpd 246 are not experienced in fig8 as a result of an embodiment of this invention . by configuring the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes in accordance with equation ( 1 ), the relationship between phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa is configured in order to provide the uniform existence of phase 1 sa during secure communications . the uniform existence of phase 1 sa provides the ability to uniformly recover from service disruptions between server and client via dpd , as dpd can only be implemented during the existence of a phase 1 sa . a device in accordance with the present invention may be any device operable to communicate with another device within an internet protocol ( ip ) communication system . non - limiting examples of such devices include computers and phones , for example as discussed above with reference to fig1 . a communication device in accordance with the present invention may include an ike protocol portion 222 and an ipsec portion 608 . in some embodiments , ike protocol portion 222 and an ipsec portion 608 may be implemented as individual processing portions . in some embodiments , ike protocol portion 222 and an ipsec portion 608 may be implemented as a unitary processing portion . a communication device in accordance with the present invention may additionally include a transmitter portion that can transmit wireless or wireline signals . non - limiting examples of transmitter portions include transmitter portions that can transmit wireless or wireline public switched telephone network signals and transmitter portions that transmit wireless or wireline broadband internet access signals , e . g ., wimax signals . further , in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , a device readable media for use with a communication device may have device - readable instructions stored thereon . in particular , the device - readable instructions may be capable of instructing the communication device to communicate with another device within an internet protocol ( ip ) communication system such that the time value of the phase 1 security association is an integer multiple of the time value of the soft phase 2 security association in accordance with the present invention . a non - limiting example of such a device readable media includes a hardware memory portion of a processing unit , wherein the processing unit is operable to process the instructions within the hardware memory portion . the foregoing description of various preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the exemplary embodiments , as described above , were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto . | 7 |
for the sake of succinctness , the system and method according to the invention and disclosed here is referred to as the “ flat mux ” since it is non - hierarchical and can directly multiplex and demultiplex several e - type channels and / or a configurable number of pdh channels into a single , composite , serial bit stream , while also making possible a variable bit - pipe of the kind used for packet traffic by using a part of the composite bandwidth . the flat mux is of course not intended to exist in isolation , but rather is a particularly efficient component of an overall telecommunications system that accommodates different channel technologies and framing formats . several numerical values are given for various aspects of the embodiment of the invention illustrated and discussed below . these are merely example of one practical implementation and can be varied by skilled telecommunications systems designers according to the needs of a given implementation . this applies even to the number of pdh channels the flat mux is configured to handle : one advantage of this invention is that the flat mux has practically no theoretical limit on the number of pdh channels it can handle . for example , in one design specification , an embodiment of the invention could support at least 72 e1s or 96 ds1s ( another known framing structure ) and at least four e3s or 2 ds3s against a single basic telecom node . fig1 is a block diagram that shows a multiplexer / demultiplexer ( mux / demux ) block 100 according to one embodiment of the invention , as well as interfaces to various external components . in fig1 , these interfaces , named for the signals they transfer , are : 110 : d control channel ( s ) ( dcc ) 112 : pdh traffic 114 : network synchronization 116 : synchronization status message ( ssm ) 118 : bit - pipe signals 120 : processor interface ( pif ) 122 : h control channel ( s ) ( hcc ) 124 : composite signal interface these various interfaces are preferably co - directional , that is , with both data and clock signals passing in both directions . the pdh interfaces are preferably bit oriented . although not specifically illustrated , when a loss of framing ( lof ) signal is detected on the composite input 124 , an alarm indication signal ( ais ) is preferably generated on the pdh traffic ports out from the demux circuitry of the unit 100 . the ais is preferably selectable between a local oscillator and the sync rate of whichever network the invention is implemented in . an illustrated basic node ( show to the left of line 150 ) may include at least one tdm switch 160 , which communicates with the mux / demux unit via interfaces 110 - 116 . between the d control channel 110 interface and the tdm switch 160 , an additional , but typical , flagstuffing block 170 for rate adaptation is interposed . a point - to - point block 180 is a source of data for the bit - pipe . communication between the ptp block 180 and the bit - pipe interface 118 will generally be necessary for both timing information and i / o data . in one specified design implementation , 16 - bit data was architected for both receive ( rx ) input data and transmit ( tx ) data . a contra - directional clock ( having timing signals with both directions of transmission directed towards the subordinate equipment ) was specified as the rx input clock , and an and co - directional clock ( clock and data having the same source ) was specified as the tx output clock . for both the rx and tx bit - pipe rates , a serial or parallel interface was specified to signal the bit - pipe rate and also changes to that rate to the ptp block 180 . these rates may be calculated in any known manner as a function of the number of pdh columns used for the bit - pipe . an acknowledge signal ( ack ) was also included to indicate that the ptp block detected the rate change , as well as conventional signals indicating various alarm states and loss of framing ( lof ). when lof was detected on the composite input 124 , and alarm was issued to the ptp block 180 . some channels for transporting control information and synchronization information will generally also be needed : the control channels are used to send control information over the chosen telecom link . synchronization signals will typically include one like ssm , which indicates the quality of the synchronization signal , and a network synchronization signal that is used for transporting synchronization from one side of the link to the other in cases where no synchronization carriers are available . accordingly , according to one specification for an embodiment of the invention , the flat mux also supported transport of at least the following miscellaneous channels : two data communication network ( dcn ) channels operating against the basic node with a minimum total capacity of 64 kbit / s per seventh tributary ( e1 / ds1 ). the interface was bit - oriented with both clock and data in both the tx and rx directions . contra - directional timing was specified in the tx direction , that is , the mux 100 decided the timing . flag - stuffing ( see component 170 ) was then used for rate justification between the incoming dcn channel and the mux rate , as well as between the demux rate and the nominal outgoing dcn channel rate . two hcc channels with approximately 64 kbits total capacity against an included modem application ( shown as a “ hitless switch ” 142 ). the application - to - mux timing was preferably also contra - directional . an ssm propagation signal against the basic node , one example of which is a 4 - bit wide ssm interface 116 between the mux 100 and tdm_switch 160 . a network signal propagation channel against the basic node ; this may be implemented using the interface 114 , which can be single - bit . the single composite interface 124 may be implemented against the “ hitless switch ” modem application or device within a wireless ( radio ) interface 140 — the context of the invention is telecommunications , such that the multiplexed and demultiplexed signals are intended for some telecom device . as is well understood in the art , a “ hitless switch ” is a device that can switch between different channels , formats , etc . ( depending on the context ) without inducing or experiencing any significant change in signal timing , phase , amplitude , etc . ( again depending on the context ). in this case , the output composite rate from the mux 100 may be sourced from the modem application , that is , contra - directional timing is preferably used since the composite rate may change suddenly , albeit it usually in predefined steps , in the presence of adaptive modulation on the radio interface , which is preferably a byte interface . one embodiment of the invention also allows for adaptive modulation rate changes . in such implementations , the interface 124 must also be provided with some signal for preparing the mux 100 for such changes . this may be implemented as a one - bit serial interface , where rate and change information is continuously coded into a serial bit - stream . fig2 illustrates one example of the composite interface and fig3 illustrates one example of a suitable timing pattern for composite rate data . in this illustrated example , the composite rate ( comprate ) interface may consist of a serial clock and data , where the serial bit stream comprises a frame with a frame - alignment word ( faw ), a frequency field indicating what the frequency should be , and an end - of - frame ( eof ) field that terminated the field so that false frame alignment can be detected and avoided . some more details of one embodiment of the invention , in particular a flat mux controller , will now be explained . as a general matter , the flat mux controller is a mux and demux frame format parser and scheduler . the controller also includes a frame sync generator ( fsg ) and at least one frame format memory that holds the frame format description . the tx input and the rx outputs include data traffic channels such as e1 , e3 and ptp data , as well as service channels as dcc and hcc . the tx output and the rx input are composite byte streams to and from the radio interface . these components are shown generally in fig1 and 2 . fig4 illustrates the general structure of one example of the flat mux controller 300 according to one embodiment of the invention . as can be seen , this example of flat mux control block 300 consists of a mux and a demux frame control block , 310 and 320 , respectively with associated format memories 312 , 322 ( alternatively labelled format memories a and b , respectively , in the various figures ). a frame sync generator 330 generates frame syncs for the mux frame controller . the blocks are configured and controlled via a wishbone bus interface 340 , which is a known interface . in this example , there are four clock domains in the flat mux control block , which are delimited in fig4 by respective dashed lines : 1 ) system clock ( clk_sys ); 2 ) tx composite clock for the mux transmit structure ( clk_tx_comp ); 3 ) rx composite clock for the demux receive structure ( clk_rx_comp ); and 4 ) wishbone interface clock ( clk_wb ). a tx fractional divider may be included for generating a time base for the various clock signals . one example of a suitable fractional divider is a numerically controlled oscillator whose function can be characterized as : where the output frequency f out is created by accumulating in the numerator at the system clock rate f sys . when the accumulator ( nominator ) becomes equal to or greater than the value of the denominator , then the value of the denominator is subtracted from the accumulator and the clock enable pulse is set during one system clock period . fig5 illustrates one example of logic that can implement the tx fractional divider . as can be seen , the inverted clock enable pulse is generated when the accumulator is greater than n + d / 2 . the numerator is added to the divided denominator to compensate for the offset that is added in the accumulator . the multi - frame pulse loads the numerator into the accumulator registers , which yields a predictable relation in time between the frame pulses and the tx clock enable signal . an example of the signal interface for the illustrated tx fractional divider is given in table 1 : in one embodiment of the invention , the frame sync generator 330 in transmitter generates and uses three synchronization signals ( syncs ) to ensure proper frame timing : 1 ) multi - frame sync ( mfs ); frame sync ( fs ); and 3 ) sub - frame sync ( sfs ). the syncs may be generated from and therefore related to the system frequency of the modem 142 transmitter . the illustrated frame sync generation comprises five counters 431 - 435 , as shown in the example logic illustrated in fig7 . the counters may be loaded with counter values from the wishbone interface , which enables a certain flexibility to use an asymmetric frame structure where the sub - frames may be of different length . the number of frames per multi - frame is also register - controlled . the counters may all loaded at reset , and pulse generated at the release of the system clock reset signal may be used a as a start signal . the illustrated counter structure also generates a multi - frame pulse and a frame pulse as shown in fig7 . these signals may be one system clock pulse and are used to synchronize data in the system clock domain . the frame header contains a phase field that is used to realign the phase relation of the composite receive clock and the system clock in the receiver . the phase counter counts the number of completed system clock periods between the frame pulse above and a positive edge ( for example ) of the composite transmit clock . these relationships are illustrated in fig8 , which illustrates a phase counter with an asynchronous relation between the system clock and the tx clock , and fig9 , which illustrates the phase counter when the tx clock is the same as the system clock . the transmitter composite clock and the system clock may be regarded as asynchronous to each other . the phase relation value may for example be calculated with a counter 702 in the system clock domain and then transferred to the transmitter clock domain . using a structure such as is illustrated in fig1 , the frame pulse may be used to synchronously reset the counter . the frame pulse may then also activate a state machine 700 ( see also fig1 ) that may be used to create a clock enable pulse to a sample - and - hold register . a tx clock feedback loop register may be used to generate a signal that changes value at the tx composite clock rate . the xor gate 710 generates a tx clock enable signal , tx_en , which is synchronous to the system clock . this pulse is used , according to the state machine , to return to the idle state and to issue the clock enable pulse as shown in fig1 . the clock enable signal is then also transferred to the tx clock domain and there used as a clock enable signal for the phase register . the phase value parity is calculated using any known logic 720 and added as any predetermined bit . an example of the signal interface for the frame sync generation block is described in table 2 : the frame control block contains a state machine with sync and frame memory format input . the frame parser input may be the same as the frame sync signals and the format description of the frame and the body size has nrows rows and ncols columns . a functional description of one example of the state machine is illustrated in fig1 . the meaning of the parameters in fig1 , which is a combined flowchart and state diagram , are either intuitive or are defined in the various tables . nonetheless , for convenience , the abbreviations used are : as is well known , the choice of logical state ( high or “ 1 ” as opposed to low or “ 0 ”) to indicate a given condition is a design choice . actions are shown in square brackets (“[ ]”). the state transitions and related actions illustrated in fig1 are as follows : the frame description is divided into three parts : header , body and uncommitted data . the frame format is expressed in records , such that each format record activates the corresponding source and enables the data path mux to form the composite data stream . the state machine is stepped each composite clock cycle to compose the composite frame format . the machine is idle in a reset state until the first multi - frame sync . the format memories are then enabled for reading . there are two frame index counters which together are used to set the start address at the start of each new sub - frame . the sub - frame counter is incremented for each new sub - frame sync and reset at frame sync or multi - frame sync . the frame sync is incremented for each frame sync and reset by the multi - frame sync . the counters are used to index the start address of the format memories for the current frame and sub - frame . the frame is started with the mandatory frame alignment word and phase information . however , the first data that is inserted into the composite stream at any multi - frame sync , frame sync or sub - frame sync is the lpad register value . this byte belongs to the previous sub - frame but should generally always be inserted into the stream previous to the faw . the header format memory contains records of the remaining header information and these records are read and executed until the end mark is reached for that header . a header record is read and analyzed each clock cycle with the exception of a dcc or a hcc record , since these records contain length fields that will inhibit the header address counter for the corresponding number of cycles . in cases where the header includes only the mandatory fields , conventional header parsing is skipped and the frame parser moves on to the next format description . the parser allows transitions to body data , uncommitted ptp data or padding . the body format description contains information about the order in which the tributary ports , ais or the ptp port are to contribute data , whether stuffing is allowed or not , as well as information on how many of the bytes , for example , rows , that are to contain data in the column . ( the remaining rows may contain padding .) the stuffing procedure may be executed over a multi - frame cycle . the stuffing is executed by assertion of two signals : stuffing control and stuffing position . assertion of the stuffing control signal instructs the tributary port to insert stuffing control information in the data stream . an assertion of the stuffing position signal informs the tributary that stuffing may be inserted . fig1 illustrates multi - frame format and stuffing control , in which k frames f ( 0 ), . . . , f ( k - 2 ), f ( k - 1 ) are illustrated along with timing diagrams for frame stuffing control and position . in fig1 , “ c ” indicates stuffing control and “ p ” indicates stuffing position . the stuffing control signal for the e1 tributary ports is asserted during the first row in all of the frames but the last frame in the multi - frame . in a similar manner , the stuffing position signal is asserted during the first row of the last frame in the multi - frame . the stuffing control and position signals are then deasserted during these intervals if the frame format disallows stuffing for the respective tributary port . the number of valid columns and rows are indicated by the ncols and nrows inputs , respectively . the number of columns may vary depending on the value of a physical mode signal phy_mode . a column counter may be used to index the format memory location until a full row is completed , whereupon the column counter is reset and the row counter is incremented . the body records are then parsed until the row counter equals the nrows input . the valid transitions are to uncommitted data or padding . an uncommitted data portion of the format memory 312 may be used to contain information on the number of additional bytes that are to be sent from the ptp bus . the last state for each sub - frame is the padding state , where the output is padded with a pad register value until one of the three syncs restarts the frame parser . the syncs are thus treated as synchronous interrupts . note that the frame syncs interrupt the frame parser regardless of the present state to maintain the frame synchronization . the start of a multi - frame or a following frame is determined by the faw0 and faw1 combination , for example according to table 3 , in which 0 = register pattern and 1 = inverted . the faw coding also allows for immediate frame format switching between the two illustrated format memories 312 , 322 . the format change may be indicated at frame sync or multi - frame sync by changing the faw patterns and the parser to switch between the format memories . the frame format may not be changed for a sub - frame . the ptp traffic may be sent either as part of the frame body or as uncommitted data or a combination of both . the frame body format description may include a column record for ptp traffic and information about the number of bytes in that column . stuffing is generally not allowed for ptp traffic so this information bit may be discarded . the ptp bus requires an estimation of the number of bytes that are sent in the body and as uncommitted data for each sub - frame . this value is dynamic and will vary with the format specifications . the number of ptp bytes in the body may be estimated during the first row at the start of each new frame , and this value will be fixed for the remaining of the frame . the number of uncommitted data bytes may be added to this number at the start of each new sub - frame respectively . capacity may be estimated according to the following formula : in this example , the capacity estimation output may be an 8 - bit unsigned value with a resolution of 2048 kbit / s . an example of a suitable signal interface is defined in table 4 : the output signal timing is shown in fig1 . the clock in this case is assumed to be faster than the composite clock and the clock enable is therefore only active every sixth clock cycle . another clock scenario is when the clock is the same as the composite clock . the clock enable will in this case be asserted all the time . the demux frame control block implements a state machine with sync and frame memory format input . a functional description of the state machine is shown in fig1 . similar to fig1 , the state transitions illustrated in fig1 are as follows : the demux frame controller arbitrates the incoming frame data in the same way as the mux frame controller with the difference that a radio protection switch ( r ps ) block decodes the frame alignment and phase information bytes in any suitable manner . the rps block therefore supplies the frame syncs and a locked indication that is used to enable the frame parser . the locked signal is used as a sync valid indicator . whenever the locked signal is deasserted the frame parser is reset to the idle state . the ais enable signal is asserted when the state machine is the idle state and the ais_on registry signal is asserted . the ais enable signal sets the tributary in ais mode . the ais enable signal may also be forced at any time via a chosen registry bit . the frame syncs from the rps are accompanied by a frame format memory signal . this signal is sampled at frame sync and may at this point switch to the whichever of the format memories 312 , 322 is currently inactive . one example of a suitable signal interface is defined in table 5 : one example of suitable output signal timing for the demux control block is illustrated in fig1 and is essentially the same as the timing for the mux control : the clock is in this case assumed to be faster than composite clock and the clock enable therefore only active every sixth clock cycle . another clock scenario is when the clock is the same as the composite clock . the clock enable will in this case be asserted all the time . in the illustrated embodiment , each format memory 312 , 322 contains frame format and constitution information . there are thus two identical memory banks where two different frame formats may be stored ; see fig1 . in fig1 , the components and memory areas marked wishbone or w are in the domain of the wishbone clock ; those marked m are in the domain of the tx clock ; and those marked d are in the domain of the rx clock . one advantage of having multiple format memories is that this allows for dynamic frame format switches at the start of a new frame . the frame formats may be stored in the memories via the wishbone interface 340 , by which they may also be read . each format memory is preferably shared between the mux and the demux . this implies that three - port asynchronous memories are required . the illustrated implementation , however , masks two dual - port block ram memories as a three - port memory . in the illustrated example , the wishbone interface 340 is the only interface that writes to the memories 312 , 322 , and may write simultaneously to both memories using the same chip select . however , a read data port on the wishbone interface need contain only data from the mux memories , as shown in fig1 . in fig1 , memory regions marked m are in the domain of the tx clock ; those marked d are in the domain of the rx clock ; and remaining regions and components ( including the wishbone and the regions marked w ) are in the domain of the wishbone clock . as illustrated , all of the block ram address and data outputs are present on the mux and demux port interfaces . this enables simultaneous accesses , which are required when the header is minimal or it is necessary to determine the amount of uncommitted data at the end of a sub - frame body . each memory 312 , 322 may be provided with a parity encoder and decoder ( not shown ) such that an interrupt to the wishbone block 340 is asserted when a parity error is detected . the header memory , that is , the memory address space used to store the frame header , contains information of the header , with the exception of the mandatory faw and phase records . the memory may be , for example , 512 × 18 bits , of which two out of 18 bits are used for parity . the memory may be divided into eight 64 × 16 - bit sections , with each section being associated with the corresponding frame in a multi - frame . each section may then be subsequently divided into four 16 × 16 - bit areas of header records , with area corresponding to a sub - frame in that frame . fig1 illustrates one possible header memory configuration . some form of parity protection is preferably provided for each memory , such that the parity bit ( s ) is encoded at memory write and decoded at memory read on either of the two read ports . an interrupt may then be asserted when a parity error is detected by either memory . the body memory , that is , the memory address space used to store the frame body , may , for example , be 256 × 18 bits , with , for example , two parity bits . the body memory contains column records for the frame body and each record state a tributary port , valid number of bytes in that column and a stuffing enable flag . when the stuffing enabled flag is set , stuffing may be inserted in that column . padding bytes from the pad register are inserted instead of data when the valid number of bytes is exceeded . as with the header memory , one or more parity bits may be encoded at memory write and decoded at memory read on either of the two read ports . an interrupt may then be asserted when a parity error is detected by either memory 312 , 322 . the uncommitted data memory , that is , the memory address space used to store uncommitted data , may be , for example , 128 × 12 bits , including at least one parity bit . this memory portion may use the same constitution as the header memory , with frame sections and sub - frame areas . each area may contain several field , for example , four fields , one for each physical mode . fig2 illustrates one possible memory configuration for uncommitted data format information . as before , parity may be arranged such that an error is detected by either memory 312 , 322 . one example of a suitable signal interface is defined in table 6 : as fig2 illustrates , the mux data path comprises a mux 1810 within the larger mux / demux block 100 for traffic data traffic , dcc , ptp data and padding . this data may be scrambled in a scrambler 1800 . a second mux 1820 inserts the frame alignment word faw0 , faw1 , the sub - frame alignment word sfaw , and a last padding byte lpad . the mux controller requests data from the various data sources and sets the mux : es 1810 , 1820 in the correct state to compose the composite output data . the hcc data is inserted in a separate mux 1830 after the mux data path as hcc is added and after a split point between the primary and redundant data stream . a scrambler 1840 is preferably included to improve the frequency spectra of the data stream . some data fields may not be scrambled , however , as they are used for synchronization in the receiver ; consequently , these bytes are added after the scrambler . the scrambler is preferably halted during the insertion of these fields to keep the scrambler and the subsequent descrambler in sync . the multi - frame sync resets the scrambler to its initial state . the scrambler 1840 may implement any known algorithm , depending on criteria that will be well know to telecommunications system designers . in one embodiment of the invention , the scrambler 1840 had three selectable polynomials : and it was also made possible to bypass the scrambler / descrambler altogether simply by setting the scrambler select to zero . the scrambler and descrambler can use the same implementation . the logical implementation of such polynomials is well understood . according to one design specification of one embodiment of the invention , the signal interface for the mux data path block was as illustrated in table 7 : as fig2 illustrates , the demux 370 comprises a descrambler 2240 and an output register 2250 ; the names of these components also indicate their functions , as will be understood by skilled telecom engineers . according to the same design specification mentioned above , the signal interface for the demux data path block was as illustrated in table 8 : as fig2 illustrates , the wishbone block 340 terminates the wishbone interface signals . the block contains a register bank 2310 and an interface — shown as the address decoder 2320 — to the format memories 312 , 322 . the address decoder block 2320 creates chip - select signals that are applied to the register bank 2310 and the format memories 312 ( a ) and 322 ( b ). the decoder block 2310 also generates bus termination signals ack_o and err_o at the appropriate time . read accesses will add a wait state due to register clocking of the data output bus , but write accesses will not require any wait states . the address decoder 2320 , the format memories a and b , and the register bank 2310 may be clocked with the wishbone clock . note that most of the signals from the register bank 2310 to the various downstream control blocks are static once the flat mux setup is completed . table 9 shows a data sheet describing certain aspects of the wishbone block 340 according to one design specification of one embodiment of the invention table 11 lists various signals included in the external interface of one embodiment of the invention . as with several of the other tables included above , it is not necessary for an understanding of any aspect of this invention to have a full description of most of the signals listed in this table 11 . on the other hand , telecommunications engineers will gain some insight into some of the aspects of one particular specified design of one implementation of the invention by considering these signals in relation to the components into or out of which they pass . table 11 is thus included here merely for the sake of completeness . of course , the digital signal widths ( in bits ), chosen values indicating various states ( such as 0 or 1 ), number of parity bits , etc ., are all design choices that may be varied according to the needs of any given implementation of the invention . the flat mux described above has several advantages over the prior art , some or all of which may be implemented in any particular chosen configuration of the invention . as already mentioned , being non - hierarchical , the flat mux can multiplex and demultiplex signals using a single mux / demux structure . in the embodiment of the invention discussed primarily above , the data from different signal sources , according to different standards , may be stored in at least one format memory in a “ matrix ” representation ( row , column ). each “ row ” included both committed and uncommitted ( if any ) data and the data is transmitted row - by - row . in other words , committed and uncommitted data is transmitted alternately . this eliminates the need found in the prior art to transmit all committed data as a block followed by all committed data as a block . one consequence of this structure is that users can switch from the pdh standard to a packet - based standard ( ethernet , sdh , etc .) gradually , with no need to replace or reconfigure hardware . prior art , standardized muxes for multiplexing several e1s into a composite rate are limited to fixed frame formats . for example , a pdh mux according to the e1 - to - e2 multiplexing scheme specified in the itu - t standard g . 742 specifies a format for multiplexing four e1 channels into one e2 channel . the flat mux according to the invention , however , is much more flexible , and sets no theoretical limit on the number of e1s and e3s that it can multiplex into a single composite signal . any combination of e1s and e3s is also possible , and it is possible to both add and reduce the number of e1s and e3s without disturbing the traffic on the already existing e1s and e3s . one other unique feature of the invention is that it makes it possible to include a variable - rate bit pipe in the composite signal . an additional advantage is that the flat mux supports adaptive modulation , such that if the composite rate changes , the bit - pipe rate will follow the composite rate so that the composite payload is most efficiently utilized . this adaptive ability can , moreover , typically be accomplished without introducing bit faults . similarly , bit faults are also reduced or eliminated during re - allocation of user bandwidth between pdh channels and the bit - pipe , at least with respect to the pdh channels not affected by the reallocation . note that control information may be transported on dedicated channels so as to avoid negatively impacting this utilization . the flat mux is also particularly error - tolerant — stuffing control may be designed so as to tolerate on the order of 50 randomly distributed errors under certain conditions . the flat mux also reduced the impact of intrinsic jitter and wander introduced on pdh rates that are caused by frequency differences between the composite rate and the mux framing rate . note also that the illustrated embodiment of the mux itself can carry ssm information . the illustrated mux has a simple design , which reduces logic consumption . moreover , the mux — only one exemplifying embodiment of which is discussed in detail above — is easily adaptable , for example , to the ansi standard . | 7 |
referring to fig1 there is shown a decorative pond system 10 generally which includes a body of water 12 which fills an excavation . the excavation is provided with a liner 14 and appropriate rocks or gravel 16 and 18 . appropriate vegetation , 20 and 22 is also provided . the pond system includes a waterfall filtration system such as 24 and shown in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 584 , 991 . an inlet pipe 26 is shown whereby pond water is recirculated to the bottom of the waterfall 24 . a skimmer construction 28 ( which is sometimes referred to as the skimmer box and rests in an excavation ), is shown , and includes an inlet opening 30 whereby pond water enters the skimmer construction , is filtered and recirculated therefrom . a skimmer recirculation pipe 32 directs incoming pond water into the waterfall pipe 26 . it will be appreciated that this system provides a closed recirculation system whereby undesirable materials can be filtered from the water and refiltered water returned to the pond . the exterior of the skimmer construction is shown in fig2 . the construction includes a shaped and somewhat box - like housing 34 that defines a fixed inlet aperture 36 in the front wall 37 of the housing . a bottom wall 38 is also provided . the housing is hollow or box - like shaped and includes an open top which is covered by faux stone cover 40 which is intended to hide or camouflage skimmer in the vegetation - like setting . a frame 42 is provided for bolting to the housing about the fixed inlet aperture 36 . the plastic liner 14 is positioned about the aperture 36 and is trapped and bolted in place using the frame 42 . open top which is covered by faux stone cover 40 which is intended to hide or camouflage skimmer in the vegetation - like setting . a frame 42 is provided for bolting to the housing about the fixed inlet aperture 36 . the plastic liner 14 is positioned about the aperture 36 and is trapped and bolted in place using the frame 42 . referring now to fig3 , the construction 28 is shown with a fixed inlet aperture 36 and the frame 42 . a filter frame 44 is provided to rest on an interior ledge 45 ( see fig6 ) that is molded in the housing between the bottom wall 38 and the bottom edge of the fixed opening 36 . a filter mat 46 which is slightly shorter than the filter frame 44 rests on the frame . the mat is shorter than the frame at its front end . the filter frame defines a slot at its front end . it will be appreciated that in addition to components ( i . e ., ledge , filter frame and filter mat ) that define a horizontal position for the mat , those components can be modified or other components can be provided to permit the mat to be positioned vertically or at an angular position between the horizontal and vertical . the internal assembly 48 is shown in fig3 and is shown disassembled in fig4 . the faux cover 40 is shown and is fabricated of a foam material in the shape of faux stone so as to enhance the camouflaging of the skimmer construction in the vegetation setting . the internal assembly 48 is shown in exploded fashion in greater detail in fig4 . referring to fig4 , the internal assembly includes the following major components . the front face and basket assembly 52 , the adjustable or movable aperture plate 54 , the hinged weir plate 56 , the adjustment plate 58 and the adjustment or thumb screws 60 or 62 . the front surface and basket assembly includes a front face 64 or portion which has a back surface which defines an aperture 66 and a skimmer housing engaging lip 68 at the top thereof . a debris - receiving basket 70 integral with the front face is provided below the lip 68 , behind the front face 64 and surrounds the aperture 66 on three ( 3 ) sides . the adjustable aperture plate 54 defines a vertically adjustable or movable inlet aperture 72 which is smaller than each of the fixed aperture 36 and the aperture 66 . the plate 54 and the movable aperture 72 are positioned relative to the back surface of the front face 64 so as to be movable vertically the adjustment plate 58 has along each side edge , a stepped shoulder - like construction 76 or 78 . a pair of edges 80 and 82 are provided for engagement with the back surface of the front face 64 by a screw - like system . the plate also defines a large fixed aperture 86 and a plurality of vertically elongated adjustment slots 88 and 90 which are generally parallel to the edges 80 and 82 . a pair of adjustment holes 73 a and 73 b are provided on the back of the adjustable aperture plate 54 for engagement by the adjustment or thumb screws 60 and 62 . it is seen that the apertures or bosses 73 a and 73 b are open at the back end of the adjustable aperture plate , extend toward the front thereof and are closed at the front thereof . in the alternative , threaded sleeves or bosses can be positioned at the holes 73 a and 73 b to receive thumb screws 60 , 62 . the thumb screws 60 , 62 include a shank portion such as 60 a and a head portion such as 60 b . the shank portion fits through the slot such as 88 and engages an hole such as 73 a and the head engages the back of the adjustment plate so as to permit the aperture plate 54 to be moved relative to the adjustment plate 58 . when assembled , the weir plate 56 fits within the aperture 72 in the adjustable aperture plate and the adjustable aperture plate is held in position by the adjustment plate 58 which is secured ( i . e ., screwed ) to the front face along the edges 80 and 82 . the adjustable aperture plate 54 is vertically movable with respect to the front face 64 and the aperture 66 by virtue of loosening the screws 60 , 62 , moving the aperture plate 54 relative to the adjustment plate and resecuring the aperture plate by tightening the screws 60 and 62 . it is appreciated that the entire inlet assembly 48 is removably positioned in the skimmer as shown in fig5 and fig6 and relative to the inlet 36 by the skimmer lip construction 68 . in other words , the assembly 48 hangs by the lip 68 on the skimmer housing . this is best seen in fig5 . the inlet assembly 48 can also be removed by lifting the inlet assembly and disengaging the lip . referring now to fig6 , the skimmer construction 28 and internal inlet assembly 48 are seen and a horizontal pump 92 is shown resting on the skimmer bottom wall 38 . the pump outlet pipe 94 is shown exiting the pump , extending upwardly through the filter mat and out of the skimmer construction 28 . it will be appreciated that the pump outlet is connected to the skimmer pipe 32 . power is supplied to the pump 92 via line 93 . the foregoing structure describes a horizontal pump positioned on a bottom wall with a horizontal filter mat positioned horizontally above the pump . however , the skimmer can be appropriately modified and constructed for use with a vertical pump where the pump is vertically positioned . the filter mat is vertical and positioned between the incoming pond water and the pump so as to filter the incoming water before it is received by the pump . of course , angular orientations of the filter mat between the horizontal and vertical can be accommodated . in operation , pond water , indicated by arrows 96 , enters the skimmer from the pond . the water flows through the frame 42 , the fixed opening 36 , the movable or adjustable inlet aperture 72 against the weir plate 56 and the adjustment plate aperture 86 , into the debris basket 70 . at the debris basket , large floating debris such as twigs , leaves , etc ., are collected and the received pond water is filtered to some extent . the initially filtered water is indicated by arrows 98 and flows from the basket through the filter mat 46 . there the water 100 enters the horizontal pump and then exits via outlet 94 . referring now to fig7 , which is similar to fig6 , but viewed at a different angle . the same components as in fig6 are seen in fig7 . in addition there is shown the discharge assembly 102 . the discharge assembly includes a discharge port 104 in the sidewall of the skimmer housing 34 and a rotatable “ j ” shaped elbow 106 that is fitted to the aperture 104 and is rotatable between substantially horizontal and vertical positions . the aperture 104 is circular and positioned such that the bottom of the aperture 104 is about ¾ inch above the top of the fixed inlet aperture 36 . the purpose of the discharge is to permit draining of the skimmer construction and the pond in the event the water fills to an undesirably high level , such as the top edge of the housing 34 . thus , water above the top edge of the aperture 104 will flow into the discharge aperture and exit therefrom . in order to provide some control as to the water level , the rotatable or “ j ” shaped pipe 106 is provided . in the substantially horizontal position shown by the dotted lines , reference numeral 106 a , the pipe will receive water which is at or above the top of the inlet aperture . however , the elbow can be rotated to a substantially vertical position , as shown in solid line and by reference numeral 106 b . there entry to the elbow has been raised to a higher position and overflow water is permitted to rise above the top edge of the inlet aperture and exit via the discharge . as indicated above , the filter frame 44 includes a front slot defined by the peripheral frame member 44 a and the cross member 44 b . the frame thus defines a small slot - like opening between the front edge of the frame and the cross member 44 b . the slot is positioned to receive the bottom edge 108 of the front face . this stabilizes the entire internal assembly so as to hang by the lip from the housing 34 and be positioned against the front of the housing 34 and the aperture 36 . this is done by the bottom edge 108 fitting within the slot formed by 44 a and 44 b of the filter frame . turning now to fig8 , the skimmer construction 28 includes the skimmer housing 34 and internal assembly 48 . the internal assembly 48 is mounted to the skimmer housing 34 by the lip 68 . the housing fixed aperture 36 and the aperture plate or frame 42 are seen . the inlet assembly plate aperture 66 is shown and is approximately the same size as the frame 42 . the movable plate 54 is against the front face 64 . the movable plate defines the movable aperture 72 which is seen in a raised position in fig8 . the adjustment plate 58 engages the movable plate 54 and is secured to the rear of the front face 64 . the aperture for the adjustment plate 58 is shown with numeral 86 . it will be appreciated that the movable plate 54 and thus the aperture 72 can be moved up and down against the front surface and inside the skimmer construction . the bottom section 108 of the front surface 64 and basket 70 form a trough - like section that fits within the slot of the filter frame 44 and receives the movable plate 54 as it moves up and down . in the event a vertical pump and filter mat were used , the skimmer housing would be appropriately modified so as to maintain the functionality of the internal assembly . in fig8 , plate 54 is shown in a raised position near the top of the trough / bottom edge 108 . referring now to fig9 , the movable aperture 72 is shown in a lowered position . there the plate 54 extends down into the bottom section or trough 108 so as to effectively lower the aperture 72 . thus , it is appreciated that the aperture can be raised or lowered as needed and with respect to the water level of the pond itself so as to permit floating debris to enter the skimmer construction and be filtered by the basket 70 . referring now to fig1 and 11 , skimmer construction 28 is again shown along with the housing 34 . the assembly 48 is shown mounted to the skimmer housing 34 by the lip 68 . the controllable discharge 102 is shown in fig1 . there the discharge is shown as including the aperture or port 104 and the “ j ” shaped elbow 106 . the elbow 106 is in the upright or vertical position . it will be appreciated that the water level in the skimmer 28 and the pond cannot be higher than the top or inlet 106 a of the elbow . turning now to fig1 , the discharge assembly and particularly the discharge elbow 106 is shown as rotated from a vertical position , as in fig1 , to a horizontal position as in fig1 . thus , the water level in the skimmer basket and in the pond cannot be higher than the top of the inlet 106 a . thus , by rotating the elbow 106 between the vertical and horizontal position , the water level in the pond and in the skimmer can be controlled between the vertical position as shown in fig1 and a horizontal position as shown in fig1 . numerous changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments shown herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention . | 0 |
fig1 illustrates , in an isometric view , a bedding product generally and in particular a mattress 10 manufactured according to one embodiment of this invention . mattress 10 consists of a top sleeping surface 12 , a bottom sleeping surface 14 , a head 15 , a foot 16 , and two side edges 17 . top sleeping surface 12 and bottom sleeping surface 14 may have a topper ( not shown ) attached to each of them . the topper may contain one of more layers of fabric , batting , ticking , foam , and / or coiled springs . when present , the foam layer ( s ) of the topper may include latex and / or synthetic foam , including but not limited to polyurethane foam . although omitted for clarity , the topper may be either permanently or removably attached to sleeping surface 12 and 14 . examples of permanently attached topper , seen in the art , are those that are sewn or bonded onto the mattress cover or those that are encased within a sealed pocket in the mattress cover , yet disposed on the surface of the mattress . removable toppers are typically attached with a temporary fastener , such as a zipper or hook - and - loop fastener in one or more locations . either attachment method may be used , or no topper may be supplied . mattress 10 may also include a foam core 20 and border wires 40 . foam core 20 is , in some embodiments , a single , monolithic block of a single type of resilient foam selected from foams having a range of densities ( themselves well - known in the art ) for supporting one or more occupants during sleep . in one embodiment , foam core 20 is made of any industry - standard natural and / or synthetic foams , such as ( but not limited to ) latex , polyurethane , or other foam products commonly known and used in the bedding and seating arts having a density of 1 . 5 to 1 . 9 and 20 to 35 ild . although a specific foam composition is described , those skilled in the art will realize that foam compositions other than one having this specific density and ild can be used . for example , foams of various types , densities , and ilds may be desirable in order to provide a range of comfort parameters to the buyer . border wires 40 may consist of solid rods , 6 gauge wire , helical coils , or a combination thereof . border wires 40 may also be omitted . in an alternative embodiment , foam core 20 may comprise one or more horizontal layers of multiple types of foams arranged in a sandwich arrangement . this sandwich of different foams , laminated together , may be substituted for a homogeneous foam block of a single density and / or ild . in a further embodiment , foam core 20 may comprise one or more vertical regions of different foam compositions ( including vertical regions having multiple horizontal layers ), where the different foams are arranged to provide different amounts of support ( also referred to as “ firmness ” in the art ) in different regions of the sleeping surface . in a further alternate embodiment , foam core 20 may be entirely replaced by a conventional coil spring core , comprised of conventional helical or semi - helical springs known and used in the art today . the springs may also be encased in a fabric pocket , either individually , in groups , or pocketed in strings joined by fabric , all of which are well - known in the bedding art . accordingly , the invention is not limited to any particular type of foam density or ild or even to a homogenous density / ild throughout foam core 20 . furthermore , the invention is not limited to any particular type of core . note also that the mattresses drawn in fig1 and 2 are not drawn to scale : the overall mattress dimensions typically fall into the ranges commonly found in the trade and referred to , for example , as twin , full , king , queen , double , etc . returning to fig1 , border wires 40 of a type and construction well - known in the art are placed at the outer vertices of core 20 . border wires 40 may be used as attachment points for securing foam core 20 ( or a spring core ) with clips or metal “ hog ring ” attachment devices currently known and used in the bedding art today . ( as noted above , border wires 40 may also be omitted .) support member 50 is a metallic mesh material , including but not limited to tape , banding , webbing , open - weave , woven mesh , non - woven fibers , or a welded or stamped grid / mesh configuration . support member 50 may be attached to border wires 40 at its ends 51 by means of gluing , stitching , lacing , riveting , welding , or by other attachment means currently known or afterwards discovered for attaching fabric - like , planar materials . alternatively , support member 50 may be attached directly to core 20 by similarly conventional means . in one embodiment , support member 50 consists of a woven mesh or screen of titanium wire , where the wires are approximately 0 . 011 to 0 . 035 inches in diameter and the mesh spacing ( i . e ., the gap between adjoining wires ) is approximately 0 . 25 inches . alternatively , welded grids , rather than woven meshes , may be used for a stiffer feel . the support member could also be stamped or punched from a sheet of metal , leaving a grid or screen pattern . non - woven fibers in a plastic or fabric matrix , as well as metal wires or composite fibers ( e . g ., carbon or graphite ) woven with natural or synthetic fibers ( e . g ., cotton , kevlar , wool or nylon cloth ) may also be employed . such a configuration would resemble conventional cloth webbing or banding , but containing ( i . e ., interwoven with ) metal wires or fibers . fig2 is a partial isometric view of a mattress 200 constructed according to an alternate embodiment . spring core 210 is shown without cover or embellishment . note that , as in fig1 , spring core 210 may have attached to its perimeter border wire 220 . support member 230 may be attached to border wire 220 . in some embodiments , support member 230 consists of a conventional cloth banding material interwoven with titanium fibers or wires . the diameter of the wires forming the mesh ( wire gauge ) or diameter of the fibers used , as well as the mesh spacing , may be selected to optimize the stiffness , resiliency , weight , and cost of the product according to the needs of the consumer . wires or fibers of larger diameter and / or smaller mesh spacing may be selected for increased stiffness , just as smaller diameter wires and / or larger mesh spacing may be chosen for a softer feel . accordingly , the invention is not limited by the size of the wires or fibers used not their relative spacing . support members 50 may consist of a single piece of material or multiple strips of material placed at intervals along the length of the sleeping surface . in an exemplary embodiment , support member 50 is about three to six inches wide , though the exact width depends on the region to be supported . ( fig1 , by way of example and not limitation , shows a single support element 50 disposed in the lumbar region .) while particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspect and , therefore , the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit of this invention . | 8 |
as shown in fig1 and 2 , the present invention provides a shelf connector comprising a sliding sleeve 1 and a locking sleeve 2 . the sliding sleeve 1 is inserted on a supporting rod 3 . one end of the locking sleeve 2 is connected to the frame body 40 of the shelf ( as shown in fig7 ). the center of the interior of the sliding sleeve 1 is formed with a hole 10 for slidably mating with the supporting rod 3 . the outer surface of the sliding sleeve 1 is formed with a locking body 12 . the locking body 12 is provided with an open groove 11 along the axial direction of the sliding sleeve 1 . the locking body 12 is provided on both sides of the open groove 11 with clasping portions 12 a or 12 c ( the clasping portion 12 c is shown in fig2 ). the clasping portion can be a recessed clasping portion 12 a or a protruding clasping portion 12 c . further , as shown in fig5 , the locking sleeve 2 can be semi - arc plate and is provided with a locking groove 21 on its plate body . after the clasping portion 12 a or 12 c is inserted into the locking groove 21 , the open groove 21 can be shrunk inwardly to reduce its width . therefore , with a locking mechanism constituted of the sliding sleeve 1 and the locking sleeve 2 , the supporting rod 3 can be firmly connected to the frame body 40 of the shelf . the locking groove 21 can be a u - shaped locking groove . after the recessed clasping portion 12 a or protruding clasping portion 12 c is locked into the locking groove , the open groove 11 shrinks inwardly to reduce its width . further , the width b of the locking groove 21 is slightly smaller than the width a of the recessed clasping portion 12 a or the protruding clasping portion 12 c . above the clasping portion 12 a or the clasping portion 12 c , introducing sections 12 b are provided respectively ( not shown in fig2 ). the introducing section 12 b is an arc transition section tapering from bottom to top ( as shown in fig2 ). as shown in fig3 and 4 , the sliding sleeve 1 can be formed into a closed or open structure . if the sliding sleeve 1 is formed into a closed structure ( as shown in fig3 ), the locking body 12 is a protruding portion radially extending from the sliding sleeve 1 . the clasping portion 12 a is provided on the protruding portion . the inner wall of the hole 10 encircling the sliding sleeve 1 is provided with positioning ribs 14 . the positioning ribs are formed into strips or grains and are intermittently arranged . the inner diameter of the positioning rib 14 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the supporting rod 3 . the outer edge of the supporting rod 3 is circumferentially provided with positioning grooves 31 ( as shown in fig7 ). the positioning ribs 14 are used to elastically engage with the positioning grooves 31 . if the sliding sleeve is formed into an open structure , the wall face opposing to the open groove 11 of the sliding sleeve 1 is axially provided with a hinge 13 functioning as a shaft - and - pin mechanism . similarly , the inner wall of the hole 10 of the sliding sleeve 1 is circumferentially provided with positioning ribs 14 . the positioning ribs are formed into strips or grains and are intermittently arranged . the inner diameter of the positioning rib 14 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the supporting rod 3 . the positioning ribs 14 are used to elastically engage with the positioning grooves 31 . further , the inner wall of the hole 10 of the sliding sleeve 1 adjacent to the hinge 13 is axially provided with ribs 15 for positioning the opening and closing actions . as shown in fig6 , the inner wall of the hole 10 encircling the sliding sleeve 1 is provided with a layer of elastic soft rubber 16 . alternatively , the whole inner wall of the hole 10 of the sliding sleeve 1 can be formed into a rough wall face . the profile and dimension of the hole 10 of the sliding sleeve 1 can mate with those of the supporting rod 3 with circular , oval or other shape . further , the locking sleeve can be a flat plane , arc plate , angled plate or the plate with other shapes . the locking groove 21 can be arranged in a vertical or transverse direction of the locking sleeve 2 . the opening of the groove is arranged in an upward , downward , leftward or rightward orientation . further , the locking sleeve 2 can also be a rod . the locking groove 21 can be formed by means of bending the rod . between the locking sleeve 2 and the frame body 40 of the shelf , a sleeve seat 22 ( as shown in fig1 ) can be provided and formed into a plate - like or disk - like shape . as shown in fig7 and 8 , the first embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a net - like shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 is a closed sleeve . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate . in this embodiment , the supporting rod 3 is connected with a horizontal net - like frame body 40 of the shelf . the procedure of the assembling of the shelf is as follows . after the sliding sleeve 1 is inserted into the suitable position of the supporting rod 3 , the locking sleeve 2 in the corner of the frame body 40 of the shelf is inserted into the recessed clasping portion 12 a of the sliding sleeve 1 . with the inward shrinkage of the open groove 11 , the supporting rod 3 can be fixedly connected to the frame body 40 . as shown in fig9 and 10 , the second embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a net - like shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 is an open sleeve . the locking sleeve 2 is also an arc plate . the procedure of the assembling of the shelf is as follows . the sliding sleeve 1 is radially inserted into the suitable position of the supporting rod 3 and the open sliding sleeve 1 is closed . then , the locking sleeve 2 in the corner of the frame body 40 of the shelf is inserted from the top into the clasping portion 12 a of the sliding sleeve 1 . as a result , the supporting rod 3 can be fixedly connected to the frame body 40 . as shown in fig1 and 12 , the third embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a plate - like shelf the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is a horseshoe - shaped plate having a locking groove 21 . the back of the locking sleeve 2 is fixedly connected with a sleeve seat 22 for combining with a connecting piece 24 having a “ c - shaped ” cross section . a plate - like frame body 41 can be inserted into the opening 241 of the connecting piece 24 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 14 , the forth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a hook shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate having a locking groove 21 . the hook shelf 42 shown in the figure is fixed to both ends of the locking sleeve 2 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 16 , the fifth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a circular shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed rectangular sleeve . the locking sleeve 2 is a right - angled groove - like plate having a locking groove 21 . on this right - angled groove - like plate , a common angled bracket ( not shown ) is provided for connecting with the circular frame body 43 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 18 , the sixth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a hanger . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate having a locking groove 21 . the frame body 44 of the hanger shown in the figure is fixedly connected to the outer edge of one end of the locking sleeve 2 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 20 , the seventh embodiment of the present invention can be applied to an annular shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate having a locking groove 21 . one end of the locking sleeve 2 is provided with a plate - like sleeve seat 22 for connecting with the annular frame body 45 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig2 and 22 , the eight embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a basket - like shelf the sliding sleeve 1 is a closed rectangular sleeve . the locking sleeve 2 is formed by means of bending a rigid rod and formed with a locking groove 21 . with the connection between the sliding sleeve 1 and the locking sleeve 2 , the frame body 46 of the basket - like shelf can be fixedly connected to the supporting rod 3 . the assembling procedure in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig2 and 24 , the ninth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a fixed article . the locking sleeve 2 comprises an arc portion 20 and sleeve seats 22 on both sides . the arc portion has a locking groove 21 , and the sleeve seat 21 has a fixing hole 24 . the locking sleeve 2 can be fixedly mounted to the wall or other fixed article by screws . the opening of the locking groove 21 is arranged upwardly . the frame body 44 of the shelf is provided on the sliding sleeve 1 . in this way , by firstly connecting the sliding sleeve 1 and the locking sleeve 2 in the same manner as that in the previous embodiment , or by fixing the locking sleeve 2 onto the desired fixed article , then , the sliding sleeve 1 can be connected to the locking sleeve 2 . as a result , the frame body 44 of the shelf can be mounted on any fixed article . as shown in fig2 and 26 , the tenth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a disk - like shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate having a locking groove 21 and is fixedly connected to the frame body 47 of the disk - like shelf ( e . g . by riveting or welding ). the assembling procedure in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig2 , the eleventh embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a rod body . the clasping portion on the sliding sleeve 1 can be a protruding clasping portion 12 c . the locking groove 21 of the locking sleeve 2 is provided with a locking edge 210 for restricting the movement of the locking sleeve 2 in the radial direction of the sliding sleeve 1 after the locking sleeve 2 is inserted into the clasping portion 12 c . the assembling procedure in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments , it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof various equivalent variations and modifications can still be occurred to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention . thus , all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 5 |
subsea cables or umbilicals are by far the most expensive components in long distance transmission systems , e . g . for distances larger than 100 km . the embodiments described herein with reference to the figures are directed to subsea energy storage in combination with long distance power transmission in a topology that alleviates the necessity for subsea cables with an excessively large cable cross - section to achieve a constant bus bar voltage when supplying high , short - time subsea control system power . fig1 is a simplified diagram illustrating a subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 with a plurality of modular stacked power converter building blocks 12 , each load side converter configured with one or more distributed energy storage elements 14 on the load side of the system according to one embodiment of the invention . the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 provides one option for fulfilling the peak power requirement . the distributed storage topology depicted in power transmission / distribution system 10 advantageously provides reliability benefits compared to centralized bulk storage solutions , because a defect in a single storage element 14 will not impact the remaining system storage capabilities . further , there are no significant modifications required when using a msdc control scheme due to the simplicity of the storage control scheme . with continued reference to fig1 , each load side dc - ac inverter 12 employed by power transmission / distribution system 10 comprises one or more distributed storage offshore ( dso ) elements 14 integrated therein . the plurality of dc - ac inverters 12 and respective energy storage elements 14 are distributed in an offshore facility 13 such as a watercraft or a topside platform that may be fixed or floating according to different aspects of the embodiments described herein . each dso element 14 may comprise , without limitation , one or more capacitors such as ultracapacitors or energy storage cells such as rechargeable batteries . an ultracapacitor as used herein means a capacitor that has much greater energy density and power per pound than electrostatic and electrolytic capacitors . ultracapacitors are also called “ supercapacitors .” according to another aspect , the plurality of dc - ac inverters 12 and respective energy storage elements 14 are distributed subsea in close proximity to the subsea loads to form a subsea electric power distribution system . fig2 - 5 illustrate simulated operation of the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 depicted in fig1 , including distributed storage capabilities implemented in the load side converters 12 , according to one embodiment . with reference now to fig2 , a load increase 16 after t = 2 seconds cannot be covered by the transmission capability of the cable 18 and results in a discharge of corresponding link capacitors / dso elements 14 such as illustrated in fig3 , thus providing the requisite power to the subsea loads . the peak power is required for only 1 sec , followed immediately by a charge period of the distributed storage which is completed at t = 7 sec as depicted in fig3 . fig4 illustrates the onshore transmitted and subsea load dc voltage levels during the same time period depicted in fig2 and 3 . the voltage level on the receiving end of the cable ( subsea ) is almost constant between 3 s ≦ t ≦ 7 s indicating a constant , but increased ( as compared to t & gt ; 8 s , normal load in steady state ) power transmission during that time ( as power is proportional to voltage for constant current operation ). this additional power transmitted from the shore , used for charging the distributed storage elements 14 can also be determined as the difference between the received power 18 from the transmission system and the power 16 consumed by the subsea loads for 3 s ≦ t ≦ 7 s ( fig2 ), which is about 10 kw . it can be appreciated the minimum voltage level for the storage is not a fixed value since it depends upon the power demand subsequent to the peak period . the maximum power which can be received by the converters 12 is defined by p rec = v sub · i ring , where v sub is the subsea voltage and is linked to the dc link voltage by the duty cycle occurring during the energy storage operation at its limits . the maximum subsea voltage v sub is therefore equal to the sum of the nominal dc link voltages of the converters 12 as exemplified herein according to one embodiment . if for example , the dc link voltage of the distributed storage is discharged to 500v per module 12 , and the ring current such as depicted in fig5 is 10 a , the maximum power to be transmitted post fault with respect to five operational modules 12 is 5 · 500v · 10 a = 25 kw . the converter dc link voltage recovers , and accepts higher power levels to be transmitted from the shore . fig6 and 7 illustrate the reaction of the ac - bus voltage and output current of a single converter 12 for an applied load step from ˜ 38 kw to 100 kw for the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 depicted in fig1 . the voltage level depicted in the center plots of fig6 and 7 at the distribution bus is decreased during the high power period 30 because the output voltage of the converters 12 was not controlled during the simulation , power factor was kept to unity , although it can be appreciated the output voltage of the converters 12 would be controlled in a real system . the current levels depicted in the bottom plots of fig6 and 7 correspond to a single converter 12 . a voltage spike 32 can be observed in the center plot of fig7 during the power sag from peak power to nominal power due to the very fast current change in corresponding line and transformer inductors . an appropriate mov device , for example , could protect the connected loads by limiting the over - voltage to acceptable values . fig8 - 11 illustrate a load profile specification that provides 100 kw peak operation for a time period of 60 s for one embodiment of the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 depicted in fig1 . although the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 can survive the 100 kw peak period , it will not however be able to continue operation for an infinite amount of time at the low load level (˜ 38 kw ), as the maximum load to be fed with the post peak period dc link voltage of ˜ 600v is at most 5 · 600v · 10 a = 30 kw , which is below the requested power demand . fig8 illustrates the dc link voltage is still decreasing after the peak period in which the storage is still in discharge operation . two potential solutions can be realized to prevent power outages subsequent to significant utilization of the energy storage with given limitations . one embodiment comprises increasing the transmission current reference to increase the maximum transferable power by increasing the onshore voltage / nominal voltage limit . another embodiment comprises reconfiguring a standard converter topology to provide a converter structure such as illustrated in fig1 that illustrates in more detail a power converter 40 configured with distributed storage elements 14 . converter 40 is suitable to implement the modular stacked power converter building blocks configured with distributed energy storage elements on the load side of the system 10 depicted in fig1 . more specifically , converter 40 utilizes one leg from a dc / dc stage 42 as a bidirectional buck - boost converter that decouples the storage state of charge ( soc ) from a dc link voltage 44 . the required energy for the peak load period under the assumption of a maximum transferable power ptrans = 40 kw can be calculated as e storage =( p peak − p trans )· 60 s = 60 kw · 60 s = 3 . 6 mj , which would only be sufficient with a structure fully decoupling the storage voltage level from the converter dc link voltage 44 , as depicted in fig1 . the effectively transferrable power is dependent upon the dc link voltage ; a storage coupled directly to the dc link voltage would require a higher capacity . according to one embodiment , discharging the storage to 50 % of the nominal voltage results in a 75 % usage of the storage soc ( e mod =( 1 / 2 ) cu 2 . according to one embodiment based on the 3 . 6 mj energy demand , and using predetermined commercially available ultracaps with predetermined commercially available modules , the energy per module can be determined as : energy per module ( e mod )=( 1 / 2 ) cu 2 =( 1 / 2 )( 63 ) f · 125v 2 = 0 . 49 mj . in summary explanation , embodiments of a distributed type direct current ( dc ) energy storage system that can be easily integrated with a modular stacked dc ( msdc ) topology for subsea applications have been described herein . the embodied energy storage in combination with long distance power transmission results in a topology that alleviates the necessity for subsea cables with an excessively large cable cross - section to achieve a constant bus bar voltage when supplying high , short - time subsea control system power . the distributed storage embodiments described herein provide advantages compared to a centralized storage in terms of controllability and reliability . it can be appreciated that particular distributed storage embodiments formulated according to the principles described herein may require a rating of converter modules that is equal to the specified maximum short - time power , divided by the number of converter modules configured in a series topology . while only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein , many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention . | 8 |
an example of a non - immersing lance is schematically shown in fig2 through 4 . as shown therein , the main passageway a 1 and subsidiary passageways a 2 , a 3 are arranged with the subsidiary passageways surrounding the main passageway a 1 . the exit of the subsidiary passageway for a supplementary gasifying agent is combined with a passageway for oxygen gas . a passageway for cooling water ( w ) is also provided . thus , according to this invention , through the passageway , i . e . hole a 1 , coal powder is supplied , through hole a 2 steam is supplied and through hole a 3 oxygen gas is supplied . a stream of the supplementary agent is combined with the oxygen gas stream at the junction point near the exit end of the lance and they are then blown onto the molten metal bath . as mentioned previously , the junction point is located far enough to thoroughly commingle the supplementary agent with the oxygen . it is preferable that the junction point is located at a distance l 1 from the exit end of the nozzle ( see fig2 ), which is shorter than half the distance from the starting point of the tapered inner wall of the passageway for the oxygen gas to the exit end of the nozzle ( l 0 ), namely , l 1 & lt ; l 0 × 1 / 2 . when the distance l 1 is longer than half the distance l 0 , the jet stream of the oxygen gas is sometimes disturbed . since according to this invention a supplementary gasifying agent is added to a jet of oxygen gas and is dispersed throughout the stream of the oxygen jet before injection , the supplementary agent thus entrained by the jet of oxygen gas efficiently reaches the hot spot formed in the molten metal bath . therefore , the supplementary gasifying agent is efficiently dissolved into the molten metal and is diffused thoroughly . as a result , the agent effectively serves as a cooling agent to precisely control the temperature of the molten metal bath , resulting in a remarkable increase in thermal efficiency during gasification . the supplementary gasifying agent may be any one which is endothermic when added to a high temperature molten metal . for the purpose of this invention , steam , carbon dioxide gas , and mixtures thereof may be employed advantageously as a supplementary gasifying agent . of these , steam is preferred . the finely divided carbonaceous material , e . g . powdery coal may be injected while being carried in a pressurized air as a carier gas . in a preferred embodiment , this invention employs a multihole lance such as the one shown in fig2 - 4 . take , for example , a gasification furnace with which powdery coal can be processed at a rate of 1 - 2 . 7 tons / hour while being carried in pressurized air as a carrier gas at a flow rate of 50 - 220 nm 3 / hour . oxygen gas is introduced at a rate of 900 - 2200 nm 3 / hour , and steam at 100 - 500 kg / hour . when a gasification furnace with an increased processing capacity is used , the volumes of the oxygen gas and the supplementary agent to be blown through the lance may proportionately be increased . a plurality of lances may be used for this purpose . this invention will be described in conjunction with some examples of this invention , which are presented merely for illustrative purposes and it should be understood that they do not restrict this invention in any way . a series of experiments were carried out using a 15 - ton melting furnace similar to that shown in fig1 . coal gasification was achieved by blowing coal together with oxygen gas and steam as a supplementary gasifying agent onto a molten iron bath maintained within the furnace . the lance used was similar to that shown in fig2 - 4 . the molten iron bath contained 0 . 5 - 3 % carbon and the temperature thereof was 1400 °- 1600 ° c . the coal to be blown onto the molten metal was finely divided such that 80 % of the coal was - 200 mesh . this finely divided powdery coal was blown through a hole a 1 of the lance onto the molten metal at a rate of 2 . 5 tons / hour , which is the processing capacity of the gasification furnace used . pressurized air was used as a carrier gas for the powdery coal . the oxygen gas was supplied through a hole a 3 at a rate of 8 kg / cm 2 a , i . e . 1540 nm 3 / hour . the supplementary gasifying agent , in this case steam , was blown through a hole a 2 at a rate of 6 kg / cm 2 a , i . e . 200 kg / hour . the stream of steam was combined with the jet of oxygen gas before the steam was blown out of the lance through a hole a 4 , i . e . the steam was added to the oxygen gas within the lance . for the purpose of preventing the condensation of steam within the lance , it is desirable to overheat the steam to a temperature 100 °- 200 ° c . higher than the saturation point thereof . the analysis of the coal used in these examples is shown in table 1 below . the results of the experiments are summarized in table 2 . for comparative purposes , the results obtained by using the conventional non - immersing multihole lance and immersed lance are shown in comparative examples 1 and 2 . the conventional non - immersing lance used in comparative example 1 is similar to that shown in fig2 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 388 , 084 . the immersed lance was protected by coating the outer surface thereof with a castable refractory material . in comparative example 1 using the conventional non - immersing lance , the stream of the supplementary gasifying agent was not combined with a jet stream of oxygen before being injected from the lance . in comparative example 2 , powdery coal and oxygen gas were supplied through a non - immersing lance and steam was supplied to the molten metal bath through the immersed lance mentioned above . since it is advantageous to introduce steam through an immersed lance in view of its reactivity towards carbon in the molten iron , this comparative example is a control example with respect to the thermal efficiency of coal gasification , though , needless to say , the service life of the lance is not satisfactory . as is apparent from the data shown in table 2 , coal gasification according to this invention can produce a product gas with a large heat content and at the same time achieve a high thermal efficiency due to the addition of the supplementary gasifying agent as a cooling agent . in particular , the thermal efficiency is the same as for an immersed lance ( see comparative example 2 ). furthermore , since the lance is of the non - immersing type , it was free from severe damage during gasification , and could therefore exhibit a prolonged service life . the data regarding heat content , gas volume , thermal efficiency , and service life in table 2 are average values . table 1______________________________________analysis of coaltechnical analysis elemental analysis ( d . a . f . )(% by weight ) (% by weight ) f . c v . m ash mo c h o n s______________________________________55 . 4 34 . 4 8 . 0 2 . 2 84 . 3 5 . 2 7 . 9 1 . 8 0 . 8______________________________________ table 2__________________________________________________________________________results of operation heat volume thermal service life gas composition (% by volume ) content of gas efficiency of lance co co . sub . 2 h . sub . 2 others ( kcal / nm . sup . 3 ) ( nm . sup . 3 / hr ) (%)* ( hr ) __________________________________________________________________________this invention 62 - 64 3 - 6 27 - 30 4 - 5 2630 2125 79 . 0 4000comparative 55 - 59 6 - 8 28 - 30 4 - 5 2470 2025 70 . 0 4000example 1comparative 62 - 64 3 - 6 27 - 30 4 - 5 2630 2125 79 . 0 500example 2 ( immersed lance ) __________________________________________________________________________ ## str1 ## although the invention has been described with preferred embodiments , it i to be understood that variations and modifications may be employed without departing from the concept of this invention as defined in the following claims . | 2 |
in the following figures , the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components . in the following description , various operating parameters and components are described for different constructed embodiments . these specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting . with respect to fig1 , a perspective fragmentary view of a portion of a prior art extruded bumper , generally illustrated as 10 , is shown . the bumper 10 , shown in partial cross - section , is illustrated in its initial , pre - impact condition . as is known in the art , the extruded bumper 10 is attached to a vehicle ( not shown ) by a pair of supporting longitudinal rails of which one , longitudinal rail 12 , is illustrated . according to known design , the bumper 10 includes a top wall 14 , a bottom wall 16 , a front wall 18 , and a rear wall 20 . extending between the front wall 18 and the rear wall 20 is an upper stiffener 22 and a lower stiffener 24 . as is known in the art the upper stiffener 22 and the lower stiffener 24 have no trigger area . the difficulty with known approaches to extruded bumpers having stiffeners but no trigger area is apparent with reference to fig2 and 3 which illustrate the results of an impacting force on the bumper . with reference first to fig2 , an impacting force , illustrated as f , is shown acting upon the extruded bumper 10 . the deformation shown in fig2 illustrates how the bumper would appear about 17 msec after the impact of the force f . as can be seen , the upper stiffener 22 and the lower stiffener 24 are beginning to deform . in fig3 the impacting force f is shown having acted further upon the extruded bumper 10 . the deformation shown in fig3 illustrates how the bumper would appear about 34 msec after the impact of the force f . as can be seen , the upper stiffener 22 and the lower stiffener 24 have substantially deformed . the prior art bumper set forth in fig1 through 3 illustrates the challenges inherent in such designs . as illustrated in fig4 , the peak crashing load of the non - triggered , extruded bumper 10 ( a typical extruded aluminum bumper ), illustrated as broken line 26 , is approximately 90 % higher than its average crash load . ( peak and average crash loads are taken at front rails centerlines .) as illustrated , load ( in klbf ) is shown on the y - axis and displacement ( in inches ) is shown on the x - axis . the extruded bumper of disclosed invention overcomes the problems of known extruded bumpers by providing an extruded aluminum bumper having dual triggering . a first preferred embodiment of the extruded bumper of the disclosed invention is set forth in fig5 through 8 . it is to be noted that the bumper illustrated in these figures is intended as being exemplary and is not intended as being limiting as variations of the disclosed bumper may be formulated without deviating from either the spirit or the scope of the disclosed invention . with reference to fig5 , an extruded bumper , generally illustrated as 30 , is shown . as in the prior art bumper 10 shown in fig1 through 3 and discussed in relation thereto , the extruded bumper 30 is attached to a vehicle ( not shown ) by a pair of supporting longitudinal rails of which one , longitudinal rail 12 , is illustrated . the extruded bumper 30 is preferably composed of base alloy aluminum although it is envisioned that the bumper 30 may also be formed from other extrudable , lightweight but strong materials as may be known to those skilled in the art . the extruded bumper 30 includes a top wall 32 , a bottom wall 34 , a front wall 36 , and a rear wall 38 . the dual extruded dual triggering mechanism of the disclosed invention is formed from an upper trigger 40 extending between the front wall 36 and the rear wall 38 and a lower trigger 46 extending between the front wall 36 and the rear wall 38 . as illustrated in fig5 , the upper trigger 40 and the lower trigger 46 each has a cross - section generally defined as an s - curve . particularly , the upper trigger 40 has a inward - curving section 42 and an outward - curving section 44 . the lower trigger 46 has an inward - curving section 48 and an outward - curving section 50 . preferably but not absolutely the inward - curving sections 42 and 48 may be adjacent the front wall 36 of the bumper 30 and the outward - curving sections 44 and 50 may be adjacent the rear wall 38 . additional triggers may be incorporated into the illustrated design . the favorable results of an impacting a force are shown in fig6 and 7 . with reference first to fig6 , an impacting force , illustrated as f , is shown acting upon the extruded bumper 30 . the deformation shown in fig6 illustrates how the bumper would appear about 17 msec after the impact of the force f . as can be seen , the upper trigger 40 and the lower trigger 46 are beginning to deform . in fig7 the impacting force f is shown having acted further upon the extruded bumper 30 . the deformation shown in fig7 illustrates how the bumper 30 would appear about 34 msec after the impact of the force f . the upper trigger 42 and the lower trigger 46 have substantially deformed . as a variant to the extruded bumper shown in fig5 through 7 and discussed in relation thereto , a second preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention is set forth in fig8 . with reference thereto , an extruded bumper , illustrated as 30 ′, is shown . according to this alternate embodiment , the extruded bumper 30 ′ includes a top wall 32 ′, a bottom wall 34 ′, a front wall 36 ′, and a rear wall 38 ′. similar to the first preferred embodiment shown in fig5 through 7 , the dual extruded dual triggering mechanism of the second preferred embodiment includes an upper trigger 40 ′ extending between the front wall 36 ′ and the rear wall 38 ′ and a lower trigger 46 ′ extending between the front wall 36 ′ and the rear wall 38 ′. as with the first preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention , the upper trigger 40 ′ and the lower trigger 46 ′ of the second preferred embodiment each has a cross - section generally defined as an s - curve . the upper trigger 40 ′ has a inward - curving section 42 ′ and an outward - curving section 44 ′. the lower trigger 46 ′ has an inward - curving section 48 ′ and an outward - curving section 50 ′. one , some or all of the inward - curving sections 42 ′ and 48 ′ and the outward - curving sections 44 ′ and 50 ′ may be thicker than the adjacent area of the curving sections as illustrated in fig8 . if thicker , the degree of thickness may be varied from one curved section to another or may be constant among the curved sections . regardless of the embodiment , the extruded bumper of the disclosed invention allows the bumper to achieve an optimum crash energy level with a crash load equal to that of the supporting longitudinal rails and without the risk of non - sequential collapse . this outcome is not likely without the embedded dual triggering stiffeners mechanism shown above in fig5 through 8 and discussed in relation thereto . as illustrated in fig4 and referring to the solid line 60 , the average crash load in the bumper of the disclosed invention without the associated crash peak of the non - triggered bumper 10 of the prior art ( line 20 ) has a dual benefit . first , the crash load configuration allows the extruded bumper of the disclosed invention to achieve an optimized square stroke in a low speed rigid barrier test . second , the crash load configuration allows the bumper to manage higher crash energy under high speed , full frontal and offset impacts . accordingly , among the advantages of the disclosed extruded bumper having the dual triggering stiffener mechanism shown in fig5 through 8 and described in conjunction therewith are an optimized square stroke under low speed rigid barrier impact , higher crash energy management under high speed impact , and a controlled peak - to - average crash load ratio . the foregoing discussion discloses and describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion , and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes , modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims . | 1 |
fig1 is a schematic of an exemplary chirp modulated laser (“ cml ”) that may be used in conjunction with the present invention . in some embodiments , the frequency modulated source of the cml may comprise a directly modulated laser ( dml ). the optical spectrum reshaper ( osr ), sometimes referred to as a frequency discriminator , can be formed by an appropriate optical element that has a wavelength - dependent transmission function , e . g ., a filter . such lasers and osr &# 39 ; s are disclosed in references cited above , which are incorporated by this reference . preferably , a digital signal modulates the laser to generate frequency modulation , where the magnitude of the frequency modulation , or chirp , is chosen to be between 25 % to 75 % of the bit rate frequency in order to increase the reach of the transmitter in dispersive optical fiber : as one nonlimiting example , chirp ˜ 2 . 5 ghz to 7 . 5 ghz for a 10 gb / s bit rate . fig2 is a schematic of a dbr laser cavity in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . as shown , an intra - cavity phase modulation section forms part of or is coupled to the dbr laser cavity . a key characteristic of the phase modulation section is that its band gap is preferably chosen so as to minimize optical absorption at the laser wavelength . the band gap of the gain section , however , is also preferably at or near the lasing wavelength . in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , for a laser at 1550 nm , the phase modulation section band gap is in the range of 1300 nm to 1390 nm . fig3 shows the relationship between the gain section and phase modulation section of such an embodiment of the present invention . when the phase modulation section is modulated with a sinusoidal wave of a particular frequency , the fm of the laser is expressed as : where f is the wave frequency , c is the speed of the light , l c is the effective cavity length , n is the effective refractive index of the laser , α g is the chirp factor of the gain material , α p is the chirp factor of the phase modulation section , f r is the relaxation oscillation frequency of the laser , and γ is the damping factor of the laser . it can be seen from equation 1 , that if the chirp factor of the loss section ( α p ) is greater than the chirp factor of gain material ( α g ), flat fm response can be achieved from very low frequency up to beyond relaxation oscillation frequency . fig4 shows the fm response of one embodiment of the present invention using the following parameters : α p = 40 , α g = 4 , l c = 1 mm , n = 3 . 5 , f r = 6 ghz , and γ = 20 ghz . for example , from fig4 , to provide 6 ghz of chirp , which is the typical required chirp for a 10 gb / s cml , the required phase change in phase section for the 1 mm long chip is ˜ 0 . 5 rod . the fsr of the laser in this example is 43 ghz . a self - consistent theory provided by a . e . siegman , lasers , university science books , mill valley , calif ., 1986 , which is incorporated herein by this reference , shows that the ultimate modulation speed is defined by the free spectrum range ( fsr ) of the laser . according to the siegman theory the impulse response of intra - cavity phase modulation as a function of modulation frequency , ω , is given by : where τ is the finite response time of the phase modulator section , l is the total length of the laser cavity , l is the length of the phase section , and ν c is the fsr of the laser determined by cavity length . for the case of a l = 1 mm long cavity , fsr ˜ 43 ghz , and assuming a maximum frequency ω ˜ 10 ghz , the argument ˜ 0 . 12 is small enough that the sinc function in equation 3 can be approximated by 1 with 0 . 2 % error for the next higher order term . the impulse response of the chirp can then be approximated by : neglecting the overall π / 2 phase shift , it can be seen that the second term in equation 4 is a transient chirp with π / 2 phase shift relative to the first term , which is the desirable adiabatic chirp . note that a standard distributed feedback laser provides both adiabatic and transient chirp as well , but in the case of the dfb there is an accompanying amplitude modulation . in addition the frequency response of the chirp of a directly modulated dfb is limited by the laser relaxation oscillation frequency , fr , as given by eq . 2 . note that f r is 10 - 14 ghz typically in a dfb laser but that it can be reduced significantly in a tunable laser due to the reduction in longitudinal confinement factor , the ratio of gain section to the sum of gain and passive sections . in contrast , the frequency response of an in - cavity phase modulated laser is independent of the relaxation oscillation frequency . this analysis shows that the fm efficiency is proportional to the ratio of the length of the phase modulation section to the length of the laser cavity l / l . thus , a small cavity and a large phase modulation section are generally desirable . most lasers in use conventionally are so - called longitudinally integrated devices in which the gain , phase modulation and grating sections form a horizontal chain , as shown in fig1 - 3 . in these lasers , the ratio of phase to cavity length is always less than one . in a different class of lasers called vertically integrated devices , the gain , grating and phase modulation sections are stacked vertically on top of each other . one such laser is a tunable twin - guide distributed feedback ( dfb ) laser as shown in fig5 . it is an object of one particular embodiment of the present invention to directly modulate the phase modulation section of a twin - guide dfb laser to generate fm . in this embodiment of the present invention , the phase modulation section has the same length as the laser cavity , so modulation efficiency is maximized from this respect . to obtain flat fm response as a function of modulation frequency , it is advantageous to design the phase modulation section with high phase modulation efficiency and high chirp factor phase modulation . another object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide for a mechanism to generate a phase shift in the phase section of an in - cavity phase modulated laser for the chirp managed laser application by application of a modulating voltage . in a standard iii - v bulk semiconductor waveguide phase modulator , the refractive index changes with bias voltage mainly due to electric field related effects , such as the pockels effect and the kerr effect . the phase modulator has a p - i - n doping structure , where the doping level in the waveguide is generally low (& lt ; 10 16 cm − 3 ). the p - i - n structure waveguide is reverse biased to provide a static electric field across the bulk material that modulates the refractive index . the pockels effect is also known as the linear electro - optical effect . this effect is related to the biaxial birefringence induced by the presence of an electric field and is exhibited by iii - v semiconductors , such as inp and ingaasp . fig7 shows the orientation of laser growth , electrical field , and crystal plane for the device of fig6 . for conventional growth , light propagates along the ( 1 10 ) crystallographic axis of the phase modulator material ( in the x direction in fig7 ), and optical electrical field along the ( 110 ) crystallographic axis ( y direction in fig7 ) for transverse electric ( te ) mode . for non - conventional growth , light propagates along the ( 110 ) axis and optical electrical field along the ( 1 10 ) axis for te mode . the epi - layer of lasers is generally grown along the ( 001 ) axis ( z direction in fig7 ). when an electrical field is applied along z direction ( forward bias in fig7 ), the refractive index for the optical electrical field along x and y will have the values : here r 41 is the linear electro - optic coefficient , e is the applied static electric field , and n 0 is refractive index . conventionally , the light propagates along the ( 1 10 ) axis ( x direction in fig7 ), and for te mode , the optical electrical field is along the ( 110 ) axis ( y direction in fig7 ), and the refractive index will decrease if reverse bias is applied . while for the non - conventional growth , the light propagates along the ( 110 ) axis , and the optical electrical field is along the ( 1 10 ) axis , thus when reverse bias is applied , the refractive index will increase . the kerr effect is also known as franz - keldysh effect . it is an electrorefractive effect due to tilt of the band edge by the applied electrical field . for wavelengths below the band gap of the waveguide material , the refractive index change is proportional to the square of electrical field applied , as shown in equation 7 . r kerr = 1 . 5 × 10 − 15 exp (− 8 . 85δ e ) cm 2 / v 2 , where δe is the difference ( in ev ) between the photon energy of the light and the band gap of the quaternary material . significant improvement of the phase modulation efficiency can be obtained by proper doping profile of the waveguide . one such type of structure is called p - n - n structure . fig6 shows a conventional p - n - n doping structure . with the p - n - n structure , in addition to the field related effects , two carrier related effects contribute to the refractive index change , as disclosed in , for example , j . g . mendoza - alvarez , et al ., “ analysis of depletion edge translation lightwave modulators ,” journal of lightwave technology , vol . 6 , no . 6 , june 1988 , pp . 793 - 808 , which is incorporated by reference . these carrier related affects are plasma effect and band - filling effect which are also known collectively as the depletion edge effect . plasma effect and band - filling effect are well known carrier related effects . the plasma effect is due to the free carrier absorption - induced refractive index change . the band - filling effect is due to the change of the fermi level resulting from the change of carrier density , which in turn will produce a shift of the absorption edge and a change of refractive index . when reverse electrical field is applied to the pn junction , the depletion depth will increase , the carrier in the depletion region is removed by the electrical field , and change of the refractive index is induced . in both cases , the refractive index change is proportional to removal of the free carrier , thus the doping level . for n doped ingaasp with 1 . 3 um q and light at 1 . 55 um , the change of the refractive index is expressed in equations 8 and 9 below : when combining the electrical field distribution , depletion region , and optical mode profile , the effective refractive index change is expressed as equation 11 for conventional growth and equation 12 for non - conventional growth . conventional growth and non - conventional growth is shown in fig7 . equations 10 . 1 - 10 . 4 describe the index change produced by the electro - optic effect ( 10 . 1 ), kerr effect ( 10 . 2 ), plasma effect ( 10 . 3 ), and band filling effect ( 10 . 4 ): here u ( z ) is the envelope of the optical electric field , and e ( z ) is the static applied electric field . for conventional growth : it is an object of certain embodiments of the present invention to construct a modulator which has an optimum doping profile for the generation of high efficiency frequency modulation using the depletion edge effect . as it has been described above , phase modulation inside phase modulator section of the cavity of a laser leads to frequency modulation of the output of the laser . fm efficiency is defined as the frequency shift generated by an applied voltage divided by the amplitude of the applied voltage . here are provided a number of examples of doping profiles that produce high fm efficiency in - cavity phase modulated lasers . one example of such modulator is a p - n - n waveguide as shown in fig6 : the p - doping level of p - layer inp is 10 18 cm − 3 , the n - doping level of n - layer inp is 10 18 cm − 3 , and the thickness of the waveguide is set as 0 . 3 um . the doping profile is chosen to increase the magnitude of the static space charge field and to increase the overlap integral between the optical mode and the static electric space charge field . fig8 shows the mode profile and refractive index profile of this waveguide and fig9 shows the doping profile and electrical field for n - doping level of n = 2 * 10 17 cm − 3 in this waveguide . note that light doping of the normally intrinsic region , i . e . region sandwiched between the heavily p doped and heavily n doped regions , increases the peak space charge field and its overlap with the optical mode . fig1 shows the depletion depth vs . applied voltage for the profile of fig9 . fig1 shows a plot of refractive index change versus bias voltage for the doping profile of fig9 . according to one embodiment of the present invention , the normally intrinsic region of the diode can be lightly n doped in order to increase the fm efficiency . fig1 a and 12b show plots of frequency shift versus bias voltage expected with a phase modulation section length of 20 % of the laser cavity length for the doping profile of fig9 and for a laser chirp factor of 0 and 4 , respectively . note that fm efficiency is determined by the slope of the frequency shift versus voltage . in this case , as shown in fig1 a and 12 b , the slope of the curves is larger near slightly forward biased voltage . as the reverse biased voltage increases , the depletion width increases and saturates . this is because there is a finite density of free carriers that move to form the space charge field . the optimum fm efficiency can therefore be at a point where the modulator is slightly forward biased . however , the forward bias voltage is below the threshold voltage at which point the bands are flat and a forward current flows . the equations above yield refractive index change as a function of the n doping level in the normally intrinsic region of the diode ; i . e . density of the region n in the p - n - n profile . fig1 shows a plot of refractive index change versus doping level in the phase modulation section for example 1 . using this result , fig1 a and 14b show plots of laser frequency shift from 0 . 9v to − 1 . 5v for a phase modulation section length of 20 % of the laser cavity length for example 1 for chirp factor of 0 and 4 , respectively . note that the frequency shift becomes relatively insensitive to the doping level as the doping is increased above 3 × 10 17 cm − 3 . fig1 shows a plot of capacitance versus doping level at − 0 . 3v bias for a phase modulation section of 2 um wide and 200 um long for example 1 . note that the higher the doping level , the higher the laser frequency shift , thus the laser chirp under modulation , and that the capacitance increases with the doping level in this plot . the optimum doping level should also preferably consider the capacitance . a large capacitance can decrease the modulation bandwidth and limit operation at high modulation frequencies . the foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . numerous modifications and adaptations are apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . | 7 |
systems and methods to secure digital images or data consistent with the present encryption external storage medium may be adapted to permanent and removable memory or similar media , such as compactflash ™, smart media ™, or similar shaped housing or other small form factor housing ( such as dongle key , pcmcia , controller integrated memory devices , etc ). such memory commonly used by digital cameras but may be used in other image generating / obtaining digital devices ( such as digital radiography , ct - scan , digital video , etc ). the current embodiment will use a compactflash ™ shape that complies with the specifications of both cf / cf + card and digital camera data interface as set forth by cfa ( compactflash association ) and jeida ( japan electronic industry development association ). other embodiments may also be implemented / manufactured in different small form factor that will give more freedom in shapes , adaptabilities and functions such as powered by external / internal power source such as usb port / scsi port or other connections that can also be used as a power source . further development and application of embodiments of the invention may enable different kinds of devices that produce digital image data to share or use removable memory while securing the digital images contained on the media . compression function can be embedded as well as the encryption function to preserve more spaces . the current embodiment may fit into a digital camera &# 39 ; s compact flash card adaptor or any other digital imaging device using compact flash memory as storage media . in other embodiments , other types of removable memory media may be employed . the hardware may be a compact flash card ( in both type i and type ii ). as described in the cf + and compact flash specification revision 1 . 4 , a cf or cf + card may have a controller processor ( s ) between the host interface and the i / o modules . in the current embodiment , the validation , encryption and duplication tasks may be done in the controller processor . also the host interface for reading and writing will be 100 % compliant with the specification that may be controlled by the controller processor . every digital image validation system card is equipped with a unique serial number and encryption technology , such as a 40 , 56 , 64 , and 128 - bit encryption key and other encryption keys that may utilize either security key or public key methods . in another embodiment , identical public key method may be utilized by assigning identical key to every card . the serial number is simply a manufacturer item control number and is available to everyone , e . g . “ s / n : ec0000001 ” printed on the cover / casing of the small form factor . the encryption key may be used to perform the encryption of image data . the encryption may conform to public and / or security key algorithm such as rivest , shamir , adleman ( rsa ) algorithm ( public key based ), data encryption standard and / or advanced encryption standard ( security key based ) as set forth by nist ( national institute of standards and technologies ). the encryption key may be built into the chip so that users have no access to it . it may be preferable , that only the manufacturer knows the corresponding encryption key to each individual card , which is stored in a secure database on a digital image validation system server site . upon encryption , the binary data may undergo data compression utilizing deflate or other similar compression algorithm . the memory card with digital image validation system is available for writing information only when it &# 39 ; s residing in a camera and the camera is in the picture - taking mode . thus only the original data directly coming from the camera processor will be written onto it . this may be done through the communication between the camera and the core processor . according to jeida &# 39 ; s ( japan electronic industry development association ) digital camera specification documents , each time when a camera is powered on as picture - taking or picture - viewing , it will first check whether the desired file system is present in the memory storage media . the file system may be root / dcim / aaaa #### (‘ a ’ stands for any upper - case letter , and ‘#’ stands for any number from 0 - 9 ). if the folder is not there , the writer / reader will create one on it . there will be no specific file system checking when a memory card is working in either a universal card reader or the camera memory slot as the camera is in universal serial bus ( usb ) transmission mode . so each time when the diva card is powered on , it will be waiting for the folder - locating signal from its interface before it disables the write protector . once the card receives the signal , write protection will be disabled to allow the image data to be written until the next power off . when the image data flow through , the duplicator module in the controller will start to function . while writing the image data on the storage module , it makes a duplicate onto its own buffer . then the compressor - encryptor takes the image in the buffer , uses the encryption key to encrypt it into the div file format , and then stores it onto the memory . when transferring data out from the memory card , the user just plugs the diva card into a universal card reader and performs normal copy - and - paste to all the files , including both original and verified files . since erasing files or formatting the diva card requires information to be written on to the storage media , this task can only be done in the camera using the camera &# 39 ; s default erase / format options . the diva core processor may be a microprocessor , digital signal processor , discrete logic or analog circuits that implement a state machine , application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), or a combination of the above . the only difference is diva will need small background application to monitor flow of data from and through the image captured hardware peripheral connected directly to cpu via pcmcia / scsi / parallel / serial / usb / firewire or other type of connections . turning to fig1 , a digital image validation system in a compact flash small form factor 100 is illustrated . the compact flash form factor 100 has a standard compact flash dimension ( 42 × 36 × 3 . 5 mm ) or in other embodiments other form factor housing such as dongles / pcmcia / other embodiment with various connector type such as scsi , parallel , serial , usb , firewire , may be employed . standard compact flash standard i / o connector is a 50 pin connector 102 located along an edge of the compact flash . the form factor 100 may also have an i / o controller 103 coupled to the connector , digital image validation core processor 104 , memory 105 , and buffers 106 and 107 . image data is received from a device at the connector 102 via the i / o interface controller 103 and passed through channels 106 and 107 to the diva core processor 104 for processing . the image data is then stored or retrieved from memory 105 by the diva core processor . in other embodiments , the blocks representing processors and controllers may be combined or further broken down by function . in fig2 a core processor unit 104 of the digital image validation system of fig1 is shown . the diva access controller 206 grants or denies writing access to the memory 105 based on criteria . the reading of information / data stored in the memory 105 requires the input pin from i / o interface controller 103 send signal requesting authorization to begin reading data from memory 105 . when a digital device such as a digital camera is set to be in picture viewing mode 14 , the camera will send dcim request signal [ dcimrs ] to this pin , otherwise no dcimrs may be sent , such as signal requested by usb mode 13 . the i / o controller 103 through channel 106 to the diva core processor 104 may patch input signals from 13 , 14 , 15 and 16 . the diva access controller 206 may then grant a read . the writing of information / data to the memory 105 occurs when the input pin from i / o interface controller 103 sends a signal requesting authorization to begin writing data to memory 105 . the request may come from a camera in picture taking mode 15 or usb mode 16 . when the signal comes from the camera in picture taking mode 15 , the dcimrs will be sent , otherwise no dcimrs is sent . the i / o interface controller 103 will perform checking of the dcimrs . upon receiving dcimrs , write access will be granted ( write = enabled / 1 ) 66 , otherwise write will not be granted ( write = disabled / 0 ). in order for to be write to be enabled , i . e . for write = enabled / 1 , the write status must be checked . if write access = enabled then process will go to 69 , otherwise process will go to 68 . the write denied , ackrx = 0 21 a then the acknowledge receiving signal to the i / o interface controller 103 is disabled . if read is granted , acktx = 1 21 a is enabled and the acknowledge transmitting signal to the i / o interface controller 103 is present . granting both write and read requires that both ackrx 21 a and acktx 21 a value will be 1 ( enabled ). the core processor 104 will check the existence of dcim file system in the memory 105 upon a request being sent by process 14 and 15 after being checked and granted by the access controller 206 . if the dcim file system already exists in memory 105 then ackrx is enabled , or set to 1 , otherwise a dcim file system is created . creation of dcim file system and writing to the dcim file system to the memory 105 requires the ackrx signal 21 a . if the ackrx signal is enabled ( i . e .= 1 ), then process may continue to the security module 10 , otherwise acktx = 1 11 . each diva card , compact flash card in the present embodiment , may have cmos memory cells containing n - bit unique serial number ( s / n ) that is unique for each diva card . the n - bit s / n was stored during manufacturing of the processor by mean of writing the n - bit s / n data 22 through one time write channel 23 . in other embodiments , other permanent memory method may be employed . the security module 10 , may consist of a duplicator 10 a . the duplicator 10 makes copy of every bit of signals received . the copy of the data generated by duplicator 10 a is passed through the encryption module 10 b , which received the encryption code from 9 . the encryption module 10 b create encrypted data 10 c . the original data is then passed directly to non - encrypted data output 10 d from the duplicator 10 a . the acktx value 21 a generated by the access controller 106 controls execution of the security module . if acktx = 1 is enabled , then the reading of data from the memory 105 through channel 17 for output to digital camera lcd viewer or channel 18 for output to usb mode ( usb channel ), otherwise acktx = 1 11 will return the acktx value to the system 21 b . both channel 17 and 18 will output through the output channel 107 to the i / o interface controller 103 . turning to fig3 , another implementation of the core processor unit of fig2 embedded in a dongle form factor 301 is illustrated . the dongle may also have one or more connectors 302 for connecting the dongle to electronic devices . an i / o controller 303 interfaces between the connector 302 and the different interfaces 302 and 24 via miscellaneous circuitry including a diva core processor 304 and ram buffer / cache 305 . the secondary output channel 24 ( could be as usb , scsi , firewire etc ) acts to pass the encrypted copied data as a result of diva core processor to other storage media ( such as hard drive of a cpu where this other embodiment of diva was attached ). the dataflow synchronous adapter 25 is used to synchronize data flow between the pass through of the primary output channel ( original data 502 ) and data that will be processed / encrypted at a diva core processor 504 . the current implementation of diva for imaging peripheral devices may operate at high speed in order to handle and process massive data such as ct - scan or other 3d imaging . a clock generator 26 generates timing signals that are used to synchronize all processes especially for self - powered embodiments . in some implementations , a clear / reset button 27 may function to clear memory / buffer such that erasing the data can not be done externally and a ready led indicator may be employed to indicate when the dongle is at work ( green ), busy ( blinking green ) or not working ( red ). furthermore , an oem id chipset may store unique information as well as have a controller to link the diva card to software driver . this unique information may later be used as by firmware updates to upgrade the diva card security / encryption key as well as encryption algorithm . turning to fig4 , a flow diagram 400 of the monitoring data traffic and firmware update for the digital image validation system of fig1 is shown . the flow starts 402 with the usb oem h / w firmware being detected 404 . if the usb oem h / w firmware is detected 404 , then a determination is made as to a new installation 406 . otherwise , processing starts again 402 . if a new installation is detected 406 , then diva h / w initialization setup sequence is activated 408 . otherwise , the serial number and pin are read 410 . if data transfer activity is detected 412 , then the active i / o port , active driver and active application are detected 414 . otherwise if the data transfer activity is not detected 412 , then the process starts 402 . after step 414 , then the data flow recording is initialized as an opennew sequence of *. div file 416 . the data header is written 418 and the encrypted data flow is written 420 . the active i / o port , active driver , active application is once again detected 422 . if data transfer activity is detected 424 , then the encrypted data is again written 420 . otherwise data transfer activity is not detected 424 and a parity check for the end of file is conducted 426 . in fig5 , a flow diagram 500 of decryption of digital images stored in the compact flash of fig1 is shown . the flow diagram 500 starts 502 with an attempt to open a . div file 504 . if the div file cannot be open , then the process starts again 502 . otherwise , a pin number is entered 506 and a check of parity for heading and end of file ( eof ) is conducted 508 . if the parity check equals the serial number and pin 510 , then the data header , active application , and active drive are read 512 . otherwise the data is determined to be corrupt and the file is not opened 514 and the process is ended 516 . after the data headers , active applications and active driver are read 512 , calls are made to the application and the drivers occur 518 and the data flow is read 520 . the decryption algorithm is activated 522 and the data flow is processed until the end of file 524 . if the end of file is reached , then processing is complete 516 . otherwise 524 , data is posted to the application and driver 526 and the data flow is read 520 . turning to fig6 , that figure shows diva web application 31 a allowing users to upload and decode the encrypted digital file generated by diva hardware / device as well as updating the hardware firmware in certain embodiment of the diva hardware implementation . the diva web application 31 a and its secured channel and server accepting encrypted digital image data generated by digital image captured hardware peripheral ( camera , scanner etc ). the uploaded encrypted files (*. div ) are being stored in the “ image database 1 .” the diva web application 31 b may be utilized to perform comparison of an image to the encrypted “ original ” diva image stored in diva secured server database ( image database 1 ). this digital image will be stored for process in “ image database 2 .” the diva server 31 c may have a built - in image comparison algorithm which can performed but not limiting to the following tasks : structural comparison , color comparison , quantifying changes and image categorization / databasing ). in certain embodiment of diva hardware implementation ( such as in dongle key etc ), the diva web server may also provide a firmware update via a firmware update module 31 d allowing diva web server to remotely update encryption algorithm on the diva hardware as well as serial number / pin / encryption key . this feature will be useful to fight against constant effort to penetrate diva hardware encryption code by “ hackers ”. diva web application gui ( front end ) design 32 a , allows users to register , upload diva files and compared images with diva files previously uploaded in the diva secured database . diva web application back engine 32 b , composed mainly but not limiting to store and analyze exif header of digital images , image processing , structural and color changes detections . statistical analysis may also be reported based on the finding of the engine 32 b . the image databases 32 c ( image database1 and image database2 ), see 31 a and 31 b for details and functionality store image category database processed by the diva web application back engine 32 b and a clustered / distributed database for search efficiency and a mirror site and redundancy backup . the foregoing description of an implementation has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not exhaustive and does not limit the claimed inventions to the precise form disclosed . modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description or may be acquired from practicing the invention . for example , the described implementation includes software but the invention may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software or in hardware alone . note also that the implementation may vary between systems . the claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention . other systems , methods , features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description . in another embodiment of this invention , the diva server application may also act to update the firmware embedded in the diva secure memory card to update either it &# 39 ; s encryption algorithm , security key or unique encryption key . it is intended that all such additional systems , methods , features and advantages be included within this description , be within the scope of the invention , and be protected by the accompanying claims | 7 |
referring now to the figures , a gift card assembly 10 is now described . as illustrated in fig1 , the gift card assembly 10 includes a gift card 12 which is supported upon a substrate 14 . generally , the substrate 14 , which also may be called a backing , comprises a single layer or multiple layers of paper or plastic material , for example , generally in the form of a relatively stiff but bendable / flexible card . in the illustrated example , the substrate 14 is a tri - fold substrate defined by fold lines 16 and 18 about which substrate 14 is foldable . in fig1 the substrate 14 is illustrated in an unfolded or open configuration which is the normal retail display configuration . when the substrate 14 is folded , with the card 10 being captured therein , a tab 20 or the like can be mated with a slot 23 or the like to maintain the substrate in the folded or closed configuration . the tab 20 or substrate 14 may also be provide a hook , opening , or the like 22 to allow the gift card assembly 10 to be displayed on a peg or the like at a merchant location , such as at the point of sale ( pos ). it will be understood that the substrate 14 may be constructed using other materials and / or fold arrangements and may include any form of indicia , e . g ., graphics and / or text , without departing from the scope of the invention . the gift card 12 supported upon the substrate 14 may be any type of card such as , but not limited to , gift cards , stored - value cards , financial - transaction cards , reservation cards , pre - paid cards , loyalty cards , merchandise return cards , employee cards , frequency cards , etc . ( collectively “ gift card ”). in the event that the gift card 12 is , for example , a card used by a merchant to issue a spending credit to a customer , the merchant would typically provide the card in exchange for money received , merchandise returned or other consideration in a conventional manner , e . g ., the gift card 12 would be “ loadable ” or “ chargeable ” with monetary value that the customer can use or give to another individual . in such a case , a record of the monetary balance on the card may be maintained on a database , other electronic or manual record - keeping system , or , in the case of “ smart ” cards , for example , on a chip or other electronics or devices on the card itself and the gift card 12 would generally include a feature , such as a barcode , magnetic strip , etc . having data that represents an account number or otherwise serves to link the gift card 12 to the database or other electronic or manual storage device or system as is also conventional . the gift card 12 is further releasably secured to the substrate 14 . more particularly , with reference to fig1 - 3 , the gift card 12 is releasably secured to a card carrying member 24 which , in turn , is releasably secured to the substrate 14 . an adhesive or an adherence layer is provided between the card carrying member 24 and the substrate 14 and the adhesive or adherence layer functions to loosely adhere a first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 to an area 26 of the substrate 14 . similarly , an adhesive or an adherence layer is provided between the gift card 12 and the card carrying member 24 and the adhesive or adherence layer again functions to loosely adhere a second portion of the card carrying member 32 to a back side 34 of the gift card 12 . in this manner , indicia carried upon a front side 36 of the gift card 12 will be visible when the gift card assembly 10 is displayed at the merchant location . to allow the gift card assembly 10 to have a three - dimensional like appearance when displayed in the area of the retail store , the card carrying member 12 is preferably provided with at least two folds as particularly illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the illustrated example , the folds function to define the first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 that is releasably attached to the substrate 14 , the second portion 32 of the card carrying member 24 that is releasably attached to the gift card 12 , and an intermediate portion 36 of the card carrying member 24 that functions to space the gift card 12 from the substrate 14 when the gift card assembly 10 is in a displayed configuration . more particularly , in the displayed configuration , the folds and the stiffness of the material of the card carrying member 34 cooperate such that the third portion 36 of the card carrying member 24 is disposed at generally a right angle to the first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 thus causing the gift card 12 to be spaced from the substrate 14 while the second member 32 of the card carrying member 24 is also disposed at generally a right angle to the third portion 36 of the card carrying member 24 thus causing the gift card 12 to be generally parallel to the substrate 14 . it will be understood that the described angles and orientations of the portions of the card carrying member 24 and the gift card 10 relative to the substrate 14 need not be exactly attained and that variations are acceptable so long as , within the displayed configuration , the gift card 10 appears to be extending from and not flatly attached to the substrate 14 . similarly , it will be appreciated that more than two folds can be provided to the card carrying member 24 and / or a resilient material could be used in lieu of the paper / cardboard material described with the objective of causing the gift card 10 to be extended from the substrate 14 when in the displayed configuration still being met . it may also be desired that the arrangement and material of the card carrying member 24 be such that , when multiple gift card assemblies are stacked and forced together upon a peg or the like at the display area of the retail store , shipped or packaged together , etc ., i . e ., the gift card assembly 10 is in a stowed configuration , the gift card 12 will be moveable to a position that is generally flush against or adjacent to the substrate 14 so as to conserve space in the manner illustrated by line a in fig1 . to allow the card carrying member 24 , and accordingly , the gift card 12 to be attached to a gift or like when removed from the substrate 14 , as illustrated in fig4 , the first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 may also include an adhesive portion 30 . by way of example , the adhesive portion 30 may be in the form of double sided tape that is applied to the first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 where the side of the tape facing the substrate 14 , which is to be attached to the gift , is provided with a removable covering . in the example illustrated in fig3 , the adhesive portion 30 would be in addition to the adhesive or adhesion layer that allows the card carrying member 24 to be removably attached to the substrate . in this manner , the card carrying member 24 and , accordingly , the gift card 10 , could be removed from the substrate , the cover could be removed from double sided tape , and the first portion of the card carrying member 24 and , accordingly , the gift card 10 could be attached to a gift in the propped - up manner illustrated in fig4 . as additionally illustrated in fig4 , the gift card 10 can be provided within indicia , such as the picture of a bow , to provide further three - dimensional ornamentation to the present as desired . while a specific embodiment of a gift card assembly has been described in detail , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure . accordingly , the particular arrangement disclosed is meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof . | 1 |
referring now to fig1 generally designated at 10 is a partially schematic and fragmentary isometric view illustrating a prior art boat loading mechanism for a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) diffusion furnace . the system 10 includes an actuator schematically illustrated by a dashed box 12 , a diffusion furnace schematically illustrated in dashed outline 14 , and a furnace door illustrated by a dashed box 16 . a quartz paddle generally designated 18 is fastened to the actuator 12 in cantilevered fashion . the paddle 18 includes a 360 ° cylindrical portion 20 that tapers to , for example , a semi - cylindrical 120 ° portion 22 . the door 16 is mounted to the fully cylindrical portion 20 of the paddle 18 in gas - tight sealing relation . a plurality of wafers illustrated dashed at 24 are removably mounted in a boat schematically illustrated at 26 and are supported on the semi - cylindrical portion 22 of the paddle 18 . the actuator 12 is operable in well - known manner to impart a motion indicated by an arrow 26 to the paddle 18 for inserting the wafers 24 into the furnace 14 , and is operable to impart a motion indicated by an arrow 28 to the paddle 18 to remove the wafers out of the cvd furnace after intended thin film formation thereon . the paddle 18 is comparatively expensive to fabricate . it typically is produced by manually cutting a 360 ° quartz cylinder to remove , for example , 240 ° of its arc to produce the 120 ° boat - support portion 22 . paddle production is materials intensive and costly insofar as the major portion of the starting cylinder is not usable and must be thrown - away after cutting . the resulting paddle 18 , moreover , is comparatively delicate . it often breaks both during routine handling and as a result of thermally induced strain during its operation . in addition , when the paddle 18 needs to be replaced , the paddle 18 must be disconnected from both the actuator 12 and the door 16 in a manner involving considerable time and labor costs as well as significant system down - time with consequent lost system throughput . referring now to fig2 generally designated at 30 is a partially schematic and fragmentary isometric view illustrating another prior art boat loading mechanism for a cvd diffusion furnace . the system 30 includes an actuator illustrated by a dashed box 32 , a cvd diffusion furnace illustrated in dashed outline 34 , and a furnace door illustrated dashed at 36 . a cantilevered paddle assembly generally designated 38 that includes two longitudinally extending cantilevered support rods 40 is fastened to the actuator 32 . a semi - cylindrical refractory paddle 42 is permanently fastened to the ends of the rods 40 as by tack welds or any other suitable means . a plurality of semiconductor wafers illustrated dashed at 44 are mounted in a conventional boat schematically illustrated at 46 and removably positioned on the semi - cylindrical paddle 42 . the actuator 32 is operative to impart motion to the paddle 38 as indicated by an arrow 48 for loading the wafers 44 into the furnace 34 , and is operative to impart motion to the paddle 38 as indicated by an arrow 50 for unloading the wafers 44 therefrom after cvd processing . the door 36 is sealed to the cantilevered rods 40 and , as will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art , moves with the rods in such a way that when the actuator is loading the wafers it also brings the door 36 into sealing relation with the mouth of the furnace 34 , and conversely . with each batch of wafers processed in the cvd furnace , the paddle 38 is heated and cooled successively . the change in temperature stresses the tack welds , the rods 40 , and the shell 42 . the resulting mechanical strain in the paddle 38 is such that both transverse and longitudinal cracks develop therealong , often leading to the breakage of the assembly not only in use , contaminating the wafers , but also during routine handling . furthermore , after breakage , or for routine maintenance , the paddle must be dismantled from the door assembly as well as from the actuator to effect its removal and replacement in a manner requiring considerable labor , time , material , and lost system throughput costs . the paddle assembly 38 is also comparatively delicate to handle , often breaking during fabrication , installation , and during routine handling . another prior art boat loading mechanism for a cvd diffusion furnace is illustrated generally at 51 in fig3 a . the system 51 includes an actuator 52 , a pair of spaced cantilevered support rods 54 fastened to the actuator 52 that individually extend into the reaction chamber of a diffusion furnace 56 , and a door assembly generally designated 58 mounted to the cantilevered rods 54 in gas - tight sealing engagement . the door assembly 58 includes a support plate 60 fastened to the actuator 52 . a furnace door 62 is resiliently coupled to the plate 60 by bellows - like vacuum fittings 64 . the rods 54 pass through both the plate 60 and the furnace door 62 in gas - tight sealing engagement . a shroud 66 such as a quartz tube having a sealed end is received over each of the rods 54 to prevent the material of the rods 54 , typically a refractory material such as alumina ( al 2 o 3 ), from contaminating the interior of the diffusion furnace 56 during operation of the furnace . the free ends of the shrouded support arms are tied together as schematically illustrated by a dot / dashed line 68 to prevent its oscillation . a semiconductor boat schematically illustrated dashed at 70 is removably supported on the shrouded cantilevered support rods . the actuator 52 controllably moves as indicated by a bi - directional arrow 72 for loading and unloading the batch of wafers into and out of the furnace 56 . as shown in fig3 b , the cantilevered support rods 54 and shrouds 66 therefor occupy an undesirably large portion of the usable internal volume of the diffusion furnace 56 . typically , about 60 % of the furnace volume is used for deposition , with the remaining 40 % being used both for receiving the supporting structures for the boat 70 and for receiving gas injection tubes 74 operative to inject reactant in gas phase into the furnace 56 in well known manner . another disadvantage of this type of boat loading mechanism is that pin holes or other structural flaws that tend to form in the shrouds 66 act to deplete the pressure conditions inside the diffusion furnace . in addition , paddle assemblies that need to be replaced because of defects or because of routine maintance , as in the other prior art devices discussed above in connection with the description of fig1 and 2 , must be dismantled from the door support assembly and a new or a cleaned paddle subsequently reconnected into the door assembly in a manner involving considerable labor , materials , time , and lost systems throughput costs . referring now to fig4 generally designated at 80 is a partially schematic and fragmentary horizontal sectional view of a novel cvd boat loading mechanism having a separable low - profile cantilevered paddle assembly according to the present invention . the system 80 includes an actuator 82 operable to provide bi - directional movement as illustrated by an arrow 84 . a cantilevered support assembly generally designated 86 is fastened to the actuator 82 and has a free end that extends into the vestibule of a cvd diffusion furnace 88 . a clamp assembly generally designated 90 to be described is fastened to the free end of the cantilevered support assembly 86 for removably retaining a separable low - profile cantilevered boat support paddle illustrated in dashed outline 92 to be described . the cantilevered support assembly 86 preferrably includes first and second laterally spaced and longitudinally extending rods 94 fashioned from selected metals such as stainless steel , or from high - strength refractory materials such as silicon carbide . the rods 94 are each fastened to the actuator 82 and have a length selected to allow them to extend therefrom a predetermined distance into the diffusion furnace after the actuator 82 loads a batch of wafers for cvd processing . a door mounting plate 96 is fastened to the actuator 82 for movement therewith . a furnace door 98 is flexibly mounted in gas - tight sealing engagement to the door mounting plate 96 via resilient vacuum couplings 100 in such a way that the rods 94 pass through both the door 98 and door support plate 96 in gas - tight sealing engagement . the vacuum gaskets 100 provide sufficient resiliance to readily allow for proper sealing alignment of the furance door 98 with the mouth of diffusion furnace . adjustable posts 102 are provided on the plate 96 . the posts 102 have heads 104 confronting the door 98 that may be manually adjusted to selectively abut the furnace door 98 for stabilizing it mechanically . referring now to fig5 generally designated at 106 is a preferred embodiment of a clamping assembly for removably retaining a low - profile cantilevered boat - support paddle according to the present invention . the clamping assembly 106 includes a first bracket generally designated 107 fastened to the rods 94 at a point therealong adjacent the interior wall of the furnace door 98 , and a second bracket generally designated 108 fastened to the rods 94 at a point adjacent their free ends . the bracket 107 preferably includes a metallic ring having a planar portion 110 and an integral depending arcuate portion 112 . the bracket 108 includes a planar metallic portion 114 and a depending flexible saddle portion 116 fastened to the ends of the planar portion 114 as by threaded fasteners 118 . the saddle 116 may be formed of any suitable flexible material such as a resilient metal and it preferably has a central area generally designated 118 having dimensions generally larger than the dimensions of its end regions to provide stress relief . a semi - cylindrical paddle shown dashed at 120 that is fashioned of quartz or any other suitable refractory material such as silicon carbide is slidably received through the brackets 107 , 108 . in the inserted condition , one of its ends both abuts the confronting surface of the flat portion 110 of the bracket 107 and abuts the confronting surface of the furnace door 98 and its other end , not shown , extends in cantilevered fashion into the diffusion furnace . the bottom surface of the paddle 120 confronting the bracket 108 is supported by and rests on the stress - relief portion 118 of the saddle 116 . the separable paddle 120 is readily removably inserted into the clamping assembly 106 provided therefor without necessitating dismantling of the door assembly 86 ( fig4 ). the semi - cylindrical quartz paddle 120 is inexpensive to manufacture . three such paddles are capable of being economically produced by cutting a single length of a quartz cylinder . the paddle is extremely rugged and breakage resistant and is easily wiped clean . as shown in fig6 the two - stage cantilevered paddle support assembly of the present invention has a low - profile that occupies a comparatively small volume of the reaction chamber of a cvd diffusion furnace . as is readily evident by a comparison with fig3 b , it thereby is capable of accomodating comparatively larger wafers , and when back fitted on an already existing diffusion furnace , allows for cvd processing of comparatively larger diameter wafers without requiring an expenditure for a new , and larger , cvd furnace . the paddle of the present invention is replaceable by simply re - inserting a cleaned or a new paddle into the clamping assembly provided therefor , thus eliminating paddle disconnection from the loader or furnace door as in the heretofore known devices . system throughput revenue is thereby considerably enhanced while materials , labor , and time costs are rendered substantially inconsequential . the paddle is a low - cost item to procure and it is quite rugged and breakage - resistant . the absence of tack welds and comparatively complex quartzwork eliminates the possibility of thermal stress induced cracking or other failure . many modifications of the presently disclosed invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the instant invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
fig1 illustrates a connecting rod and piston assembly of the present invention . a piston 2 in , for example , a diesel engine includes a combustion chamber 33 formed by a cavity provided in a crown surface 2a . piston rings ( not shown ) can be mounted in an outer peripheral wall of the piston 2 and the interior of a skirt portion 7 typically is hollow . the crown portion of the piston 2 defines a convex portion 4 provided with a downwardly projecting spherical surface 5 . the periphery of the convex portion 4 provides an annular space 6 adapted to be filled with lubricating oil for cooling . in addition , the spherical surface 5 of the convex portion 4 is provided with a depression 5afor retaining oil for cooling and lubrication . a bowl - shaped receiving plate 12 is formed integrally with an extreme end of a connecting rod 13 . slidably engaging the spherical surface 5 is a spherically shaped concave portion 12a on a receiving plate 12 . an annular retainer member 8 having a spherically shaped concave portion 8a engages a back surface of the receiving plate 12 to maintain engagement between the convex portion 4 and the receiving plate 12 . the retainer member 8 is supported by a tubular nut 9 threadedly engaged with the skirt portion 7 . securing the nut 9 is a split retaining ring 10 engaged with the skirt portion 7 . an axial portion at the extreme end of an arm of a crank shaft 16 ( represented by an axial center ) is connected between a semicircular depression 14a at the base end 14 of the connecting rod 13 and a semicircular depression 15a of a bearing cap 15 similar to the prior art . the receiving plate 12 at the extreme end of the connecting rod 13 supports the convex portion 4 of the crown portion and oscillates as the crank shaft 16 rotates . according to the above - described construction , the concave portion 12a of the receiving plate 12 of the connecting rod 13 is engaged with the convex portion 4 of the piston &# 39 ; s crown portion so that the concave portion 12a may be oscillated . therefore , as compared with a conventional pin connection construction , the center a of oscillation of the connecting rod 13 is moved considerably closer to the crown surface 2a and , in addition , a deep combustion chamber 33 can be disposed in the crown portion of the piston 2 . furthermore , a dimension p between a center of oscillation and the crown surface 2a is reduced so that when an arm ( length r ) of the crank shaft 16 is extended through that reduced amount , the stroke of the piston 2 is increased , and piston displacement also is increased without changing a height h of a cylinder body . illustrated in fig2 and 3 is a primary combustion chamber 33 defined by a cylindrical wall portion 34 formed in a crown portion of a piston 2 . an inwardly directed rim portion 34a slightly narrows the combustion chamber 33 . at the bottom of the combustion chamber 33 is a shallow circular recess 35 formed in an inner body portion and having a surface interrupted by a concave surface defining a cavity 36 . an insert 37 having an upwardly projecting conical column is fitted into the recess 35 and is secured to the inner piston body portion by a plurality of bolts 42 . one surface 37a of the insert 37 partially defines the primary chamber 33 while another inner surface defines a concave cavity 39 communicating with the cavity 36 . together , the first cavity 39 and the second cavity 36 form an auxiliary combustion chamber 41 . a fuel injection path is provided by an inlet port 38 formed in the upwardly projecting column portion of the insert 37 and communicating between the central portions of the primary chamber 33 and the auxiliary chamber 41 . also formed in the insert 37 are a plurality of outlet ports 40 that provide discharge paths between the auxiliary chamber 41 and the primary chamber 33 the outlet ports 40 are directed obliquely to the wall portion 34 of the combustion chamber 33 . more specifically , the bottom wall 37a of the insert member 37 is so shaped that combustion gases are directed obliquely against the cylindrical wall portion 34 . during operation of the present invention , fuel first is injected from a plurality of jets of a fuel injection nozzle ( not shown ) disposed above the piston 2 toward the wall portion 34 of the combustion chamber 33 ( refer fig9 and 10 ). subsequently , fuel from the fuel injection nozzle is injected into the auxiliary chamber 41 via the inlet port 38 in the insert member 37 . before reaching the peripheral wall portion 34 , a portion of the injected fuel is mixed with air in the primary chamber 33 and that mixture is fired and burned . the remaining fuel adheres to the peripheral wall portion 34 . fuel injected from the fuel injection nozzle to the auxiliary chamber 41 via the inlet port 38 is burned and the resulting combustion product gases are discharged through the outlet ports 40 . those gases whirl along the peripheral wall portion 34 as indicated by an arrow y ( in a direction opposite to an intake swirl x ) as a whole . the fuel adhering to the peripheral wall portion 34 is rapidly removed by the combustion gases which flow along the surface of the peripheral wall portion 34 from the auxiliary chamber 41 . after being removed by the gases the fuel is mixed with air and burned . therefore , the level of combustion at the latter period of the combustion cycle is increased in comparison with the prior art to reduce black smoke in the exhaust gases . as shown in fig5 and 6 , the shape of the auxiliary chamber 41 may be of spherical or oval section . in order to increase the volume of the auxiliary chamber 41 , the inside diameter of the cavity 36 in the inner piston body portion may be made larger than that of the cavity 39 in the insert member 37 as shown in fig2 or , if the inner body portion has not enough wall thickness , the inside diameter of the cavity 36 may be made smaller than that of the cavity 39 in the insert member 37 as shown in fig7 . in the latter case , fuel and air in the auxiliary chamber 41 are effectively stirred due to the presence of a difference in the interface between the cavity 36 and the cavity 39 . the inlet 38 port can have a shape such that its inner end is expanded into the cavity 39 , as shown in fig4 or its inner end is enlarged in a tapered fashion into the auxiliary chamber 41 , as shown in fig6 and 7 . with those arrangements , fuel and air can be well mixed even in a relatively flat auxiliary chamber 41 . while in the foregoing , a description has been made of a piston assembly having a construction shown in fig1 it is to be noted that the invention can also be employed in a conventional piston pin connected assembly as shown in fig8 . in that case , an insert member 37 is disposed on the bottom of a piston body portion having a conical projecting portion 26 . together , the insert 37 and conical projection 26 form a flat auxiliary chamber 41 . fuel again is injected into the inlet port 38 in the center of the insert member 37 . that fuel is fired in the auxiliary chamber 41 and combustion gases are directed by the outlet ports 40 against the peripheral wall portion 34 of the primary combustion chamber 33 . therefore , fuel adhered to the peripheral wall portion 34 is separated and burned . obviously , many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is to be understood , therefore , that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | 8 |
a total of 2 × 10 5 mouse splenocytes per well were cultured in a humidified atmosphere at 37 ° c . and 5 % co 2 in round - bottomed 96 - well culture plates for five days with the ap compounds at 10 mm . concanavalin a ( 10 mg / ml ) and culture media were used as positive and negative controls , respectively . plates were centrifuged at 1 , 200 rpm for five minutes , and supernatants were collected . the resulting cytokine profile produced after lymphocyte stimulation was analyzed using a fluorescently - labeled protein microarray chip as indicated by the manufacturer ( raybiotech , norcross , ga ., usa ). the immunomodulatory effect of the ap compounds was assessed by in vitro stimulation of mouse lymphocytes for five days . specifically , our preliminary data shows ap - 102 , ap - 103 , ap - 104 , and ap - 205 to induce 2208 , 2575 , 2071 , and 7166 pg / ml of g - csf , respectively , and the ap - 311 , ap - 312 , ap - 102 , ap - 103 , ap - 104 , and ap - 205 induced 551 , 810 , 772 , 1125 , 782 , and 4351 pg / ml of il - 6 , respectively . these data demonstrate the immunostimulatory ability of our ap compounds . il - 6 is secreted by macrophages after a stimuli like pamps . this cytokine has an important role mediating fever and the acute phase response . the acute phase response is an early - defense system activated by the onset of infection , trauma , inflammatory processes , neoplastia , stress , and some malignant conditions . “ miller - keane encyclopedia and dictionary of medicine , nursing , and allied health ”, seventh edition , ( 2003 ) by saunders , an imprint of elsevier , inc . ; and cray et al ., “ acute phase response in animals : a review ”, comp med . 2009 december ; 59 ( 6 ): pp . 517 - 526 . it has a critical role against bacterial infections , as it is required for the resistance mechanisms against the bacteria streptococcus pneumonia . our data shows that il - 6 is produced by all the compounds tested in this project . specifically , 184 , 270 , 257 , 375 , 261 , and 1445 pg / ml of il - 6 was produced by ap311 , ap312 , ap102 , ap103 , ap104 , and ap205 . respectively . among the tested compounds , ap205 induced the highest release of il - 6 . gcsf is a glycoprotein produced by macrophages with the role of stimulating the production of granulocytes and stem cells from the bone marrow . it also has a role in the survival , proliferation , differentiation , and function of mature neutrophils and their precursors . the therapeutic role of this cytokine has been commercially exploited by several pharmaceutical corporations . specifically , cancer patients are in myelosuppression conditions , therefore , they lack of sufficient levels of white cells for disease control , making them susceptible to infections and sepsis . as gcsf has the capacity to produce granulocytes , it is used for the control of neutropenia in cancer patients , enhancing their quality of life . moreover , during the hematopoietic stem cell transplant , gcsf is administered to the transplant donor to enhance the amount of hematopoietic stem cells before collecting by leukapheresis . in our study , we observed levels of gcsf of 736 , 858 , 690 , and 2336 pg / ml , when stimulated with ap102 , ap103 , ap104 , and ap205 , respectively . this information is extremely important , as gcsf is currently used for the re - establishment of neutrophils and granulocytes in cancer patients under chemotherapy . based on this information , the compounds will perform their antitumoral activity through re - establishment of neutrophil and granulocytes . both , il - 6 and gcsf are important for the protection against several pathogenic infections . the capacity of il - 6 to promote neutrophil survival in the lung protects against h1n1 influenza . the interrelation between il - 6 and gcsf has been well documented . il - 6 and gcsf have a crucial role protecting against candida infections . interestingly , all of our compounds produce both il - 6 and gcsf , which support their potential use against infections . il - 12 is an heterodimer coded by two genes ( p35 and p40 ). the p70 heterodimer is the active form . il - 12 is involved in the differentiation of the naive t - cells to th1 . in this sense , this cytokine has the capacity of reducing the ifn - suppression mediated by il - 4 . during the innate immune response , the macrophages are the main responsible for the production of il - 12 . it stimulates the production of ifn - gamma from t and nk cells . one of the most important roles of il - 12 is its capacity to mediate the cytotoxic activity of both , the nk and the cd8 + t - cells . ifn - gamma has an anti - angiogenic activity , blocking the formation of new blood vessels , which supports tumor growth . as il - 12 induces the release of ifn - gamma , this cytokine has an indirect antineoplastic role . cultured splenocytes induced 13 , 29 , 21 , 22 , and 60 pg / ml when stimulated with ap312 , ap102 , ap103 , ap104 , and ap205 . l - 10 is mainly produced by monocytes and th2 cells . also , this is an anti - inflammatory cytokine , as in produced by treg cells . this makes il - 10 as a very important regulatory cytokine . il - 10 is a pleiotropic cytokine with several functions . it has an important role in the downregulation of the th1 - type cytokines expression . also , it promotes the survival and proliferation of b cells , with the concomitant production of antibodies . the il - 10 has an important role in the regulation of the immune response in the gastrointestinal tract , with an important anti - inflammatory role . the administration of il - 10 alleviates the undesired inflammatory effects of patients in conditions like crohn disease . also , the fact that the mastocytes also release il - 10 , suggests this cytokine to have a role in allergy control . this cytokine inhibits the production of ifn - g , il - 2 , il - 3 , tnf - a , and gm - csf produced by macrophages and treg cells . this means that it has a strong role in the regulation of the inflammatory processes . low levels of il - 10 have been correlated with several autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis . culture of splenocytes induced 14 pg / ml of il - 10 when stimulated with ap104 . no other compound induced the release of il - 10 . il - 1a is one of the major players in the induction of inflammation , fever , and in extreme cases , sepsis . it is mainly produced by macrophages , although neutrophils , epitelial cells , and endothelial cells also produce il - 1a . it is constitutively expressed in skin keratinocytes , presumably as part of the skin protective barrier mechanism . after stimulation , a precursor of this cytokine is produced by fibroblasts , macrophages , granulocytes , eosinophils , mastocytes , and basophils . also , il - 1a activates tnf - alpha . culture of splenocytes induced 20 pg / ml of il - 1a when stimulated with ap205 . no other compound induced the release of il - 1a . il - 1 beta is produced as a pro - protein by activated macrophages . in its active form , it is an important mediator of inflammation with several activities that include proliferation , differentiation , and apoptosis . it could induce undesired autoimmune effects if expressed in abnormally high amounts . culture of splenocytes induced 12 , and 19 pg / ml of il - 10 when stimulated with ap103 and ap205 , respectively . il - 2 has a critical role in important events like tolerance and activation of immunity . in the thyme it plays an important role during the development of treg cells , which has important implications in the development of tolerance . during the development of the immune response , it promotes the development of the differentiation of the naive t cells to effector cells . moreover , il - 2 promotes the differentiation of memory cells . however , one of the most important characteristics of il - 2 is its supportive role of the cell - mediated immune response , which is important against viral diseases and other intracellular pathogens . il - 2 is licensed as part of the treatment against certain types of cancers like myelomas , renal cell cancer , lymphomas , and leukemias . in clinical studies , it has been used in a vaccine formulation as an adjuvant against viral infections . culture of splenocytes induced 17 pg / ml of il - 2 when stimulated with ap102 . no other compound induced the release of il - 2 . il - 9 is produced by th - cd4 + t - cells . it stimulates cell proliferation , and prevents apoptosis . it has been found to inhibit melanomas in mouse models . culture of splenocytes induced 30 pg / ml of il - 9 when stimulated with ap205 . no other compound induced the release of il - 9 . after viral infections , il - 15 is secreted , among other cells , from mononuclear phagocytes . it induces the proliferation of nk cells . is produced as a mature protein from dendritic cells , monocytes , and macrophages . its expression could be stimulated by gm - csf and several pamps . also , monocytic herpes virus , mycobacterium tuberculosis , and candida albicans infections stimulates its expression . il - 15 regulates the activation and proliferation of t and nk cells . in the absence of the relevant antigen , it provides the signal for the survival and maintenance of memory t - cells . il - 15 and il - 2 share some receptor subunits . the balanced combination between those two cytokines is crucial for the preservation of a memory cd8 + t - cell population . culture of splenocytes induced 56 and 94 pg / ml of il - 15 when stimulated with ap311 and ap205 , respectively . il - 17 is an important mediator of the delayed - type reactions , as it increases the production of chemokines in various tissues with the intend of recruit monocytes and neutrophils to the inflammation site . this cytokine is produced by th cells , and induced by il - 23 , which result in destructive tissue damage during delayed - type reactions . the il - 17 functions as a proinflammatory cytokine that responds to the invasion of extracellular pathogens , inducing the destruction of their extracellular matrix . it acts synergistically with tnf - alpha and il - 1 . il - 17 has various regulatory functions , in which its proinflammatory activity is the most notable . this regulatory functions are associated to the response of this cytokine to allergies . it induces the production of il - 6 , gcsf , gmcsf , il1b , tnf - a , various chemokines like il - 8 , gro - alpha , y mcp - 1 , and prostaglandins like pge2 from various cell types like fibroblasts , endothelial cells , epithelial cells , keratinocytes , and macrophages . the release of these cytokines cause various effects like remodeling of the airways , which is characteristic for il - 17 . the function of the il017 is essential for the function of the th17 cells . culture of splenocytes induced 294 pg / ml of il - 17 when stimulated with ap102 . no other compound induced the release of il - 17 . similar to il - 12 , il - 23 it has a proinflammatory role . culture of splenocytes induced 27 , 58 , and 80 pg / ml of il - 23 when stimulated with ap311 , ap104 , and ap205 , respectively . ifn - gamma is mainly produced by nk and cd8 + t - cells . it plays a critical role in the differentiation lymphocytes from naive to effector t - cells , which also produce ifn - gamma . it has a critical role in both , the innate and the adaptive immune responses against an ample spectrum of infectious agents . besides activate macrophages , it induces the expression of mhc ii . it has antiviral , immunoregulatory , and anti - tumoral properties . among its capacities are : promote the activation of the nk cells , enhances antigen - presentation by macrophages , activates inos , induce the production of igg2a and igg3 from plasma cells , promotes the differentiation of the th1 cells , directing the response towards a cytotoxic immune response , increases the expression of mhc i in normal cells , and mhc ii in apcs , promotes the adhesion of lymphocytes that migrated to the inflammation site , induces the expression of the intrinsic defense mechanisms . also , it has a relevant role in the induction of granulomas . ifn - gamma is licensed for the treatment of granulomatous chronic diseases and also against osteoporosis . ap205 was the compound with the highest capacity to induce both , the highest amount and type of cytokines . it induced the release of 2336 . 49 , 20 . 29 , 19 . 45 , 1444 . 71 , 30 . 45 , 60 . 14 , 94 . 04 , and 79 . 96 pg / ml of gcsf , il - 1a , il - 1b , il - 6 , il - 9 , il - 12p70 , il - 15 , and il - 23 , respectively . from all of these cytokines , the release of gcsf is important , as in cancer patients it is used in the re - establishment of neutrophils . ap104 was the second compound with the highest capacity of inducing cytokine release . specifically , this compound induced the release of 690 . 39 , 260 . 85 , 13 . 78 , 21 . 99 , 58 . 48 , and 104 . 58 pg / ml og gcsf , il - 6 , il - 10 , il - 2p70 , il - 23 , and ifn - gamma , respectively . no other compound induced the release of ifn - g . ap - 312 induced 11 . 89 , 269 . 89 , and 27 . 89 pg / ml of il - 1b , il - 6 , and il - 12p70 , respectively . ap - 102 induced 735 . 83 , 17 . 36 , 257 . 35 , and 29 . 09 pg / ml of gcsf , il - 2 , il - 6 , and il - 12p70 , respectively . ap - 103 induced the release of 858 . 15 , 3 . 95 , 535 . 06 , and 35 . 70 pg / ml of gcsf , il - 1b , il - 6 , and il - 12p70 , respectively . our data shows that ap - 102 expresses the cytokine milieu with the highest th17 cytokine biased , followed by a close th2 biased and a smaller th1 cytokine milieu . ap - 311 and ap - 312 , induces a strong th2 cytokine milieu , followed by a th17 , and a smaller th1 cytokine profile . ap - 103 , ap - 104 , and ap - 205 showed high th2 - type cytokines , but equally comparably low th1 and th2 . it should be apparent from consideration of the above illustrative examples that numerous exceptionally valuable products and processes are provided by the present disclosure in its many aspects . viewed in light , therefore , the specific disclosures of illustrative examples are clearly not intended to be limiting upon the scope . numerous modifications and variations are expected to occur to those skilled in the art . | 0 |
specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . the terminology used in the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention . in the drawings , like numbers refer to like elements . fig1 shows an expanded , deployed frame 10 of a shelter according to one embodiment of the present invention . fig2 a shows the same frame 10 in the collapsed , non - deployed state from a side view , and fig2 b shows the same frame 10 in the collapsed , non - deployed state from a plan view . for the sake of clarity , in the figures , the present invention is shown without a canopy attached to the frame 10 . broadly speaking , the frame 10 employs posts 12 extending upward from post bases 13 to corner assemblies 14 . the corner assemblies 14 function to associate the posts 10 with side trusses 16 , peak trusses 18 , and eave assemblies 30 . fig1 is a simplified plan view of the frame 10 shown in fig1 . for the sake of clarity , an outer perimeter or envelope 72 is shown in fig1 that represents the outer boundary of the shade or shelter provided by expanded shelter having a canopy according to the present invention . it is noted that while fig1 and 14 shows the frame 10 as having an approximately rectangular footprint or floor plan , it is contemplated that the present invention may employ frames 10 that have alternative footprints such as circles , squares , or ovals . in a preferred embodiment , the posts 12 have an approximately rectangular cross - sectional shape . each post 12 has an interior side 66 , an exterior side 68 , and two intermediary sides 70 . with reference to fig1 and 14 , a peak junction 20 functions to associate the peak trusses 18 to one another at a location in the approximate center of the horizontal area occupied by the shelter at an elevation above a height of the top of the posts 12 . in this manner , the peak junction 20 forms a peak or high - point of the roof of the frame 10 . an expanded view of an underside of the peak junction 20 is shown in fig3 . as shown in fig1 , the peak trusses 18 employ peak truss hinges 22 that allow the peak trusses 18 to be folded in order that they may achieve a more compact size when the frame 10 is collapsed . fig4 shows an expanded view of the peak truss hinge 22 . the peak trusses 18 are supported by peak truss supports 19 . a proximal end 17 of the peak truss support 19 is attached to the corner assembly 14 and a distal end 21 of the peak truss support 19 is attached to the peak truss 18 . the side trusses 16 employ a scissor - like assembly spanning between posts 12 . the side trusses 16 have an upper arm 24 and a lower arm 26 that cross one another and attached to one another at a side truss hinge 28 . fig5 shows an expanded view of the side truss hinge 28 . as best shown in fig6 , the eave assembly 30 employs an eave strut 32 having a proximal end 34 attached to the corner assembly 14 and a distal end 36 extending outward from the frame 10 . the eave assembly 30 further comprises a strut support 38 having a proximal end 40 attached to the corner assembly 14 and a distal end 42 attached to the eave strut 32 . when the frame 10 is in a collapsed , non - deployed state , such as shown in fig2 , the distal end 36 of the eave strut 32 pivots towards the post base 13 . when the frame 10 is expanded to an open state , the distal end 36 of the eave strut 32 pivots outward away from the post 12 . as shown in fig6 and 7 , the corner assemblies 14 employ an upper coupling 44 fixed to a upper portion 45 of the post 12 , a lower coupling 46 slidably attached to the post 12 , and a eave slider 48 slidably attached to the post 12 between the upper coupling 44 and the lower coupling 46 . as shown in fig8 a in which the frame 10 is in the deployed , expanded state , the upper coupling 44 serves to attach and associate one post 12 with the upper arms 24 of two different side trusses 16 , one peak truss 18 , and one eave strut 32 . these components are attached to the upper coupling 44 by insertion of an end of the component , for example the proximal end 34 of the eave strut 32 , into a receiving portion 50 formed in and / or by the upper coupling 44 . the component end is secured within the receiving portion 50 by passing a member such as a bolt 52 through a first side of the receiving portion 50 , through the component end , such as the proximal strut end 34 , and through a second side of the receiving portion 50 . the bolt 52 may , for example be secured in position by threading a nut 56 over an end of the bolt 52 opposite a bolt head 54 . fig8 b shows an plan view of the upper coupling 44 when the frame 10 is in the non - deployed , collapsed state . as shown in fig9 and 10 , the lower coupling 46 employs a lower coupling post aperture 58 through which the post 12 is slidably positioned . as seen in fig9 - 11 , the lower coupling 46 serves to attach and associate one post 12 with the lower arms 26 of two different side trusses 16 and the proximal end 17 of one peak truss support 19 . these components are attached to the lower coupling 46 as described above regarding the attachment of components to the upper coupling 44 . as shown in fig5 and 6 , the lower coupling 46 further employs coupling lock 64 which functions to secure the lower coupling 46 at the desired location along the post 12 . the lower coupling lock 64 is a biased or spring - loaded pin lock that is incorporated into the body of the lower coupling 44 . the coupling lock 64 engages a receiving aperture , not shown , formed in post 12 . it will be understood that while the coupling lock 64 has been shown incorporated into an interior side of the lower coupling 46 , the coupling lock 64 may alternatively be incorporated into any of the exterior sides of the lower coupling 46 . with reference to fig6 , and 9 - 12 , the eave slider 48 is positioned on the post 12 between the upper coupling 44 and the lower coupling 46 . the eave slider 48 employs a post aperture 60 through which the post 12 is slidably positioned . the eave slider 48 serves to attached and associate the post 12 with the proximal end 40 of the eave strut support 38 . the proximal end 40 of the eave strut support 38 is attached to the eave slider 48 as described above regarding the attachment of components to the upper coupling 44 . fig1 shows a side view of the eave slider 48 when the frame 10 is in the non - deployed , collapsed state . while fig1 a , 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 , and 12 show that the proximal end 40 of the strut support 38 is attached to the eave slider 48 on the exterior side 68 of the post 12 , it will be understood that other attachment configurations are contemplated . for example , the proximal end 40 of the strut support 38 may alternatively attach to the eave slider 48 on one of the intermediary sides 70 of the post 12 , as shown in fig1 a - 15c . in another embodiment , instead of one longitudinal element , the strut support 38 comprises two longitudinal elements and the proximal ends 40 of the strut supports 38 attach to the eave slider 48 at each of the two intermediary sides 70 . in a preferred embodiment , instead of one longitudinal element , the strut support 38 comprises two longitudinal elements . the proximal ends 40 of the two longitudinal elements of the strut supports 38 pass by each of the two intermediary sides 70 of the post 12 and attach to the eave slider 48 on the interior side 66 of the post 12 , as shown in fig1 . this configuration provides at least two advantages to the frame 10 . first , by positioning the pivot point for the proximal end 40 of the strut supports 38 on the interior side of the post 12 , a sharper angle is formed at the point where the strut supports 38 attach to the eave strut 32 . this , in turn provides for smoother operation , i . e . smoother expanding and collapsing of the eave assemblies 30 and the frame 10 . second , employing two longitudinal elements of the strut support 38 increases strength of the eave assemblies 30 and , more particularly , aids in preventing the eave assemblies from moving laterally . this advantage is further enhanced by the increased rigidity provided by passing the longitudinal elements of the strut support 38 on each side of the post 12 . the post 12 serving as a lateral truss between the two longitudinal elements . in one embodiment of the present invention , the corner assembly 14 and hence the frame 10 , is further improved by employing an eave stop 62 . with reference to fig6 , 8a , 9 - 11 , and 15a , the eave stop 62 is a projection from the post 12 that is fixed at a desired distance along a length of the post 12 above which it is undesirable for the eave slider 48 to travel . as shown in the figures , in one embodiment of the present invention , the eave stop 62 employs a bolt 52 passed through the post 12 with a nut 56 threaded onto the end of the bolt 52 opposite the bolt head 54 . the eave stop 62 may be positioned on one side of the post 12 but is preferably positioned on two opposite sides of the post 12 . for example , it is contemplated that eave stops 62 be placed on both of the intermediary sides 70 of the post 12 or one eave spot 62 on the interior side 66 of the post 12 and one eave stop on the exterior side 68 of the post 12 . the eave stop 62 is particularly advantageous in that the eave stop 62 assists in securing the eave slider 48 in the desired position on the post 12 . in operation , when the frame 10 is transitioned from a collapsed state to an expanded , deployed state , the lower coupling 46 is urged upward towards the upper portion 45 of the post 12 causing expansion of the truss network comprising the peak trusses 18 and side trusses 16 . the lower coupling 46 contacts the eave slider 48 and urges the eaves slider 48 upward along the post 12 . as the eave slider 48 moves upward along the post 12 , the eave slider 48 causes the eave strut 32 to pivot outward away from the exterior side 68 of the post 12 , thereby providing support for a canopy eave , not shown , that is configured to extend beyond the perimeter of the posts 12 of the frame 10 . the lower coupling lock 64 eventually locks into place on the post 12 when the frame 10 is in the fully expanded , deployed state . in harsh environmental conditions such as high winds , there is a risk that the canopy of the shelter is caught by the wind and is caused move or deform the frame 10 that supports the canopy . this is especially problematic due to cantilever - like configuration of the eave assemblies 30 . in order to prevent the eave assemblies 30 from being forced upward in such a circumstance , the eave stop 62 is disposed on the post 12 . in the event the wind on the canopy urges the eave assembly 30 in the upwards direction , an upper surface of the eave slider 48 contacts the eave stop 62 . the eave stop 62 thereby prevents the upward movement or the eave slider 48 and , hence , the deformation of the eave assembly 30 . of particular importance to certain embodiments of the present invention is the orientation of the rectangular posts 12 relative to the other components of the frame 10 . as best shown in fig7 - 11 and particularly in fig1 , the posts 12 of the frame 10 of the present invention are rotated approximately 45 degrees relative to the envelope 84 of the deployed frame 10 . stated alternately , the posts 12 are rotated such that the peak trusses 18 attach to the upper coupling 44 which is attached to the post 12 such that a angle 72 of approximately 90 degrees is formed between the peak trusses 18 and the with the interior side 60 of the posts 12 . likewise , the eave struts 32 extend perpendicularly from the exterior side 68 of the posts 12 . in contrast , the side trusses 16 attach to the upper coupling 44 and lower coupling 46 which are attached to the post 12 such that a angle 74 of approximately 45 degrees is formed between the side trusses 16 and the with the intermediary sides 70 of the posts 12 . by way of comparison , as shown in fig1 , prior art collapsible shelter frames 80 employ posts 12 that are positioned such that the sides of the posts 12 are parallel to the sides of the shelter envelope 82 . likewise , the peak trusses 18 of the prior art shelter frames 80 attach to the posts 12 at a corner of the posts 12 and form an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the sides of the post 12 . the orientation of the posts 12 relative to the envelope 84 and other components of the frame 10 of the shelter of the present invention provides distinct advantages over the prior art shelters . for example , the rotation of the posts of the frame 10 of the present invention results in a space occurring between the exterior side 68 of the post 12 and the corner of the shelter envelope when the frame 10 is in the collapsed state . within this space , the eave strut 32 and strut support 38 of the eave assembly 30 are disposed , when the frame 10 is in the collapsed state . as a result , a collapsible shelter having an eave feature according to the present invention can be collapsed into substantially the same envelope as that of a shelter that does not provide an eave . further advantages are provided by the orientation of the post 12 of the frame 10 by imparting increased resistance to lateral forces , such as wind , to the frame 10 . one of skill in the art will understand that the frame structure 10 of the present invention may be constructed from a variety of materials known in the art to facilitate light - weight designs and foldability . for example , the posts 12 , the peak trusses 18 , the peak truss supports 19 , the side trusses 16 , the eave struts 32 , and the strut supports 38 may be formed of an alloy including , but not limited to , tubular and / or solid aluminum . the upper coupling 44 , the lower coupling 46 , the eave slider 48 , the peak junction 20 , the side truss hinges 28 , and other similar components may be formed of , for example , a solid alloy or a molded plastic . although a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , various changes may be made in the form , composition , construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the scope of the invention . accordingly , the examples discussed above should be taken as being illustrative and not limiting in any sense . | 4 |
referring now to the drawings , wherein like numerals reflect like elements , throughout the several views , fig1 shows a cold rolling train 1 comprising two reversing stands 2 , 3 — in this case with four - high stands having work rolls 4 , 4 ′; 5 , 5 ′ and backup rolls 6 , 6 ′; 7 , 7 ′. the two reversing stands 2 , 3 are disposed between two reels 8 , 9 , which can provide the necessary tension for the reeling or unreeling in reversing operation . a reel 10 serves for the taking - off hot rolled strip for the first pass and possibly for coiling the hot rolled strip of an upstream located processing line . the reel 10 can operate with a lower tensile force , compared to the reels 8 , 9 . the strip , which has to be taken - off the reel 10 during the reversing process in the course of which reels 8 and 9 are used , can be prepared to such an extent that following one rolling process , the next strip can be rolled without any large delay . fig1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ) show a partial schematic view of fig1 where the working rolls have been moved out of the backup rolls plane , in the strip travelling direction . the working rolls 4 , 4 ′ and 5 , 5 ′ are disposed to be offset relative to the vertical plan formed by the backup rolls 6 , 6 ′, 7 . 7 ′. the arrows 18 , 19 show the respective travel direction of the strip . the working rolls are horizontally displaced counter to the respective direction of the strip . during the reversing process , the displacement device 20 causes an appropriate displacement of the working rolls , counter to the respective travel direction of the strip of the following pass . it is outlined in broken dotted lines in these figures that the reversing stands can also be six high rolling stands . in that case , the rolls 6 , 6 ′, 7 , 7 ′ are used as intermediate rolls , while rolls 21 , 21 ′, 22 , 22 ′ constitute backups rolls . the displacement device can ( in case of utilizing a six high rolling stand ) if need be , also horizontally displace the intermediate rolls instead of the work rolls . herein , the displacement of the intermediate rolls must however be counter to the horizontal travel direction of the strip in the following rolling pass . fig2 depicts friction driven rolls in the work rolls 4 , 4 ′ ( 5 , 5 ′). drives 11 , 11 ′ operate through a gear box 12 and spindles 13 , 13 ′ upon the backup rolls 6 , 6 ′ ( 7 , 7 ′). a roll changing device 14 pushes , in the course of work roll changes , the new prepared set of work rolls from the changing table 15 into the stand . the work rolls present in the stand are pushed herein upon the depositing or storage table 16 . this enables a rapid change of work rolls . for instance , three to five passes can be performed with one set of work rolls and the respectively last pass ( for instance pass 4 or pass 6 ) can be performed after the work rolls have been replaced by a set of work rolls having a different roughness . fig2 a shows a cold roll stand of another embodiment of a reversing cold roll train according to the present invention , in which the work rolls 4 and 4 ′ are driven directly from the drive 11 ″ through the gear box 12 ′ and spindles 13 and 13 ′. with such directly driven work rolls , no horizontal stabilization is necessary , independent of the wear of rolls 4 , 4 ′. the rapid work roll exchange , which was described above with reference to fig2 is not any more possible , because the drive spindles 13 ″ and 13 ″′ located on the drive side prevent the positioning of a new work roll set . to this end , there is provided on the service side of the rolls and a changing device 14 ′ and a changing table 15 ′. during the work rolls exchange , the changing device 14 pulls the used work roll set out of the stand and places it on the changing table 15 ′. then , the changing table 15 ′ is operated to place a new work roll set in front of the stand , and the changing device 14 ′ pushes the new work roll set into the stand . the quick work roll exchange is used , as it has already been mentioned above , for replacing a used set with a new one having different roughness . advantageously such work roll exchange is provided for the final pass , in order to obtain a desired roughness of the strip surface . of course , the work roll exchange can be effected not only for the final pass . the rapid work roll exchange can also be used for intermediate passes which require the use of working rolls having different diameters . fig3 a and 3 b show the two - stand reversing train downstream of a push type pickling installation 17 . the reel 10 can be seen in fig3 a , which reels up the strip emerging from the pickling installation 17 , while the previous strip is rolled in the cold rolling train 1 in a reversing manner . following thereupon , the reel 10 serves for unreeling the strip into the cold rolling train . fig3 b shows that the reel 10 ′ is a tension / pay - of reel which permits a simultaneous reeling and unreeling of the strip emerging from the push type pickling installation and also permits directing of the same towards the cold rolling train 1 . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been depicted in detail , modifications and adaptations may be made thereto , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as delineated in the following claims : | 1 |
fig1 is a drawing of a linear rail bar according to the present , invention , as shown in fig1 a linear rail bar comprises a track 1 , a slider body 2 , and two end caps 3 . there are grooves 11 formed o n the outer surface of the track 1 , while grooves 21 corresponding to the former grooves 11 are formed on the slider body 2 , and a returning passage 22 for balls 4 and spacers 5 is also formed on the slide r body 2 . the returning passage 22 and a turning passage 31 in the two end caps 3 form a load free passage for the balls , and the grooves 11 on the track 1 and the grooves 21 on the slider body 2 form a loaded passage of the balls . the two passages mentioned above constitute a recycling passage for a plurality of balls 4 and the spacers 5 to continuously move along when the slider body 2 moves along the track 1 . the spacer 5 is interposed between two adjacent balls 4 so as to evade collision and impact between the two balls 4 . the balls 4 rotate in the passages , while the spacers 5 do not rotate . fig2 is a three dimensional view of the spacer shown in fig1 and fig3 is a cross - sectional view of a spacer and a ball . the spacer 5 is formed into a cylindrical body having a side surface 51 and two inwardly concaved surface 52 at both ends , the contact edges of the cylindrical side surface 51 and the inwardly concaved surfaces 52 are beveled with bevel angles 53 . a let through hole 54 is formed through the spacer 5 to let out excessive lubrication oil that can exude from oil film on the ball 4 and to transfer by and impart the excess oil to other balls 4 that may lack oil so that all of the balls 4 may be lubricated uniformly . the existence of the let through hole 54 in the spacer 5 can attain a dual purpose for lubrication and cooling the linear rail bar . fig4 is a drawing showing a spacer in the turning passage of the linear rail bar . since the turning passage 31 is formed in an arcuate shape with a small curvature , the spacer 5 is forced to closely approach the inner side of the turning passage 31 , when it is passed along the turning passage 31 with the balls 4 . in this situation , the spacer 5 which is in contact with the walls of the passage 31 will urge a normal pressure thereon due to the insufficient room allowable for turning . this normal pressure to the wall surface of the passage 31 increases frictional resistance to the liner rail bar . to eliminate such a disadvantage , the cylindrical side surface 51 of the spacer 5 is formed into two truncated conical surfaces . as shown in fig4 the minimum radius of curvature of the wall of the turning passage 31 is rp , whereas the radius of the conical surface 51 at the middle portion is rs which is preferably not larger than rp . in order to minimize the contact area between the ball and the spacer so as to protect the oil film formed on the ball surface , an improvement is made as shown in fig5 . in this embodiment , the inwardly concaved surface 52 of the spacer 5 is formed into two inwardly concaved conical arcuate surfaces 521 , 522 of the same radius which are slightly larger than radius of the ball 4 so that the contact between the ball 4 and the surfaces 521 , 522 become contact points . it was discovered that when the ratio of radius rr of arcuate surfaces 521 , 522 to the diameter of the ball is at the range 0 . 5 ˜ 0 . 8 , a satisfactory result is obtained . moreover , the angle formed between the contact point and the center line is preferably in the range 20 °- 40 °. fig6 is a view similar to a cross - sectional view of fig5 cut along line a — a . to eliminate the disadvantage that the lubricating oil can not pass smoothly through the closed contact surface between the ball 4 and the spacer 5 , and instead , pass via the let through hole , the inwardly concaved surface 52 of the spacer 5 of this embodiment is formed into a sinuate shaped stripes 523 so as to divide the contact surface mentioned above into a plurality of intermittent contact points , thereby improving the flow of lubricating oil and lowering frictional resistance . those who are skilled in the art will readily perceive how to modify the invention . therefore , the appended claims are to be constructed to cover all equivalent structures which fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention . | 5 |
the first example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 6 . the heat exchanger shown in fig1 is configured so that a plate - shaped cooling medium flow portion 11 and a wave - shaped cooling fin 12 are alternately laminated . the cooling medium flow portion 11 is formed by laminating substantially rectangular flat panels 13 and 14 which have been subjected to drawing as shown in fig2 and brazing their outer peripheral portions and their central portions . the upper portion of the cooling medium flow portion 11 is provided with a cooling medium inlet 15 and a cooling medium outlet 16 in parallel . as the result of brazing the outer peripheral portions and the central portions of the flat plates 13 and 14 , a u - shaped type cooling medium flow path r which runs downward from a cooling medium inlet 15 and returns back at the lower end portion to pass through a cooling medium outlet 16 is formed within the cooling medium flow portion 11 . in the cooling medium flow portion 11 is formed a plurality of dimples 17 by denting the flat plates 13 and 14 which form the cooling medium flow path r from the outside , and these dimples 17 form a plurality of bulged portions ( protrusions ) 18 in the cooling medium flow path r . each of these bulged portions 18 has an elliptic shape which defines the flow w direction of the cooling medium as the major diameter when viewed in a plane view as shown in fig3 . by brazing opposed top portions 18 a of the bulged portions 18 an elliptic cross - sectioned cylindrical portion 19 is formed between the flat plates 13 and 14 . the shape of the cylindrical portion 19 is not limited to an ellipse but it may be an oval . the cooling medium inlet 15 is composed of opening portions 13 a and 14 a formed in the flat plates 13 and 14 , respectively . the cooling medium inlets 15 provided in each cooling medium flow portion 11 are butted to each other without sandwiching the cooling fin 12 as shown in fig4 so that continuous space sin on the inlet side is formed . the cooling medium inlet 15 is composed of opening portions 13 a and 14 a formed in the flat plates 13 and 14 , respectively . also , the cooling medium inlet 16 is composed of opening portions 13 b and 14 b formed in the flat plates 13 and 14 , respectively . the cooling medium inlets 16 provided in each cooling medium flow portion 11 are butted to each other without sandwiching the cooling fin 12 as shown in fig5 so that continuous space sout on the outlet side is formed . in the above - mentioned structured heat exchanger the cooling medium is distributed into each of the cooling medium flow portions 11 in the process of running through the space sin on the inlet side in the direction of the arrow in the fig4 and the distributed cooling medium is vaporized in the process of passing through the cooling medium flow path r , and the cooling is collected again in the space sout on the outlet side thereby to flow out . while the cooling medium is flows through the cooling medium flow path r the cooling medium collides as a result against the cylindrical portion 19 provided in the cooling medium flow path r , whereby turbulence occurs in the flow of the cooling medium and the thermal conductivity is enhanced by the turbulence effect . further , in the case of the heat exchanger of the present example , the bulged portions 18 are provided in such a manner that they gradually become fewer as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium in the cooling medium flow path r , as shown in fig6 . accordingly , the cylindrical portions 19 are provided in such a manner that they gradually become fewer ( the number of the cylindrical portions 19 is gradually reduced ) as the cooling medium flows downstream . thus , the cross - sectional area of the cooling medium flow path r is increased as the cooling medium flows downstream . in a heat exchanger used as an evaporator the dryness of a cooling medium is gradually increased ( the gas phase is further increases in proportion to the liquid phase ) as the cooling medium flows downstream in the cooling medium flow path r . accordingly , the specific volume of the cooling medium and the flow path resistance are gradually increase as the cooling medium flows downstream . on the other hand , in the present example by gradually decreasing the number of cylindrical portions 19 thereby to gradually increase the cross - sectional area of the cooling medium flow path r in accordance with the increase in the specific volume of the cooling medium along the flow direction , the flow path resistance of the cooling medium is decreased as the cooling medium flows downstream . as the result , the thermal conductivities are kept at higher values over the entire area of the cooling medium flow path r and pressure losses are kept at lower values . therefore , the heat exchangeability when used as an evaporator of a heat exchanger is enhanced . the second example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig7 . in the following each example , the same reference numerals are used for the components already described in the above - described first example and the descriptions thereof are omitted . in this heat exchanger the bulged portions 18 are formed in such a manner that they gradually become smaller as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium as shown in fig7 . accordingly , the cylindrical portions 19 are also formed in such a manner that they gradually become smaller as the cooling medium flows downstream . thus , the cross - sectional area of the cooling medium flow path r is increased as the cooling medium flows downstream . further , in this example the bulged portions , which are diagonally adjacent to each other with respect to the flow direction of the cooling medium are arranged in zigzag pattern so that they partly overlap along the flow direction of the cooling medium . accordingly , the respective cylindrical portions 19 are arranged zigzag . in this heat exchanger , by forming the cylindrical portions 19 which become gradually smaller thereby to gradually increase the cross - sectional area of the cooling medium flow path r in accordance with increase in the specific volume of the cooling medium which flows upstream to downstream , the flow path resistance of the cooling medium is decreased as the cooling medium flows downstream . as the result , the thermal conductivities are kept at higher values over the entire area of the cooling medium flow path r and pressure losses are kept at lower values . therefore , the heat exchangeability when used as an evaporator of a heat exchanger is enhanced . further , in the cylindrical portions 19 , which are diagonally adjacent to each other with respect to the flow direction of the cooling medium , the front end portion of a cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned downstream of the rear end portion of an upstream cylindrical portion , becomes the upstream side of the flow direction . accordingly , the local thermal conductivity , which tends to be reduced at the rear end portion of a cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned upstream is compensated by the cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned downstream . as the result , the thermal conductivity of the entire cooling medium flow portion 11 is enhanced . additionally , the cylindrical portions 19 are regularly arranged along the flow direction of the cooling medium , and an extent of a joint portion which is positioned at the top portions 18 a can be generally ensured . thus , in any cross - section of the cooling flow portion 11 in the flow direction of the cooling medium , two flat plates 13 and 14 are joined to each other by adhesion of the bulged portions 18 whereby the joint strength of the cooling medium flow portion can be enhanced . therefore , even if the flat plates 13 and 14 are thin , a sufficient pressure resistance is imparted to the cooling flow portion 11 . the third example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig8 to 10 . in the heat exchanger of the present example , by forming brazed portions positioned at the central portions of the flat plates 13 and 14 in positions biased to the forward path side as shown in fig8 to 10 , the flow path cross - section of the cooling flow path r corresponding to the backward path can be made larger than the flow path cross - section of the cooling flow path r corresponding to the forward path . in this heat exchanger , by making the flow path cross - section of the cooling flow path rf corresponding to the backward ( return ) path larger than the flow path cross - section of the cooling flow path rf corresponding to the forward path in accordance with the increase in the specific volume of the cooling medium which flows from the upstream toward the downstream , the flow path resistance of the cooling medium is decreased and the thermal conductivities are kept at higher values over the entire area of the cooling medium flow path r and also pressure losses are kept at lower values . therefore , the heat exchangeability when used as an evaporator of a heat exchanger is enhanced . incidentally , in the present example the sizes of the flow path cross - sections of the cooling flow paths r were differentiated between the forward path and the backward path by biasing the positions of brazed portions positioned at the central portions of the flat plates 13 and 14 . however , a difference may be imparted to the flow path cross - sections between the forward path and the backward path by changing the size of the dimple . the fourth example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 13 . in the heat exchanger of the present example , the cooling medium outlet 16 is formed with a larger size than the cooling medium inlet 15 as shown in fig1 to 13 . in this heat exchanger , by forming the cooling medium outlet 16 in a larger size than the cooling medium inlet 15 in accordance with an increase in the specific volume of the cooling medium which flows from the upstream toward the downstream , flow path resistance of the cooling medium in the vicinity of the cooling medium outlet 16 is decreased . thus , thermal conductivities are kept at higher values over the entire area of the cooling medium flow path r and also pressure losses are kept at lower values . therefore , the heat exchangeability when used as an evaporator of a heat exchanger is enhanced . incidentally , in the present example a heat exchanger in which one space sin on the inlet side and one space sout on the outlet side are provided was described . however , by providing one space sin on the inlet side and two spaces sout on the outlet side the total opening areas of the two cooling medium outlets 16 may become larger than the opening area of the cooling medium inlet 15 . the fifth example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 16 . in the heat exchanger of the present example , protrusions ( restricting portions ) 20 which restrict the flow of a flowing cooling medium and lead a part of the cooling medium to a cooling medium inlet 15 composed of openings 13 a and 14 a are provided in an inlet side space sin formed on the cooling medium inlet 15 side , as shown in fig1 . the protrusion 20 is integrally provided with the flat plate 13 by carrying out barring around the opening 13 a and protrudes on the upstream side of the flow direction of the cooling medium so that it is fitted to the opening 14 a of the adjacent cooling medium flow portion 11 . when the protrusion 20 which restricts the flow of the cooling medium is formed in the inlet side space sin , a flow of a part of the cooling medium which flows in the inlet side space sin is restricted so that it is obstructed with the protrusion 20 , and the cooling medium is introduced from the cooling medium inlet 15 to the cooling medium flow path r . thus , relatively much cooling medium is distributed to the cooling medium flow portion 11 positioned on the upstream side of the cooling medium flow portion 11 where a cooling medium was apt to remain . as the result , a uniform heat exchange can be carried out in all of the plurality of cooling flow portions and the heat exchangeability of the heat exchanger is enhanced . further , since the protrusion 20 can be easily formed by barring the periphery of the opening portion 13 a during drawing of the flat plate 13 , there are almost no increases in the production processes or cost which for formation of the protrusion 20 . the degree of restriction of the cooling by the protrusion 20 can be appropriately set by varying the size of the protrusion 20 and adjusting the orientation of the protrusion 20 during drawing of the flat plate 13 , whereby the cooling medium can be distributed uniformly . incidentally , in the present example the protrusion 20 was provided on the flat plate 13 . however , it can be provided on the flat plate 14 . alternatively , the protrusion 20 may be formed with another member and brazed at the same time when the flat plates 13 and 14 are brazed . alternatively , for example , as shown in fig1 and 16 , the cooling medium flow path r communicating with the space sin on the inlet may be deformed so that the flow path cross - section of it is gradually reduced toward the downstream side of the flow direction of the cooling medium at an inlet portion where the cooling medium flows from the space sin on the inlet side to the cooling medium flow path r ( corresponding to portion a in fig1 and 16 ). in this case , although the outlet portion is not shown , the region where the cooling medium flows from the cooling medium flow path r to the space sout on the outlet , is also deformed so as to gradually increase as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction . these deformations are made when the flat plates 13 and 14 are subjected to drawing . by gradually reducing the flow path cross - section of the cooling medium flow path r communicating with the space sin on the inlet side as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium , the rapid reduction of the cooling medium flow path r is decreased , whereby the pressure loss of the cooling medium which flows from the space sin on the inlet side to the cooling medium flow path r is decreased . similarly , by gradually magnifying the flow path cross - section of the cooling medium flow path r communicating with the space sout on the outlet side as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium , the rapid increase of the cooling medium flow path r is decreased whereby the pressure loss of the cooling medium which flows from the cooling medium flow path r to the space sout on the outlet side is decreased . as the results , the pressure losses at the inlet and outlet of the cooling medium flow path r are decreased and the heat exchangeability of the heat exchanger is enhanced . in this example as shown in fig1 a shape of the wall surface of the cooling medium flow path r is curved . however , the wall surface shape of that portion is not limited to a curved shape . for example , as shown in fig1 the shape of the wall surface of the cooling medium flow path r may be wedge - shaped . the sixth example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 21 . in the heat exchanger of the present example as shown in fig1 and 18 the opening portion 13 a of a flat plate 13 which forms a cooling medium inlet 15 is formed in such a manner that it is smaller than the opening portion 14 a of a flat plate 14 which also forms a cooling medium inlet 15 and the center of the opening portion 13 a is shifted from the center of the opening portion 14 a . additionally , as shown in fig1 the opening portions 14 a in the respective cooling medium flow portions 11 are arranged at the same positions . on the other hand , the openings 13 a in the respective cooling medium flow portions 11 are arranged at different positions . that is , the portion where the opening portion 13 a is formed acts as a baffle plate 21 which hinders the flow of the cooling medium into the opening portion 14 a in laminated cooling flow portions 11 . further , the opening portions 13 a formed in adjacent baffle plates 21 are arranged in such a manner that they are not overlapped in the flow direction of the cooling medium . in this heat exchanger a cooling medium flowing in the space sin on the outlet side is passed through the opening portion 13 a formed in each baffle plate 21 to flow downstream . on the other hand , a cooling medium which dose not pass through the opening portion 13 a is guided by the baffle plate 21 to flow into the cooling medium flow path r . further , since opening portions 13 a formed in adjacent baffle plates 21 are arranged in such a manner that they do not overlap in the flow direction of the cooling medium , when for example a part of a cooling medium passing through the opening portion 13 a of an upstream baffle plate 21 a passes through the opening portion 13 a of the adjacent downstream baffle plate 21 b , it is hindered from flowing by the baffle plate 21 b and cannot pass through the opening portion 13 a whereby this part of the cooling medium is guided by the baffle plate 21 b and flows into the cooling medium flow path r . as described above , by arranging the opening portions 13 a provided in the adjacent baffle plates so that they do not overlap , relatively much cooling medium is distributed to the cooling medium flow portion 11 positioned on the upstream side of the cooling medium flow portion 11 where the cooling medium was apt to remain . as the result , uniform heat exchange can be carried out by every one of the plurality of cooling flow portions , and the heat exchangeability of the heat exchanger is enhanced . incidentally , the number of opening portions 13 a formed on the baffle plate 21 is not limited . for example , as shown in fig2 a plurality of opening portions 13 a having different sizes may be provided in the baffle plate 21 . additionally , for example as shown in fig2 the opening portion 13 a of a baffle plate 22 positioned downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium may be made smaller than that upstream . in this case , when , for example , a part of a cooling medium passing through the opening portion 13 a of the upstream baffle plate 22 a passes through the opening portion 13 a of the adjacent downstream baffle plate 22 b , it is hindered from flowing by the baffle plate 22 b and cannot pass through the opening portion 13 a , whereby this part of the cooling medium is guided by the baffle plate 22 b and flows into the cooling medium flow path r . therefore , even when the opening portion 13 a of a downstream baffle plate 22 in the flow direction of the cooling medium is made smaller than that on the upstream side , relatively much cooling medium is distributed to the cooling medium flow portion 11 positioned upstream of the cooling medium flow portion 11 where a cooling medium was apt to remain . as the result , uniform heat exchange can be carried out in every one of the plurality of cooling flow portions and the heat exchangeability of the heat exchanger is enhanced . the sixth example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 to 24 a , 24 b . a cooling medium flow portion is formed by laminating substantially rectangular flat plates 13 and 14 to braze them . the actual production of the heat exchanger is not performed by laminating a plurality of brazed cooling medium flow portions and again brazing them to join them , but by arranging brazing material - clad flat plates 13 and 14 , and a cooling fin 12 in this order to laminate them , assembling them and other parts and placing the assembly in a heating oven ( not shown ) to heat and braze the respective portions . in this case the important point is registering the flat plates 13 and 14 . however , in the heat exchanger of the present example a plurality of spaced positions of outer peripheral portions to be brazed in flat plates 13 and 14 are provided with register ( positioning ) portions 23 as shown in fig2 and 23 . the register portion 23 is composed of a protrusion portion 24 formed in the flat plate 14 and a concave portion 25 formed in the flat plate 13 to be fitted to the protrusion portion 24 in a state where the flat plates 13 and 14 are laminated as shown in fig2 a and 24b . both protrusion portion 24 and concave portion 25 are formed when the flat plates 13 and 14 are subjected to drawing . in this heat exchanger , by laminating the flat plates 13 and 14 thereby to fit the protrusion portion 24 to the concave portion 25 the registering of both the flat plates 13 and 14 can be performed . that is , when this register portions 23 are used , the conventional step of closing a claw is omitted and the material which is required for forming the claw is not needed . as a result , a reduction of assembly time and production costs can be made . further , since a plurality of register portions 23 is provided at the outer peripheral portions of the flat plates 13 and 14 to be brazed , the accuracy of registering is enhanced and production errors in the heat exchanger are kept at a lower level . additionally , since the protrusion portion 24 and the concave portion 25 are formed by drawing the flat plates 13 and 14 , no excess material is needed and no excess steps for working them needed . therefore , even if the register portions 23 are provided no excess production cost is required . incidentally , in the present example the protrusion portion 24 and the concave portion 25 a are respectively formed in the flat plates 14 and 13 . however , the protrusion portion 24 and the concave portion 25 can be respectively formed in the flat plates 13 and 14 . alternatively , both protrusion portion 24 and concave portion 25 may be formed in the flat plate 13 or the flat plate 14 so that the flat plates 13 and 14 are laminated to fit to each other . further , in the present example the register portion 23 was formed by combining the protrusion portion 24 with the concave portion 25 . of course , the same effects can also be obtained by use of for example a hole instead of the concave portion 25 . in this case if this hole is formed in the step of removing the flat plate 14 from a mold , no excess production cost is required . incidentally , in examples 3 to 7 the respective bulged portions 18 diagonally adjacent to each other with respect to the flow direction of the cooling medium are arranged in a zigzag pattern as in example 2 so that parts of the bulged portions overlap along the flow direction of the cooling medium and the respective cylindrical portions 19 are arranged accordingly . therefore , in examples 3 to 7 , in the cylindrical portions 19 which are diagonally adjacent to each other with respect to the flow direction of the cooling medium , the front end portion of a cylindrical portion 19 which is downstream of the rear end portion of an upstream cylindrical portion , becomes the upstream side of the flow direction . accordingly , the local thermal conductivity which tends to be reduced at the rear end portion of the cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned upstream is compensated by the cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned downstream . as a result , the thermal conductivity of the entire cooling medium flow portion 11 is enhanced . additionally , the cylindrical portions 19 are regularly arranged along the flow direction of the cooling medium , and the joint portion of the top portions 18 a can be widely ensured . thus , the joint strength of the cooling medium flow portion can be enhanced . therefore , even if the flat plates 13 and 14 are thin , sufficient pressure resistance is imparted to the cooling flow portion 11 . | 5 |
a method for manufacturing a support member for supporting semiconductor device elements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a cross - sectional view showing a step in a manufacturing process for a support member 100 for semiconductor devices in accordance with the present embodiment . the support member 100 for semiconductor device elements in accordance with the present embodiment preferably supports reflective type liquid crystal semiconductor device elements , and uses a conductive film 103 ( i . e . a tungsten metal film ) as a light reflective plate . a method for manufacturing support member 100 along with reflective type liquid crystal device elements is described below . fig1 is a cross - sectional view in which a conductive film 103 for trapping mobile ions , such as sodium ions , is formed over a silica glass base 101 . a support member 100 in accord with the present invention is formed in the following manner . a first silicon oxide film 102 , which is a first dielectric layer , is deposited on silica glass base 101 by using a cvd process ( chemical vapor deposition , or chemical vapor phase growth ). a tungsten film 103 , which is a conductive film , is then formed on oxide film 102 preferably by using a sputter method . a second silicon oxide film 104 , which constitutes a second dielectric film , is then formed on tungsten film 103 preferably by a cvd process . it is noted here that first silicon oxide film 102 has a preferred film thickness of 0 . 4 μm , tungsten film 103 has a preferred film thickness of 200 nm , and second silicon oxide film 104 has a preferred thickness of 200 nm . fig2 is a cross - sectional view showing a step in which a polycrystal silicon film 201 is formed on support member 100 . the polycrystal silicon film 201 is preferably formed by forming an amorphous silicon film , and then annealing the same . fig3 is a cross - sectional view showing a step in which the polycrystal silicon film 201 is selectively etched . to accomplish this , a resist layer 301 is first formed on polycrystal silicon film 201 . the resist 301 is then patterned using photolithography to configure resist 301 into a process mask . then , using resist 301 as a mask , the polycrystal silicon film 201 is etched to define areas where a transistor 302 ( see fig7 ) and a retention capacitor 303 ( see fig7 ) are to be constructed . as shown in fig4 , after removing resist mask 301 by ashing , a first plate of what will be retention capacitor 303 and source / drain regions 402 of what will be mos transistor 302 are formed . specifically , using as a mask a resist layer 401 , which has been patterned using a photolithography process , phosphorous ions are injected in exposed portions of polycrystal silicon film 201 to from source / drain regions 402 of mos transistor 302 and to form a conductive plate of retention capacitor 303 . fig5 is a cross - sectional view showing another process step in the construction of the mos transistor and the retention capacitor . the resist layer 401 of fig4 is removed by ashing , and then a silicon oxide film 501 is formed . silicon oxide film 501 is later patterned to form a gate oxide for mos transistor 302 and to form an inter - plate dielectric film for the capacitor 303 . a polycrystal silicon film 502 is then formed on silicon oxide film 501 . polycrystal silicon 502 is later patterned to form a control gate electrode over the gate oxide of mos transistor 302 , and to form a second conductive plate over the dielectric film of retention capacitor 303 . then , a resist mask 503 is formed on polycrystal silicon film 502 by patterning using photolithography . it is noted that the polycrystal silicon film 502 is preferably formed by forming an amorphous silicon film containing phosphorous , and annealing the same . fig6 is a cross - sectional view showing a step following an ashing step to remove resist mask 503 . using resist 503 as a mask , polycrystal silicon film 502 was etched , and after the etching was complete , the resist mask 503 was removed by ashing . at this point , a control gate 601 of mos transistor 302 and a plate electrode 602 of retention capacitor 303 are formed . fig7 is a cross - sectional view showing the construction of metal wiring layers . an interlayer dielectric film 701 composed of a silicon oxide film is formed by a cvd process , contact holes are then opened in specified portions of interlayer dielectric film 701 by photolithography . following this , an aluminum film preferably containing silicon and copper added therein is formed by a sputtering , a resist mask is then formed by photolithography , and selected regions of the aluminum film is removed as defined by the resist mask . this leaves specific areas of aluminum film , which form aluminum wiring 702 . the the resist mask is preferably removed by ashing . next , a method for driving the support member 100 with semiconductor device elements formed thereon is described with reference to fig7 . in fig7 , when the lowest potential that is applied to semiconductor device elements formed on support member 100 ( such as mos transistor 302 and retention capacitance 303 ) is 0v , a potential of − 3v is applied to tungsten film 103 , which is a constituent element of support member 100 , for driving the same . because a voltage that is lower than the lowest potential of 0v applied to the semiconductor device elements is applied to tungsten film 103 , alkaline metal ions ( such as sodium ions , that are mobile and positively charged and present in silica glass base 101 and silicon oxide films 102 and 104 ) migrate to tungsten film 103 ( which is maintained at a lower potential of − 3v ) and are trapped and fixed by the tungsten film 103 . because a method of drawing ( i . e . attracting ) and holding fixed ( i . e . trapping ) mobile ions by means of an electric field is used , mobile ions that are present not only adjacent to the tungsten film 103 that is used for trapping the mobile ions , but also mobile ions within a range in which electric lines of force of the tungsten film 103 reach can be attracted and trapped by the tungsten film 103 . therefore , operation of the semiconductor device elements can be made more stabile as compared to the prior art case using an insulating barrier to block the penetration of mobile ions and keep them fixed to a phosphorsilicate glass . also , the tungsten film 103 is conductive . for this reason , a capacitance region can be formed with the electrode 403 laminated through the silicon oxide film 104 deposited on the tungsten film 103 . in addition to the retention capacitor formed with the electrode 403 , the silicon oxide film 501 and the electrode 602 , a capacitor is also formed with electrode 403 , silicon oxide film 104 and tungsten film 103 , such that a greater retention capacitance value can be formed within a smaller area . in the case of the presently preferred embodiment where the silicon oxide film 104 is 200 nm in thickness and the silicon oxide film 501 is 100 nm in thickness , an area necessary for obtaining an equivalent capacitance can be achieved with about 70 % less area than is needed in the case where the tungsten film 103 is not present , such that the area necessary for construction a retention capacitor can be reduced . also , in accord with the present embodiment , mos transistor 302 and other semiconductor device elements on the support member 100 are electrically shielded . for this reason , even when electric noise infiltrates due to certain factors , malfunctions of mos transistor 302 can be effectively suppressed by the shielding effect of the tungsten film 103 . also , the tungsten film 103 is a light blocking material . accordingly , when the tungsten film 103 is present under mos transistor 302 , light infiltrating from the back surface of support member 100 is blocked , such that malfunctions of mos transistor 302 caused by light , in particular , an increase in the off current accompanied with generation of carriers in the semiconductor due to light irradiation , can be prevented . ( 1 ) because the tungsten film 103 , which is a metal film having light blocking properties is used , areas of semiconductor device elements ( including transistors ) are shielded from light . for this reason , a leakage current due to carriers caused by light , which poses a problem especially in an off state , can be suppressed . ( 2 ) because the silicon oxide film 102 having few mobile ions is formed by a cvd method as a buffer layer on the silica glass base 101 that contains many mobile ions such as sodium ions , operations of the semiconductor device elements can be further stabilized . ( 3 ) because the transparent dielectric layer 104 is formed on the tungsten film 103 , which is a metal of a high light - reflecting ability , a reflective type device can be readily formed . ( 4 ) because the tungsten film 103 , which is an electrical conductor , is used for attracting and trapping mobile ions , a function of a capacitive element ( such as a capacitor ) and a shielding function can be obtained in addition to a gettering function for mobile ions . ( 5 ) because mobile ions are attracted and fixed by applying a negative potential to the tungsten film 103 , the mobile ions can be trapped within a range defined by the reach of electric lines of force , such that mobile ions in a greater range can be attracted and trapped , as compared to the case where a phosphosilicate glass is used for blocking infiltration ( i . e . migration ) by mobile ions . instead of using the silicate glass base 101 as a base in the present embodiment , and forming the silicon oxide film 102 thereon by a cvd method , a metal or semiconductor material may be used as a base . in particular , by using a base having a soi ( silicon on insulator : silicon ( normally in single crystal ) on a dielectric ) structure , electrically excellent device characteristics can be obtained . instead of forming the silicon oxide film 102 as a first dielectric on the silica glass base 101 in the present embodiment , a tungsten film 103 ( which is a metal film ) may be formed without forming the silicon oxide film 102 . when the base is dielectric , the first dielectric film can be omitted . instead of forming a reflective type liquid crystal device by leaving the tungsten film 103 as a light reflecting film , the present embodiment can be applied to , for example , a light transmissive type liquid crystal device . specifically , this can be realized by forming a tungsten film 103 , and immediately thereafter , etching the tungsten film 103 in portions where liquid crystal elements are to be formed . in this instance , by etching the tungsten film 103 while leaving portions thereof where the mos transistor 302 and the retention capacitor 303 are present , mobile ions can be fixed , the capacitance of the retention capacitor 303 can be increased , and effects of light blocking mask can be obtained . instead of using the tungsten film 103 as a light reflecting film for fixing mobile ions in the present embodiment , or without limiting the subject matter to the application of tungsten for use as a light reflecting film , other metals , such as , for example , an aluminum film laminated in an upper layer can be used as a light reflecting film . instead of using the silicate glass base 101 as a base in accordance with the present embodiment , for example , a plastic material base can also be used . in this case , although the tungsten film 103 can be used for fixing mobile ions without a problem , a much softer metal such as aluminum may preferably be used . also , when a plastic material substrate is used , it may be difficult to perform a high temperature treatment at 800 ° c . or higher . accordingly , instead of using the polycrystal silicon film 201 as a semiconductor film , amorphous silicon may be used as a semiconductor film . to recap one operation of the present invention , when the lowest operating potential that is applied to semiconductor device elements ( such as transistor 302 and capacitor 303 ) on the support member 100 is 0v , a protective potential of − 3v may be applied to the tungsten film 103 , which is a constituent element of support member 100 . because the protective voltage applied to the tungsten film 103 is lower than the lowest operating potential of 0v applied to the semiconductor device elements , mobile and positively charged alkaline metal ions , such as sodium ions , present in the silica glass base 101 and in silicon oxide films 102 and 104 migrate to the tungsten film 103 due to the attractive force of the maintained lower potential , and are thereby trapped by and fixed to the tungsten film 103 . while the invention has been described in conjunction with several specific embodiments , it is evident to those skilled in the art that many further alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent in light of the foregoing description . thus , the invention described herein is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications , applications and variations as may fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
fig1 shows a simplified view of an inventive magnetic resonance facility 1 . the facility 1 includes a main magnet unit 2 , which defines a cylindrical patient accommodation region 3 , into which a patient 4 may be moved via a patient couch 5 for the magnetic resonance measurement . it may be seen that part of the internal surface of the patient accommodation region 3 is taken up by a display surface 6 of a display apparatus , on which animated clouds are shown as an image , conveying an impression of spatial depth for a patient 4 and also having a calming effect . the display apparatus may be implemented on different small display units , which are arranged in the manner of a matrix in rows , each arranged at an angle to one another . fig2 shows an embodiment based on a section through the main magnet unit 2 in the region of the patient accommodation region 3 . provided to enclose the patient accommodation region are a gradient coil arrangement 7 ( not shown in detail ) and , following the arrangement 7 in an inward direction , a high - frequency coil arrangement 8 , the support tube 9 of which is shown in detail . the display apparatus 10 in this case includes two display units 11 ( shown in cross section ), which are integrated in the support tube 9 or fastened in a recess and include organic light - emitting diodes ( not shown in detail ) disposed on a flexible substrate 12 . for protection , the display units 11 are also covered with a layer 13 of protective material , which may be for example glass , plexiglas or a thermoplastic carbonate . the substrate 12 may also be made of pet . the layer 13 is configured as scratch - resistant , biocompatible and high frequency - transparent , with the display units 11 overall also being configured to be as magnetic resonance - compatible as possible . data transmission and energy transmission to the display units 11 of the display apparatus 10 occur wirelessly in this instance but may occur in a wired manner . the display units 11 may not cover the entire length of the patient accommodation region 3 , but a number of the flexible oled display units 11 may be provided over the length . a matrix - type arrangement of a number of display units may therefore also be provided . the flexibility of the substrate 12 and therefore of the entire display unit 11 is such that the substrate 12 and the display unit 11 match the boundary of the magnetic resonance accommodation region 3 perfectly , with part of the cylinder of the internal surface of the patient accommodation region 3 being formed by the layer 13 , which is supplemented by suitable cladding elements 14 , which are shown as adjoining the display units 11 in a flush manner . the substrates 12 may be provided pre - shaped for the boundary of the magnetic resonance accommodation region 3 , this also being supported by oled technology . the support tube 9 may not be changed , and the display apparatus 10 may be fastened on the support tube 9 or on fully circumferential cladding 14 of the patient accommodation region 3 . the operation of the display apparatus 10 is controlled by a central control facility 15 of the magnetic resonance facility 1 , which therefore allows the desired information or images to be displayed . fig3 shows an example of a display on the display surface 6 of the display apparatus 10 during a standard magnetic resonance measurement . the background is formed by the image 16 , which in the present instance shows an animated sky . provided in the bottom right corner of the display surface 6 is a region 17 for patient information 18 relating to a current magnetic resonance measurement . in the present instance , the display surface 6 shows a percentage indicating how much of the examination has already been completed , both in numbers 19 and via a progress indicator 20 . other useful information may also be displayed , for example , the time , the remaining duration of the magnetic resonance measurement , the name of the patient and the like . a further region 21 , which is not always used , is reserved for breathing - related instructions 22 , e . g ., telling the patient to hold his / her breath . if a functional magnetic resonance measurement ( fmri ) is to be performed , the display surface 6 may also display visual stimuli for the patient 4 . it is to be understood that the elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present invention . thus , whereas the dependent claims appended below depend from only a single independent or dependent claim , it is to be understood that these dependent claims may , alternatively , be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim , whether independent or dependent , and that such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification . while the present invention has been described above by reference to various embodiments , it should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made to the described embodiments . it is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting , and that it be understood that all equivalents and / or combinations of embodiments are intended to be included in this description . | 0 |
referring to fig1 , the system for moving a solar tracker in rotation 10 according to the invention comprises an arch 20 forming a circular arc whose centre is on the axis of rotation 63 . the arch 20 is fixed at each of its ends to a link part 30 making it possible to link the arch 20 to the framework of the solar tracker 60 . the link between each of the ends of the arch 20 with the link parts 30 is illustrated in detail in fig2 and 3 . each of the ends of the arch 20 has orifices passing through the arch 20 . here , there are two of these orifices . also , they are at right angles to a plane of the arch and come , when the arch 20 is mounted on the link parts 30 , to face equivalent orifices situated at an end of each of the link parts 30 . when the arch 20 is mounted on the link parts 30 , a screw 41 is introduced into each of the orifices passing through the arch 20 , then a first damping means 45 is positioned on each of the screws 41 , then the link part 30 is put in place on the two screws 41 so as to sandwich the first damping means 45 between the link part 30 and the arch 20 . then , each of the screws 41 has a second damping means 44 threaded onto it , followed by a washer 43 , the duly produced stack assembly then being tightened using a nut 42 screwed onto a threading situated at the end of each of the screws 41 . the first damping means 45 and the second damping means 44 are of “ silentbloc ” type . in particular , the first damping means 45 and the second damping means 44 take the form of washers or blocks made of elastomer of epdm ( ethylene - propylene - diene monomer ) type . the advantage of using an elastomer of epdm type is that it makes it possible to obtain first damping means 45 and second damping means 44 which withstand the outside conditions , that is to say , in particular , water and ultraviolet rays due to the solar radiation . once mounted , the link part 30 is , from the vibrational point of view , insulated from the arch 20 by the first 45 and second 44 damping means . other elastomers can be used for this purpose . in a variant embodiment , the first 45 and second 44 damping means form a single part so that , when mounting , the part is introduced through the orifice of the link parts 30 . other damping means can be used . referring to fig4 to 6 , there now follows a more detailed description of the arch 20 of the rotational movement system 10 according to the invention . the arch 20 comprises a profile member 21 . the profile member 21 is made of a metallic material , preferably of aluminium . in order to keep it as light as possible , the profile member 21 is hollow and has a rectangular section with the small sides respectively forming a radially outer periphery and a radially inner periphery of the arch 20 . the small sides are linked to one another by large sides forming flanks of the arch 20 . the profile member 21 is curved . one 210 of the flanks of the arch 20 comprises a gutter 29 delimited at the radially outer periphery and the radially inner periphery of the arch 20 by walls 23 extending facing one another and protruding from the flank 210 . furthermore , the walls 23 are inclined towards one another in order to form means for retaining a rack 22 in the gutter 29 . the teeth 22 are then added to the profile member 21 of the arch 20 by the insertion thereof into the gutter 29 . the rack 22 is produced in a plastic material possibly fibre - reinforced in order to form a composite plastic material . the rack 22 can be of a single piece . however , in a preferred embodiment , the rack 22 is made up of a series of plastic parts which are placed end to end in the gutter 29 . the rack 22 comprises , on one face , teeth 26 substantially at right angles to a longitudinal axis of the rack 22 . furthermore , the rack 22 comprises , on a face intended to be facing the flank 210 of the profile member 21 , a central rib 25 and lateral tabs 24 situated on either side of the central rib 25 . the tabs 24 extend laterally protruding from the rack 22 . the tabs 24 are continuous and extend along the rack 22 . in a variant , the tabs 24 are discontinuous . also , the tabs 24 have a beveled form arranged in such a way that , when one of the tabs 24 bears on the corresponding wall 23 of the gutter 29 , the beveled form of the tab 24 adopts the form of the inclined wall 23 . thus , when mounting the rack 22 in the gutter 29 of the profile member 21 of the arch 20 , the tabs cooperate with the lateral walls 23 of the gutter 29 so as to keep the rack 22 in the gutter 29 . in a first embodiment , the rack 22 is mounted to slide in the gutter 29 . such a mounting makes it possible to correctly position the rack 22 or the series of plastic parts forming the rack 22 on the arch 20 of the system for moving a solar tracker in rotation 10 according to the invention . once the rack is positioned , abutment - forming means 27 are positioned in the gutter 29 so as to block the rack 22 in position on the profile member 21 of the arch 20 . the abutments 27 are immobilized in position using fixing means 28 , here rivets . in a variant , the abutment - forming means 27 are arranged in such a way as to be retained by the lateral walls 23 of the gutter 29 . in a variant embodiment , the rack 22 or the series of plastic parts forming the rack 22 have lateral tabs 24 arranged in such a way as to allow the rack 22 to be clipped into the gutter 29 . other means for blocking the rack 22 in the gutter 29 are possible , such as riveting or screwing . when the abutment - forming means 27 are put in place , the rack 22 is compressed on itself between said abutment - forming means in such a way that one of the tabs 24 situated at the radially outer periphery of the arch 20 comes to bear on the corresponding wall 23 of the gutter 29 , the beveled form of the tab 24 ensuring , by cooperation with the corresponding wall 23 , that the rack 22 is kept immobile in the gutter 29 . referring to fig7 , the rotational movement system 10 according to the invention comprises means for driving the rack 22 of the arch 20 . these driving means comprise a cage 52 in which is formed a housing to receive a worm screw 50 . the worm screw 50 is received to move rotationally about its axis in said housing of the cage 52 and is driven by a shaft 51 in this rotational movement . once mounted to rotate in the cage 52 , the worm screw 50 , having an external threading , protrudes into an adjacent passage 55 . the passage 55 is u - shaped and open on a bottom part of the cage 52 . the passage 55 is intended to receive the arch 20 , in such a way that the rack 22 cooperates with the external threading of the worm screw 50 . in order to ensure this cooperation , the cage 52 has a cover 53 removably fixed to each of the ends 54 of the branches of the u delimiting the passage 55 . the cover 53 , once put in place on the cage 52 , makes it possible to avoid any disengagement of the teeth 26 of the rack 22 and of the threading of the worm screw 50 throughout the relative movement between the cage 52 and the arch 20 . in effect , before the disengagement occurs , the cover 53 comes to bear on the flank opposite the flank 210 of the profile member 21 , then ensuring the cooperation between the rack 22 of the arch 20 and the worm screw 50 . the worm screw 50 is made of stainless steel for example . the fact of using a rack made of plastic material coming into contact with a metal worm screw , in particular made of stainless steel , makes it possible to reduce the friction and therefore the vibrations which generate the screeching effects previously described while avoiding providing for greasing of the rack 22 and of the worm screw 50 . thus , any maintenance phases ( greasing ) are eliminated . however , the contact between the worm screw and the rack 22 does generate residual vibrations which are absorbed by the first 45 and second 44 damping means situated between the arch 20 and the parts 30 for mounting the arch on the solar tracker 60 . another advantage of mounting a rack made of plastic material in a gutter 29 formed on a flank 210 of the arch 20 is that it makes it possible to take up any mounting play , which can be significant , of the solar tracking device , like that illustrated in fig8 , comprising a system for moving a solar tracker in rotation 10 according to the invention . this allows for extremely simplified and rapid mounting and placement of the solar tracking device on its site s while ensuring optimum accuracy of the solar tracking during the operation of the solar tracking device comprising the system for moving a solar tracker in rotation 10 according to the invention . obviously , it is possible to add many modifications to the invention without in any way departing from the framework thereof . for example , the rack 22 can be positioned on an edge of the arch 20 , in particular on a radially outer peripheral edge . | 5 |
aperiodic csi report is triggered for a 1 st set aperiodic csi report is triggered for a 2 nd set when a csi report is triggered by a csi request field , ue feeds back csi through pusch resources designated in the dci format 0 . here , what csi will be fed back is determined according to a reporting mode . for example , which one of a wideband cqi , a ue - selective cqi , and a higher layer configuration cqi will be fed back is determined according to a reporting mode . furthermore , what kind of a pmi will be fed back is also determined along with a cqi . a pusch reporting mode is semi - statically configured through a higher layer message , and an example thereof is listed in table 5 below . unlike aperiodic csi feedback transmitted only when it is triggered through a pdcch , periodic csi feedback is semi - statically configured through a higher layer message . the periodicity n pd and subframe offset n offset , cqt of periodic csi feedback are transferred to ue as a higher layer message ( e . g ., an rrc message ) through a parameter called ‘ cqi - pmi - configindex ’ ( i . e ., i cqi / pmi ). a relationship between the parameter i cqi / pmi and the periodicity and subframe offset is listed in table 6 in case of fdd and in table 7 in case of tdd . ue must measure the reference signal of a specific resource region in order to feed back csi , for example , cqi . resources that must be measured in order to generated cqi are called cqi reference resources . it is assuemd that ue feeds back cqi in a ul subframe n . here , a cqi reference resource is defined as a group of dl physical resource blocks corresponding to a frequency band which is related to a cqi value in the frequency domain and is defined as one dl subframe n − n cqi — ref in the time domain . in periodic cqi feedback , n cqi — ref is the smallest value from among 4 or more values corresponding to a valid dl subframe . in aperiodic cqi feedback , n cqi — ref indicates a valid dl subframe including a ul dci format includnig a relevant cqi request . that is , cqi reference resource is a valid dl subframe including a cqi request filed in aperiodic cqi feedback . in aperiodic cqi feedback , if the dl subframe n − n cqi — ref is received after a subframe including a cqi request included in a random access response grant , n cqi — ref is 4 , and the dl subframe n − n cqi — ref corresponds to a valid dl subframe . a dl subframe is considered as a valid dl subframe to a ue if it meets the following conditions . 1 . the dl subframe is configured for the ue , 2 . except for transmission mode 9 , the dl subframe is not a multicast - broadcast single frequency network ( mbsfn ) subframe , 3 . the dl subframe does not contain a dwpts field in case the length of dwpts field is 7680t , and less ( here , 307200ts = 10 ms ), 4 . the dl subframe should not correspond to a configured measurement gap for the ue . if a valid dl subframe for cqi reference resources does not exist , cqi feedback is omitted in ul subframe n . in the layer domain , cqi reference resources are defined by any ri and pmi value on which the cqi is conditioned . in cqi reference resources , ue is operated under the following assumption in order to derive a cqi index . 1 . in cqi reference resources , the first 3 ofdm symbols are occupied by a control signal . 2 . in cqi reference resources , there is no resource element used by a primary synchronization signal ( pss ), a secondary synchronization signal ( sss ), or a physical broadcast channel ( pbch ). 3 . in cqi reference resources , the cp length of a non - mbsfn subframe is assumed . table below shows the transmission modes of a pdsch assumed for cqi reference resources . in the transmission mode 9 and a feedback ( reporting ) mode thereof , ue performs channel measurement for calculating cqi based on only a csi - rs . in other transmission modes and relevant reporting modes , ue performs channel measurement for calculating cqi based on a cell - specific rs ( crs ). ue reports the highest cqi index value of cqi indices 1 to 15 shown in table below under a specific condition . the specific condition includes a modulation scheme corresponding to a cqi index and that a single pdsch transport block having a transport block size must be received within a 0 . 1 error probability when the single pdsch transport block occupies cqi reference resources . a cqi index fed back by ue and its meanings are listed in table below . in a multi - node system , a plurality of nodes or a node group may be allocated to ue , and different reference signals may be used in respective nodes or a node group . in this case , a bs may request aperiodic csi feedback ( reporting ) for a plurality of reference signals from ue . in response to the request , the ue may measure the plurality of reference signals and report csi ( e . g ., a cqi ) on each of the reference signals . fig1 illustrates a plurality of csi - rss that should be measured by one ue . referring to fig1 , a csi - rs # 0 and a csi - rs # 1 may be configured for ue . the csi - rs # 0 may be a csi - rs transmitted by a node # n , and the csi - rs # 1 may be a csi - rs transmitted by a node # m . the transmission periodicity of the csi - rs # 0 may be identical with the transmission periodicity of the csi - rs # 1 . for example , the csi - rs # 0 may be transmitted in a subframe n + 10m ( m is 0 or a natural number ). the csi - rs # 1 may be transmitted in a subframe n + 1 + 10m . as shown in fig1 , csi - rss transmitted in different subframes may be configured for the same ue , but not limited thereto . that is , a plurality of csi - rss transmitted in the same subframe may be configured for the same ue . fig1 shows an example in which a plurality of csi - rss transmitted in the same subframe is configured for the same ue . referring to fig1 , csi - rs # 0 and # 1 are transmitted in a subframe n . the csi - rs # 0 may be a csi - rs transmitted by a node # n , and the csi - rs # 1 may be a csi - rs transmitted by a node # m . as described above , a plurality of csi - rss may be configured for the same ue . here , if a bs requests aperiodic csi from the ue , the ue must send a csi request field ( e . g ., a cqi request field ) in each subframe in which the reference signal is transmitted , in a conventional method . if , as in a multiple node system , a plurality of reference signals is transmitted to ue in different subframes , inefficiency may occur and resources may be wasted in a conventional method because a csi request field must be repeatedly transmitted in each subframe . in order to solve the problems , the present invention provides a method of performing aperiodic csi feedback for a plurality of reference signals in such a manner that a bs triggers csi feedback by sending a csi request field to ue once . fig1 shows a method of ue sending csi according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , the ue receives reference signal configuration information corresponding to each node at step s 110 . the reference signal configuration information may be received through a higher layer signal , such as an rrc message , and it may inform that what reference signal is transmitted by each node . for example , the reference signal configuration information may inform the configuration of a csi - rs transmitted by each node . the ue receives a csi request field at step s 120 . the csi request field triggers aperiodic csi reporting for the ue . the existing csi request field includes a request for csi feedback for a specific cell or a specific carrier . in contrast , the csi request field according to the present invention may include a request for csi feedback for a plurality of reference signals . as shown in table 11 , if a value of the csi request field is ‘ 100 ’ or ‘ 101 ’, a csi report on a first or second set of reference signals may be triggered . the first set or the second set may denote a set of reference signals configured by a higher layer signal , and the reference signal may be a csi - rs transmitted by each node . for example , the first set may be a set of a plurality of reference signals transmitted in different subframes , as in the csi - rss # 0 and # 1 illustrated in fig1 . furthermore , the second set may be a set of a plurality of reference signals transmitted in the same subframe , as in the csi - rss # 0 and # 1 illustrated in fig1 . however , table 11 is only illustrative , and the first or second set may denote a combination of other reference signals or a combination of other nodes . for example , a csi request field may include 1 . a request for csi when only some of antenna ports in which a specific csi - rs is transmitted participate in pdsch transmission or 2 . a request for csi when all antenna ports in which a csi - rs is transmitted participate in pdsch transmission . from a viewpoint of ue , a csi request field may be included in dci and received through pdcchs . the dci including the csi request field may be pieces of dci for scheduling puschs , such as the dci format 0 and the dci format 4 . in some embodiments , the csi request field may be received through a higher layer signal , such as an rrc message . the ue measures a plurality of reference signals in response to the csi request field and generates csi on each of the reference signals at step s 130 . the csi may be a cqi , but not limited , and it is evident that the csi may include a rank indicator ( ri ), a precoding matrix indicator ( pmi ), etc . the ue sends the csi on each of the reference signals through pusch resources at step s 140 . the pusch resources may exist within one subframe or may exist within a plurality of subframes . a process in which ue generates csi in response to a csi request field and then sends the csi through pusch resources is described in detail below . in the present invention , a csi request field is not transmitted in all subframes whose reference signals must be measured in order to generate csi . that is , in the prior art , if a csi request field is included in a dci format including ul scheduling information , ue measures a reference signal in a valid dl subframe in which the csi request field has been received and generates csi based on the measurement . in contrast , in the present invention , if reference signals that must be measured by ue are placed in a plurality of subframes , a csi request field may be transmitted in only some of the plurality of subframes . ue may know that csi on what reference signal must be generated based on a value of a csi request field and also know the transmission cycle , subframe offset , pattern , etc . of each reference signal through a higher layer signal , such as an rrc message . accordingly , ue may know the position of a reference signal ( i . e ., csi reference resources ), that is , the subject of measurement through a csi request field and a higher layer signal . fig1 shows a method of transmitting a csi request field and feeding back csi according to an embodiment of the present invention . it is assumed that ue is requested to report aperiodic csi on csi - rss which are transmitted in subframes n and n + 1 . referring to fig1 , a bs sends a csi request field in the subframe n through dci including pusch scheduling information . furthermore , the bs sends the csi - rss in the subframe n and the subframe n + 1 . in this case , ue analyzes csi reference resources up to the subframe n + 1 without being limited to the subframe n . that is , the ue includes the valid dl subframe n + 1 , placed posterior to the subframe n including the csi request field , in the csi reference resources . fig1 shows another method of transmitting a csi request field and feeding back csi according to an embodiment of the present invention . it is assumed that ue is requested to report aperiodic csi on csi - rss which are transmitted in subframes n and n + 1 . referring to fig1 , a bs sends a csi request field through dci , including pusch scheduling information , in the subframe n + 1 . the ue includes the valid dl subframe n , placed anterior to the subframe n + 1 including the csi request field , in the csi reference resources . that is , in the prior art , csi on only a subframe in which a csi request field is transmitted is measured . in contrast , in the present invention , csi is measured with consideration taken of a subframe in which a csi request field is not transmitted , and the measured csi is reported . fig1 and 14 show examples in which ue sends csi on csi - rss received in a plurality of subframes through a single subframe , but not limited thereto . that is , ue may send csi through a plurality of subframes . in this case , dci including a csi request field may include pieces of pusch scheduling information for scheduling a plurality of pusch resources . in some embodiments , a plurality of pusch resources may be previously defined so that they are consecutively allocated physically or logically . in this case , a piece of pusch scheduling information and the number of allocated puschs may be informed so that the plurality of pusch resources can be scheduled . in the present invention , the multiple node system has been described as an example in order to help understanding of contents , but not limited thereto . that is , the present invention may be applied to any system in which multiple csi - rss are configured . furthermore , a cqi has been chiefly described as an example of csi , but an ri , a pmi , etc . may become an example of csi . fig1 is a block diagram showing a bs and ue . the bs 100 includes a processor 110 , memory 120 , and a radio frequency ( rf ) unit 130 . the processor 110 implements the proposed functions , processes , and methods . for example , the processor 110 may send reference signal configuration information , informing the configuration of reference signals allocated to each node , to ue . furthermore , the processor 110 may send a csi request field , but the csi request field is transmitted in only some of subframes in which a plurality of reference signals is transmitted . the memory 120 is coupled to the processor 110 and is configured to store various pieces of information for driving the processor 110 . the rf unit 130 is coupled to the processor 110 and is configured to send and / or receive radio signals . the rf unit 130 may be formed of a plurality of nodes coupled to the bs 100 in a wired manner . the ue 200 includes a processor 210 , memory 220 , and an rf unit 230 . the processor 210 performs the above - described functions and methods . for example , the processor 210 may receive reference signal configuration information and a csi request field from a bs or a node . the csi request field may be included in dci or received through a higher layer signal , such as an rrc message . the ue generates csi on a plurality of reference signals ( e . g ., csi - rss transmitted by respective nodes ) based on a value of a csi request field and sends the csi . in this case , the csi - rss may be received in a plurality of subframes or may be received in a single subframe . the generated csi may be transmitted through a single pusch or a plurality of puschs . the memory 220 is coupled to the processor 210 and is configured to store various pieces of information for driving the processor 210 . the rf unit 230 is coupled to the processor 210 and is configured to send and / or receive radio signals . the processor 110 , 210 may include application - specific integrated circuits ( asics ), other chipsets , logic circuits , or data processors and / or converters for mutually converting baseband signals and radio signals . the memory 120 , 220 may include read - only memory ( rom ), random access memory ( ram ), flash memory , memory cards , storage media and / or other storage devices . the rf unit 130 , 230 may include one or more antennas for transmitting and / or receiving radio signals . when an embodiment is implemented in software , the above - described scheme may be implemented using a module ( process or function ) that performs the above function . the module may be stored in the memory 120 , 220 and executed by the processor 110 , 210 . the memory 120 , 220 may be placed inside or outside the processor 110 , 210 and connected to the processor 110 , 210 using a variety of well - known means . the present invention may be implemented using hardware , software , or a combination of them . in hardware implementations , the present invention may be implemented using application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), digital signal processors ( dsps ), programmable logic devices ( plds ), field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ), processors , controllers , microprocessors , other electronic units , or a combination of them , which are designed to perform the above function . in software implementations , the present invention may be implemented using a module performing the above function . the software may be stored in the memory and executed by the processor . the memory or the processor may adopt various means well known to those skilled in the art . although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail , a person having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims . accordingly , a change of future embodiments of the present invention may not deviate from the technology of the present invention . | 7 |
it has been found that ec , a water - insoluble , hydrophobic cellulose ether , which is commonly used as a drug release retarding agent in barrier film coatings or hydrophobic non - disintegrating matrix tablets , can act as a synergistic tablet binder for rapidly disintegrating tablet formulations . ec , a non - hygroscopic , non - reactive tablet binder can readily be dry blended or co - processed ( for example by co - milling or through use of agglomeration techniques including but not limited to roller compaction and wet granulation ) with other formulation components to provide the combined attributes of fast disintegration ( less than 60 seconds and frequently less than 20 seconds ), relative inertness , near ph neutrality , ease of manufacturing by conventional direct compression tablet technology , and high tablet robustness as defined by low tablet friability ( less than 1 % and frequently less than 0 . 5 % friable by weight ). the invention also provides for tablet formulations with low hygroscopicity prior to compression into tablets and tablets also have very low hygroscopicity , not withstanding the fast dispersion in water . typical moisture uptake is less than 2 % ( on a dry weight basis ) at 50 % relative humidity and 25 ° c . ethylcellulose ( ec ) is a cellulose ether that is versatile with many uses . a preferred ec is described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 592 , 901 , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . the following grade types of ec are commercially available from hercules incorporated : types k , n , and t of ec are used in food and food contact applications . more specifically , k and t are used for food and contact such as paper or paperboard in contact with food . n types were used as a binder or coating in pharmaceutical applications . type x is used in inks and other industrial applications . while any grade of ec is of utility in this invention , the use of optimized direct compression grades such as high ethoxyl , low viscosity ec ( t10 ec pharm grade , available from aqualon division , a business unit of hercules incorporated ), is especially preferred . this ec type combines high compressibility with good powder flow characteristics . other commercially available grades of ec with lower ethoxyl and lower or higher viscosity ( such as n7 , n10 , n14 , n22 , n50 and n100 pharm grade ec , all available from aqualon division , a business unit of hercules incorporated ), while possibly less effective than t10 ec pharm grade , are also useful in the tablet formulations of the current invention . it is well known in the art how to make ec . normally , either chemical grade cotton linters or wood pulp is used to prepare ec . the sequence of chemical reactions is similar to that for methylation of cellulose . in commercial practice , sodium hydroxide concentrations of 50 % or higher are used to prepare the alkali cellulose . staged additions of solid sodium hydroxide during the reactions can be used to reduce side reactions . ethyl chloride is added to the alkali cellulose in nickel - clad reactors at 90 - 150 ° c . and 828 to 965 kpa ( 120 to 140 psi ) for 6 - 12 hours . diluents such as benzene or toluene can be used . at the end of the reaction , the volatiles such as ethyl chloride , diethyl ether , ethanol , and diluent are recovered and recycled . the ethylcellulose in solution is precipitated in the form of granules with further recovery of the carrier solvents . washing with water completes the processing . control of metallic impurities is important to achieve stability during storage . anitoxidants can also be incorporated to inhibit loss of viscosity . while any grade of ec is of utility in this invention , a preferred ec of use in the present invention has a higher ethoxyl content ( greater than 49 . 6 %) and simultaneously a low viscosity ( less than 53 cps ) and the average particle size is greater than 50 micrometers . the preferred ec of use in the present invention has an ethoxyl content lower limit of 49 . 6 %, preferably 49 . 8 %, and more preferably 50 . 0 %. the upper limit of the ethoxyl content of the ec is 54 . 88 %, preferably 53 . 0 % and more preferably and more preferably 52 . 0 %. the viscosity of the ec is less than 53 . 0 cps , preferably less than 25 cps and more preferably less than about 17 cps , with a lower limit of about 3 cps . the ec binder is co - formulated with typical disintegrants and other common tablet aids such as fillers and tablet lubricants and flow aids . typical disintegrants include and may be selected from the group consisting of cross - linked povidone , sodium cross carmellose ( cross - linked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose ), sodium starch glycollate , low substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose , and guar . low - substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose may be defined as having a hydroxypropoxyl content in the range of 5 . 0 to 16 . 0 % by weight and an apparent average degree of polymerization in the range of 350 to 700 . low - substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 380 , 381 , incorporated herein by reference . suitable fillers include sucrose , lactose , dextrose , mannitol , xylitol , sorbitol , lactiol , maltodexrin , isomalt , polydextrose , starch and microcrystalline cellulose . lubricants and flow aids include metal stearates , such as magnesium and calcium stearate , stearic acid , hydrogenated vegetable oils , poletheylene glycols , amino acids , stearyl fumarate , talc and colloidal silicone dioxide . other additives which are typically used in small amounts but are important for organoleptic enhancements include sweetners , flavors , tastemasking agents and colorants . examples of sweeteners include sucralose , sodium saccharin , acesulfame k and aspartame . examples of flavoring and tastemasking agents include peppermint , citrus and vanilla extracts , amino acid derivatives such as glutamic acid based derivatives . the above is not meant to be an exhaustive list of possible organoleptic enhancing aids . suitable use levels of ec are 1 - 20 %, more preferably 3 - 18 % and most preferably 5 - 15 %. suitable use levels for disintegrant are 2 - 15 %, more preferably 3 - 12 % and most preferably 5 - 10 %. suitable lubricant levels range from 0 . 1 % to 2 . 5 %. more preferably 0 . 25 to 2 . 0 % and most preferably 0 . 5 % to 1 . 5 %. while any grade of ec is of utility in this invention , the use of optimized direct compression grades such as high ethoxyl , low viscosity ec ( t10 ec pharm grade , available from aqualon division , a business unit of hercules incorporated ), is especially preferred . this ec type combines high compressibility with good powder flow characteristics . other commercially available grades of ec with lower ethoxyl and lower or higher viscosity ( such as n7 , n10 , n14 , n22 , n50 and n100 pharm grade ec , all available from aqualon division , a business unit of hercules incorporated ), while possibly less effective than t10 ec pharm grade , are also useful in the tablet formulations of the current invention . the rapidly disintegrating , low friable tablet formulation of the present invention also can be combined with an active pharmaceutical ingredient or medicaments to prepare a formulation suitable for tableting or pelletizing . one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients may be combined in a single dosage form , depending on the chemical compatibility of the combined active ingredients and the ability to obtain the desired release rate from the dosage form for each active ingredient . the determination of the effective amount of the medicament per dosage unit is easily determined by skilled clinicians . representative types of active pharmaceutical ingredients include antacids , anti - inflammatory substances , anti - infectives , psychotropics , antimanics , anti - parkinson &# 39 ; s agents , anti - alzheimer &# 39 ; s agents , anti - parkinson &# 39 ; s agents , anti - alzheimer &# 39 ; s agents , stimulants , antihistamines , laxatives , decongestants , nutritional supplements , gastrointestinal sedatives , antidiarrheal preparations , antianginal drugs , antiarrhythmics , antihypertensive drugs , vasoconstrictors and migraine treatments , anticoagulants and anti - thrombotic drugs , analgesics , anti - pyretics , hypnotics , sedatives , antiemetics , anti - nauseants , anticonvulsants , neuromuscular drugs , hyper - and hypoglycemic agents , thyroid and antithyroid preparations , diuretics , antispasmodics , uterine relaxants , mineral and nutritional additives , anti - obesity drugs , anabolic drugs , erythropoietic drugs , antiasthmatics , expectorants , cough suppressants , mucolytics , antiuricemic drugs , topical analgesics , local anesthetics , polypeptide drugs , anti - hiv drugs , anti - diabetic agents , chemotherapeutic and anti - neoplastic drugs . examples of specific active pharmaceutical ingredients include aluminum hydroxide , prednisolone , dexamethasone , aspirin , acetaminophen , ibuprofen , isosorbide dinitrate , nicotinic acid , tetracycline , ampicillin , dexbrompheniramine , chlorpheniramine , albuterol pseudoephedrine , loratadine , theophylline , ascorbic acid , tocopherol , pyridoxine , methoclopramide , magnesium hydroxide , verapamil , procainamide hydrochloride , propranolol , captopril , ergotamine , furazepam , diazepam , lithium carbonate , insulin , furosemide , hydrochlorothiazide , guaiphenesin , dextromethorphan , benzocaine , ondansetron , cetrizine , dimenhydrinate , diphenhydramine , vitamin b12 , famotidine , ranitidine , omerpazole , rabeprazole , esomeprazole , sildenafil , tadalafil , atorvastatin , simvastatin , valsartan , lorsartan , donepezil , galantamine , rivastigmine , carbidopa , levodopa , sertaline , pramipexole and ropinirole . it should be understood that any active pharmaceutical ingredients that is physically and chemically compatible with the ec of the present invention and other dosage form ingredients can be used in the present invention . in the below mentioned examples , a cross linked cmc level of 5 % by weight of the total formulation was found to be highly effective , yielding fast disintegration and low friability . it is however expected that depending on a formulation requirements e . g ., drug solubility , load and desired disintegration time , the disintegrant level may vary between 2 and 15 % by weight of the formulation . however , a distinguishing advantage of the current invention is that even though a formulation contains 25 % of a hydrophobic drug , dimenhydrinate , the tablet none the less disintegrates in about 15 seconds while only requiring 5 % by weight disintegrant — low levels of disintegrant in combination with a non - hygroscopic ec therefore decrease the hygroscopicity of the overall formulation . similarly , a t10 ec level of 5 - 10 % by weight was found to be highly effective in reducing tablet friability and maintaining low disintegration time . however it is understood that depending on formulation characteristics , especially compactibility characteristics and mechanical properties and dose of drug , the level of ec binder may vary from 1 to 20 % by weight of the total formulation . the following examples will serve to illustrate the invention , parts and percentages being by weight unless otherwise indicated . in accordance with astm d4794 , ethoxyl content was determined by a zeisel ( sealed ) tube method by reacting ec with hydriodic acid , liberating one mole of ethyl iodide for each mole of ethoxyl substitution on the cellulose chain . the ethyl iodide was then extracted with o - xylene and quantitated by gas chromatography using toluene as an internal standard . a typical set of apparatus , reagents and procedures for this test are listed below : 1 . gas chromatograph , perkin - elmer 900 , or equivalent equipped with thermal conductivity detector , chart recorder , and integrator . 2 . column 6 ′. times . ⅛ ″ stainless steel packed with 10 % sp - 2100 on 100 / 120 supelcoport , supelco , inc ., bellefonte , pa . upon receipt , columns were conditioned overnight at 200 ° c . 3 . reacti - vials , 5 ml , equipped with mininert valves . ( pierce chemical co ., # 13223 and # 10135 ). 4 . silli - therm heating module , 110 v , 19791 , pierce chemical co ., rockford , ill . 6 cover , stainless steel , fabricated to cover six ( 6 ) reacti - bar 21 units on the silli - therm heating module 7 dispenser 0 - 5 ml , labindustries repipet , or equivalent . syringe , 100 . mu . l , hamilton 710 n or equivalent . 9 micro - set pipet adjusted to deliver 2 . 0 ml ( lancer product # 8885 - 890007 ). 1 dried about 0 . 5 grams of sample in 105 ° c . oven for 1 hour . 3 into a tared 5 ml reacti - vial , weighed 0 . 05 - 0 . 08 gram of cooled sample . recorded weight to the nearest 0 . 0001 gram , samples were run in duplicate or triplicate . 4 added 2 ml of hydriodic acid using a transfer pipet . capped sample . 5 added 2 ml of internal standard solution using the repipet dispenser or equivalent . 6 immediately recapped vials with mininert valve tops and shook vials . monitored block temperature at 180 +/− 5 ° c . with a thermometer . 7 placed vials into block and replaced metal cover . kept samples behind safety shield while heating . 10 shook each sample vigorously and allowed to stand for about 20 minutes . 11 chromatographed 1 . 0 mu . l of the upper solvent layer of each sample on the gas chromatograph . viscosity was determined by preparing a 5 % solution of ec in a toluene : ethanol ( 80 : 20 ) solvent mixture . viscosity of the solution was measured using a hercules horizontal capillary viscometer ( following astm d914 - 00 , 33 . 1 ). the list of apparatus , reagents and procedures are described below . 6 . viscometer , hercules horizontal capillary viscometer — calibrated to give viscosity readings in centipoise . 1 . determined the temperature of the 80 : 20 solvent to be used . the temperature of the solvent must be between 20 and 30 ° c . if 111 . 8 ml . burette is to be used in this determination . 3 . measured 111 . 8 ml . of 80 : 20 solvent from burette ( the equivalent of 95 . 0 grams of solvent ) into an 8 - oz . bottle . added the sample to the solvent , making an effort to disperse the sample and avoid lumping . covered the neck of the bottle with a sheet of cellophane and applied the screw cap . 4 . placed the sample on a shaker and allowed it to shake until dissolution is complete . 5 . placed the bottle into a 25 ° c . bath for 30 minutes and the solution was free of air bubbles . 6 . with the viscometer in the raised position ( reservoir vertical ), filled the reservoir to the etched mark . made sure that no air remained trapped in the sample . placed a finger over the end of the capillary . released brace and carefully lowered the viscometer to horizontal . ( it was essential that the liquid was allowed to come to an equilibrium level before placing the finger over the end of the capillary and lowering it to the horizontal .) 7 . released the finger and measured the time for the liquid to flow from the first to the second mark in the capillary tube . reported as time t . 8 . calculated the viscosity as follows : n = td / d where : n = viscosity , cps . t = time of flow for the sample d = density of sample solution at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 86 ) d = density of the oil used for calibration of the viscometer . friability is measured by placing an accurately weighed sample of 20 tablets in the drum of a standard roche - type friabilator and rotating the drum for 250 rotations . % friability is then calculated as the % weight loss of the de - dusted tablets after rotation relative to the same sample of tablets prior to rotation in the friabilator . disintegration time is measured by placing 6 tablets into a standard usp disintegration apparatus without disc inserts . the tablets are then dipped and reciprocated in a ph 6 . 8 phosphate buffer solution ( as defined in the usp ) and carefully observed and timed . disintegration time is recorded as the time where no discernible tablet core remains and all the pieces of the disintegrated tablet have fallen through the mesh screen of the disintegration cell . the temperature of the test solution is 37 ° c .+/− 1 ° c . for all examples , the various formulation components , with exception of magnesium stearate and stearic acid , were first dry blended in a patterson - kelly v - type blender for 15 minutes . magnesium stearate and stearic acid were then added to the mixture through a 20 mesh screen , and the entire mass was then blended for another 3 minutes . tablets were then directly compressed at 37 rpm on an instrumented manesty beta press , equipped with ¼ ″ standard concave tooling , except where larger tooling is indicated . a target weight of 100 mg was set , except where a different weight is indicated . tablets were compressed at 5 kn and approximately 8 kn of compressive force for examples using ¼ ″ standard concave tooling . for larger tooling , 15 , 20 and 25 kn compressive force was used . for larger tooling 15 , 20 and 25 kn compressive force was used . tablet crushing strength was determined by diametrically compressing tablets using a key pharmatest ht500s hardness tester . a 500 gram batch of dry blended powder without ec was prepared and then tableted into 100 mg . tablets as a control formulation : table 1 . resultant crushing strength , friability and disintegration times for the control formulation in example 1 . tablets were made at 5 kn and 8 kn compression force using a rotary tablet press . the combination of mannitol and croscarmellose were able to provide relatively fast disintegration of a tablet comprising 25 % of a low soluble drug , dimenhydrinate . however , tablet friability was unacceptably high at 9 % weight loss . a 500 gram batch of dry blended powder was prepared as above , however a low viscosity water soluble binder klucel ® exf pharm hydroxypropyl cellulose , available from aqualon division , a business unit of hercules incorporated was added and tableted into 100 mg . tablets : table 2 . resultant crushing strength , friability and disintegration times for the control formulation in example 2 . tablets were made at 5 kn and 8 kn compression force using a rotary tablet press . a 500 gram batch of dry blended powder was prepared as above in comparative example 2 , however in place hydroxypropyl cellulose , water insoluble t10 pharm ec , available from aqualon division , a business unit of hercules incorporated , was substituted in the composition and tableted into 100 mg . tablets : table 3 . resultant crushing strength , friability and disintegration times for the control formulation in example 1 . tablets were made at 5 kn and 8 kn compression force using a rotary tablet press . substitution of hydroxypropyl cellulose with t10 pharm ec was effective in maintaining the low friability and improved tablet strength relative to control , and was also effective in maintaining a rapid disintegration time of less than 30 seconds . a 500 gram batch of dry blended powder was prepared as above in example 1 , however in place of 15 % water insoluble t10 pharm ec only 10 % of t10 pharm ec was included and tableted into 100 mg . tablets : table 4 . resultant crushing strength , friability and disintegration times for the control formulation in example 2 . tablets were made at 5 and 8 kn compression force using a rotary tablet press . reducing the ec component from 15 % to 10 % did not compromise low tablet friability while providing rapid disintegration times similar to those of the control . a 500 gram batch of dry blended powder was prepared as above in example 2 , however in place of 10 % water insoluble t10 pharm ec only 5 % of t10 pharm ec was included and tableted into 100 mg . tablets : table 5 . resultant crushing strength , friability and disintegration times for the control formulation in example 3 . tablets were made at 5 kn and 8 kn compression force using a rotary tablet press . reducing the ec component from 10 % to 5 % again allowed significant improvements in tablet friability relative to the control in comparative example 1 , while maintaining rapid disintegration times below 30 seconds . a 500 gram batch of dry blended powder was prepared as above in example 2 , however in place of dimenhydrinate , 25 % directly compressible ( pre - granulated ) acetaminophen granulation was included . the tablet weight was increased from 100 mg used in comparative examples 1 - 2 and examples 1 - 3 to 120 mg . : table 6 . resultant crushing strength , friability and disintegration times for the control formulation in example 2 . tablets were made at 5 kn , 8 kn and 15 kn compression force using a rotary tablet press . acetaminophen is commonly known as a poorly compressible drug . the data show that the formulation system is able to accommodate a series of different physico - chemical drug characteristics while maintaining low friability and rapid disintegration . a 500 gram batch of dry blended powder was prepared as above in example 4 , however in addition to granular mannitol , 10 % liquid sorbitol was added after initial dry blending of drug , ethylcellulose , mannitol , croscarmellose . the liquid sorbitol ( 70 % sorbitol in 30 % water ) was added gradually while mixing to form a homogenous , “ dry to the touch ”, free flowing powder . the amount of ethylcellulose and croscarmelose were also increased . after lubricant addition the 120 mg tablets were then compressed as in example 4 . a 500 gram batch of dry blended powder was prepared as above in example 5 , however in place of liquid sorbitol , 10 % spray dried sorbitol was used . the tablets were compressed using ⅝ ″ round troche tooling with circular elevation in the center of the punch face , such that the center of the tablet was thinner than the perimeter of the tablet . tablet target weight was 900 mg and tablets were compressed at 15 , 20 and 25 kn . examples 5 and 6 show the versatility of the system with regard to different tablet sizes and geometries , as well as inclusion of a diverse range of and physical forms of sugar alcohols and ingredients . it is not intended that the examples presented here should be construed to limit the invention , but rather they are submitted to illustrate some of the specific embodiments of the invention . | 0 |
referring initially to fig1 an exemplary medical imaging apparatus suitable to practice the present invention includes an imaging source 10 which generates a series of temporally spaced image representations 12 . while the discussion above has focused on mr scans , those skilled in the art will appreciate that any source of imaging data ( e . g . x - rays ct , pet , spect and the like ) will function with equal efficacy where specific contrast agents are employed or tailored to the imaging modality used . the image representations are stored in an image memory 16 for subsequent processing and / or display . a perfusion processor 20 is in data communication with the memory 16 and includes four components : 1 ) a motion correcting algorithm 22 that applies a temporal correction , alignment or registration of the plurality of digital image representations , such as the pre - and post contrast images ; 2 ) a filtration algorithm 24 that spatially classifies or filters pixels in a region of interest on each of the digital image representations in spatial domain ; 3 ) a verification algorithm 26 which establishes regional correspondence between selected classified pixels over successive digital image representations in temporal domain ; and , 4 ) a quantification perfusion algorithm 28 where the statistical analysis of the filtered regions is performed and uptake curves of gad &# 39 ; s ability to perfuse in tissues are generated . with reference now to fig2 an object - process flowchart illustrates a functional relationship of the four components . following a brief description here of each of the components , a more detailed discussion is provided with components broken out separately . the motion correcting algorithm 22 corrects the images for motion induced during the collection of the temporally spaced image representations . this motion can be from any of a variety of sources such as respiration , muscle flex and the like . this motion correction can alternately be seen as image correction or image alignment where the images of the post gad contrast are registered with respect to the pre - contrast images / volume . a correction method uses the maximization of mutual information , while a registration process uses the multi - resolution approach for correction . generally , this approach iteratively shrinks or reduces the size along with smoothing of the images by half until the images are registered . details of these methods will be more fully discussed below . the output of the motion correcting algorithm 22 is the corrected temporal sequence 30 . the corrected temporal sequence 30 is provided to the filtration algorithm 24 that spatially classifies or filters pixels in a region of interest on each of the temporally spaced digital image representations . in other words , filtration algorithm 24 filters out the pixels which do not contribute to the image enhancement or which has not perfused in the tissue . this has the desirable effect of reducing image processing loading by ignoring pixels that are determined to be of little consequence to the contrast agent detection . these pixels are only searched in the region of interest as specified for all the temporal frames of the image sequence . the remaining or contributing pixels 32 are selected , converted to binary regions and passed for further processing such as region correspondence 26 and perfusion quantification 28 . with continued reference to fig2 the contributing pixels 32 are forwarded to the a verification algorithm 26 which establishes regional correspondence between the selected or contributing classified pixels over successive digital image representations . thus , the verification algorithm 26 takes binary regions as input from each of the temporal sequence images and computes textural properties 34 of the selected regions . the textural properties 34 of each of these regions are checked for consistency 36 such as a monotonic pattern or other closely related properties among sequential image representations and , if consistent are passed to the quantification perfusion algorithm 28 . if not consistent , the regions are fed back into the prior algorithms 22 , 24 and 26 until consistency is achieved . the verified regions are then provided to the quantification perfusion algorithm 28 where the statistical analysis of the filtered regions is performed and uptake curves of contrast agent are generated . here the mean , variance , standard deviation and slopes of the filtered regions are computed in the temporal sequence and lesions are characterized . with reference now to fig3 ( your fig . # 5 ), a detailed illustration of an embodiment of the motion correcting or temporal correction algorithm 22 is shown . the initial or reference data volume 40 undergoes smoothing 42 , followed by the optimization of the transformation parameters 44 . the optimization of the transformation parameters 44 is achieved given the initial transformation 46 , and two regions 48 from the reference image volumes . the output is a new transformation matrix t . an alignment algorithm 54 checks for the convergence by comparing the previous t with the new t ( over an average ) and if the convergence is achieved , the system exits and computes the new registered volume 56 . if convergence is not achieved , then the test volume undergoes the down sampling or image size reduction along with smoothing 58 and the process is repeated , until the convergence is achieved . more particularly , convergence is determined by minimizing the entropy or disorder among successively smaller sub - sets of image pixels . this is represented mathematically with the equation shown below of the entropy of a point in an image using the gaussian function g ψ . the probability density estimate given the parzen window estimate ψ is given as : p ( x ) = 1 n a ∑ xi ∈ a g ψ ( x i - x j ) where g ψ is defined as : g ψ ( z i - z j ) = 1 2 ∏ ψ exp [ ( z i - z j ) 2 ψ ] the expectation value is approximated by averaging over evaluation of p ( x ) by taking averaging over another set of random samples b of size n b . thus the entropy expression is given as : h ( x ) = - 1 n b ∑ xj ∈ b log [ p ( xj ) ] substituting the value of p ( x ) in the above expression we get the entropy h ( z ) as : h ( z ) = - 1 n b ∑ xi ∈ b log [ 1 n a ∑ xj ∈ a g ψ ( z i - z j ) ] where , g ψ is defined as : g ψ ( z i - z j ) = 1 2 ∏ ψ exp [ ( z i - z j ) 2 ψ ] image registration can also be accomplished through mutual information / entropy and stochastic gradient algorithms to register the post - contrast gad images . mutual information is defined mathematically as : where , h ( u ) and h ( v ) are the entropies of random variables u and v , while h ( u , v ) is the joint entropy . for estimating the best transformation , we need to find the rate of change of mutual information i . thus the equation for new transformation is given as : t i + 1 = t i + λ ( i t ) an expression of rate of change of mutual information di / dt is achieved by taking the derivative of h ( u ), h ( v ) and h ( u , v ) with respect to t , the transformation . since u is independent of t , the rate of change of h ( u )/ dt = 0 . the only components which contribute to the di / dt are the h ( v ) and h ( u , v ). we here show the expression of d ( h ( v ( t ( x )))/ dt and the same can be applied to d ( h ( u , v ( t ( x ))))/ dt . using the property of derivative of logarithm and exponentials d ( h ( u ( t ( x )))/ dt can be given as : ∂ ∂ t h [ v ( t ( x ) ] = - 1 n b ∑ xj ∈ b ∑ xi ∈ a wv ( vi , vj ) ( vj - vi ) ψ v ∂ ∂ t ( vj - vi ) performing a similar operation for the joint entropy h ( u , v ), we get the expression as : ∂ ∂ t h [ w ( u , v ( t ( x ) ) ] = - 1 n b ∑ xj ∈ b ∑ xi ∈ a w uv ( w i , w j ) ( wj - wi ) ψ uv ∂ ∂ t ( v j - v i ) joining the above two terms and plugging in the derivative of mutual information , we get : i t = - 1 n b ∑ xi ∈ b ∑ xj ∈ a ( vi - vj ) [ w v ( vi , vj ) ψ v - w uv ( w t , w j ) ψ uv ] ( v i - v j ) t d / dt ( v i - v j ) an important component in the above equation is given as : d / dt ( v i - v j )=∇[ v (( t ( x i ))] x i t this expression is given as : / t ( v i - v j ) = / t ( v i ) - / t ( v j ) = / t ( v [ t ( x i ) ] ) - / t ( v [ t ( x j ) ] ) = [ ∇ x v i ∇ x v j 1 ] t 3 × 1 [ x i y i 1 ] 1 × 3 - [ ∇ x v j ∇ x v j 1 ] t 3 × 1 [ x i y i 1 ] 1 × 3 accordingly , the convergence decision 54 is reached when the solution to the difference between the resulting 3 × 3 matrices does not change over a course of iterations . referring now to fig4 the registration is performed in a coarse - to - fine fashion on a hierarchy of images that are generated by successive smoothing 42 ( fig3 ) and reduction 58 ( fig3 ). smoothing is performed by convolving the binomial kernel { 1 , 4 , 6 , 4 , 1 } and subsequent reduction is accomplished by deleting alternating samples . this scheme generates an approximation to a ‘ gaussian pyramid ’ 62 representation of the data . for pyramid generation from the multi - resolution algorithm , the gaussian pyramid progression from coarse 66 to fine 68 is given as : gaussian filtration : the image is convolved with the 2 - d gossip filter ( so called blurring ). the filter [ 1 4 6 4 1 ] is convolved horizontally and then vertically . down sampling : the image is sampled by a factor of 2 to select the alternate pixels points and reduce the image . the multi - resolution temporal correction technique of the perfusion data has the following advantages : 1 ) it increases the capture range of the method : at the lower resolutions there is less tendency to become trapped in local minima , but the resulting accuracy is reduced ; 2 ) it saves time and memory since the images are small in size ; having done the motion correction , reference is now directed to fig5 where an exemplary object - process chart describes the filtration algorithm 24 or the spatial correction . here , the temporally corrected image 30 is classified on a pixel level . a classification algorithm 70 selects or sorts pixels in a region of interest 72 into a set of defined classes 74 based on tissue type or determinable criteria . those skilled in the art can now appreciate that the region of interest 72 can be manually input or developed from automated image analysis apparatus . the number of defined classes 74 is typically the same as the number of tissue types . however , recognizing that each pixel may belong to more than one class , a fuzzy membership function ( fcm ) 76 is used to associate each pixel in the image with a particular class 74 . there are several algorithms to compute the membership functions and one of the most efficient is the fcm 76 based on clustering techniques . because of the ease of implementation for spectral data , it is preferred over other pixel classification algorithms . the fcm algorithm 76 computes the measure of membership terms as a fuzzy membership function . for example , where the observed pixel intensities in a multi - spectral image at a pixel location “ j ” is given as : y j =[ y j1 y j2 . . . , y jn ] t where j took the pixel location and n were the total number of pixels in the data set . in fcm , the algorithm iterates between computing the fuzzy membership function and the centroid of each class . this membership function was pixel location and for each class ( tissue type ) and the value of the membership function lies between the range 0 and 1 . this membership function represents the degree of similarity between the pixel vector at a pixel location and the centroid of the class . for example , a membership function value close to 1 , indicates that the pixel at the pixel location is close to the centroid of the pixel vector for that particular class . the algorithm can be presented in the following four steps : if u jk ( p ) is the membership value at location j for class k at iteration p , such that σu jk = 1 . as defined above , y j is the observed pixel vector at location j , and v k ( p ) is the centroid of class k at iteration p , then the fcm steps for computing the fuzzy membership values are : ( i ) choose number of classes ( k ) 72 and the error threshold ( e th ) 78 and set the initial guess for centroids , v k ( 0 ) and set the iteration number p = 0 . u jk ( p ) =|| y j − v k ( p ) || − 2 / σ || y j − v ( p ) || − 2 v ( p + 1 ) ={ σ ( u jk ( p ) ) 2 y j }/ σ ( u jk ( p ) ) 2 ( iv ) check convergence by computing the error between the previous and current centroids , if the algorithm had converged , then exit , else , increment p and go to step ( ii ) for computing the fuzzy membership function again . the output of the fcm algorithm was k sets of fuzzy membership function again . thus if there were k classes , then we threw out k number of images and k number of matrices for the membership functions . following pixel classification 24 , the labeled pixels 32 are provided to generate a binary mask 80 . this binary mask will be used for regional correspondence and verification ( 26 , fig2 ). note that the binary mask generation process only takes place in the region of interest 72 . the binary mask of enhanced pixels is then provided to the verification algorithm 26 , more fully discussed below . additionally , once the fuzzy membership values are computed for each pixel / voxel location in the image , a contributing factor of each type for a given pixel / voxel is indicated . using statistical properties , an estimate of that pixel can be labeled in the process of enhancement process during the contrast uptake . thus , the output of the classifier is an enhancement labeling process . those familiar with the field of pixel classification will appreciate the major advantages of clustering over bayesian training models . the bayesian model yields a probability of a class being present when a sample pixel is observed , the so - called a posteriori probability . with reference now to fig6 an embodiment of the verification algorithm 26 which establishes correspondence among selected pixel areas over successive digital image representations is detailed . here , the binary gray scale regions 90 from each of the temporal sequence images are checked if the textural properties of each of these regions have monotonic or unvarying patterns or other closely related properties . specifically , the binary regions 90 from frame to frame carry textural information about the gad or contrast agent flow pattern . this flow information , in the form of texture energy gives a tool to establish a correspondence between successive frames in the temporal sequence . in a preferred embodiment a method of computing texture on binary images is based on the marginal probability of the region of interests having a set of textural features for classifying the images . texture properties are computed by first generating the co - occurrence matrix 92 of the gray scale image 90 given the binary mask 80 . it consists of two steps : step one consists of co - occurrence matrix generation 92 and step two consists of computing the textural properties 94 . the textural properties include computation of statistical properties such as marginal properties , correlation 96 and entropies 98 , recalling computation of the statistical properties on the perfused pixel are obtained from the pixel classification method as discussed above ( fig5 ). these perfused pixels are marked by the binary mask in the region of interest . since the number of pixels is small , this implementation can be done fast using the binary sequence of 1 &# 39 ; s and 0 &# 39 ; s as labels . the following texture features are useful measures for such images . if p ( i , j ) is the ( i , j )- th entry in a normalized gray tone spatial dependence matrix or co - occurrence matrix , given as p ( i , j )/ r and ng is the number of distinct gray levels in the quantified image , then the following properties are used for computing the texture features : it is the i - th entry in the marginal - probability matrix obtained by summing the rows of p ( i , j ). p x ( i ) = ∑ j = 1 ng p ( i , j ) it is the i - th entry in the marginal probability matrix obtained by summing the rows of p ( i , j ): p y ( i ) = ∑ j = 1 ng p ( i , j ) ( iii ) joint summed marginal probability of x and y p x + y ( i ): this is the joined added marginal probability of x and y . p x + y ( k ) = ∑ i = 1 ng ∑ j = 1 ng p ( i , j ) , k = 2 , 3 , … 2 ng note i + j = k ( iv ) joint subtracted marginal probability of x and y , p x − y ( i ): this is the joined subtracted marginal probability of x and y . p x - y ( k ) = ∑ i = 1 ng ∑ j = 1 ng p ( i , j ) , k = 2 , 3 , … ng - 1 this is mathematically defined as : f = ∑ i ∑ j ( i , j ) p ( i , j ) - μ x μ y σ x σ y where , μx , μy , σ x and σ y are the mean and standard deviation of p x and p y . e =− σ t σ j p ( i , j )[ log ( i , j ))] this is mathematically defined as : e s = - ∑ i = 0 ng - 1 p x - y ( i ) log [ p x - y ( i ) ] this is mathematically defined as : e d = - ∑ i = 0 ng - 1 p x - y ( i ) log [ p x - y ( i ) ] referring back now to fig2 with temporal correction 22 , spatial correction 24 and regional correspondence 26 complete , the algorithm checks for consistency 36 and develops perfusion curve data 38 if consistent . if the regional correspondence statistical properties 34 are not consistent , then the system checks the three algorithms 22 , 24 , 26 for any inconsistencies . this involves how close the transformation matrix was to the previous transformation matrix in the temporal correction block 22 or how good was the pixel classification in terms of the input error threshold 78 ( fig5 ). similarly , the statistical values are checked for closeness in the temporal domain 26 . if no abnormalities are encountered , then we go to the quantification stage 28 , were we compute the uptake curve and characterize the lesion . suitable processes of perfusion quantification includes statistical computations , such as mean and variance . if i i ( t ) is the pixel intensity at a location i in the vector of length t corresponding to the pixel location ( x , y ) for the temporal sequence “ t ” ( out of t frames ), we can compute the mean for the region of interest for a temporal frame “ t ”, mean of the region of interest over all the temporal frames and the standard deviation of the mean value as : μ roi ( t ) = 1 n ∑ i = 1 i = n i t ( t ) μ _ roi = 1 n ∑ i = 1 i = n μ roi ( t ) σ roi = ∑ t = 1 t = t ( μ roi ( t ) - μ _ roi ) ( μ roi ( t ) - μ _ roi ) n having performed the quantification of perfusion data sets , we can also characterize the lesions in the roi . first , for simple image differencing , in the image subtraction mode , one can display plain subtraction , scaled subtraction , divided , and ratio images . to implement this operation , a user first selects a reference frame ( e . g . a ). the default frame , e . g . b , will be operated with respect to the reference frame a . mathematically , these four modes are given as : ( i ) straight subtraction : a − b , ( ii ) scaled subtraction : ( a − b ) * k 1 , ( iii ) division a / b * k 2 and ( iv ) ratio : ( a − b / b )* k 3 . here , k 1 , k 2 , k 3 are scaling factors usually chosen to be 100 , 1 , 000 , 10 , 000 . these four modes operate in a mutually exclusive mode or in a toggle mode . secondly , for image mapping velocity thresholding the percentage change of intensity values from one time frame to another time frame is determined . another way to interpret this is to calculate how rapidly the gad perfused in the breast when two time frame images were acquired . it is a very useful clinical tool to study the change in the contrast near or around the lesion . what percentage of gad flows near the lesion when moved from one time frame to the next time frame can be evaluated . since the rapidity of flow of the gad is measured between the two time frames , one therefore needs to decide how the gad flow rate is parameterized or mapped to visualize it . this mapping is achieved by setting at a user - specified threshold value , so - called the percentage velocity threshold . this threshold is then applied to the intensity of the first frame ( previous frame ) and the new intensity value is computed ( so - called , the threshold intensity value ). next , we compare this new intensity value with respect to the second frame &# 39 ; s intensity value . if the second frame intensity value is more than the threshold intensity value , then the pixel is given a color ( say blue ). this is done on a pixel - by - pixel basis for the entire image . on visualizing the velocity parametric mapped image , we see color pixels as those pixels that received more gad compared to the previous image by a threshold amount . this threshold is user - specified . a suitable threshold value is around 20 percent , which means the parametric image will show any change in the gad ( or contrast in pixels ) by 10 percent in the next image compared to the previous image . simplified , pixel change is inversely proportional to the threshold value . the higher the velocity threshold , the lower is the pixel change between the time frames of the images . this supports two types of methods for lesion characterizations . ( i ) maximum derivative , and ( ii ) steep slope . in the maximum derivative approach , we compute the image differences followed by maximum intensity selection . if the temporal sequence has “ t ” frames , one can compute t − 1 difference images . now for each pixel location ( x , y ), we compute the maximum intensity value which corresponds to the maximum derivative of the temporal sequence . this method is very similar to the well - known maximum intensity projection ( mip ) method , the only difference lies in its inclusion of the subtracted images before running the mip . in the steep slope method , one can compute the correct signal intensity , given the previous and next image frames . it is mathematically computed as : s ( previous )− s ( end )/{ t * s ( base )* c }, where s ( previous ) is the intensity value of the previous frame at ( x , y ) location , s ( end ) is the intensity value at the last frame at pixel location ( x , y ), t is the time difference , s ( base ) is the base or normalized intensity and c is the constant . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment . obviously , modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description . it is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof . | 6 |
fig1 shows a lead 18 having an electrode 20 electrically connected to a conductor coil 30 in two locations . the first connection 34 is at the distal end of electrode 20 , and the second connection 36 is at the proximal end . these connections can be welds , crimps , and the like , in any combination . the conductor coil 30 is in turn electrically connected to connector 32 for coupling with a pulse generator such as the type described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 007 , 422 to pless et al ., which is assigned to the assignee of the present application . the lead body diameter is generally about 2 . 5 to 4 . 5 mm . fig2 shows a detail view of the distal connection of the lead 18 of fig1 . electrode 20 is shown to be constructed of many ( six ) electrode coils 24 helically wound around a flexible tubular supporting core 22 , which may be either electrically conductive or insulative , and may be extruded or molded . this structure has elastomeric material 28 , which also may be conductive or insulative , partially encapsulating the electrode coils . the many electrode coils increase conductivity and redundancy . one method of achieving this structure is to completely encapsulate the wrapped electrode coils , then abrade away the surface to partially expose the coils using the method of mar et al ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 226 , 260 , which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and which is incorporated herein by reference . a conductor 30 extends through the lumen of core 22 , making connection 34 at the distal end of electrode 20 . conductor 30 is crimped to a sleeve 31 and to a pin 33 . the distal ends of electrode coils 24 are melted into balls 27 , which are then welded to sleeve 31 , forming an electrical connection to the conductor coil . this connection is also described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 126 , 291 , filed 24 sept . 1993 by mar , for a &# 34 ; defibrillation electrode connection &# 34 ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present application . the connection 34 is then covered by a protective cap 35 , which may be electrically conductive or insulative . protective cap 35 seals the electrode connection from body fluids . conductor coil 30 forms an inner lumen 38 through which a stylet may be placed to stiffen the lead during implantation . pin 33 serves both as a support for coil 30 and sleeve 31 for crimping , and as a stop for the stylet . fig3 shows that each electrode coil 24 is made from a helically wound metal wire 26 , which may be round or flat in cross section . this wire must be very strong , fatigue resistant , conductive , corrosion resistant , and biocompatible . platinum iridium is one example of such a material . electrode coil 24 is shown without an inner core ; however , a thin wire or plastic filament could be located within coil 24 to provide either increased electrical conductivity , mechanical redundancy , or both . the filament could be metal or nylon , for example . in order for the lead to be sufficiently thin to be transvenously implantable , electrode coils 24 should be between about 0 . 2 and 0 . 4 mm , and wire 26 should be about 0 . 05 to 0 . 10 mm in diameter . close winding of wire 26 into electrode coils 24 provides more exposed metal for charge transfer to tissue . however , space winding decreases the lengths of wire in the coils , decreasing end to end electrode resistance . additionally , space winding provides more surface for matrix material to mechanically stabilize coils and allows for a substantial volume of matrix material that can flex with the heart and body motion instead of pulling away from the coils . therefore , a certain amount of space is preferred , typically one - half to one wire diameter space between wires . similarly , electrode coils 24 can be close or space wound onto core 22 . the same general principles apply . the distal end of each electrode coil 24 is melted into a ball 27 , which provides more volume of material to form a strong and reliable crimp or weld . this melted ball structure works particularly well when made of a noble material such as a platinum iridium alloy . a hydrogen torch , also called a &# 34 ; water welder &# 34 ;, is one suitable means for melting the coil to form the ball . this device dissociates water into hydrogen and oxygen , then burns the hydrogen to form water again . this process burns cleanly , without incorporating byproducts into the melting coil , which is important for maintaining biocompatibility and material consistency for any subsequent welding . fig4 a and 4b illustrate the process by which electrode coils 24 are embedded in elastomeric material 28 , preferably silicone rubber . fig4 a shows electrode coil 24 as molded over by elastomeric material 28 . fig4 b shows the structure of fig4 a , after a portion of elastomeric material 28 has been abraded away to partially expose electrode coil 24 . the level of material removal is controllable . the more metal exposed , the greater the electrode surface area for defibrillation , but the less material for providing mechanical stability . fig5 shows a lead 18 &# 39 ; with a pacing electrode 44 , and lo electrode 20 which is used alternately for defibrillation and for sensing . pacing electrode 44 may be of any of the numerous constructions known in the art . a fixation mechanism 45 is shown as tines , but may be any known in the art , including a screw used for both pacing and fixation . pacing electrode 44 is electrically connected to a pacing conductor coil 40 , which is in turn connected to a pacing connector 43 . electrode 20 is electrically connected at connection 34 to conductor coil 30 , which is electrically connected to both defibrillation connector 32 and a sensing connector ring 39 . fig6 shows a detail view of the distal end of the lead of fig5 . electrode 20 is shown to be constructed of a plurality of electrode coils 24 helically wound around flexible tubular supporting core 22 . this structure has elastomeric material 28 partially encapsulating the electrode coils . conductor 30 extends through the lumen of core 22 , making connection 34 at the distal end of electrode 20 . conductor 30 is welded to the face of sleeve 29 , as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 018 , 832 , filed feb . 18 , 1993 by bush et al ., for an &# 34 ; electrical connection for medical electrical stimulation electrodes &# 34 ; which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and which is incorporated herein by reference . the distal ends of electrode coils 24 are melted into balls 27 , and are then welded to sleeve 29 , forming electrical connection 34 to the conductor coil . a pacing conductor coil 40 extends through the lumen of tubular core 22 and is electrically insulated from conductor coil 30 by an insulator 42 . pacing conductor coil 40 is shown connected by a crimp connection to pacing electrode 44 and a crimp pin 41 ; this connection may alternatively be a weld . fig7 shows a detail view of electrical connection 34 . the distal end of conductor coil 30 has been welded to the face of sleeve 29 . electrode coils 24 have had their distal ends melted into balls 27 , then welded to the outside surface of sleeve 29 . fig8 shows a cross sectional view of the proximal end of electrode 20 . two groups of electrode coils 24 have their proximal ends melted into balls 27 &# 39 ; to provide electrical redundancy . molded electrode core tube 22 has two pockets 25 in its proximal end into which balls 27 &# 39 ; are placed prior to wrapping electrode coils 24 onto tube 22 . after elastomeric material 28 is applied , an electrical insulation 37 is joined to electrode 20 using a joining material 47 , for example silicone rubber . a mandrel is used to keep the lumen open during this process , so that the conductor can be passed through the joint and connected at the distal end of electrode 20 . fig9 shows one group of three electrode coils 24 with proximal ends melted into ball 27 &# 39 ;. this group of three electrode coils can be wound onto a tube such as core tube 22 of fig8 in several ways . the preferred method is to insert a mandrel into a molded core tube , place the mandrel into a lathe - type coil winder , insert one group of three electrode coils 24 into each of two pockets of the tube , then use the coil winder to wind the electrode coils 24 around the tube . after the electrode coils 24 are wound onto the core tube , elastomeric material may be compression molded over the coils and core . an alternative method is to embed electrode coils 24 into uncured elastomeric material that has been rolled into thin strips , then wrap the coil embedded strips of elastomeric material around a core tube , then cure the elastomeric material . a third alternative is to apply uncured elastomeric material to a cured core , then wind electrode coils 24 about the core , embedding them into the elastomeric material . yet a fourth alternative is to manufacture the core and elastomeric material portion simultaneously by putting uncured rubber onto a mandrel to form both portions ; electrode coils 24 are then embedded into the surface of the rubber , and the rubber is cured . fig1 shows a lead 18 &# 34 ; with two defibrillation electrodes , 20 &# 39 ; and 20 &# 34 ;, having opposite polarity , and a pacing electrode 44 as it is positioned within a patient &# 39 ; s heart . electrode 20 &# 39 ; acts alternately as a defibrillation electrode and as a sensing electrode . the lead is shown as situated in the heart , with pacing electrode 44 and distal defibrillation electrode 20 &# 39 ; in the right ventricle , and proximal defibrillation electrode 20 &# 34 ; located in the superior vena cava . fig1 shows a lead with a j shaped defibrillation electrode 20 and with screw in tip 44 &# 39 ;, for use in the right ventricle or atrium , for example . screw in tip 44 &# 39 ; can be used for pacing and fixation , or for fixation alone . the preferred method of manufacturing a j shaped lead is to start with a tubular core which has been molded in a j shape . the j shaped tubular core is then straightened by inserting a mandrel into it . then , electrode coils as described above are wound onto the straightened core . the tubular core and electrode coils are then reformed into the j shape by removing the straight mandrel , perhaps lo replacing it with a j shaped one . the tubular core with electrode coils is then molded over with elastomeric material , holding the electrode coils in their final j shape . fig1 shows a spiral electrode 20 , and means for deploying it . a stylet 52 is inserted through lead 18 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; and is used to push electrode 20 through an introducer sheath 56 . fig1 illustrates a lead with three electrodes 20 , intended for implantation subcutaneously on the left lateral part of the chest . they are of the same polarity , and are connected to a common node on conductor 30 . electrode coils 24 are connected at distal ends by melted balls 27 &# 39 ; and wound onto flexible cores 48 . flexible embedding material 50 partially covers electrode coils 24 . the proximal ends of electrode coils 24 are all connected by melting them into ball 27 &# 34 ;. ball 27 &# 34 ; is crimped into metal joining piece 58 . also crimped to metal joining piece 58 is crimp sleeve 31 and conductor coil 30 . a protective strain relief molding 60 encapsulates the entire connection . because the electrode coil wire is longer and thinner than the electrode elements of the prior art , the electrode of the present invention can be made with a certain amount of resistance along its length , say , 3 to 15 ohms . this property of the electrode can be used to direct defibrillation energy to selected regions of the heart by careful choice of connection locations of electrode to conductor . for example , if the electrode 20 of fig5 were placed with its distal end in the apex of the rv , current would be steered to the rv apex since that is where the conductor attaches to the electrode at connection 34 . on the other hand , because of the electrode connections 34 and 36 on either end of electrode 20 of fig1 the current distribution would be more even along the electrode length than in the electrode of fig5 since the potential is the same at either end , assuming a very low resistance conductor 30 . in this case , the end to end electrode resistance is also reduced , with the highest resistance being in the middle of the electrode . the connection could also be made in the middle of the electrode , instead of or in addition to the ends . with the electrode connected to the conductor in only the middle of the electrode and not the ends , current density would be more even since end effects would be reduced . several connections between the conductor and the electrode may be made along the length of one electrode . this is desirable for reducing overall resistance , particularly when the electrode is long , as in the lead of fig1 . the above has been offered for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention of this application , which is as defined in the claims below . | 0 |
the present invention will be described in detail with references to the attached drawings . as shown in fig1 and fig2 an ozone processing device 1 according to this example is equipped with a processing chamber 10 having a predetermined internal volume , a mounting base 20 disposed in the processing chamber 10 and upon the upper surface thereof a substrate k is mounted , and a gas supply head 30 disposed above the mounting base 20 . the processing chamber 10 is a case having a predetermined inner volume and closed by a cover 11 . the processing chamber 10 is formed so that gasses therein are discharged outside by an exhaust device 70 by way of exhaust pipes 71 , 72 , which are passed through and secured to side plates of the processing chamber 10 . the exhaust device 70 adjusts the internal pressure ( absolute pressure ) of the processing chamber 10 so that it is at least 7 kpa ( preferably at least 14 kpa ) and no more than the pressure of the ozone gas supply source . the mounting base 20 is equipped with internal heating means ( not shown ) formed from a heater or the like . this heating means ( not shown ) heats the substrate k mounted on the upper surface . the mounting base 20 can be raised and lowered by raising / lowering device 21 . this raising / lowering device 21 is equipped with a raising / lowering rod 22 that passes through the bottom surface of the processing chamber 10 . this raising / lowering rod 22 supports the mounting base 20 . the raising / lowering rod 22 supports the mounting base 20 . raising / lowering device 21 is formed from , for example , a pneumatic cylinder , and an electric cylinder . multiple support needles 23 formed with tapered ends are projected from the bottom surface of the processing chamber 10 , and the substrate k is loosely placed on the end surfaces . support needles 23 are inserted through through - holes ( not shown ) formed on the mounting base 20 when the mounting base 20 is at its lowermost position , so that the ends project upward from the upper surface of the mounting base 20 . when the mounting base 20 is at its uppermost position , the support needles 23 are pulled out from the through - holes ( not shown ). the substrate k is loosely placed on the support needles 23 when the mounting base 20 is at its lowermost position . then , the mounting base 20 is raised and the support needles 23 move down relative to the mounting base 20 so that the substrate k is mounted on the mounting base 20 . the gas supply head 30 is formed from a block - shaped main head unit 31 and multiple facing plates 40 disposed at a predetermined distance from the main head unit 31 and facing the substrate k on the mounting base 20 . the main head unit 31 is secured to the inner walls of the processing chamber 10 using securing members 12 . a cooling fluid flow path 32 passes through one side surface to the other side surface of he main head unit 31 . cooling fluid circulating device 50 shown in fig2 supplies cooling fluid to the cooling fluid flow path 32 , and this cooling fluid is circulated . cooling fluid circulating device 50 is formed from pipe fittings 56 , pipes 57 , pipe fittings 58 , pipes 59 , cooling fluid supplying device 51 , a pipe 52 , a pipe fitting 53 , a pipe 54 , and a pipe fitting 55 , for example . the pipe fittings 56 are connected to one end of the cooling fluid flow path 32 , and the pipe fitting 55 is connected to the other end of the cooling fluid flow path 32 . the cooling fluid circulation path is formed in this manner from the pipe fittings 56 , the pipes 57 , the pipe fittings 58 , the pipes 59 , cooling fluid supplying means 51 , the pipe 52 , the pipe fitting 53 , the pipe 54 , the pipe fitting 55 , and the cooling fluid flow path 32 . the cooling fluid 32 is supplied from cooling fluid supplying device 51 to the cooling fluid flow path 32 by way of the pipe 52 , the pipe fitting 53 , the pipe 54 , and the pipe fitting 55 , in that order . after it passes through the cooling fluid flow path 32 , the supplied cooling fluid is circulated back to cooling fluid supplying device 51 by way of the pipe fittings 56 , the pipes 57 , the pipe fittings 58 , and the pipe 59 , in that order . ozone gas flow path 33 is formed in the main head unit 31 opening to one of the side surfaces and gas conduction holes 34 opening to the lower surface and communicating with the ozone gas flow path 33 . the gas conduction holes 34 are equipped with through - holes 36 that extend from the upper surface to the lower surface and are connected to gas conduction pipes 35 extended toward the substrate k . each facing plate 40 can be formed in a rectangular shape and is disposed in a co - planar manner so that predetermined gaps 41 are formed between adjacent facing plates 40 . the facing plates 40 are secured with bolts to support members 37 , which are secured to the lower surface of the main head unit 31 . if bolts are used for securing , counterbore holes 42 are formed on the facing plates 40 to prevent the bolt heads from projecting from the lower surfaces of the facing plates 40 . examples of materials preferable for the facing plates 40 include fluorinated resin , zirconia , mica , ceramic , stainless steel , silicon , aluminum , titanium , glass , and quartz . through - holes 43 passing from the upper surface to the lower surface are formed on the facing plates 40 , and the lower ends of the gas conduction pipes 35 are fitted to the through - holes 43 . lower surface openings 43 a of the through - holes 43 serve , together with the lower openings 36 a of the gas conduction pipes 35 , as discharge openings for discharging ozone gas . ozone gas supplied from ozone gas supplying device 60 shown in fig2 to the ozone gas flow path 33 , the gas conduction holes 34 , and the through - holes 36 are discharged from these discharge openings 43 a ( 36 a ) to the substrate k . ozone gas supplying device 60 is formed from pipe fittings 65 connected to the ozone gas flow path 33 , pipes 64 connected to the pipe fittings 65 , pipe fittings 63 connected to the pipes 64 , pipes 62 connected to the pipe fittings 63 , an ozone gas generating device 61 connected to the pipes 62 , and the like . ozone gas ( processing gas ) having a predetermined concentration is supplied from the ozone gas generating device 61 to the ozone gas flow path 33 by way of the pipes 62 , the pipe fittings 63 , the pipes 64 , and the pipe fittings 65 , in that order . in the ozone processing device 1 described above , the substrate k is mounted on the support needles 23 using suitable means . at this point , the mounting base 20 is at its lowermost position . the cooling fluid is supplied by cooling fluid supplying device 51 and is circulated through the cooling fluid circulation path 32 of the main head unit 31 . the main head unit 31 is cooled by this cooling fluid . next , the pressure ( absolute pressure ) within the processing chamber 10 is adjusted by the exhaust device 70 to at least 7 kpa ( preferably at least 14 kpa ) and no more than the pressure of the gas supply source , and raising / lowering device 21 raises the mounting base 20 . when the mounting base 20 is raised , the support needles 23 are lowered relative to the mounting base 20 . the mounting plate k is mounted on the mounting base 20 and the mounting base 20 reaches its uppermost position . also , the substrate k mounted on the mounting base 20 is heated by heating device ( not shown ). then , ozone gas with a predetermined concentration is supplied from the ozone gas generating device 61 to the ozone gas flow path 33 of the main head unit 31 by way of the pipes 62 , the pipe fittings 63 , the pipes 64 , and the pipe fittings 65 , in that order . the gas passes through the gas conduction holes 34 and the through - holes 36 and is blown toward the substrate k from the discharge openings 43 a ( 36 a ) of the facing plates 40 . the ozone gas discharged in this manner collides with the substrate k and forms a flow along it . in this flow , the ozone ( o 3 ) is heated by the substrate k . this heating and the contact with the substrate k and the resist causes it to breaks down into oxygen ( o 2 ) and active oxygen ( o *). this active oxygen ( o *) forms an oxide film on the surface of the substrate k or improves the oxide film on the surface of the substrate k or removes the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate k through a thermochemical reaction . the ozone gas discharged from the discharge openings 43 a and flowing along the substrate k then collides with each other , forming a flow toward the gaps 41 . the gas flows from the gaps 41 to the back surfaces ( upper surfaces ) of the facing plates 41 , i . e ., is discharged from between the substrate k and the facing plates 40 . as a result , the ozone gas which has completed its processing operation is prevented from lingering around the surface of the substrate k to obstruct the flow of ozone gas discharged from the discharge openings 43 a ( 36 a ) to the surface of the substrate k . this allows the operations such as forming or improving oxide film or removing resist film to be performed effectively . the gaps 41 can be within the range of at least 0 . 5 mm and no more than 3 mm . if the gap 41 is less than 0 . 5 mm , the exhaust efficiency of the ozone gas is very poor and the processing effect of the ozone gas is reduced . if the gap exceeds 3 mm , unprocessed sections will remain at areas corresponding to the gaps 41 . by discharging the gas in the processing chamber 10 , the discharging from the gaps 41 can be performed smoothly . in this process , it is preferable for the pressure ( absolute pressure ) in the processing chamber 10 to be at least 7 kpa ( more preferably at least 14 kpa ) and no more than the pressure of the ozone gas supply source . if the pressure in the processing chamber 10 is less than 7 kpa , the discharging from the gaps 41 becomes too fast , shortening the time during which the ozone gas can linger between the facing plates 40 and the substrate k and reducing the effectiveness of the reaction . if the pressure within the processing chamber 10 exceeds the pressure of the ozone gas supply source , the discharge of the product gas generated by the processing does not take place smoothly . the facing plates 40 serve to control the thickness of the ozone gas flow layer flowing along the surface of the substrate k . from this perspective , it is preferable to have the facing plates 40 be as close as possible to the substrate k . by doing this , the thickness of the layer of ozone gas flow along the surface of the substrate k can be made thinner , allowing more ozone to contribute to the formation or improvement of the oxide film or the removal of resist film , thus improving the processing effectiveness . thus , the space between the substrate k and the facing plates 40 must be maintained in an appropriate manner but the facing plates 40 are heated by radiated heat from the heated substrate k and the mounting base 20 , resulting in a tendency to thermally deform . as a result , when a substrate with a large area is to be processed , forming the facing plate 40 from a single plate may lead to thermal deformation that prevents the distance from the substrate k to be maintained appropriately . in this example , the facing plates 40 are formed from multiple plates so that thermal deformation of each individual plate 40 can be kept very small . as a result , an effective distance from the substrate k can be used . in recent years , substrates are becoming larger and larger , but with this arrangement , surfaces can be processed uniformly even for a large substrate k exceeding 1100 mm × 1300 mm . taking thermal deformation into account , the thickness t for the facing plates 40 that allows an effective distance from the substrate k to be maintained is at least 0 . 1 mm , and more preferably at least 1 mm . taking into account the time required for thermal equilibrium to be achieved in the facing plates 40 , it would be preferable for the thickness t to be no more than 5 mm , more preferably no more than 2 mm . if the facing plates 40 all have the same size ( area ), the surface sections of the substrate k corresponding to the facing plates 40 can be processed without unevenness . also , the size of the facing plates 40 can be set to suit the required processing speed . the atmospheric temperature within the processing chamber 10 is increased by the heating performed by heating means ( not shown ). the main head unit 31 is heated in this high - temperature atmosphere , but since the main head unit 31 is cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid flow path 32 , the ozone gas flowing through the ozone gas flow path 33 is cooled by the cooling fluid and the temperature thereof is kept within a fixed range . as a result , the thermal breakdown of ozone accompanying a rise in temperature is prevented and the lowering of the ozone concentration in the ozone gas is prevented . the heating temperature of the substrate can be in the range 200 °- 500 ° c . within this range , the operations described above can be performed while also vaporizing impurities contained in the substrate k . also , the ozone gas can contain at least 14 % by weight of ozone , or a mixed gas of ozone and teos ( tetraethyl orthosilicate , si ( c 2 h 5 5o ) 4 ). with the ozone processing device 1 described in detail above , the thickness of the layer of ozone gas flowing along the surface of the substrate k is controlled by multiple facing plates 40 and the ozone gas that has completed processing operations ( reactions ) is discharged from the gaps 41 between the facing plates 40 . this improves the reaction efficiency and the processing efficiency of the ozone gas and allows uniform processing of the entire surface even for a large substrate k exceeding 1100 mm × 1300 mm . the above description presents an embodiment of the present invention , but the implementations of the present invention are not restricted to this . for example , the shape of the facing plates 40 is not restricted to the rectangular shape described above . besides the rectangular shape , it is possible to have gaps 77 formed so that the facing plates 75 with discharge openings 76 are formed hexagonally . alternatively , as shown in fig5 gaps 82 can be formed so that the facing plates 80 with discharge openings 81 are formed with triangular shapes . also , facing plates with different shapes such as triangles and rectangles can be combined . as shown in fig6 an embodiment has multiple facing plates 40 formed from a single facing plate 85 , with slit - shaped through - holes 87 formed on the facing plate 85 to partition the surface into multiple regions , each region being formed with a discharge opening 86 . advantages similar to those described above can be obtained with this structure . in this case , taking into account the discharge efficiency of the through - holes 87 , it would be preferable for the slit width to be at least 0 . 5 mm and no more than 3 mm . the slit - shaped through - holes 87 can be replaced with multiple circular holes that are lined up . in this case , the inner diameter of each circular hole can be at least 0 . 5 mm and no more than 3 mm . as described above , the ozone processing device according to the present invention can be used effectively for forming oxide film on the surface of a substrate , e . g ., a semiconductor substrate or a liquid crystal substrate , or improving oxide film formed on the substrate surface , or removing resist film formed on the substrate surface . having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 7 |
matrix formulation of active microbiocides in composite concrete tile and asphalt shingle roofing products is essential for durable algae inhibition . the in depth body of polymer stabilization technology including criteria for molecular compatibility , stability and non - volatility is precisely applicable for microbiocides of the present invention . composite protection via surface specific lethal concentration of matrix compatible microbiocides is both durable and controllable by internal diffusion and exudation in response to erosion losses . divalent metal cations complexed with select anionic organic ligands in the form of microbiocidal salts and chelates uniquely meet all the chemical and physical properties for this purpose . clearly , present commercial reliance on water soluble cationic salts released through weathering of passive sources suffers in this regard , particularly in shaded areas with relative high retained moisture and most prolific algae growth . in deference to site specific test decks , the observable growth patterns of both green and blue - green algae dictate evaluations encompassing widely ranging conditions as the basis of technical merit . prolific growth on concrete tile or asphalt shingle often masks the cohabitation of green algae . the persistent dark colored protective sheath of blue - green algae in the presence of active microbiocides is reported by george , et . al . u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 415 , 919 and 5 , 316 , 824 . sodium hypochlorite readily decolorizes the staining residue and under supporting growth conditions evidences the early reappearance of green algae . the vitality of green algae permits qualitative performance evaluation of active micobiocides not previously practiced in this application . tests involving re - colonization of sodium hypochlorite decolorized residential surfaces , confirm the relative toxicity of water soluble divalent salts of copper & gt ; zinc but more significant , the effectiveness of tin in meeting the objectives of the present invention . most surprising and very unexpected is the magnitude of superiority of complexed tin and copper versus free ions of commercial systems ; significantly advancing the state - of - the - art . a myriad of mono -, di - and poly - functional sulfates , sulfonates and carboxylates are available for sequestering and compatibilizing divalent cations for specific composite matrices . these microbiocides are readily prepared by mixing soluble inorganic divalent metal salts with appropriate organic anionic surfactants in aqueous media . cationic exchange in binding dissociation equilibria shifts to the less soluble divalent organometallic complexes ; ultimately to completion upon drying . these aqueous equilibrium reaction mixtures are used to advantage in processes which accommodate spray application and in - situ drying . alternatively , the microbiocides can be spray dried with nucleating agents as required to produce free flowing powders . a generally applicable microbiocide composition would employ an anionic organic ligand sequestered 3 to 1 ratio of divalent copper to tin matrix formulated at 0 . 25 % to 0 . 5 % by weight . while improved consolidation of concrete tiles has been achieved in extrusion processing , porosity and internal void volume remain as the source of effloresence and algae growth problems . applied sealants only marginally reduce algae growth versus glaze coatings which are short lived relative to concrete tile . in the present invention , weatherable acrlyate sealant is formulated with active microbiocide providing a composite matrix with durable algae inhibition . current extrusion lines , equipped for spray application of sealant and topical coatings , readily accommodate microbiocide incorporation . options include reformulated acrylate sealant , in - line premixing and / or two stage addition . sealing of uncured tile is made more effective by means of divalent metal cross linking to congeal the acrylate near the surface yielding a formulated matrix with interstitial contiguity . alkyl polycarboxylate , alkaryloxyethoxy sulfate and / or alkyl esther sulfonate ligand sequestered 3 to 1 equivalent ratio of divalent copper to tin prepared with an excess of divalent metal cation satisfy all the matrix formulation requirements . prepared as aqueous reaction mixtures , they can be incorporated directly as microbiocides and cross linking agents ; stiochometry must be experimentally determined for each specific polymer and substrate . the resulting composite tile saturated with matrix formulated microbiocide to a depth of several centimeters would provide durable protection for the duration of product life . with approximately 7 years life , topical coatings are counter productive in this service where the future of high end roofing must rely on maintenance free performance . in shingle manufacture , formulated molten asphalt used as binder for the base web and surfacing granules also serves as matrix for active microbiocide . the options for incorporation include molten asphalt formulation which necessitates separate stage drying of organometallic complexes . alternatively , pre - treatment of composite raw materials permits utilization of the aqueous reaction mixtures with accompanying process efficiencies and improved product performance . aryl -, alkiaryl - and / or alkyl - carboxylate , sulfate and sulfonate ligands satisfy both compatibility and thermal stability requirements ; difunctionality is employed where substantivity offers advantage . stiochometric equivalence of organic ligand with a 3 to 1 ratio of divalent copper to tin is preferred in composite shingles . the aqueous reaction mixture is suitable for direct application in treatment of calcium carbonate which is the predominate filler used to extend asphalt . treatment of mill feed insures uniform surface coverage toward negating nutrient value and with incremental increase in operating temperature , in - situ drying . the benefits accruing through treatment of surfacing granules in kiln processing include increased asphalt adhesion and elimination of finished product stains ; this by replacement of current water repellent and dedusting oil . the pretreatment of raw materials provides substantive surface coverage of composite particles and / or granules ; the excess or multi - molecular layers are dispersed in the molten asphalt matrix . all components must be thoroughly dry prior to processing at approximately 400 degrees farenheight . the inherent chemical stability and non - volatility of organometallic complex salts and chelates leaves compatibility as a system &# 39 ; s specific requirement . matrix formulation at 0 . 25 % to 0 . 5 % would provide algae protection during the life of the composite roofing product . in this regard , asphalt roofing systems are physically and chemically more fragile than tile . the gradual loss of surfacing granules , which provide the only protection of asphalt against uv catalyzed autoxidation , typically limits product life to 15 years in southern climates . it is significant and disconcerting for even topical maintenance treatments reported in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 599 , 586 to survive product &# 39 ; s terminal half life . with particular concern for the exposed shingle edge , incorporation of free radical scavengers and uv absorbers in matrix formulation could increase composite asphalt shingle life consistent with product claims . the invention is further illustrated by the following examples in which durable surface protection is established through state - of - the - art matrix formulation technology and molecular microbiocide design for controlled performance . widely ranging commercial product variations and environmental conditions dictate broadly applicable test protocols as basis of algae inhibition . residential surfaces exposed to sustained high moisture and indirect light evidence most aggressive growth patterns which in most cases represent cohabitation by blue - green and green algae . the more robust green algae recolonizes well in advance of blue - green algae following decolorizanion with sodium hypochlorite solution permitting evaluation of active microbiocide devoid of obscuring stains . comparative evaluations were made of water soluble divalent metal salts representing commercial systems and the complexed reaction mixtures of the present invention resulting from their exchange with stiochometric equivalents of monovalent cations of organic ligands . horizontal surfaces were used in all cases to nanimize dilution and / or drainage of chemicals which were spray applied at 0 . 25 % in aqueous media . treated surfaces were examined 3 times daily and tests were terminated in the event of rain or after 3 days / dew cycles . parallel tests were run on concrete and coated surfaces with confirming replications . the results tabulated below clearly indicate the relative toxicity of divalent zn & lt ; cu & lt ; sn , and most significantly an order of magnitude greater effectiveness of complexed tin , in addition to the lethal threshold concentrations for matrix formulation . it is precisely this surface protection that can be sustained during composite product life through matrix formulation of compatibilized divalent metallic chelates and salts of the present invention . the aqueous reaction mixtures offer broad flexibility in both composition and application with exchange equilibria ultimately yielding divalent metal chelates and salts upon drying . excess soluble divalent metal ions effectively cross link anionic polymers while stiochometric equivalence with difunctional ligands produces chelate oligomers . in addition to surface durability via matrix compatibility , these active microbiocides exhibit no measurable vapor pressure and exceptional chemical stability . the combination of cupric and stannous complexes for inhibition of both green and blue - green algae is clearly a preferred embodiment . the mono - and di - functional ligands used in these test were sodium salts of dioctylsulfosuccinate / emcol 4500 from witco chemical and dihexadecyldiphenyl oxide disulfonate / dowfax 8390 from dow chemical . they are but examples from among the numerous commercial offerings of anionic sulfonates , sulfates and / or carboxylates useful for matrix compatibilization and optimization of divalent metal microbiocides . the ultimate selections must be empirical and based on laboratory evaluation of specific matrix formulations . moisture intrusion in composite concrete is a common problem throughout industry . current technology to control residual porosity of roof tile centers on particle size distributions to minimize internal void volume and polymer sealants as a barrier against moisture penetration . despite advances achieved in extrusion processing , the technology has not been fully exploited with regard to copolymer acrylic sealants . the application of 50 % aqueous sealant to uncured tile extrudate evidences its facile penetration to internal pores with substantial surface area ; this in the absence of requisite surface saturation and interstitial contiguity . at line speeds in the range of 150 ft ./ min . and sealant application of 1 lb ./ 100 sq . ft . the process is amenable to accelerated coalescence to congeal polymer at the tile face . divalent metal cross - linking with a nominal excess of free divalent cations is an inherent provision of organometallic microbiocides for the purpose . notably , few crosslinks exhibit a substantial modification in rate of polyacrylate coalescence because of their exceptionally high average molecular weight . an incremental viscosity increase toward that of glaze coatings would also reduce sealant penetration . the rate of polymer coalescence and organometallic complex compatibility are laboratory determined for specific sealant and substrate . film clarity of formulated matrix at 0 . 5 % by weight microbiocide in the absence of surface blooming is qualifyng . ethoxylated alcohol half ester of disulfosuccinate / emcol 4300 from witco chemical polycarboxylate / tamol 850 from rohm & amp ; haas and nonylphenoxypolyetheroxy sulfate / triton xn - 45s from union carbide are preferred anionic ligands based on functionality and compatibility in copolymer acrylics . as formulated sealants , elastomeric and thermoplastic acrylic copolymers have proven weatherability and physical properties for durable composite polymer concrete . the microbiocide polymer matrix , formulated to advance coalescence provides effective sealant control and microbiocide performance . the filled asphalt matrix of composite roofing shingles incorporating 0 . 5 % divalent metal complexes would provide product life protection against algae discoloration . alkyl -, aryl - and alkaryl - calboxylate , sulfate and sulfonate ligands readily compatibilize divalent metal cations in the asphalt hydrocarbon mixures ; inherent non - volatility and chemical stability being instrumental for high temperature processing . formulation in molten asphalt requires that the active metal chelates and salts be devoid of moisture ; thus the aqueous reaction mixture is spray or disc dried with nucleating agent as needed for product handling properties . readily available dodecylbenzene -, c 14 - 16 olefin - and polynaththalene - sulfonate sodium salts exchanged with stiochometric equivalent of 3 to 1 ratio copper to tin is preferred . improved matrix formulation rheology and absence of surface film / blooming are ultimate determining factors . alternatively , with integrated raw material sourcing or custom production , manufacturers &# 39 ; have the option of pretreating asphalt fillers . using ligands similar to those described above , spray application of the aqueous cupric - stannous reaction mixture during grinding to approximately minus 200 mesh yields uniform surface coverage of newly formed particle surfaces and insitu drying with increased flue gas temperature in typical classifying mills . the surface activity of these microbiocide coatings improves dispersability of filler particles via hydrophobic wetting . at 0 . 5 % by weight of the matrix formulation , the applied coating will equilibrate providing a uniform concentration through out the asphalt and a retained monomolecular surface coating . the potential synergy in negating the nutrient value of calcium carbonate leverages this approach . because composite granules are only partially embedded , the microbiocide mixture can be tailored to both mineral surface substantivity and asphalt compatibility . monofunctional organic ligands yield divalent metal chelates and salts providing optimum adhesion to asphalt and effective in process granule dedusting . equally important , is the elimination of finished products stains encountered with hydrocarbon oil dedusting . partial incorporation of difunctional organic ligands would increase surface substantivity and durability via chelate oligmer formation ; sodium salts of dihexadecyl diphenyl oxide disulfonatetdowfax 8390 and ethoxylated alcohol half ester sulfosuccinate / emcol 4300 are exemplary . the release of microbiocide to molten asphalt during embedment with retained granule surface coating to promote adhesion offers durable algae resistance as well as needed process improvements . considering the relatively low granule surface area , spray application of 0 . 3 % coating using the aqueous reaction mixture at an effective concentration for uniform distribution and evaporative cooling of kiln furnace product would satisfy composite requirements . | 4 |
the detailed description of the present invention is presented largely in terms of procedures , steps , logic blocks , processing , or other symbolic representations that directly or indirectly resemble the operations of devices or systems contemplated in the present invention . these descriptions and representations are typically used by those skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . reference herein to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention . the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment , nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments . referring now to the drawings , in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views . fig1 shows an exemplary temperature compensated frequency synthesizer 100 providing a substantially temperature compensated frequency output , f out , in accordance with the present invention . a reference frequency signal , f r , may be provided by a crystal oscillator or other oscillator . this reference frequency signal f r is used as a reference clock for a frequency locked circuit 110 that generates the required output frequency , f out , by using a corrected frequency control word , fcw_new , where where k is a scaling coefficient . depending on the scaling coefficient k and the corrected frequency control word , fcw_new , a desired timing clock signal can be obtained . one of the features , objectives and advantages in the present invention is that the frequency drift of the reference clock f r can be compensated by the corrected frequency control word , fcw_new , while k is used to scale up or down the corrected frequency . a frequency correction circuit 130 is provided to generate the corrected frequency control word , fcw_new , generally expressed in bits ( e . g ., 32 bits ), by compensating a frequency control word , fcw , which may be provided externally , with a temperature frequency correction word , tcw , where : according to one embodiment , a tcw successive approximation circuit 150 is provided to automatically track and lock the temperature frequency correction word tcw of any predetermined temperature t from an initial temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t 0 ) of the temperature t 0 by using a successive approximation method . in other words , the tcw successive approximation circuit 150 successively computes the temperature frequency correction word tcw of an internal temperature tx , which is increased or decreased by a temperature interval s every time , from the initial temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t 0 ) until the internal temperature tx is caught into a locked range of the predetermined temperature t . thus , the tcw successive approximation circuit 150 outputs the temperature frequency correction word , tcw of the predetermined temperature t . as used herein , a word does not necessarily mean 8 bits . it may mean data represented in a sequence of bits ( e . g ., 8 - bit , 16 - bit or 32 - bit ). the predetermined temperature t may be provided by a digital temperature sensor ( not shown ) which is used to sense an ambient temperature of the reference frequency source . for example , it is desired to generate a desired output frequency of 890 mhz , fcw may be a sequence of bits representing the desired frequency value , tcw may be a sequence of bits representing the temperature frequency compensation value . as a result , the frequency of 890 mhz outputted from the frequency locked circuit 110 may not change along with temperature drift any more . namely , the output frequency of 890 mhz is compensated by the corrected frequency control word , fcw_new . for another example , it is desired to generate a frequency modulated ( fm ) signal within a frequency range of 890 mhz ˜ 910 mhz , fcw is a sequence of bits representing the frequencies in the range , tcw is a sequence of bits representing the frequency compensation value . as a result , the exemplary temperature compensated frequency synthesizer 100 of fig1 functions as a fm generator with temperature compensated frequencies . fig4 shows a graph of frequency versus temperature characteristic curves for a reference frequency signal f r having a frequency stability of about ± 10 ppm over a temperature range from − 50 ° c . to 125 ° c . an uncompensated output curve , a compensation curve and a compensated output curve are all shown in fig4 . the compensation curve includes a plurality of discrete compensation points each corresponding to a compensated temperature point and a temperature frequency correction value . it shows that the frequency drift of the compensated output is greatly reduced in comparison with the uncompensated output . in the prior art , the temperature frequency correction / compensation values of each compensated temperature point shown in fig4 are stored in a look - up table . the temperature frequency correction / compensation word at each compensated temperature point is accurately measured during manufacturing or testing by comparing the output frequency f out and the actually expected frequency . the temperature frequency correction values between two compensated points , such as point a and b shown in fig4 , are estimated by using a linear interpolation logic . the more the compensated points stored in the look - up table , the more accurate the interpolated frequency correcting word will be . however , the hardware cost of the look - up table and the testing cost of the compensated points increases while the number of compensated points stored in the look - up table increases . referring back to fig1 , the tcw successive approximation circuit 150 comprises a temperature comparator 152 , a tcw computing circuit 154 , a memory 156 and a temperature approximation circuit 158 . the memory 156 is provided to store the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t 0 ) of the initial temperature t 0 , a fixed step size value generally expressed in bits ( e . g ., 16 bits ) and a successive sign bit sequence . the successive sign bit sequence is a sequence consisting of a sign bit of each fixed step size value . the more the number of bits of the successive sign bit sequence has , the smaller a temperature interval s between two adjacent internal temperatures is . in one embodiment , when the sign bit is “ 1 ”, it represents a fixed step size value being positive , and when the sign bit is “ 0 ”, it represents the fixed step size value being negative . the initial temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t 0 ), the fixed step size value and the successive sign bit sequence are programmed into the memory 156 by using the input signal , data . the temperature comparator 152 is provided for comparing the predetermined temperature t with an internal temperature tx to output a comparative result , wherein the initial value of the internal temperature tx is t 0 . the comparative result comprises three different situations : the internal temperature tx being inside a locked range of the predetermined temperature t ; the internal temperature tx being outside the locked range of the predetermined temperature t and tx & lt ; t ; the internal temperature tx being outside the locked range of the predetermined temperature t and tx & gt ; t . when the comparative result is tx being outside the locked range of the predetermined temperature t and tx & lt ; t , the tcw computing circuit 154 is configured for reading one sign bit sb ( tx ) of the internal temperature tx from the successive sign bit sequence , assigning the read sign bit sb ( tx ) to the fixed step size value to get an actual step size of the internal temperature tx , and computing the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx + s ) of the internal temperature tx + s according to the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) and the actual step size of the internal temperature tx , wherein the initial value of the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) is tcw ( t 0 ) pre - stored in the memory 156 . subsequently , the temperature approximation circuit 158 is provided for increasing the internal temperature tx by the temperature interval s and outputting the new internal temperature tx to the temperature comparator 152 . thus , the internal temperature tx successively approximate to the predetermined temperature t . when the comparative result is tx being outside the locked range of t and tx & gt ; t , the tcw computing circuit 154 is configured for reading one sign bit sb ( tx − s ) of the internal temperature tx − s from the successive sign bit sequence , assigning the read sign bit sb ( tx − s ) to the fixed step size value to get the actual step size of the internal temperature tx − s , and computing the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx − s ) of the internal temperature tx − s according to the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) of the internal temperature tx and the actual step size of the internal temperature tx − s , wherein the initial value of the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) is tcw ( t 0 ) pre - stored in the memory 156 . subsequently , the temperature approximation circuit 158 is provided for decreasing the internal temperature tx by the temperature interval s and outputting the new internal temperature tx to the temperature comparator 152 . thus , the internal temperature tx successively approximate to the predetermined temperature t . simultaneously , the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) also approximate to the desired temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) of the predetermined temperature t . when the comparative result is tx being inside the locked range of the predetermined temperature t , the tcw computing circuit 154 computes the desired temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) of the predetermined temperature t according to the locked temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) of the internal temperature tx . for each compensated temperature point , it only requires to store 1 - bit data as the sign bit of the fixed step size value . thus , more compensated temperature points with small temperature interval can be re - sampled for temperature frequency compensation , and the high accurate compensation and the minimum memory capacity can be achieved in one embodiment of the present invention . furthermore , a fully digital successive approximation solution is provided in the present invention to automatically track and lock the temperature frequency correction word tcw of any predetermined temperature t , thereby minimizing the memory capacity and increasing the compensation precision . fig2 is a block diagram showing a tcw computing circuit 154 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the tcw computing circuit 154 comprises a forward approximation computing unit 202 for computing the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx + s ) of the internal temperature tx + s when tx being outside the locked range of t and tx & lt ; t , a backward approximation computing unit 204 for computing the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx − s ) of the internal temperature tx − s when tx being outside the locked range of t and tx & gt ; t , a tcw storing unit 206 for storing the temporary temperature frequency correction word , and an interpolation unit 208 for computing the temperature frequency correction tcw ( t ) of the predetermined temperature t with preferable interpolation based on the locked temperature frequency correction tcw ( tx ) of the internal temperature tx . fig3 is a flowchart of successively tracking and locking the temperature frequency correction word tcw of the predetermined temperature t in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the successive approximation method comprises following operations . at 301 , some parameters are initialized : tx = t 0 , tcw ( tx )= tcw ( t 0 ), wherein tx denotes the current internal temperature , tcw ( tx ) denotes the temperature frequency correction word tcw of the internal temperature tx , t 0 is the initial temperature , tcw ( t 0 ) is the temperature frequency correction word of the initial temperature t 0 pre - stored in the memory 156 shown in fig1 . at 303 , the current temperature t is read from external . the current temperature t may be provided from the digital temperature sensor and is also referred as the predetermined temperature or object temperature in the present invention . at 305 , the current temperature t is compared with the internal temperature tx , if tx is outside the locked range of t and tx & lt ; t , the process is taken to 307 , if tx is outside the locked range of t and tx & gt ; t , the process is taken to 313 , if tx is inside the locked range of t , the process is taken to 319 . at 307 , one sign bit sb ( tx ) of the internal temperature tx is read out from the successive sign bit sequence pre - stored in the memory 156 and assigned to the fixed step size value pre - stored in the memory 156 to get the actual step size of the internal temperature tx , wherein sb ( tx ) is the sign bit of the internal temperature tx in the successive sign bit sequence . at 309 , the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx + s ) of the internal temperature tx + s is computed according to the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) and the actual step size of the internal temperature tx , wherein s is the temperature interval mentioned above . at 311 , tx = tx + s and the process is returned to 303 . for eliminating the influence because of the changes of the current temperature t , the process is preferably returned to 303 , but not 305 . at 313 , one sign bit sb ( tx − s ) of the internal temperature tx − s is read out from the successive sign bit sequence pre - stored in the memory 156 and assigned to the fixed step size value pre - stored in the memory 156 to get the actual step size of the internal temperature tx − s . at 315 , the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx − s ) of the internal temperature tx − s is computed depending on the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) and the actual step size of the internal temperature tx − s . at 317 , tx = tx − s and the process is returned to 303 . for eliminating the influence because of the changes of the current temperature t , the process is preferably returned to 303 , but not 305 . at 319 , the desired temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) of the current temperature t is computed with preferable interpolation according to the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ). at the same time , t is recoded as tlock . it should be explained that if the precision of the current temperature t is less than the temperature interval s , e . g . s = 0 . 2 ° c . and the precision of t is 0 . 1 ° c ., the interpolation is necessary for getting the desired temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ). otherwise , the interpolation may not be necessary . furthermore , a variety of conventional interpolations such as linear interpolation , non - linear interpolation or parabolic interpolation etc . may be used for getting the desired temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) according to the locked temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ). in some embodiment , other adjacent temporary temperature frequency correction word such as tcw ( tx − s ), tcw ( tx + s ) may also be required for interpolation . at 321 , the current temperature t is read . at 323 , whether t is equal to tlock is determined , if yes , the process is returned to 321 , otherwise , the process is returned to 305 to repeat the temperature locking operation . as described above , the basic idea of the successive approximation solution is to successively adjust the internal temperature tx to be approximate the current temperature t by the temperature interval s , and compute the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) of the internal temperature tx simultaneously until the internal temperature tx is locked into the predetermined range of the current temperature t , thereby the locked temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) can be calculated . subsequently , the desired temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) of the current temperature t can be computed with interpolation according to the locked temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ). the current temperature t is detected all the time , when detecting that the current temperature t is unlocked , the flow shown in fig3 begins new temperature tracking and locking operations again . in a first preferred embodiment , the memory 156 shown in fig1 further stores a difference tcwd ( t 0 ) of the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t 0 ) of the initial temperature t 0 besides tcw ( t 0 ), the fixed step size value and the successive sign bit sequence . the difference of the temperature frequency correction word is the difference value between the temperature frequency correction words of two adjacent temperature points . the fixed step size value is the absolute value of the difference between the differences of the temperature frequency correction words of two adjacent temperature points . so , the fixed step size value can be also referred as the fixed difference step size value and denoted as tcwds . the initial temperature t 0 may be the minimum value of the temperature covering range ( such as from − 30 ° c . to 50 ° c .). the number of bits of the successive sign bit sequence is relative to the temperature interval s and the temperature covering range . for an example , provided that the temperature covering range is from − 30 ° c . to 50 ° c ., and the temperature interval s is 0 . 2 ° c ., the number of bits of the successive sign bit sequence will be ( 50 −(− 30 ))/ 0 . 2 − 1 = 400 − 1 ( the sign bit of the maximum temperature 50 ° c . is not defined and but also not used ). it should be noted that tcw ( t 0 ), tcwd ( t 0 ), tcwds and the successive sign bit sequence are programmed into the memory 156 by using the input line , data shown in fig1 . fig5 is a flowchart of successively tracking and locking the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) of the current temperature t in the first preferred embodiment . the successive approximation technique comprises following operations . at 501 , some parameters are initialized : tx = t 0 , tcw ( tx )= tcw ( t 0 ), tcwd ( tx )= tcwd ( t 0 ). at 503 , the current temperature t is read from external . at 505 , whether the current temperature t is larger than or equal to the internal temperature tx + s is determined , if yes , the process is taken to 507 , otherwise , the process is taken to 513 . at 507 , one sign bit sb ( tx ) of the internal temperature tx is read out from the successive sign bit sequence and assigned to the fixed difference step size value tcwds to get the actual difference step size of the internal temperature tx . at 509 , the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx + s ) and the difference tcwd ( tx + s ) of the internal temperature tx + s are computed according to the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ), the difference tcwd ( tx ) and the actual step size of the current internal temperature tx , wherein : at 511 , tx = tx + s and the process is returned to 503 . at 513 , whether the current temperature t is less than the internal temperature tx is determined , if yes , the process is taken to 515 , otherwise , the process is taken to 521 . at 515 , one sign bit sb ( tx − s ) of the internal temperature tx − s is read out from the successive sign bit sequence and assigned to the fixed difference step size value tcwds to get the actual difference step size of the internal temperature tx − s . at 517 , the temperature frequency correction word tcwd ( tx − s ) and difference the tcw ( tx − s ) of the internal temperature tx − s are computed according to the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ), the difference tcwd ( tx ) and the actual step size of the current internal temperature tx − s , wherein : at 519 , tx = tx − s and the process is returned to 503 . at 521 , if tx = t , the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ) is given as the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) of the current temperature t ; if tx + s & gt ; t & gt ; tx , the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) of the current temperature t is computed with preferable interpolation based on the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( tx ). at the same time , the current temperature t is recorded as tlock . in this embodiment , the locked range of the current temperature is tx + s & gt ; t ≧ tx . at 523 , the current temperature t is read . at 525 , whether t is equal to tlock is determined , if yes , the process is returned to 523 , otherwise , the process is returned to 505 to repeat the temperature locking operation . for an example , provided that the initial temperature t 0 is the minimum temperature − 30 ° c . of the temperature covering range , once the temperature compensated frequency synthesizer 100 shown as fig1 is activated , the digital temperature sensor provides the current temperature t such as 20 ° c . by sensing ambient temperature . thus , the process flow begin to continuously repeat operations of 503 - 511 so that the internal temperature tx is quickly approximate to 20 ° c . from − 30 ° c . finally , the process flow enters the operation of 523 , where the internal temperature tx is caught in the locked range of 20 ° c . ( e . g . from 20 ° c . to 20 . 2 ° c .). if the ambient temperature of the temperature compensated frequency synthesizer is suddenly changed , the process flow will enter the tracking and locking operations again immediately . fig6 is a graph of a temperature frequency characteristic curve of the reference frequency signal with obvious frequency changes in certain temperature ranges . because there are enough compensated temperature points to be used for temperature frequency compensation in the present invention , the temperature compensation solution of the present invention can follow the temperature frequency characteristic curve of the reference frequency shown in fig6 . thereby , even for the reference frequency signal with obvious frequency changes as shown as fig6 , an accurate compensation result of the present invention can be achieved . how to determine tcw ( t 0 ), tcwd ( t 0 ), tcwds and the successive sign bit sequence is described in detail hereafter . fig7 is a flowchart of determining tcw ( t 0 ), tcwd ( t 0 ) tcwds in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig8 is a flowchart of determining the value of each sign bit in the successive sign bit sequence in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig7 , the method for determining tcw ( t 0 ), tcwd ( t 0 ), tcwds comprises the following operations . at 701 , the temperature versus frequency curve of the reference frequency signal f r is obtained . the curve can be obtained by a variety of conventional ways , which must keep the difference between the obtained curve and the actual curve as small as possible and keep the obtained curve smooth simultaneously . in one embodiment , when there is no obvious frequency jumps , bechamann curve generator can be used to generate the accurate temperature versus frequency curve by using only several temperature test points . at 703 , the frequency versus temperature curve is sampled at the temperature interval s to get frequency values of sampling temperature points . the sampling temperature interval s directly corresponds to the temperature interval s between the two adjacent compensated temperature points mentioned above . the sampling temperature points directly correspond to the compensated temperature point mentioned above accordingly . in one embodiment , the sampling temperature interval s may change according to the different temperature ranges . e . g . for the temperature ranges of 0 ° c .- 20 ° c . shown in fig6 , the sampling temperature interval s may be 0 . 2 ° c . ; for the other temperature ranges shown in fig6 , the sampling temperature interval s may be 0 . 25 ° c . in the prior art , the temperature frequency correction word tcw of each compensated temperature point requires to be accurately measured during manufacturing or testing . thus , the testing cost for each compensated temperature point is very high so that the number of the compensated temperature points is very limited . in the present invention , the compensated temperature points are obtained by sampling the temperature frequency curve , whereby the number of the compensated temperature points can be easily defined according to the required temperature - frequency compensation accuracy . at 705 , the ideal temperature frequency correction words tcw ideal ( tx ) of the sampling temperature points tx is computed based on the frequency values of the sampling temperature points tx according to a function relation between the frequency values and the temperature frequency correction words tcw of the sampling temperature points tx . herein , tx is the discrete sampling temperature points with the temperature interval s from the minimum ( tx ) to maximum ( tx ). the ideal temperature frequency correction words tcw ideal ( tx ) of the sampling temperature points tx is recorded to determine the value of each sign bit of the successive sign bit sequence . at 707 , the differences tcwd ideal ( tx ) of the ideal temperature frequency correction words tcw ideal ( tx ) of the sampling temperature points tx are computed , wherein at 709 , one sampling temperature point such as the minimum , maximum or intermediate value of tx is selected as the initial temperature t 0 , the ideal temperature frequency correction word of the selected sampling temperature point is selected as tcw ( t 0 ), and the difference of the ideal temperature frequency correction word of the selected sampling temperature point is selected as tcwd ( t 0 ), accordingly . at 711 , the second order differences tcwdd ideal ( tx ) of the ideal temperature frequency correction words tcw ideal ( tx ) of the sampling temperature points tx are computed , wherein at 713 , the maximal absolute value of the second order differences tcwdd ideal ( tx ) is selected as the fixed difference step value tcwds . thus , the fitting curve formed during temperature tracking and locking operations in fig5 can perfectly follow the ideal curve obtained at 701 . in other embodiment , the absolute value of the other second order differences tcwdd ideal ( tx ) may also be selected as the fixed difference step value tcwds . it can be seen that the data tcw ( t 0 ), tcwd ( t 0 ) and tcwds are measured through operations of 701 - 713 and will be used to determine the value of each sign bit of the successive sign bit sequence shown in fig8 . referring to fig8 , the method for determining the value of each sign bit of a successive sign bit sequence comprises the following operations . at 801 , some parameters are initialized : tx = t 0 + s ; ntcw ( tx − s )= tcw ( t 0 ); ntcwd ( tx − s )= tcwd ( t 0 , where tx is the current compensated temperature points herein , ntcw ( tx − s ) is the temperature frequency correction word of tx − s , ntcwd ( tx − s ) is the difference of the temperature frequency correction word ntcw ( tx − s ) of tx − s . it should be noted that the ideal temperature frequency correction words tcw ideal ( tx ) is different from the temperature frequency correction word ntcw ( tx ). in this embodiment , the minimum value of the temperature range is selected as the initial temperature t 0 . in other embodiment , if the maximum value of the temperature range is selected as the initial temperature t 0 , the initialization operation may be modified as : tx = t 0 − s ; ntcw ( tx + s )= tcw ( t 0 ); ntcwd ( tx + s )= tcwd ( t 0 ), the following operations may be modified correspondingly which is omitted here for clarity . at 803 , the temperature frequency correction word ntcw ( tx ) of the compensated temperature point tx is computed , wherein : at 805 , provided that the sign bit sb ( tx − s ) of the compensated temperature point tx − s is negative such as “ 0 ”, the first computing value ntcw 0 ( tx + s ) can be given as : ntcw0 ( tx + s )= ntcw ( tx )+ ntcwd ( tx )= ntcw ( tx − s )+ ntcwd ( tx − s )+ ntcwd ( tx − s )+ sb ( tx − s )* tcwds = ntcw ( tx − s )+ 2 * ntcwd ( tx − s )− tcwds . at 807 , the first absolute value dntcw 0 ( tx + s ) of the difference between the first computing value ntcw 0 ( tx + s ) and the ideal temperature frequency correction words tcw ideal ( tx + s ) is computed , wherein : at 809 , provided that the sign bit sb ( tx − s ) of the compensated temperature point tx − s is positive such as “ 1 ”, the second computing value ntcw 1 ( tx + s ) is computed , wherein : at 811 , the second absolute value dntcw 1 ( tx + s ) of the difference between the second computing value ntcw 1 ( tx + s ) and the ideal temperature frequency correction words tcw ideal ( tx + s ) is computed , wherein : at 813 , whether the first absolute value dntcw 0 ( tx + s ) is less than the second absolute value dntcw 1 ( tx + s ) is determined , if yes , the process is taken to 815 , otherwise , the process is taken to 817 . at 815 , the sign bit sb ( tx − s ) of the compensated temperature point tx − s in the successive sign bit sequence is determined as negative such as “ 0 ”, then the process enters 819 . at 817 , the sign bit sb ( tx − s ) of the compensated temperature point tx − s in the successive sign bit sequence is determined as positive such as “ 1 ”, then the process enters 821 . at 819 , the difference ntcwd ( tx ) of the temperature frequency correction word ntcw ( tx ) is computed , wherein : at 821 , the difference ntcwd ( tx ) of the temperature frequency correction word ntcw ( tx ) is computed , wherein : at 823 , tx = tx + s and the process is taken to 825 , where whether tx is less than or equal to max ( tx )− s , if no , the process exits ; otherwise , the process is returned to 803 . it can be seen that the value of each sign bit can be determined by operations of 801 - 825 . finally , the determined data tcw ( t 0 ), tcwd ( t 0 ), tcwds and the successive sign bit sequence are stored in the memory 156 shown in fig1 . in a second preferred embodiment , besides tcw ( t 0 ), the fixed step size value and the successive sign bit sequence , the memory further stores a difference tcwd ( t 0 ) of the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t 0 ) at the initial temperature t 0 , a second order difference tcwdd ( t 0 ) of the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t 0 ) of the initial temperature t 0 . the difference of the temperature frequency correction word is the difference value between the temperature frequency correction words of two adjacent temperature points . the second order difference of the temperature frequency correction word is the difference value between the differences of the temperature frequency correction words of two adjacent temperature points . the fixed step size value is the absolute value of the difference between the second order differences of the temperature frequency correction words of two adjacent temperature points . so , the fixed step size value can be also referred as the fixed second order difference step size value and denoted as tcwdds . the method for successively tracking and locking the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) of the current temperature t in the second preferred embodiment is substantially identical with the method shown in fig5 except for operations of 509 and 517 . likewisely , the determining operations of the data tcw ( t 0 ), tcwd ( t 0 ), tcwdd ( t 0 ), tcwdds and the successive sign bit sequence in the second preferred embodiment may be made a little changes relative to the determining operations shown in fig7 and 8 . however , the basic ideas are identical , the specific changes is omitted here for claricity . in a third preferred embodiment , the memory only stores tcw ( t 0 ), the fixed step size value and the successive sign bit sequence . the fixed step size value is the absolute value of the difference between the temperature frequency correction words of two adjacent temperature points . the fixed step size value can be denoted as tcws . the method for successively tracking and locking the temperature frequency correction word tcw ( t ) of the current temperature t in the third preferred embodiment is substantially identical with the method shown in fig5 except for operations of 509 and 517 . likewisely , the determining operations of the data tcw ( t 0 ), tcws and the successive sign bit sequence in the third embodiment may also be made a little changes relative to the determining operations shown in fig7 and 8 . however , the basic ideas are identical , the specific changes is omitted here for clarity . in one embodiment , it has plural groups of initial data for different temperature covering ranges . for example , for the temperature ranges of 0 ° c .- 20 ° c . shown in fig6 , a first initial temperature t 01 such as 0 ° c . is determined , a first group of initial data comprising tcw ( t 01 ), tcwd ( t 01 ), tcwds 1 and the successive sign bit sequence are determined and stored in the memory 156 ; for the temperature ranges of − 30 ° c .- 0 ° c . shown in fig6 , a second initial temperature t 02 such as − 30 ° c . is determined , a second group of initial comprising tcw ( t 02 ), tcwd ( t 02 ), tcwds 2 and the successive sign bit sequence are determined and stored in the memory 156 ; for the temperature ranges of 20 ° c .- 80 ° c . shown in fig6 , a third initial temperature t 03 such as 20 ° c . is determined , a third group of initial comprising tcw ( t 03 ), tcwd ( t 03 ), tcwds 3 and the successive sign bit sequence are determined and stored in the memory 156 . as a result , the compensation result may be more accurate to compensate the frequency drift of a reference signal with obvious frequency jumps shown like fig6 . one of the features , objectives and advantages in the present invention is to successively track the current temperature t via decreasing or increasing the internal temperature tx by the temperature interval s , compute the temperature frequency correction word of the internal temperature tx by using corresponding sign bit and the initial data such as pre - stored in the memory until the internal temperature tx is locked into the locked range of the current temperature t . by the successive approximation solution of the present invention , the memory for the initial data is minimized while the number of the compensated temperature points is maximized . furthermore , the high compensation accuracy can be achieved . theoretically , the successive approximation solution of the present invention is not limited in use of obtaining the temperature frequency correction word . in fact , the successive approximation solution can be used to replace all conventional look - up table solution in any application fields . according to another aspect of the present invention , the successive approximation method and apparatus are provided for obtaining corresponding look - up word v according to a current look - up point p . referring to fig1 and 2 , the successive approximation apparatus for obtaining a look - up word v , corresponding to the tcw successive approximation circuit 150 , comprises a look - up point comparator , a look - up point approximation circuit , a look - up word locked circuit and a memory , wherein the look - up point p corresponds to the compensated temperature point t , and the look - up word v corresponds to the temperature frequency correction word tcw . substituting the look - up point p for the compensated temperature point t , and substituting the look - up word v for the temperature frequency correction word tcw , the successive approximation solution for obtaining corresponding look - up word v can be achieved according to the successive approximation solution for obtaining the temperature frequency correction word tcw described above . next , some specific substituting operations are described hereafter as examples . in the first preferred embodiment , the memory further stores a difference vd ( p 0 ) of the look - up value v ( p 0 ) of the initial look - up point p 0 besides v ( p 0 ), the fixed step size value and the successive sign bit sequence . the difference of the look - up value is the difference value between the look - up values of two adjacent look - up points . the fixed step size value is the absolute value of the difference between the differences of the look - up values of two adjacent look - up points . so , the fixed step size value can be also referred as the fixed difference step size value and denoted as vds . at 507 , one sign bit sb ( px ) of the internal look - up point px is read out from the successive sign bit sequence and assigned to the fixed difference step size value vds to get the actual difference step size of the internal look - up point px . at 509 , the look - up value v ( px + s ) and the difference vd ( px + s ) of the internal look - up point px + s are computed depending on the look - up value v ( px ), the difference vd ( px ) and the actual step size of the internal look - up point px , wherein : the present invention has been described in sufficient detail with a certain degree of particularity . it is understood to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure of embodiments has been made by way of examples only and that numerous changes in the arrangement and combination of parts may be resorted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed . accordingly , the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the forgoing description of embodiments . | 7 |
fig1 is a sectional view of an exemplary structure of a manhole 10 . the manhole 10 includes a bottom floor 12 , a barrel 16 above the bottom floor 12 , a cone 18 supported by the barrel 16 , and a plurality of adjusting rings 20 supported by the cone 18 . a casting frame 22 resides upon the upper most ring 20 and supports a lid 26 . the casting 22 is normally sealed to the top ring 20 . it is understood that one or more rings 20 may be used to adjust the height of the manhole 10 such that the lid 26 is substantially at the level of the pavement 66 surrounding the manhole 10 . also , while fig1 shows the cone 18 to have a concentric shape , it is understood that an eccentric cone can be utilized such that the manhole 10 has an asymmetrical cross - sectional appearance . fig1 also shows an optional run through 14 in the bottom floor 12 . while each manhole generally has unique size and shape , it is generally understood that the basic construction of the manhole 10 is similar in all manholes . although manholes comprise varying diameters d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , and d 4 along the height of the manholes , the manholes generally are narrower at the top section , or chimney , than at the bottom section . additionally , bricks 72 generally form the wall 24 of manholes . fig2 is a sectional view of the liner assembly 30 of the present invention positioned in a manhole 10 . the liner assembly 30 includes a bladder 32 , a manhole liner 42 , and a base 68 . the bladder 32 comprises a first end 34 attached to the base 68 near the opening 28 of the manhole 10 , a second end 36 positioned at the bottom 58 of the manhole , and a bladder body 38 there between . the first end 34 of the bladder 32 may be attached to the base 68 outside of the manhole 10 as well . the diameter 40 of the bladder 32 is preferably less than or equal to the smallest diameter d 1 of the manhole 10 . however , the bladder body 38 is stretchable such that it is able to press against a wall 24 of the manhole 10 when expanded . the manhole liner 42 is attached at the opening 28 of the manhole , and comprises a manhole liner body 44 that at least partially surrounds the bladder body 38 in the manhole 10 . the manhole liner body 44 is comprised of lining material substantially free of coating or intermediate layers of material impervious to the resinous material 48 . the resinous material 48 may be a thermoset resin , which saturates the liner and cures and hardens quicker in the presence of heat . however , it should be appreciated that other resinous materials may be used , on the condition that they are able to cure and harden . the manhole liner 42 is essentially a transport device , such that the resinous material 48 forms the structural properties of the liner when cured . the diameter 46 of the manhole liner 42 in one preferred form is sized substantially equal to the largest diameter d 1 of the manhole 10 . therefore , the manhole liner 42 does not need to be stretchable . after the manhole liner 42 has been impregnated with a resinous material 48 , the manhole liner 42 is positioned in the manhole 10 . the bladder 32 is then inserted into the manhole liner 42 . fig3 is a top sectional view of the manhole 10 of fig2 according to line 3 - 3 of fig2 . fig3 shows the bladder 32 and the manhole liner 42 positioned in the manhole 10 . as is seen in fig3 , the diameter 40 of the bladder 32 is less than the diameter 46 of the manhole liner 42 . as is also shown in fig3 , the original diameter 46 of the manhole liner 42 is substantially greater than the diameter d 3 of the manhole 10 at the adjusting rings 20 . because the diameter 46 of the manhole liner 42 is greater than the diameter d 3 of the adjusting rings 20 , the manhole liner will fold over itself and bunch up to fit within the top section 60 of the manhole 10 . in another preferred form , the diameter 46 of the manhole liner 42 is sized larger than the smallest diameter of the manhole 10 . here , the manhole liner will again fold over on itself and bunch up to fit the smaller diameter portions of the manhole 10 . fig4 is a sectional view similar to fig2 showing bladder 32 fully inflated in the manhole 10 . the bladder 32 is inflated with fluid pressure ( not shown ), such as air , introduced to the cavity 70 of the bladder body 38 . the increased pressure causes the stretchable bladder body 38 to expand circumferentially towards the wall 24 of the manhole 10 . the expanded bladder will press the manhole liner 42 against the wall 24 of the manhole 10 . this will create a layer 64 of resinous material 48 between the manhole liner 42 and the bladder body 38 . because the bladder 32 has stretched circumferentially against the manhole liner 32 , the bladder body 38 will have a smooth surface abutting the layer 64 of resinous material 48 . this ensures that the resulting manhole wall 24 will be smooth . fig5 shows a top sectional view of the manhole 10 of fig4 according to the line 5 - 5 of fig4 . fig5 is a sectional view of the manhole 10 near the top section 60 of the manhole 10 , where the diameter d 3 of the manhole is substantially smaller than the diameter d 1 of the bottom 58 of the manhole 10 . because the manhole liner 42 has been sized substantially equal to the diameter d 1 of the larger section of the manhole 10 , there will be excess manhole liner body 44 at this upper section . the excess manhole liner body 44 will fold over itself and bunch up to create folds 52 in the liner . however , because the manhole liner 42 does not contain a resin impermeable coating , the folds 52 will compress and resinous material 48 will form a manhole liner 42 in the same way as in the bottom section , where the manhole liner 42 is a single layer . the compression creates a layer 62 of resinous material 48 between the manhole liner 42 and the bladder 32 . the thickness of the layer 62 of resinous material may vary according to the number of folds 52 or bunches in the manhole liner 42 . however , because the bladder 32 was stretched to press the manhole liner 42 against the wall 24 of the manhole 10 , the bladder 32 will have a smooth surface 56 pressed against the varying layers of resinous material 48 . this will result in the resinous material having a smooth interior surface . because the folds 52 contain two or more layers of manhole liner 42 , the resinous material 48 will cure and harden to produce a thicker wall 24 of the manhole 10 at the top section 60 of the manhole . however , because the top section 60 , including the cone 18 and adjusting rings 20 ( the chimney ), of the manhole 10 undergoes the most stress and usually contains the most damage , the resulting thicker wall 24 will be stronger to help resist cracking due to freezing and thawing . fig6 is a sectional view of the manhole 10 after the resinous material 48 has cured and hardened and the bladder 32 has been removed from the manhole 10 . the bladder 32 may be removed by deflating the fluid from the cavity 70 , and then by pulling a rope ( not shown ) connected to the second end 36 of the bladder 32 . pulling the bladder 32 out by the bottom first causes the bladder 32 to peel away from the cured resinous material 48 . although peeling the bladder 32 requires the least amount of effort , it should be appreciated that the bladder 32 may also be pulled straight out of the manhole 10 from the first end 34 of the bladder 32 as well . after the manhole lid 26 is replaced on the casting frame 22 of the manhole , what remains is a manhole 10 having a repaired and structurally renewed wall 24 . as is shown in fig6 , the manhole liner 42 has compressed the impregnated resinous material 48 from the manhole liner body 44 , creating a cured resinous material layer 62 around the interior periphery of the manhole 10 . as stated above , the layer 62 will be thicker in the top portion 60 , or the chimney , of the manhole 10 because the manhole liner will have folded over itself . the thicker layer aids the section most affected by the elements , however . the folds 52 will occur in areas of the manhole 10 having a diameter less than the largest diameter d 1 of the manhole 10 . fig7 is a top sectional view of the manhole 10 of fig6 according to the line 7 - 7 of fig6 . fig7 shows that although the manhole liner 42 folded over itself , the manhole liner 42 was compressed against the smooth outer surface 56 of the bladder 32 , such that the interior periphery of the resinous material 48 cured into a smooth finish 50 . at the upper section of the manhole , the folds 52 of the manhole liner 42 will cause the cured resinous layer 62 to be thicker than at the bottom of the manhole 10 . however , because the bladder 32 is pressed against the manhole liner 42 with even pressure , the layer 62 of resinous material 48 will be substantially equal at a given height around the interior of the manhole 10 . the resinous material 48 will migrate from the liner to fill low areas of the liner , formed due to the folds , to create a resinous surface that is smooth about the interior periphery of the manhole 10 . the smooth finish 50 of the cured resinous material 48 allows the manhole to be used as it had previously before it required repair . the invention has been shown and described above with reference to preferred embodiments , and it is understood that modifications , substitutions , and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention . the invention is only to be limited by claims appended hereto . | 4 |
referring now to the drawings , where in like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views , there is shown in fig1 - 3 , the connector device of the present invention generally designated at 10 . as previously discussed , the illustrated device 10 is used to distribute gas to two users from a common source of supply which is connected to the device 10 through a hose 12 of conventional construction . for this purpose , device 10 consists of a body 14 of suitable material such as an aluminum block into which may be drilled three bores 16 , 18 and 20 . each of the bores 16 through 20 are of sufficient diameter and depth so as to intersect to define the hollow chamber 22 within the body 14 so that each of the bores 16 , 18 and 20 will define openings in the body communicating with the chamber 22 . to facilitate cooperation with conventional breathing units , it is preferable that the gas supply be introduced to the chamber 22 through the bottom side 24 of the body 14 and that the primary user withdraw gas from the chamber 22 through the top side 26 whereby a hose ( not shown ) attached to the threaded connecting cylinder 28 may extend directly to the mask of the primary user without being subjected to any contortions or twisting . also , to facilitate connection by a secondary user , it is preferable to locate the connection means 30 of the secondary opening on the front face 32 of the body 14 . as will become apparent from the description of the operation of the device 10 , a manufacturer may easily modify the illustrated body 14 to accommodate two additional secondary users by , for example , drilling bores into sides 34 and 36 of the body 14 to an extent such that the bores will communicate with the chamber 22 and thus be in communication with the gas supplied through the hose 12 to the chamber 22 . additionally , it will be readily understood by those skilled in this art that the size of body 14 can be enlarged , for example , by extending the distance between sides 36 and 34 whereby any desired number of secondary openings can be formed simply by drilling bores similar to bore 20 into the front face 32 of the body . such devices would have particular use in underground mining operations where it is a normal circumstance to have several individuals working in a confined area which , in an emergency , could then be supplied by air from a single hose . as mentioned above , the bottom side 24 of the body 14 preferably has formed in it the bore 18 which is the opening through which gas from a source under pressure is supplied . for this purpose , a conical shoulder 38 is formed integrally with surface 24 and extends substantially perpendicularly therefrom . at one end of the shoulder 38 a retaining gasket 40 is positioned for the purpose of holding an interiorly threaded female connector 42 which is freely rotatable about the shoulder 38 between the gasket and an abutment as at 44 . a fluid - tight connection is established by threading a threaded male connector 46 into the female connector 42 until the male connector abuts the retaining gasket 40 . opposite the threaded end of the male connector 46 , there is secured , in a conventional manner at one end a rubber hose 12 . the other end of the rubber hose , as illustrated more clearly in fig6 is connected to the outlet of the regulating device of the breathing unit . turning now to a description of the primary opening for supplying air to the primary user , bore 16 has the upper portion thereof of wider diameter to provide a shoulder 48 . a cup member 50 is inserted into bore 16 so that the flange 52 of the cup rests on the shoulder 48 thus limiting the depth of insertion of the cup into the bore 16 . as a result , the bottom 54 of the cup 50 will be spaced a predetermined distance from the bottom of the bore 16 , whereby the gas or air coming from the bore 18 will be able to flow freely into bore 16 . suitably dimensioned o - rings or gaskets may be employed about the exterior of the cup 50 as at 56 to provide a fluid - tight seal between the exterior of the cup 50 and the bore 16 . the bottom 54 of the cup 50 carries the valve means , which , in a preferred embodiment , is in the form of a normally flat , flexible , rubber disc 58 which has a projection 60 fastened in an aperture 62 formed in the bottom 54 . also , the bottom 54 is provided with a plurality of radially spaced apertures as at 64 which serve as air passages and which are covered by the disc 58 when the disc is in its unflexed condition . in this embodiment , the dimensions of disc 58 are such that it completely occupies the bottom surface of the interior of the cup 50 . with this arrangement , gas flow is permitted to enter the cup 50 through the apertures when there is a pressure differential existing across the disc 58 which is the case when the primary user inhales creating a partial vacuum within the cup 50 which will cause the flexible disc 58 to move upwardly as viewed in fig3 off of the apertures 64 when air is being supplied to the chamber 32 from a source of supply . the cup 50 is retained in bore 16 by the threaded connecting cylinder 28 which is press fitted into the mouth of the bore 16 until it rests on the flange 52 of the cup 50 . the valve means for the secondary opening , bore 20 will now be described . as previously mentioned , bore 20 carries valve means for controlling the supply of air to the secondary user . to this end , bore 20 has a first valve means which , in a preferred embodiment , is identical to the valve means carried in bore 16 the elements of which are designated by the primed numerals in fig3 corresponding to the unprimed elements of the valve arrangement for bore 16 . specifically , bore 20 has a counter - bore at its mouth for the purposes of providing a shoulder 48 &# 39 ; on which rests the flange 52 &# 39 ; of a cup 50 &# 39 ;. the usual o - ring as at 56 &# 39 ; may be suitably interposed between the flange 52 &# 39 ; and the shoulder 48 &# 39 ; for the same purposes as described above . the bottom 54 &# 39 ; of the cup 50 &# 39 ; is identical to that described above and thus has the same dispositions of a central aperture 62 &# 39 ; and radially disposed air passage apertures 64 &# 39 ;. the flexible valve disc 58 &# 39 ; is similarly attached to the bottom through a projection 60 &# 39 ; disposed in apertures 62 &# 39 ;. thus , the flexible valve disc 58 &# 39 ; is capable of operating in the same manner as valve disc 58 when a differential pressure exists across the valve disc 58 &# 39 ;. in accordance with the present invention , connection means 30 differs from the threaded connecting cylinder 28 which is fitted into the mouth of bore 16 in that connection means 30 holds a second valve means 66 on a plate member 68 which is disposed between the flange 52 &# 39 ; and the bottom of the connection means 30 in the bore 20 . the plate member 68 serves the same functions as the bottoms of the cups 50 and 50 &# 39 ; in that it is formed with the plurality of apertures 70 which serve as air passages and a central aperture 72 which receives a projection 74 of a flexible disc member 76 which , preferably , is identical to the previously described flexible discs 58 and 58 &# 39 ;. preferably there are three apertures 70 formed in plate member 68 as shown in fig1 to facilitate insertion of a penetrating means described below . it will be noted that the flexible disc 76 is disposed on the interior of the connection means 30 and thus serves to prevent flow of gas out of the bore 20 in the event that gas passes valve disc 58 &# 39 ;. in the assembled condition , the tapered base 78 of connection means 30 is press fitted into the counter - bore of bore 20 to close off bore 20 . a suitable gasket ring 80 may be employed to serve as a seal between the lower face of the connection means 30 and the flange 52 &# 39 ; of cup 50 &# 39 ;. a second reduced diameter threaded portion 82 is provided on connection means 30 for the purposes of receiving a sealing cap ( not shown ) to close the mouth 84 of the connection means 30 as well as to establish connection with a threaded ring mounted on a hose and as described below . with reference now to fig4 and 5 , there is illustrated the manner in which a second user connects his air hose 86 to the connection means 30 of the second opening of body 14 . the end of hose 86 is provided with a penetrating means of which is in the form of a member having six fingers , one of which is indicated at 90 . the fingers 90 are of a size and shape to pass through the three apertures 70 in the plate member 68 . additionally , the fingers 90 are radially curved and extend a sufficient distance from their base 92 so that when ring member 94 is threaded onto the threads 82 of the connection means 30 , the fingers 90 will penetrate through the apertures 70 and bend the disc member 76 away from the apertures 70 . as a result , air or gas under pressure will be permitted to flow out of the cup 50 &# 39 ; assuming that there is a differential pressure existing across the first valve disc 58 &# 39 ; as explained above . preferably , each of the flexible discs 58 , 58 &# 39 ; and 76 are made of rubber , so that , due to the natural resiliency , these discs will tend to remain in a flat , planar condition . it will be clear then , that when the hose 86 is disconnected from the connection means 30 , the disc member 76 will unflex to close the aperture 70 and thus cut off flow of air out of the bore 20 . turning now to fig6 there is schematically illustrated a diagram of a conventional breathing apparatus wherein the original gaseous source is an air tank 96 . it should be understood that the term &# 34 ; gas &# 34 ; as used in the specification , is intended to describe both compressed air as well as oxygen or any mixture of breathable gases . the air tank 96 has the conventional supply valve and gauge 98 at its mouth from which air is passed through suitable tubing 100 to both a normal operation valve 102 or a by - pass valve 104 . the normal operation valve is conventionally a reduction valve which feeds to a reduction chamber 106 so that air passed to the diaphragm chamber 108 will be delivered at a substantially reduced pressure than that which exists in the tank 96 . conventionally , the gas in the tank 96 will be stored at pressures on the order of 2 , 000 p . s . i . whereas the air delivered to the diaphragm chamber is preferably at substantially atmospheric pressure . as is well known , the diaphragm chamber 108 is provided with a flexible partition dividing the chamber into two zones , one of which is exposed to atmospheric pressure external to the breathing unit while the other zone receives air from the reduction chamber 106 . through suitable tubing as at 110 , gas or air from the diaphragm chamber is presented to the connection device 10 of the present invention through the hose 12 . as shown in fig6 two face masks 112 for the primary user and 114 for the secondary user , are shown connected to the connection device 10 of this invention . all of the valves of the breathing unit of fig6 are conventionally manually operated so that a user can obtain air from the diaphragm regulator when valve 104 is closed and valve 102 open which is a demand type situation corresponding to normal atmospheric breathing . this is effected since the air in the diaphragm zone chamber 108 will be drawn off by a user by simply inhaling which will effect a partial collapse of the diaphragm . such collapsing will open a resupply valve 116 thus causing reinflation of the diaphragm chamber . under some circumstances , such as malfunction of the regulation system , it may be necessary or desirable to supply air to the user under a free flow or high pressure condition . this is effected by closing valve 102 and opening valve 104 whereby gas or air from the tank 96 substantially at the tank pressure will be delivered to the user . with the foregoing alternative methods of operating the conventional breathing unit in mind , the operation of the connection device 10 of the present invention will now be explained in connection with fig7 . referring to fig7 there is schematically illustrated the possible flow paths through the chamber 22 of the body 14 of the present invention . with valves 98 and 102 of the breathing unit of fig6 opened , gas at substantially atmospheric pressure will be delivered to chamber 22 through hose 12 . assuming the air in the tubing leading from the disc 58 to the mask is under atmospheric pressure , the disc 58 will remain in its flat condition thus closing off flow of gas from the chamber 22 to the mask 112 . however , when the user inhales there will be a pressure drop in the tubing between the mask and disc 58 so that the atmospheric air in chamber 22 will push against the disc 58 and move momentarily to the dotted line position as long as the user is inhaling . at the end of taking a breath , the disc will close in response to the user exhaling so that substantially no exhaled air will be moved into chamber 22 . however , as conventional , the masks are provided with normal exhaust valves as at 118 ( fig6 ). when free flow conditions are required , corresponding to the user closing valve 102 and opening valve 104 , air at superatmospheric pressure will exist in chamber 22 to maintain valve disc 58 open as long as the free flow condition persists or until the supply of air at aboveatmospheric pressure is expended . it will be noted , that with the present invention , where a second user is not connected to the device 10 and free flow conditions are being employed by the primary user , disc valve 76 will prevent escape of air through the secondary user &# 39 ; s connection means 30 since the superatmospheric pressure existing in chamber 22 will maintain the flexible disc 76 in a flat position closing the apertures in the plate member 68 . with this arrangement , it is unnecessary to use a sealing cap on the mouth of the connection means 30 so that the loss of air when a connection must be established through this opening is minimized by the elimination of the necessity of repeatedly threading and unthreading a cap . assuming valve 102 is open and valve 104 closed and a secondary user is connected as described above with connection means 30 valve disc 76 will be maintained off of the apertures 70 by the fingers 90 of the penetrating device 88 . thus valve disc 58 &# 39 ; will operate in the same manner as valve disc 58 and both of these valve discs will prevent either user from inhaling the exhaled air of the other . under free flow conditions , both valves 58 and 58 &# 39 ; will remain open due to the high pressure that will exist in chamber 22 yet also due to the high velocity flow , no exhaled air will be able to reach chamber 22 . it will be obvious to those skilled in this art that numerous modifications may be made in the details and arrangement of parts of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims . | 0 |
in a first embodiment , the present invention provides a process for the preparation of compounds of formulae ( i ); wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are each independently selected from : or one of r 1 / r 2 and / or one of r 3 / r 4 is a hydrogen and the other of r 1 / r 2 and / or the other of r 3 / r 4 is selected from : ( a ) c ( o ) r 5 , where r 5 is c 1 - c 6 alkyl , optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from aryl , substituted aryl , heteroaryl , or substituted heteroaryl ; ( b ) c ( o ) or 5 , where r 5 is as previously defined ; alternatively , r 1 , r 2 and / or r 3 , r 4 are taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached to form wherein a and b are each independently hydrogen , a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic group , a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group , a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group , a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group , a substituted or unsubstituted alicyclic group , or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group ; or a and b taken together with the carbon to which they are attached form a cyclic moiety selected from : aryl , substituted aryl , heterocyclic , substituted heterocyclic , alicyclic , or substituted alicyclic ; b ) n ═ c ( r 6 )( r 7 ), where r 6 and r 7 are each independently selected from a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic group , a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group , a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group , a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group , a substituted or unsubstituted alicyclic group , or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group ; ( 1 ) halogenating 6 - hydroxymethyl - nicotinic acid methyl ester ( iii ) with a chlorinating reagent to form compounds of formulae ( iv ): ( 2 ) treating compound ( iv ) with compounds of formula r 1 r 2 noh wherein r 1 and r 2 are as previously defined in the presence of base to yield compounds of formulae ( v ): ( 3 ) reacting compound of formulae ( v ) with liquid ammonia or ammonia hydroxide to provide compound of formula ( vi ); ( 4 ) reacting compound of formulae ( vi ) with a thionating reagent to provide compound of formula ( vii ); ( 5 ) reacting compound of formulae ( vii ) with xch 2 conr 3 r 4 , where x is a leaving group , to provide a compound of formula ( i ); optionally , the process may further comprise the step of hydrolyzing the compound of formula i with a base or an acid in a protogenic organic solvent or aqueous solution , to yield a preferred compound of the invention , o -[ 5 -( 4 - amino - thiazol - 2 - yl )- pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ]- hydroxylamine , having the formulae ( ia ): listed below are definitions of various terms used to describe this invention . these definitions apply to the terms as they are used throughout this specification and claims , unless otherwise limited in specific instances , either individually or as part of a larger group . an “ aliphatic group ” is non - aromatic moiety that may contain any combination of carbon atoms , hydrogen atoms , halogen atoms , oxygen , nitrogen or other atoms , and optionally contain one or more units of unsaturation , e . g ., double and / or triple bonds . an aliphatic group may be straight chained , branched or cyclic and preferably contains between about 1 and about 24 carbon atoms , more typically between about 1 and about 12 carbon atoms . in addition to aliphatic hydrocarbon groups , aliphatic groups include , for example , polyalkoxyalkyls , such as polyalkylene glycols , polyamines , and polyimines , for example . such aliphatic groups may be further substituted . suitable aliphatic or aromatic substituents include , but are not limited to , — f , — cl , — br , — i , — oh , protected hydroxy , aliphatic ethers , aromatic ethers , oxo , — no 2 , — cn , — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl optionally substituted with halogen ( such as perhaloalkyls ), c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl optionally substituted with halogen , — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl optionally substituted with halogen , — nh 2 , protected amino , — nh — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — nh — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — nh - aryl , — nh - heteroaryl , — nh - heterocycloalkyl , - dialkylamino , - diarylamino , - diheteroarylamino , — o — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — o — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — o — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — o — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — o - aryl , — o - heteroaryl , — o - heterocycloalkyl , — c ( o )— c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — c ( o )— c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — c ( o )— c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — c ( o )— c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — c ( o )- aryl , — c ( o )- heteroaryl , — c ( o )- heterocycloalkyl , — conh 2 , — conh — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — conh — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — conh — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — conh — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — conh - aryl , — conh - heteroaryl , — conh - heterocycloalkyl , — co 2 — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — co 2 — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — co 2 — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — co 2 — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — co 2 - aryl , — co 2 - heteroaryl , — co 2 - heterocycloalkyl , — oco 2 — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — oco 2 — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — oco 2 — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — oco 2 — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — oco 2 - aryl , — oco 2 - heteroaryl , — oco 2 - heterocycloalkyl , — oconh 2 , — oconh — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — oconh — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — oconh — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — oconh — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — oconh — aryl , — oconh - heteroaryl , — oconh — heterocycloalkyl , — nhc ( o )— c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — nhc ( o )— c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — nhc ( o )— c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — nhc ( o )— c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — nhc ( o )- aryl , — nhc ( o )- heteroaryl , — nhc ( o )- heterocycloalkyl , — nhco 2 — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — nhco 2 — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — nhco 2 — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — nhco 2 — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — nhco 2 — aryl , — nhco 2 — heteroaryl , — nhco 2 — heterocycloalkyl , — nhc ( o ) nh 2 , nhc ( o ) nh — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — nhc ( o ) nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — nhc ( o ) nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — nhc ( o ) nh — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — nhc ( o ) nh - aryl , — nhc ( o ) nh - heteroaryl , — nhc ( o ) nh - heterocycloalkyl , nhc ( s ) nh 2 , nhc ( s ) nh — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — nhc ( s ) nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — nhc ( s ) nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — nhc ( s ) nh — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — nhc ( s ) nh - aryl , — nhc ( s ) nh - heteroaryl , — nhc ( s ) nh - heterocycloalkyl , — nhc ( nh ) nh 2 , nhc ( nh ) nh — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — nhc ( nh ) nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — nhc ( nh ) nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — nhc ( nh ) nh — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — nhc ( nh ) nh - aryl , — nhc ( nh ) nh - heteroaryl , — nhc ( nh ) nh - heterocycloalkyl , nhc ( nh )— c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — nhc ( nh )— c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — nhc ( nh )— c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — nhc ( nh )— c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — nhc ( nh )- aryl , — nhc ( nh )- heteroaryl , — nhc ( nh )- heterocycloalkyl , — c ( nh ) nh — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — c ( nh ) nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — c ( nh ) nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — c ( nh ) nh — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — c ( nh ) nh - aryl , — c ( nh ) nh - heteroaryl , — c ( nh ) nh - heterocycloalkyl , — s ( o )— c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — s ( o )— c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — s ( o )— c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — s ( o )— c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — s ( o )- aryl , — s ( o )- heteroaryl , — s ( o )- heterocycloalkyl - so 2 nh 2 , — so 2 nh — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — so 2 nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — so 2 nh — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — so 2 nh — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — so 2 nh — aryl , — so 2 nh — heteroaryl , — so 2 nh — heterocycloalkyl , — nhso 2 — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — nhso 2 — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — nhso 2 — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — nhso 2 — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — nhso 2 - aryl , — nhso 2 - heteroaryl , — nhso 2 - heterocycloalkyl , — ch 2 nh 2 , — ch 2 so 2 ch 3 , - aryl , - arylalkyl , - heteroaryl , - heteroarylalkyl , - heterocycloalkyl , — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , polyalkoxyalkyl , polyalkoxy , - methoxymethoxy , - methoxyethoxy , — sh , — s — c 1 - c 12 - alkyl , — s — c 2 - c 12 - alkenyl , — s — c 2 - c 12 - alkynyl , — s — c 3 - c 12 - cycloalkyl , — s - aryl , — s - heteroaryl , — s - heterocycloalkyl , or methylthiomethyl . it is understood that the aryls , heteroaryls , alkyls and the like can be further substituted . the terms “ c 2 - c 12 alkenyl ” or “ c 2 - c 6 alkenyl ,” as used herein , denote a monovalent group derived from a hydrocarbon moiety containing from two to twelve or two to six carbon atoms having at least one carbon - carbon double bond by the removal of a single hydrogen atom . alkenyl groups include , but are not limited to , for example , ethenyl , propenyl , butenyl , 1 - methyl - 2 - buten - 1 - yl , alkadienes and the like . the term “ substituted alkenyl ,” as used herein , refers to a “ c 2 - c 12 alkenyl ” or “ c 2 - c 6 alkenyl ” group as previously defined , substituted by one , two , three or more aliphatic substituents . the terms “ c 2 - c 12 alkynyl ” or “ c 2 - c 6 alkynyl ,” as used herein , denote a monovalent group derived from a hydrocarbon moiety containing from two to twelve or two to six carbon atoms having at least one carbon - carbon triple bond by the removal of a single hydrogen atom . representative alkynyl groups include , but are not limited to , for example , ethynyl , 1 - propynyl , 1 - butynyl , and the like . the term “ substituted alkynyl ,” as used herein , refers to a “ c 2 - c 12 alkynyl ” or “ c 2 - c 6 alkynyl ” group as previously defined , substituted by one , two , three or more aliphatic substituents . the term “ c 1 - c 6 alkoxy ,” as used herein , refers to a c 1 - c 6 alkyl group , as previously defined , attached to the parent molecular moiety through an oxygen atom . examples of c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy include , but are not limited to , methoxy , ethoxy , propoxy , isopropoxy , n - butoxy , sec - butoxy , tert - butoxy , n - pentoxy , neopentoxy and n - hexoxy . the terms “ halo ” and “ halogen ,” as used herein , refer to an atom selected from fluorine , chlorine , bromine and iodine . the terms “ aryl ” or “ aromatic ” as used herein , refer to a mono - or bicyclic carbocyclic ring system having one or two aromatic rings including , but not limited to , phenyl , naphthyl , tetrahydronaphthyl , indanyl , idenyl and the like . the terms “ substituted aryl ” or “ substituted aromatic ,” as used herein , refer to an aryl or aromatic group substituted by one , two , three or more aromatic substituents . the term “ arylalkyl ,” as used herein , refers to an aryl group attached to the parent compound via a c 1 - c 3 alkyl or c 1 - c 6 alkyl residue . examples include , but are not limited to , benzyl , phenethyl and the like . the term “ substituted arylalkyl ,” as used herein , refers to an arylalkyl group , as previously defined , substituted by one , two , three or more aromatic substituents . the terms “ heteroaryl ” or “ heteroaromatic ,” as used herein , refer to a mono -, bi -, or tri - cyclic aromatic radical or ring having from five to ten ring atoms of which at least one ring atom is selected from s , o and n ; zero , one or two ring atoms are additional heteroatoms independently selected from s , o and n ; and the remaining ring atoms are carbon , wherein any n or s contained within the ring may be optionally oxidized . heteroaryl includes , but is not limited to , pyridinyl , pyrazinyl , pyrimidinyl , pyrrolyl , pyrazolyl , imidazolyl , thiazolyl , oxazolyl , isooxazolyl , thiadiazolyl , oxadiazolyl , thiophenyl , furanyl , quinolinyl , isoquinolinyl , benzimidazolyl , benzooxazolyl , quinoxalinyl , and the like . the heteroaromatic ring may be bonded to the chemical structure through a carbon or hetero atom . the terms “ substituted heteroaryl ” or “ substituted heteroaromatic ,” as used herein , refer to a heteroaryl or heteroaromatic group , substituted by one , two , three , or more aromatic substituents . the term “ alicyclic ,” as used herein , denotes a monovalent group derived from a monocyclic or bicyclic saturated carbocyclic ring compound by the removal of a single hydrogen atom . examples include , but not limited to , cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] heptyl , and bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] octyl . the term “ substituted alicyclic ,” as used herein , refers to an alicyclic group substituted by one , two , three or more aliphatic substituents . the term “ heterocyclic ,” as used herein , refers to a non - aromatic 5 -, 6 - or 7 - membered ring or a bi - or tri - cyclic group fused system , where ( i ) each ring contains between one and three heteroatoms independently selected from oxygen , sulfur and nitrogen , ( ii ) each 5 - membered ring has 0 to 1 double bonds and each 6 - membered ring has 0 to 2 double bonds , ( iii ) the nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms may optionally be oxidized , ( iv ) the nitrogen heteroatom may optionally be quaternized , ( v ) any of the above rings may be fused to a benzene ring , and ( vi ) the remaining ring atoms are carbon atoms which may be optionally oxo - substituted . representative heterocycloalkyl groups include , but are not limited to , [ 1 , 3 ] dioxolane , pyrrolidinyl , pyrazolinyl , pyrazolidinyl , imidazolinyl , imidazolidinyl , piperidinyl , piperazinyl , oxazolidinyl , isoxazolidinyl , morpholinyl , thiazolidinyl , isothiazolidinyl , quinoxalinyl , pyridazinonyl , and tetrahydrofuryl . the term “ substituted heterocyclic ,” as used herein , refers to a heterocyclic group , as previously defined , substituted by one , two , three or more aliphatic substituents . the term “ heteroarylalkyl ,” as used herein , to an heteroaryl group attached to the parent compound via a c 1 - c 3 alkyl or c 1 - c 6 alkyl residue . examples include , but are not limited to , pyridinylmethyl , pyrimidinylethyl and the like . the term “ substituted heteroarylalkyl ,” as used herein , refers to a heteroarylalkyl group , as previously defined , substituted by independent replacement of one , two , or three or more aromatic substituents . the term “ alkylamino ” refers to a group having the structure — nh ( c 1 - c 12 alkyl ). the term “ dialkylamino ” refers to a group having the structure — n ( c 1 - c 12 alkyl ) ( c 1 - c 12 alkyl ), where c 1 - c 12 alkyl is as previously defined . examples of dialkylamino are , but not limited to , dimethylamino , diethylamino , methylethylamino , piperidino , and the like . the term “ alkoxycarbonyl ” represents an ester group , i . e ., an alkoxy group , attached to the parent molecular moiety through a carbonyl group such as methoxycarbonyl , ethoxycarbonyl , and the like . the term “ carboxaldehyde ,” as used herein , refers to a group of formula — cho . the term “ carboxy ,” as used herein , refers to a group of formula — cooh . the term “ carboxamide ,” as used herein , refers to a group of formula — c ( o ) nh ( c 1 - c 12 alkyl ) or — c ( o ) n ( c 1 - c 12 alkyl ) ( c 1 - c 12 alkyl ), — c ( o ) nh 2 , nhc ( o )( c 1 - c 12 alkyl ), n ( c 1 - c 12 alkyl ) c ( o )( c 1 - c 12 alkyl ) and the like . the term “ hydroxy protecting group ,” as used herein , refers to a labile chemical moiety which is known in the art to protect a hydroxyl group against undesired reactions during synthetic procedures . after said synthetic procedure ( s ) the hydroxy protecting group as described herein may be selectively removed . hydroxy protecting groups as known in the are described generally in t . h . greene and p . g . m . wuts , protective groups in organic synthesis , 3rd edition , john wiley & amp ; sons , new york ( 1999 ). examples of hydroxyl protecting groups include benzyloxycarbonyl , 4 - nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl , 4 - bromobenzyloxycarbonyl , 4 - methoxybenzyloxycarbonyl , methoxycarbonyl , tert - butoxycarbonyl , isopropoxycarbonyl , diphenylmethoxycarbonyl , 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethoxycarbonyl , 2 -( trimethylsilyl ) ethoxycarbonyl , 2 - furfuryloxycarbonyl , allyloxycarbonyl , acetyl , formyl , chloroacetyl , trifluoroacetyl , methoxyacetyl , phenoxyacetyl , benzoyl , methyl , t - butyl , 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethyl , 2 - trimethylsilyl ethyl , 1 , 1 - dimethyl - 2 - propenyl , 3 - methyl - 3 - butenyl , allyl , benzyl , para - methoxybenzyldiphenylmethyl , triphenylmethyl ( trityl ), tetrahydrofuryl , methoxymethyl , methylthiomethyl , benzyloxymethyl , 2 , 2 , 2 - triehloroethoxymethyl , 2 -( trimethylsilyl ) ethoxymethyl , methanesulfonyl , para - toluenesulfonyl , trimethylsilyl , triethylsilyl , triisopropylsilyl , and the like . preferred hydroxyl protecting groups for the present invention are acetyl ( ac or — c ( o ) ch 3 ), benzoyl ( bz or — c ( o ) c 6 h 5 ), and trimethylsilyl ( tms or — si ( ch 3 ) 3 ). the term “ protected hydroxy ,” as used herein , refers to a hydroxy group protected with a hydroxy protecting group , as defined above , including benzyloxycarbonyl , 4 - nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl , 4 - bromobenzyloxycarbonyl , 4 - methoxybenzyloxycarbonyl , methoxycarbonyl , tert - butoxycarbonyl , isopropoxycarbonyl , diphenylmethoxycarbonyl , 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethoxycarbonyl , 2 -( trimethylsilyl ) ethoxycarbonyl , 2 - furfuryloxycarbonyl , allyloxycarbonyl , acetyl , formyl , chloroacetyl , trifluoroacetyl , methoxyacetyl , phenoxyacetyl , benzoyl , methyl , t - butyl , 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethyl , 2 - trimethylsilyl ethyl , 1 , 1 - dimethyl - 2 - propenyl , 3 - methyl - 3 - butenyl , allyl , benzyl , para - methoxybenzyldiphenylmethyl , triphenylmethyl ( trityl ), tetrahydrofuryl , methoxymethyl , methylthiomethyl , benzyloxymethyl , 2 , 2 , 2 - triehloroethoxymethyl , 2 -( trimethylsilyl ) ethoxymethyl , methanesulfonyl , para - toluenesulfonyl , trimethylsilyl , triethylsilyl , triisopropylsilyl , and the like . preferred hydroxyl protecting groups for the present invention are acetyl ( ac or — c ( o ) ch 3 ), benzoyl ( bz or — c ( o ) c 6 h 5 ), and trimethylsilyl ( tms or — si ( ch 3 ) 3 ). the term “ amino protecting group ,” as used herein , refers to a labile chemical moiety which is known in the art to protect an amino group against undesired reactions during synthetic procedures . after said synthetic procedure ( s ) the amino protecting group as described herein may be selectively removed . amino protecting groups as known in the are described generally in t . h . greene and p . g . m . wuts , protective groups in organic synthesis , 3rd edition , john wiley & amp ; sons , new york ( 1999 ). examples of amino protecting groups include , but are not limited to , t - butoxycarbonyl , 9 - fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl , benzyloxycarbonyl , and the like . the term “ protected amino ,” as used herein , refers to an amino group protected with an amino protecting group as defined above . the term “ acyl ” includes residues derived from acids , including but not limited to carboxylic acids , carbamic acids , carbonic acids , sulfonic acids , and phosphorous acids . examples include aliphatic carbonyls , aromatic carbonyls , aliphatic sulfonyls , aromatic sulfinyls , aliphatic sulfinyls , aromatic phosphates and aliphatic phosphates . the term “ aprotic solvent ,” as used herein , refers to a solvent that is relatively inert to proton activity , i . e ., not acting as a proton - donor . examples include , but are not limited to , hydrocarbons , such as hexane and toluene , for example , halogenated hydrocarbons , such as , for example , methylene chloride , ethylene chloride , chloroform , and the like , heterocyclic compounds , such as , for example , tetrahydrofuran and n - methylpyrrolidinone , and ethers such as diethyl ether , bis - methoxymethyl ether . such compounds are well known to those skilled in the art , and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that individual solvents or mixtures thereof may be preferred for specific compounds and reaction conditions , depending upon such factors as the solubility of reagents , reactivity of reagents and preferred temperature ranges , for example . further discussions of aprotic solvents may be found in organic chemistry textbooks or in specialized monographs , for example : organic solvents physical properties and methods of purification , 4th ed ., edited by john a . riddick et al , vol . ii , in the techniques of chemistry series , john wiley & amp ; sons , ny , 1986 . the term “ protogenic organic solvent ,” as used herein , refers to a solvent that tends to provide protons , such as an alcohol , for example , methanol , ethanol , propanol , isopropanol , butanol , t - butanol , and the like . such solvents are well known to those skilled in the art , and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that individual solvents or mixtures thereof may be preferred for specific compounds and reaction conditions , depending upon such factors as the solubility of reagents , reactivity of reagents and preferred temperature ranges , for example . further discussions of protogenic solvents may be found in organic chemistry textbooks or in specialized monographs , for example : organic solvents physical properties and methods of purification , 4th ed ., edited by john a . riddick et al ., vol . ii , in the techniques of chemistry series , john wiley & amp ; sons , ny , 1986 . the term “ oxidizing agent ( s ),” as used herein , refers to reagents useful for oxidizing the 3 - hydroxyl of the macrolide ring to the 3 - carbonyl . oxidizing agents suitable in the present process are either swern oxidation reagents ( dimethyl sulfoxide and an electrophilic compound selected from dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , acetic anhydride , trifluoroacetic anhydride , oxalyl chloride , or sulfur trioxide ), dess martin oxidation reagents , or corey - kim oxidation reagents . a preferred method of oxidation is the use of the corey - kim oxidation reagents n - chlorosuccinimide - dimethyl sulfide complex . the term “ leaving group ” means a functional group or atom which can be displaced by another functional group or atom in a substitution reaction , such as a nucleophilic substitution reaction . by way of example , representative leaving groups include chloro , bromo and iodo groups ; sulfonic ester groups , such as mesylate , tosylate , brosylate , nosylate and the like ; and acyloxy groups , such as acetoxy , trifluoroacetoxy and the like . combinations of substituents and variables envisioned by this invention are only those that result in the formation of stable compounds . the term “ stable ”, as used herein , refers to compounds which possess stability sufficient to allow manufacture and which maintains the integrity of the compound for a sufficient period of time to be useful for the purposes detailed herein . the synthesized compounds can be separated from a reaction mixture and further purified by a method such as column chromatography , high pressure liquid chromatography , or recrystallization . as can be appreciated by the skilled artisan , further methods of synthesizing the compounds of the formulae herein will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art . additionally , the various synthetic steps may be performed in an alternate sequence or order to give the desired compounds . synthetic chemistry transformations and protecting group methodologies ( protection and deprotection ) useful in synthesizing the compounds described herein are known in the art and include , for example , those such as described in r . larock , comprehensive organic transformations , vch publishers ( 1989 ); t . w . greene and p . g . m . wuts , protective groups in organic synthesis , 2d . ed ., john wiley and sons ( 1991 ); l . fieser and m . fieser , fieser and fieser &# 39 ; s reagents for organic synthesis , john wiley and sons ( 1994 ); and l . paquette , ed ., encyclopedia of reagents for organic synthesis , john wiley and sons ( 1995 ). the compounds of this invention may be modified by appending appropriate functionalities to enhance selective biological properties . such modifications are known in the art and may include those which increase biological penetration into a given biological system ( e . g ., blood , lymphatic system , central nervous system ), increase oral availability , increase solubility to allow administration by injection , alter metabolism and alter rate of excretion . the compounds described herein contain one or more asymmetric centers and thus give rise to enantiomers , diastereomers , and other stereoisomeric forms that may be defined , in terms of absolute stereochemistry , as ( r )- or ( s )-, or as ( d )- or ( l )- for amino acids . the present invention is meant to include all such possible isomers , as well as their racemic and optically pure forms . optical isomers may be prepared from their respective optically active precursors by the procedures described above , or by resolving the racemic mixtures . the resolution can be carried out in the presence of a resolving agent , by chromatography or by repeated crystallization or by some combination of these techniques which are known to those skilled in the art . further details regarding resolutions can be found in jacques , et al ., enantiomers , racemates , and resolutions ( john wiley & amp ; sons , 1981 ). when the compounds described herein contain olefinic double bonds , other unsaturation , or other centers of geometric asymmetry , and unless specified otherwise , it is intended that the compounds include both e and z geometric isomers or cis - and trans - isomers . likewise , all tautomeric forms are also intended to be included . the configuration of any carbon - carbon double bond appearing herein is selected for convenience only and is not intended to designate a particular configuration unless the text so states ; thus a carbon - carbon double bond or carbon - heteroatom double bond depicted arbitrarily herein as trans may be cis , trans , or a mixture of the two in any proportion . as used herein , the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable salt ” refers to those salts which are , within the scope of sound medical judgment , suitable for use in contact with the tissues of humans and lower animals without undue toxicity , irritation , allergic response and the like , and are commensurate with a reasonable benefit / risk ratio . pharmaceutically acceptable salts are well known in the art . for example , s . m . berge , et al . describes pharmaceutically acceptable salts in detail in j . pharmaceutical sciences , 66 : 1 - 19 ( 1977 ). the salts can be prepared in situ during the final isolation and purification of the compounds of the invention , or separately by reacting the free base function with a suitable organic acid . examples of pharmaceutically acceptable include , but are not limited to , nontoxic acid addition salts are salts of an amino group formed with inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , phosphoric acid , sulfuric acid and perchloric acid or with organic acids such as acetic acid , maleic acid , tartaric acid , citric acid , succinic acid or malonic acid or by using other methods used in the art such as ion exchange . other pharmaceutically acceptable salts include , but are not limited to , adipate , alginate , ascorbate , aspartate , benzenesulfonate , benzoate , bisulfate , borate , butyrate , camphorate , camphorsulfonate , citrate , cyclopentanepropionate , digluconate , dodecylsulfate , ethanesulfonate , formate , fumarate , glucoheptonate , glycerophosphate , gluconate , hemisulfate , heptanoate , hexanoate , hydroiodide , 2 - hydroxy - ethanesulfonate , lactobionate , lactate , laurate , lauryl sulfate , malate , maleate , malonate , methanesulfonate , 2 - naphthalenesulfonate , nicotinate , nitrate , oleate , oxalate , palmitate , pamoate , pectinate , persulfate , 3 - phenylpropionate , phosphate , picrate , pivalate , propionate , stearate , succinate , sulfate , tartrate , thiocyanate , p - toluenesulfonate , undecanoate , valerate salts , and the like . representative alkali or alkaline earth metal salts include sodium , lithium , potassium , calcium , magnesium , and the like . further pharmaceutically acceptable salts include , when appropriate , nontoxic ammonium , quaternary ammonium , and amine cations formed using counterions such as halide , hydroxide , carboxylate , sulfate , phosphate , nitrate , alkyl having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms , sulfonate and aryl sulfonate . as used herein , the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable ester ” refers to esters which hydrolyze in vivo and include those that break down readily in the human body to leave the parent compound or a salt thereof . suitable ester groups include , for example , those derived from pharmaceutically acceptable aliphatic carboxylic acids , particularly alkanoic , alkenoic , cycloalkanoic and alkanedioic acids , in which each alkyl or alkenyl moiety advantageously has not more than 6 carbon atoms . examples of particular esters include , but are not limited to , formates , acetates , propionates , butyrates , acrylates and ethylsuccinates . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable prodrugs ” as used herein refers to those prodrugs of the compounds of the present invention which are , within the scope of sound medical judgment , suitable for use in contact with the tissues of humans and lower animals with undue toxicity , irritation , allergic response , and the like , commensurate with a reasonable benefit / risk ratio , and effective for their intended use , as well as the zwitterionic forms , where possible , of the compounds of the present invention . “ prodrug ”, as used herein means a compound which is convertible in vivo by metabolic means ( e . g . by hydrolysis ) to a compound of formula i . various forms of prodrugs are known in the art , for example , as discussed in bundgaard , ( ed . ), design of prodrugs , elsevier ( 1985 ); widder , et al . ( ed . ), methods in enzymology , vol . 4 , academic press ( 1985 ); krogsgaard - larsen , et al ., ( ed ). “ design and application of prodrugs , textbook of drug design and development , chapter 5 , 113 - 191 ( 1991 ); bundgaard , et al ., journal of drug deliver reviews , 8 : 1 - 38 ( 1992 ); bundgaard , j . of pharmaceutical sciences , 77 : 285 et seq . ( 1988 ); higuchi and stella ( eds .) prodrugs as novel drug delivery systems , american chemical society ( 1975 ); and bernard testa & amp ; joachim mayer , “ hydrolysis in drug and prodrug metabolism : chemistry , biochemistry and enzymology ,” john wiley and sons , ltd . ( 2002 ). prodrugs include compounds wherein an amino acid residue , or a polypeptide chain of two or more ( e . g ., two , three or four ) amino acid residues is covalently joined through an amide or ester bond to a free amino , hydroxy or carboxylic acid group of a bridged erythromycin or ketolide derivative synthesized using the reagents prepared in accordance with the invention . the amino acid residues include but are not limited to the 20 naturally occurring amino acids commonly designated by three letter symbols and also includes 4 - hydroxyproline , hydroxylysine , demosine , isodemosine , 3 - methylhistidine , norvalin , beta - alanine , gamma - aminobutyric acid , citrulline homocysteine , homoserine , ornithine and methionine sulfone . additional types of prodrugs are also encompassed . for instance , free carboxyl groups can be derivatized as amides or alkyl esters . free hydroxy groups may be derivatized using groups including but not limited to hemisuccinates , phosphate esters , dimethylaminoacetates , and phosphoryloxymethyloxycarbonyls , as outlined in advanced drug delivery reviews , 1996 , 19 , 115 . carbamate prodrugs of hydroxy and amino groups are also included , as are carbonate prodrugs , sulfonate esters and sulfate esters of hydroxy groups . derivatization of hydroxy groups as ( acyloxy ) methyl and ( acyloxy ) ethyl ethers wherein the acyl group may be an alkyl ester , optionally substituted with groups including but not limited to ether , amine and carboxylic acid functionalities , or where the acyl group is an amino acid ester as described above , are also encompassed . prodrugs of this type are described in j . med . chem . 1996 , 39 , 10 . free amines can also be derivatized as amides , sulfonamides or phosphonamides . all of these prodrug moieties may incorporate groups including but not limited to ether , amine and carboxylic acid functionalities . suitable concentrations of reactants used in the synthesis processes of the invention are 0 . 01m to 10m , typically 01m to 1m . suitable temperatures include − 10 ° c . to 250 ° c ., typically − 78 ° c . to 150 ° c ., more typically − 78 ° c . to 100 ° c ., still more typically 0 ° c . to 100 ° c . reaction vessels are preferably made of any material which does not substantial interfere with the reaction . examples include glass , plastic , and metal . the pressure of the reaction can advantageously be operated at atmospheric pressure . the atmospheres include , for example , air , for oxygen and water insensitive reactions , or nitrogen or argon , for oxygen or water sensitive reactions . the term “ in situ ,” as used herein , refers to use of an intermediate in the solvent or solvents in which the intermediate was prepared without removal of the solvent . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein are accorded the meaning commonly known to one with ordinary skill in the art . all publications , patents , published patent applications , and other references mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety . abbreviations which may be used in the descriptions of the scheme and the examples that follow are : all other abbreviations used herein , which are not specifically delineated above , shall be accorded the meaning which one of ordinary skill in the art would attach . the present invention will be better understood in connection with schemes 1 - 3 . it will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the process of the present invention can be practiced by substitution of the appropriate reactants and that the order of the steps themselves can be varied . as outlined in scheme 1 , step a , dimethylpyridine - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylate ( ii ) is prepared by double methylation from pyridine - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylic acid ( 1 - 1 ). the present conversion preferably takes place in the presence of an acid in methanol . a compound of formula ( iii ) is prepared , as illustrated in step b of scheme 1 , by selectively reducing 2 - methyl ester in compound ( ii ) with a reducing agent in the presence of an inorganic salt , such as calcium ( ii ) salt or other metal derivatives , in organic solvent , preferably in a mixed solvent . in a preferred embodiment of the reaction , the reaction temperature is between − 10 ° c . and 10 ° c . and the duration of the reaction is 1 to 24 hours . in a particularly preferred embodiment of the reaction , the reducing agent is sodium borohydride , the inorganic salt is calcium chloride and the solvent is a mixture of tetrahydrofuran , methanol and methylene chloride . as outlined in scheme 1 , step c , a compound of formula ( iv ) is prepared by reacting of compound ( iii ) with a chlorinating reagent . a compound of formula ( v ) is prepared by adding a compound of formula ( 1 - 2 ), to a compound of formula ( iv ), as illustrated in step d , wherein r 1 and r 2 are as previously defined . the present conversion preferably takes place in an aprotic solvent in the presence of a base . as outlined in scheme 1 , step e , a compound of formula ( vi ) is prepared by reacting of compound ( v ) with liquid ammonia or ammonia hydroxide . in a preferred embodiment of the reaction , the reaction temperature is between 10 ° c . and 80 ° c . and the duration of the reaction is 1 to 24 hours . as outlined in scheme 1 , step f , a compound of formula ( vii ) is prepared by reacting of compound ( vi ) with a thionating reagent , in organic solvent , preferably in an aprotic solvent . in a preferred embodiment of the reaction , the reaction temperature is between 10 ° c . and 80 ° c . and the duration of the reaction is 1 to 24 hours . in a particularly preferred embodiment of the reaction , the thionating reagent is phosphorus pentasulfide and the solvent is tetrahydrofuran . as illustrated in scheme 1 , step g , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are as previously defined and x is a leaving group , a compound of formula ( i ) is prepared by reacting compound ( vii ) with a compound of formula ( 1 - 3 ) in organic solvent , preferably in an aprotic solvent . in a preferred embodiment of the reaction , the reaction temperature is between 20 ° c . and 120 ° c . and the duration of the reaction is 2 to 48 hours . in a particularly preferred embodiment of the reaction , the aprotic solvent is ethyl acetate . as outlined in scheme 1 , step h , a compound of formula ( ia ) is prepared by removal of the protecting group of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 in the formula ( i ) under either basic or acidic conditions , depending on the nature of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are as previously defined . all references cited herein , whether in print , electronic , computer readable storage media or other form , are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety , including but not limited to , abstracts , articles , journals , publications , texts , treatises , internet web sites , databases , patents , and patent publications . the compounds and processes of the present invention will be better understood in connection with the following examples , which are intended as an illustration only and not limiting of the scope of the invention . various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and such changes and modifications including , without limitation , those relating to the chemical structures , substituents , derivatives , formulations and / or methods of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims . sulfuric acid ( 95 - 98 %, 22 . 0 ml , 1 . 1 eq ) was added to a suspension of diacid ( 1 - 1 , 60 . 0 g ) in anhydrous methanol ( 600 ml ) at room temperature . the resulting mixture was refluxed for 16 - 20 hours and then cooled to room temperature ( product crystallized out ). the resulting suspension was poured into a stirring mixture of saturated aqueous sodium carbonate solution ( 200 ml ) and ice ( 100 g ). after stirring at room temperature for 3 - 5 hours , the insoluble was collected by filtration , washed with water ( 200 - 300 ml ), air dried overnight and then vacuum dried to afford the desired product ( 60 . 3 g , 86 %) as light yellow powder . ms - esi m / z 196 . 10 ( m + h ) + ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 9 . 31 ( d , j = 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 46 ( dd , j = 2 and 8 hz , 1h ), 8 . 22 ( d , j = 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 00 ( s , 3h ) ppm . dimethylpyridine - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylate ( ii , 3 . 6 g , 18 . 4 mmol ) was dissolved in thf / meoh / ch 2 cl 2 ( 1 : 2 : 1 v / v , 120 ml ). calcium chloride ( 7 . 0 g , 63 . 1 mmol , 3 . 4 eq ) was added in one portion . the resulting clear light yellow solution was cooled to 0 ° c . nabh 4 ( 0 . 85 g , 22 . 5 mmol , 1 . 2 eq ) was added portion wise . the mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 . 5 hours , at the end of which tlc ( ethyl acetate / hexanes 1 : 1 ) indicated completion of reaction . aqueous formaldehyde ( 37 wt %, 4 . 5 g , 55 . 5 mmol , 3 eq ) in 50 ml ice - water was added dropwise . the mixture was extracted with chcl 3 ( 3 × 150 ml ). the combined organic layers were dried over mgso 4 and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and then passed through a silica gel pad ( eluent 5 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 ) to afford the desired product ( 2 . 95 g , 96 %) as a light yellow waxy solid . ms - esi m / z 168 . 12 ( m + h ) + ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 9 . 17 ( d , j = 1 hz , 1h ), 8 . 30 ( dd , j = 2 and 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 4 . 84 ( d , j = 5 hz , 2h ), 3 . 96 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 63 ( t , j = 5 hz , 1h ) ppm . thionyl chloride ( 5 . 0 ml , 2 . 0 eq ) was added dropwise to a solution of alcohol ( iii , 5 . 7 g ) in anhydrous chloroform ( 50 ml ) cooling with a water bath . the resulting solution was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the reaction was quenched with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution followed by ch 2 cl 2 extractions . the combined organic layers were dried over mgso 4 and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and then passed through a silica gel pad ( eluent 5 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 ) to afford the desired product ( 7 . 0 g , 90 %) as a off - white solid . ms - esi m / z 186 . 09 ( m + h ) + ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 9 . 18 ( d , j = 2 hz , 1h ), 8 . 35 ( dd , j = 2 and 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 61 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 4 . 74 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 98 ( s , 3h ) ppm . potassium tert - butoxide ( 16 . 2 g , 140 mmol , 1 . 3 eq ) was added to a solution of n - boc - hydroxyamine ( 18 . 6 g , 140 mmol , 1 . 3 eq ) in thf ( 300 ml ) at room temperature with stirring . the mixture was cooled to 3 - 5 ° c ., and then a solution of chloride ( iv , 20 . 0 g , 107 . 7 mmol ) in thf ( 50 ml ) was added within 10 - 20 min . the reaction mixture was stirred at 3 - 5 ° c . for 1 hour and then stirred at room temperature for 5 hours . the reaction was quenched with ice - water ( 200 ml ) followed by extraction with etoac ( 3 × 200 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with brine ( 200 ml ), dried over na 2 so 4 and concentrated in vacuo . the residue was vacuum dried to afford the desired product ( 30 g , 100 %), which was used in the next step without further purification . ms - esi m / z 283 . 18 ( m + h ) + ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 9 . 18 ( d , j = 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 32 ( dd , j = 2 and 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 59 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 57 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 5 . 08 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 96 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 48 ( s , 9h ) ppm . the ester ( vb , 1 . 23 g , 4 . 36 mmol ) was added to liquid ammonia ( 5 ml ) at − 78 ° c . the reaction flask was sealed and the reaction mixture was stirred at 50 ° c . for 24 hours . the reaction flask was cooled down to − 78 ° c . and opened . the reaction mixture was slowly warmed to room temperature with stirring and under a stream of nitrogen . etoac ( 15 ml ) was added and the mixture was stirred for 30 min . the insoluble was collected by filtration , washed with etoac and vacuum dried to afford the desired amide ( 1 . 0 g , 86 %) as an off - white powder . ms - esi m / z 268 . 13 ( m + h ) + ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 8 . 97 ( d , j = 2 hz , 1h ), 8 . 23 ( dd , j = 2 and 8 hz , 1h ), 8 . 15 ( bs , 1h ), 7 . 59 ( d , j = 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( bs , 1h ), 4 . 87 ( s , 2h ), 1 . 40 ( s , 9h ) ppm ; 13 c nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 166 . 9 , 159 . 8 , 157 . 0 , 148 . 8 , 136 . 4 , 129 . 5 , 122 . 3 , 80 . 7 , 78 . 3 , 28 . 7 ppm . the amide ( vib , 505 mg , 1 . 89 mmol ) and p 4 s 10 ( 208 mg , 0 . 47 mmol , 0 . 25 eq ) were stirred in refluxing thf ( 15 ml ) for 1 hour . additional p 4 s 10 ( 82 mg , 0 . 18 mmol , 0 . 10 eq ) was added and the mixture was refluxed for another hour . the reaction mixture was cooled and filtered . the solid was washed with ethyl acetate . the combined filtrates were concentrated in vacuo and aqueous na 2 hpo 4 ( 500 mg in 10 ml water ) solution was added to the residue . the mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 hour and then filtered and washed with water . the solid was dried in vacuo to afford the desired product ( 325 mg , 61 %) as a yellow crystalline solid . ms - esi m / z 284 . 16 ( m + h ) + ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 10 . 16 ( bs , 1h ), 10 . 06 ( bs , 1h ), 9 . 71 ( bs , 1h ), 8 . 95 ( d , j = 1 hz , 1h ), 8 . 23 ( dd , j = 2 . 5 and 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 54 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 4 . 86 ( s , 2h ), 1 . 40 ( s , 9h ) ppm ; 13 c nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 198 . 2 , 159 . 5 , 157 . 0 , 147 . 8 , 136 . 1 , 134 . 9 , 121 . 9 , 80 . 7 , 78 . 2 , 28 . 7 ppm . 2 - bromoacetylbromide ( 1 g , 5 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in toluene ( 8 ml ). ammonia was bubbled in at room temperature . lots of white precipitate formed and reaction is exothermic . after the reaction was done ( monitored by 1 h nmr ), the solvent was removed and the residue was triturated with methylene chloride . removal of solvent afforded 2 - bromoactamide ( 0 . 55 g , 80 %). 2 - bromoacetamide ( 11 . 1 g , 80 mmol ) was suspended in ethylene dichloride ( 130 ml ) in a 250 - ml round - bottomed flask fitted with a magnetic stirrer , a thermometer , and a condenser with nitrogen flow . oxalyl chloride ( 9 . 76 ml , 112 mmol , 1 . 4 eq ) was added slowly to the solution at room temperature with stirring . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 min , and then heated to reflux for 5 hours ( the suspension became a clear solution ). the condenser was replaced with a distillation system , and about 35 - 40 ml solvent was removed with stirring . the heating mantle was withdrawn and the reaction mixture was cooled with an ice bath to 0 - 5 ° c . a solution of tert - butanol ( 10 . 7 ml , 112 mmol , 1 . 4 eq ) in 10 ml dichloromethane was added slowly to maintain temperature below 15 ° c . and the mixture was stirred at 0 - 15 ° c . for 15 - 30 min . the reaction mixture was diluted with dichloromethane ( 220 ml ) and washed sequentially with aqueous saturated sodium bicarbonate solution ( 50 ml ) and water ( 3 × 80 ml ) ( the amount of unreacted 2 - bromoacetamide in organic layer should be controlled to & lt ; 1 % by 1 h nmr or hplc , otherwise , continue washing with water to meet this requirement ). the combined organic layers were concentrated under reduced pressure to remove about 200 - 250 ml solvent ( a slurry was formed ). heptane ( 110 ml ) was added and the mixture was concentrated to remove about 50 - 70 ml solvent at reduced pressure . heptane ( 110 ml ) was added and the mixture was heated to 50 ° c . for 30 min , and then cooled to room temperature . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour and filtered and washed with heptane ( 30 ml ) to afford the desired product ( 15 . 5 g , 86 %) as a white crystalline solid . the thioamide ( viib , 430 mg , 1 . 52 mmol ) was dissolved in hot etoac ( 12 ml ) and ( 2 - bromo - acetyl )- carbamic acid tert - butyl ester ( 600 mg , 2 . 52 mmol , 1 . 66 eq ) was added . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 18 hours . the insoluble was collected by filtration and washed with etoac / hex ( 1 : 2 ). the solid was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 ( 8 ml ), washed with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution ( 8 ml ), dried over mgso 4 and filtered . solvent was removed and the residue was crystallized from etoac / hex ( 1 : 1 , 4 ml ) to afford the desired product ( 355 mg , 55 %) as an off - white crystalline solid . ms - esi m / z 423 . 29 ( m + h ) + ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 9 . 09 ( d , j = 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 14 ( dd , j = 2 and 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 68 ( bs , 1h ), 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 53 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( bs , 1h ), 5 . 06 ( s , 2h ), 1 . 54 ( s , 9h ), 1 . 49 ( s , 9h ) ppm ; 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 161 . 7 , 157 . 9 , 156 . 9 , 152 . 6 , 149 . 2 , 147 . 0 , 134 . 1 , 128 . 8 , 122 . 7 , 99 . 3 , 82 . 3 , 78 . 7 , 28 . 5 , 28 . 4 ppm . the starting material ( ib , 20 g , 47 . 3 mmol ) was suspended in methanol ( 120 ml ) and hcl in dioxane ( 4n , 70 ml , 280 mmol , 5 . 9 eq ) was added slowly . the resulting clear solution was stirred at room temperature for 18 hours . removal of solvent afforded the desired product as a yellow solid . ms - esi m / z 223 . 11 ( m + h ) + . although the invention has been described in detail with respect to various preferred embodiments it is not intended to be limited thereto , but rather those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications may be made therein which are within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims . 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 . | 2 |
[ 0057 ] fig1 shows an expansion device , broadly indicated by the reference numeral 10 , comprising a device for pre - conditioning comminuted tobacco material and an airflow dryer connected thereto , which is arranged beneath the pre - conditioning device 12 . cut tobacco particles ( lamina ) are fed into the substantially vertically arranged pre - conditioning device 12 via suitable conveyors , for example oscillating conveyor channels , and fed into the pressure proof chamber 3 of the device 12 via an upper , pressure differential proof , cellular wheel sluice 1 , the tobacco particles free - falling in said chamber . vertically , the chamber 3 expands conically downwardly in order to rule out a banking or jamming of tobacco particles . about half way down the chamber 3 , ring nozzles 2 ( see also fig2 ) are arranged flush with the inner surface area of the chamber 3 , in order to rule out catching edges which could impede the passing of the tobacco . in the embodiment shown , the discharge direction of the ring nozzles 2 is inclined downwards , to assist the conveying / flight movement of the tobacco . the discharge direction of the ring nozzles 2 may in principle , however , be directed horizontal or even upwards , against the flow of tobacco . the tobacco particles free - fall downwards in the tapered chamber 3 , and are introduced directly into the horizontal section of an airflow dryer 5 via a lower , similarly pressure differential proof , cellular wheel sluice 4 . as an alternative to the embodiment shown , a vertical flow drying section may also be used . in order to avoid build - up or jamming of tobacco in the chamber 3 , the lower cellular wheel sluice 4 , serving as a discharge sluice , is run at a slightly higher conveying volume than the upper feed sluice 1 ; this may be achieved , for example , via the speed of the sluices and / or a greater volume of the individual sluice chambers , as is evident from fig1 . as may be recognized in fig2 vapor is introduced into a ring chamber in the wall of the chamber 3 , from which the ring nozzles 2 , which are radially directed downwards into the interior of the chamber , are fed . even before tobacco particles begin to be fed to the chamber , the interior of the chamber 3 is placed under an absolutely measured pressure , by feeding saturated vapor in through the ring nozzles 2 . in this way , a pressure is built up in the interior of the chamber 3 which is dependent only on the temperature of the saturated vapor being fed in . due to the two pressure differential proof , cellular wheel sluices 1 , 4 , this pressure is maintain - ed during continuous running operation , such that extremely high dryer entry temperatures and moistness of the tobacco may be achieved , as compared with conventional methods . to avoid water vapor condensing on the inside wall of the chamber 3 , the chamber , formed as a pressure container , is provided with a heating jacket 6 , as may be recognized in fig3 and 4 . vapor of a slightly higher temperature than the temperature of the vapor sprayed in via the ring nozzles 2 is fed into the bottom of the heating jacket , and drawn off , out of the heating jacket , at the top . once it has passed through the pre - conditioning under superatomospheric pressure and thus at extremely high temperatures , the pre - heated and moistened tobacco particles fall downwards through the lower cellular wheel sluice 4 into the airflow dryer 5 , where they are swept along by the hot gas stream , and dried to the desired discharge or output moistness by the resting time in the dryer . the drying of the tobacco is characterized in the first stage by the quick vaporization , up until the cooling limit temperature is reached ; in this way , the vaporization energy is exclusively provided by the tobacco particles themselves . in the second section , the tobacco is dried by convectional exchange of material and heat . [ 0071 ] fig5 shows a diagrammatic representation of the conditioning of tobacco particles , which are introduced into a saturated vapor atmosphere in the pressurized chamber 3 at thermal equilibrium and with an entry temperature of 20 ° c . in this respect , the line marked by triangles indicates the change in moisture content of the tobacco particles having an entry moistness of 20 %, and the line marked by squares indicates the change in moisture content of the tobacco particles having an entry moistness of 18 %. as can be seen , the moisture content of tobacco particles after conditioning , expressed as a percentage , rises linearly in the range of saturated vapor temperature from 100 ° c . to 160 ° c ., such that at a saturated vapor temperature of 160 ° c ., for example , tobacco particles with an entry moistness of 18 % leave the pre - conditioning device with a discharge moistness of about 30 . 25 %. the achievable increase in filling capacity will now be explained by means of an example which compares pressurized pre - conditioning using the device according to fig3 for increasing tobacco temperature and moistness and subsequent airflow drying with pre - conditioning using water and vapor at normal air pressure . cut tobacco with a cut moistness after cutting of 18 % was accordingly conveyed cold through a conditioning drum ( without being conditioned ) at a tobacco mass flow rate of 200 kg / h , relative to the cut moistness of 18 %, and then driven at a vapor pressure of 5 bars through the device according to fig3 which had been pre - heated using superheated vapor at 5 bars (& gt ; 152 ° c .). in order to prevent moist cavities from forming , care must be taken that as little condensation as possible gets into the interior volume of the chamber 3 . the tobacco falling down the chamber 3 is brought up to the equilibrium temperature , which lies at about 152 ° c ., by the absorption of condensing vapor . this results in moisture absorption of about 27 % by mass . the falling time for covering a distance of about lm is only about 0 . 5 s . the tobacco thus conditioned , i . e . heated and moistened , is dried in the airflow dryer 5 to a discharge moistness of about 13 % by mass . by way of comparison with this method course in accordance with the invention , cut tobacco containing 18 % moisture was moistened to 27 % in a conventional conditioning drum and at normal ambient pressure using vapor and water , pre - heated to about 60 ° c ., and then conveyed at a rate of 200 kg / h through the device according to fig3 — without further conditioning — into the airflow dryer 5 . if the filling capacities of the tobacco from the two experiments are compared with each other at the outlet of the airflow dryer 5 , the pressure - conditioned tobacco shows an increase in filling capacity of 5 . 9 %, as compared with the comparative sample having passed through corresponding conditioning at ambient pressure in the conditioning drum . the results for filling capacity were corrected to 12 % by mass , in order to provide an exact comparability . corresponding experiments were carried out in the device according to fig3 at differing vapor pressures . the results obtained , expressed as percentage increases in filling capacity , are assembled in the following table , together with the accompanying process parameters . as a comparative sample for the given pressure conditioning as described above , 18 % moist cut tobacco and the corresponding tobacco moistness were conditioned to a tobacco temperature of 60 ° c . in a conditioning drum at ambient pressure using vapor and water , in order to ascertain the increase in filling capacity . pressure moistness equilibrium increase in in device ex device temperature filling capacity [ bar ] [% by mass ] [° c .] [%] 2 24 . 1 120 3 . 1 3 24 . 9 134 3 . 9 4 26 . 2 144 4 . 5 5 26 . 5 152 5 . 9 6 27 . 0 159 6 . 6 7 27 . 4 165 7 . 1 as can be seen , the equilibrium temperature increases as expected with the pressure in the chamber , and in turn results in a corresponding proportional increase in filling capacity . this series of experiments can , according to the quality of the cellular wheel sluices with respect to pressure and temperature , be continued in the direction of increasing pressures / temperatures . correspondingly higher equilibrium temperatures and increases in filling capacity are then to be expected . in the foregoing description preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description . they are 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 embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principals of the invention and its practical application , and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . all such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly , legally , and equitably entitled . | 0 |
the present invention is directed to method and systems for controlling and enhancing the handoff between access points of hotspots or the handoff from one type of wireless service to another type of wireless service . the present invention is directed to processes that allow for continuity of data transmission and reduces the inconvenience to the user from roaming between different access points . a general cellular telephone network is illustrated in fig1 . multiple cells 111 b , 112 b and 113 b are established through the use of antennas 111 a , 112 a and 113 a . devices 101 - 104 having access to the cellular telephone network are able to move from cell to cell and maintain communication with the network . each antenna 111 a - 113 a is connected , through a connection link 120 , with a service provider 130 . the service provider 130 controls access to the network and coordinates the handing - off of access as the devices pass between the cells . the service provider can identify each device and can route communication to the proper location of the particular device . commonly , the devices 101 - 104 may be cellular telephones , computers with wireless modems and other devices that exchange information with the service provider . an example of a general wireless hotspot installation is illustrated in fig2 . the hotspot can be controlled through an access point 200 , with the access point having an antenna 201 a to establish a wireless access zone 201 b . the wireless access may be made through an ieee 802 . 11 standard local area network ( lan ) or other type of wireless network . devices 210 - 212 within the hotspot are able to communicate with the larger network 230 through communication with the access point 200 . the access point 200 has a communication link 220 with the larger network 230 and the access point acts to enable communication between the devices 210 - 212 and the larger network and between the devices themselves . as examples , the devices 210 - 212 may be computers equipped with 802 . 11 access cards , personal digital assistants enabled for wireless access and cellular telephones having multiple means for wireless access . the larger network , for example , may be the internet or some private wide area network . fig3 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention . a wireless hotspot is illustrated , with the coverage of the hotspot set by the access point 300 through an antenna 301 a , the range of the hotspot is illustrated by the range 301 b . devices 310 and 311 within the range 301 b may potentially establish a connection with the hotspot . the access to the access point is controlled through the access controller 305 , that may be hardware , firmware , software or a combination thereof . a communication connection 315 is established between the access point 300 and the larger network 330 where that connection is modulated by a router 308 . also illustrated in fig3 is a wireless telephone service provider 340 . the service provider 340 contains a database 342 of users of the wireless telephone network . the wireless telephone service provider could provide services through an antenna 321 a , through a connection 320 , to provide a coverage area 321 b . the coverage area 321 b for the wireless telephone service may also include some or all of the wireless hotspot range 301 b . in another embodiment of the present invention , a third party could act as an agent for the service provider and would create the incentive for establishing the hotspot locations . in this embodiment , the service provider , such as a wireless telephone provider 350 would have account information for the user in its database 352 . the third party 340 could act as a go - between and would maintain its own records of users in its own database 342 . the benefit of the third party in this embodiment of the present invention is that the third party would provide the interface between the wireless hotspot and the service provider and would not require any direct interaction between the service provider and the wireless hotspot . another benefit of the third party embodiment is that users could supply account data for accounts they have with entities other than the wireless telephone service provider , such as a television cable company or an internet service provider . an illustration of an environment having multiple hotspots within a cellular network is provided in fig4 . two access points 401 and 402 provide overlapping coverage area 401 a and 402 a . the wireless devices 411 and 412 within those coverage areas can have access to the internet through a wireless connection to the access points . both access points 401 and 402 have connections 403 and 404 to an internet backbone . the wireless device 410 outside the hotspot coverage areas can still have access to the larger network through exchange of data through the cellular coverage area 421 a . the coverage area for the cellular network is defined by a cellular base station 421 connected to the cellular service provider 440 . also part of the cellular network are registers containing data about users of the cellular network , namely the home location register 420 and the visitor location register 430 . both registers can be used to set up calls on the cellular network and maintain data about the call , including the generation of detailed billing records . the present invention is concerned with handling and control of the handoff from a wireless device that passes between the different coverage areas . fig5 provides a general flowchart of an example of the login process for a wireless device on a hotspot according to one embodiment of the present invention . first , the wireless device searches or sniffs to determine whether the device is within the hotspot coverage area , in step 501 . if the hotspot is detected , the wireless device attempts to associate itself with the hotspot through the use of an attach request , in step 502 . queries are formulated and sent to the hotspot to gather necessary information , in step 503 . thereafter , public keys or other information are exchanged between the wireless device and the hotspot , in step 504 and account information is sent to a service provider to establish the billing process , in step 505 . in general , the wireless device initially sends and identifier and a public key to the wireless hotspot . the wireless hotspot utilizes the connection with a trusted party , such as the wireless telephone service provider , to verify whether the identifier and public key are correct . the identifier may be a wireless telephone number to provide proper authorization . the wireless hotspot may issue a challenge to the wireless device to seek further verification . the issuing of a challenge may be performed instead of seeking confirmation of authorization data from the trusted party . additionally , the wireless device may send a public key certificate , which is temporary , and thereafter use symmetric , exchanged keys to ensure proper encryption of data transferred between the wireless device and the wireless hotspot . returning to fig5 , the wireless device is authenticated for access to the wireless hotspot , in step 506 , and login and password data is sent to the hotspot to establish a session , in step 507 . as is illustrated in fig5 , the login and authentication process may require responses from the user based on prompts sent from the hotspot . this further illustrates the benefits of an efficient handoff between coverage ranges if the log in and authentication process need not be repeated . an example of a process of controlling and enhancing the handoff between access points is illustrated in fig6 . initially , a wireless device logs into a wireless hotspot , in step 601 . as the wireless device moves out of the hotspot coverage area , the access of the wireless device with the hotspot is dissociated , in step 602 . the authentication information for the prior session is stored in the access point of the hotspot or in a local register accessible to multiple hotspots , in step 603 . a common register that may be used to store the authentication data may be the visitor location register , discussed above . once the wireless device moves back into the coverage area for the hotspot , the authorization information is re - applied and the session recommences , in step 604 . the process of re - applying the information occurs at the associating step and the other steps of the log in and authentication process need not be repeated . usually , the authorization information in maintained for a period of time and can be purged at an appropriate time , such as when the register is updated . another embodiment of the present invention , illustrated in fig7 , is directed to transferring data for the handoff before the transition to another coverage area occurs . the movement of a logged on wireless device is monitored within the wireless hotspot coverage area , in step 701 . once it is determined that the wireless device is passing from the wireless hotspot coverage area to new coverage area , in step 702 , the session information is transferred to a controller of the new coverage area before the transition to the new coverage area is made , in step 703 . once the wireless device is in the new coverage area , no new log in is required because the prior authentication information for the prior session has been transferred , in step 704 . in addition to method for securing the handoff of authorization information between coverage areas , the present invention also provides for differing authorization levels that require different levels of prompting of the user , as illustrated in fig8 . an enterprise - wide level of authorization , a user can pass from coverage area to coverage area within the enterprise and not need to enter additional information . a change in the type of coverage level of authorization requires input from the user . such a change could occur when the wireless device switches from an ieee 802 . 11 wireless network to a gprs network where the data rate drops and the user would be queried to determine if access is to be maintained . with a street - level coverage , such as between several public wireless hotspots , a prompt is made for information for every handoff between coverage areas . according to another embodiment , data received at one access point of a hotspot can encapsulate packet data received for a wireless device that has moved to a different coverage area . such encapsulation would be temporary after the wireless device moves to the new coverage area and would be important for application that requires a high degree of data integrity . the process is illustrated in fig9 . a wireless device logs onto a first hotspot having a first coverage area , in step 901 . when the wireless device shifts from the first coverage area to a second coverage area of a second hotspot , the first access point , controlling the first hotspot , encapsulates packets received that are destined for the wireless device , in step 902 . the encapsulated packets are forwarded to the second hotspot , in step 903 . the received encapsulated packets are received by the second hotspot and are sent to the wireless device , in step 904 . after departure of the wireless device from the first coverage area for a fixed period of time , the encapsulation process is stopped , in step 905 . it is assumed that after the fixed period of time , the new routing of packets to the second hotspot could be achieved and the encapsulation of packets to achieve the proper routing may be stopped . the methods and systems of the present invention provide for control and enhancement of the handoff process between access points of hotspots or the handoff from one type of wireless service to another type of wireless service . the present invention also allows for continuity of data transmission and reduces the inconvenience to the user from roaming between different access points . it is noted that the present application is directed , at least in part , to wireless hotspots . the use of the term wireless hotspot or hotspot is applicable to any wireless access point . the term wireless hotspot or hotspot , as used in the specification and claims , should not be construed to be limited to a single type of locale or be construed as providing access according to only a particular wireless access format , such as the ieee 802 . 11 standard . it would also be within the scope of the invention to implement the disclosed elements of the invention in discrete electronic components , thereby taking advantage of the functional aspects of the invention . additionally , the present invention can be implemented totally or partially through software . although the invention has been described based upon these preferred embodiments , it would be apparent to those of skilled in the art that certain modifications , variations , and alternative constructions would be apparent , while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention . in order to determine the metes and bounds of the invention , therefore , reference should be made to the appended claims . | 7 |
[ 0025 ] fig1 is a bottom view of a rubber shoe outsole 1 molded according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as depicted in fig1 the rubber shoe outsole 1 comprises a plurality of outsole detents 2 of rubber . in the exemplary embodiment of the invention , a plurality of integral support bridges 3 connect contiguous outsole detents 2 ( detents are also sometimes referred to herein as “ lugs ” 2 ). it will be understood by someone with ordinary skill in the art that the size , exterior contact surface shape , number and arrangement of lugs 2 depicted in fig1 through 7 c are exemplary to illustrate the invention ; the size , exterior contact surface shape , number and arrangement of the lugs can be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention . [ 0027 ] fig2 is a top view of a midsole mold 5 for receiving the rubber shoe outsole 1 ( see , e . g ., fig1 ) and for further receiving polyurethane , or other like midsole material , in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as depicted in fig2 the midsole mold 5 comprises a surface 13 and a plurality of indentations 4 that correspond in location , horizontal size and horizontal shape to the respective outsole detents 2 of the rubber shoe outsole 1 ( see , e . g ., fig1 ). it will be understood by someone with ordinary skill in the art that a midsole mold for receiving polyurethane may be made of metal or other materials . [ 0028 ] fig3 a is a side view of a portion of the rubber shoe outsole 1 fitted into the midsole mold 5 in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as depicted in fig3 a , each exemplary detent 2 comprises a tapered portion 7 and a relatively non - tapered portion 12 . in the exemplary embodiment of the invention , each indentation 4 in the midsole mole 5 has a depth 10 that is equal to or is less than the length 11 of the non - tapered portion of the corresponding detent 2 . it will be understood by someone with ordinary skill in the art that the interior shape and size of each detent / lug 2 can be varied . for example , as described below in connection with fig5 a through 7 c , detents can be shaped without a tapered portion and a non - tapered portion ; rather , ribs , flanges or other anchoring devices , can be provided to extend from the perimeter of each detent . as depicted in fig3 a , in order to make a shoe sole according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the rubber shoe outsole 1 of the exemplary embodiment is placed in the midsole mold 5 so that the bottom surface 9 of the non - tapered portion 12 rests on the bottom surface 14 of the corresponding indentation 4 . when the rubber shoe outsole 1 is placed in the midsole mold 5 in this manner , the tapered portion 7 of each detent 2 extends above the surface 13 of the midsole mold 5 forming a pocket 8 for receiving midsole material , such as polyurethane . as depicted in fig3 a , in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention , one or more integral support bridges 3 connect upper edges 15 a and 15 b between two contiguous detents 2 . in an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the integral support bridges 3 connect contiguous detents 2 at some corresponding position of the tapered portion 7 of each detent 2 . returning for a moment to fig1 spaces 16 are formed between integral support bridges 3 connecting two detents 2 and between detents 2 . returning to fig3 a , in the exemplary embodiment of the invention , a plurality of pins 6 are used to stabilize the rubber shoe outsole 1 in its place in the midsole mold 5 . once the rubber shoe outsole 1 is in place in the midsole mold 5 and the plurality of pins are in place to stabilize the rubber shoe outsole 1 , midsole material , such as polyurethane , is poured into the midsole mold 5 . the midsole material that is poured into the midsole mold 5 flows through the spaces 16 ( fig1 ) into the pockets 8 . [ 0032 ] fig3 b is a cross - sectional side view along line a - a of fig4 of a midsole 17 that has been poured into the midsole mold 5 . as depicted in fig3 b , the poured midsole 17 mechanically imbeds in it the rubber shoe outsole i ( see fig1 ). the midsole 17 material surrounds the tapered portion 7 of each detent 2 ′, 2 ″ and 2 ″″ and underlies the integral support bridges 3 ′ ( e . g ., connecting detents 2 ″ and 2 ″″) so that the rubber shoe outsole 1 is anchored in and will not detach from its imbedded position within the midsole 17 . [ 0033 ] fig4 is a bottom view of a midsole 17 , from which the detents 2 of the rubber shoe outsole 1 extend . as depicted in fig4 the integral support bridges 3 are not exposed from the midsole 17 . in one alternative exemplary embodiment , integral support bridges 3 are not used . detents 2 ′, and 2 ″ depicted in fig3 b are shown imbedded in the poured midsole 17 ; no integral support bridges 3 connecting the detent 2 ′ to any other detent are depicted in fig3 b . the drawback of using a no - bridge approach is that each detent 2 ′ would need to be separately placed in its corresponding indentation 4 in the midsole mold 5 . even so , as described further below in connection with fig5 a through 7 c , detents / lugs 2 can be anchored in the midsole 17 using radial ribs 60 , flanges 61 , 70 ( see fig5 a through 7 c ) or other anchors . in one alternative exemplary embodiment , the rubber shoe outsole 1 ( see , e . g ., fig1 ) is only partially cured before it is placed in the midsole mold 5 ( see , e . g ., fig2 ). after the midsole material is poured into the midsole mold 5 ( see e . g ., fig2 ), the midsole material and the rubber shoe outsole 1 are cured together . in another alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention , eva ( ethylvinylacetate ) is the material used to form the midsole 17 ( see , e . g ., fig3 a , 3 b ). as someone with ordinary skill in the art will understand , eva is not pourable as in the case of polyurethane . in this alternative exemplary embodiment , a first layer of eva ( ethylvinylacetate ) is placed in the midsole mold 5 , depicted as alternative layer 20 in fig3 a . in fig3 a , line b - b depicts a line between a first layer 20 of eva and a second layer 21 of eva . the first layer 20 of eva may be pre - shaped to conform to the shape of the midsole mold 5 or may extend beyond the edges of the midsole mold 5 to be later trimmed . the first layer 20 of eva is pre - cut ( such as die - cut ) to form holes corresponding in position , number , size and shape to the rubber outsole detents 2 . the rubber shoe outsole 1 is then placed detent side down on top of the first layer 20 of eva so that the bottom surface 9 of the non - tapered portion 12 of the detents 2 of the rubber shoe outsole 1 extend through the pre - cut holes in the first layer 20 of eva and rest on the bottom surface 14 of the corresponding indentation 4 of the midsole mold 5 . a second layer ( depicted as alternative element 21 in fig3 a ) of eva is then placed on top of the rubber shoe outsole 1 . the second layer 21 of eva is then compression molded to the first layer 20 of eva . any eva extending beyond the outer perimeter of the midsole mold 5 is trimmed , such as along line c - c depicted in fig3 a . in a variation of this alternative embodiment , instead of bonding a second layer 21 of eva to the bottom first layer 20 of eva , a bottom surface of a shoe is fastened , such as with glue , over the top of the rubber shoe outsole 1 to adhere to the rubber shoe outsole 1 and / or to the bottom first layer 20 of eva . in some embodiments of the invention , different types of rubber would be used for different detents / lugs 2 in a single shoe sole , e . g ., high - friction coefficient rubber for some lugs and natural rubber for other lugs . in one embodiment , every other lug ( alternating lugs ) would be made of different types of rubber , e . g ., high - friction coefficient rubber and natural rubber ; such a shoe would provide traction on both rock ( with the high - friction coefficient rubber ) and highly polished surfaces such as ice ( with natural rubber ). in another embodiment , the lugs on certain portions of the shoe would be made of one type of rubber ; the lugs on other portions of the shoe sole would be made of another type of rubber . for example , the lugs on the end - most portion of the toe of the shoe sole and the end - most portion of the heel of the shoe sole could be made , e . g ., of high - friction coefficient rubber ; the lugs on the rest of the sole could be made with natural rubber . someone with ordinary skill in the art will understand that the varied - rubber embodiments described above are exemplary , are described to illustrate the invention , and are not a limitation of the invention . rather , different types of rubber other than those described above could be used to form the lugs ; different arrangements of the lugs could be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , instead of using integral support bridges 3 ( as were depicted , e . g ., in fig3 b , 4 ) to stabilize and anchor the lugs 2 in the midsole 17 , anchoring ribs , flanges or other anchors are provided radiating from the perimeter 52 of the detent 53 of a lug 2 , exemplars of which are depicted in fig5 a through 7 c . a first alternative exemplary embodiment of a lug 2 having ribs 50 radiating from the perimeter 52 of detent 53 of the lug 2 is depicted in fig5 a . fig5 b depicts the lug 2 and radiating ribs 50 from a bottom view . as will be understood by someone with ordinary skill in the art , the size , shape , number and arrangement of radiating ribs depicted and described are exemplary and illustrative of the invention , not a limitation of the invention . rather , the size , shape , number and arrangement of the radiating ribs may vary without departing from the spirit of the invention . each rib 50 may provide a knob 51 as depicted in fig5 c , or may have no knob as depicted in fig5 d . fig5 c is a cross - sectional side view along line d - d of fig5 a of a lug and a radial rib with a knob ; fig5 d is a cross - sectional side view along line d - d of fig5 a of a lug and a radial rib without any knob . in a further alternative embodiment , a raised ridged flange 60 , 61 surrounds the detent 53 of the lug 2 as depicted in fig7 a and 7 b . fig7 b is a cross - sectional side view of an exemplary lug 2 with a detent 53 and with a raised ridged flange 60 , 61 taken along line f - f of fig7 a . as depicted in fig7 a and 7 b , a flange 60 with a raised ridge 61 extends from the perimeter 52 of the detent 53 of the lug 2 . in a further alternative embodiment , as depicted in fig7 c , a flange 60 without any raised ridge could be used to anchor and stabilize a lug 2 in the midsole 17 without departing from the spirit of the invention . still further , a flange with an irregular shape ( not shown ), or a shape that extends in various dimensions ( not shown ) from the perimeter 52 of the detent 53 of the lug 2 could be used to anchor and stabilize a lug 2 in the midsole 17 ( see , e . g ., fig4 ) without departing from the spirit of the invention . [ 0044 ] fig6 a depicts a lug 2 with a perforated flange 70 extending from the perimeter 52 of the detent 53 of the lug 2 . fig6 b is a cross - sectional side view of this lug 2 with its perforated flange 70 , taken along line e - e of fig6 a . as depicted in fig6 a and 6 b , perforations 71 penetrate through the flange 70 . the midsole 17 ( see , e . g ., fig4 ) material would penetrate the perforations 71 to anchor and stabilize the lug in the midsole 17 ( see , e . g ., fig4 ). as will be understood by someone with ordinary skill in the art , the depicted number , size , shape and arrangement of the perforations 71 and the depicted size and shape of the flange 70 are exemplary to illustrate the invention , not a limitation of the invention . rather , the number , size , shape and arrangement of the perforations 71 and the size and shape of the flange 70 can be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention . in an alternative application of the present invention , a cylindrical rubber tire outer ( not shown ) is formed with tire tread detents similar to the detent / lugs 2 of the rubber shoe outer 1 . integral support bridges extend between the tire tread detent / lugs in a manner similar to that in which the integral support bridges 3 extend between the detent / lugs 2 of the rubber shoe outer 1 . the cylindrical rubber tire outer is placed in a cylindrical tire mold comprising indentations corresponding to the tire tread of the cylindrical rubber tire outer in a manner similar to the indentations 4 of the shoe midsole mold 5 . a second material , such as polyurethane , is then blown into the cylindrical rubber tire outer mold to form the non - tire tread rubber portion of the tire . as with the above - disclosed shoe sole lugs , integral support bridges 3 , radial ribs 52 , and flanges e . g ., 60 , 62 , 70 as depicted in fig5 a through 7 b , could be used to anchor tire lugs in a tire outer . although the present invention has been described in certain specific embodiments , many additional modifications and variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . thus , the embodiments of the present invention described herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention to be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents rather than the foregoing description . | 1 |
paper is almost always produced in rolls at large mills remote from the location of next or final use . at the core is a tubular member which is used both to roll the paper at the mill and for mounting on a mandrel at the point of use . it is critical to maintain the symmetry of the core so that the roll can be used by the purchaser . for this reason , the rolls are shipped stacked vertically , i . e . with their long axis vertical . handling is done using a clamp truck , a fork lift type vehicle with curved arms which contacts the rolls with curved arms and can raise and rotate the roll to move it to storage or to a shipping vehicle . the rolls of paper can be shipped by rail car , container or truck . within the united states , most rolls of paper are shipped by railcar due to the high weight limits when compared to trucks . to take advantage of these weight limits , steps are taken to maximize the space utilisation within a railcar and avoid shipping air . the donut riser of this invention preferably a corrugated ring upon which rolls of paper may be placed . the donut riser has a diameter sized to support the rolls to prevent tipping during the sometimes violent movement of railcars during transport and especially in yards when being humped and switched . the height is chosen such that a valley formed between rows of raised rolls alternated with unraised rolls is sufficient to stabilise rolls laid horizontally above the unraised rolls . in such manner is the otherwise unutilised space in the railcar used and shipping costs reduced . fig1 shows a roll riser donut 1 resting on a floor and a paper roll 3 resting upon the donut riser . fig2 shows a paper roll 3 being set upon a roll riser donut 1 by a clamp truck 5 . fig3 shows a first embodiment of a roll riser donut 1 using “ a - flute ” corrugation and 26 or 33 lb . medium facing . fig4 a shows a second embodiment of a donut riser 1 using 0 . 5 in . super flute and 90 lb . liner singleface in plan view . fig4 b shows the riser of fig4 b in side elevation . the donut riser is formed from single face corrugated wrapped in multiple layers and held together with an adhesive , typically a hot melt adhesive . simple tooling such as a circular mold or a rotating mandrel sized to the riser id is used , but is not limiting of the invention . the inner diameter and outer diameter are chosen for the size and weight of the paper rolls . for most commercial rolls of kraft paper , a 32 in . inner diameter and an outer circumference of 48 in has been found to be optimal . the riser donut is formed from standard grades of corrugated . fig3 shows a donut made from 43 plies of a - flute ( 0 . 1875 in ) faced with 26 or 33 lb . medium . fig4 a & amp ; b shows the same size donut riser formed from 16 plies of 0 . 5 in . super flute faced with 90 lb . superface . the latter design is suitable for higher loads but costs more to manufacture . the use of the donut risers has been found to reduce the need for many chocks formerly needed to lock in place rolls of paper in railcars and trucks . the donut risers may be recycled either by returning the riser or by being shredded with other corrugated materials . use of corrugated for risers has many advantages over alternative materials . plastics work well but are more difficult to recycle and the costs for a single use are unacceptable wooden pallet - like designs have the disadvantage that they must be certified as fumigated when shipped to most international locations . this invention has been described in terms of its preferred embodiments . changes and adaptations of this disclosure are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the invention and encompassed within the description and claims hereinwith appended . | 1 |
as pointed out above , the present invention is concerned with novel compositions and a method for the treatment of epidermal burns and wounds , particularly those infected with pseudomonas . the composition inhibits growth of the pseudomonas on the injured area , and promotes healing in burns and wounds . the composition of the present invention in its broadest embodiment comprises an aqueous solution of dextrose or dextrose metabolite , a buffering mixture of weak organic acids and / or alkali metal salts of weak organic acids , and a carrier , the solution being characterized as a relatively viscous solution having a ph ranging from about 3 . 0 to 6 . 5 . the most preferred composition may be characterized as containing the following formulation per liter of solution : this composition also contains about 600 to 1200 parts of water , and optionally about 5 to 100 parts of an alkali metal salt of acetic acid . preferably , the composition contains citric acid and an alkali metal salt of citric acid as important buffering components . the dextrose component of the composition is dextrose or a dextrose metabolite which is effective to provide antibacterial and antifungal properties to the composition when used in admixture with the other components . thus the dextrose or equivalent material is an important component in the composition . the buffering mixture is also an important ingredient of the composition . a sufficient amount of buffer should be present to provide a resulting solution having a ph of about 3 . 0 to 6 . 5 , most preferably in the range of 3 . 2 for antipruritic properties and 6 . 5 for wounds and burns . any buffer or mixture of buffers can be used for this purpose although mixtures of weak organic acids and alkali metal salts of organic acids are especially preferred . the amount of buffering agent present is also important since the total solution should contain about 7 to 15 weight percent of buffering agent for a suitable composition . the preferred buffering agents are polycarboxylic acids , phosphates , and the like which will provide the required ph range . the most preferred buffers , however , comprise a mixture of hydroxy polycarboxylic acids having about 3 to 8 carbon atoms and their alkali metal salts , or mixtures thereof . preferred organic acids include citric acid , malic acid , tartronic acid , tartaric acid , and mixtures thereof as well as the sodium and potassium salts of these acids . a highly preferred buffering system comprises a mixture of citric acid and sodium citrate . the composition optionally contains an alkali metal salt of acetic acid in an amount of about 1 to 4 parts by weight . the preferred alkali metal salt is sodium acetate , although any alkali metal salt of acetic acid may be used . the salt functions to increase the antifungal activity of the compound . this has also been shown to impart a longer shelf life to the composition . when the composition contains the alkali metal salt of acetic acid , the antifungal activity is improved so that it will not support the growth of bacteria or fungi . it is also preferred that the resulting solution be a viscous solution to inhibit drainage from the infected organs after topical application . thus , a carrier vehicle is included in the composition to increase the viscosity of the solution . suitable carriers include polyalkylene glycols , methyl cellulose and the like . the preferred carrier vehicle is a lower polyalkylene glycol such as glycerine . the carrier also provides the proper consistency to the composition so that the composition has sufficient viscosity for topical application . it also provides the necessary consistency to the solution so it can be used as a lubricant in the treatment of animals such as horses . a preferred formulation of the invention comprises the following components per liter of solution : ______________________________________ingredient parts by weight______________________________________dextrose 5 . 0 .- 5 . 0 .. 0 . hydroxy carboxylic acid 2 . 5 to 1 . 0 .. 0 . alkali metal salt of 2 . 5 to 1 . 0 .. 0 . hydroxy carboxylic acidcarrier 5 . 0 .- 15 . 0 . ______________________________________ in a more preferred aspect of the invention , the composition would also contain an alkali metal salt of acetic acid in an amount of about 5 to 100 parts per liter of solution . additionally , the remainder of the solution is preferably water . the most preferred composition for use in the present invention comprises the following components : ______________________________________ingredient amount______________________________________dextrose 5 . 0 .. 0 . gramscitric acid 1 . 0 .. 0 . gramssodium citrate 5 . 0 . gramsglycerine 1 . 0 .. 0 . ccsodium acetate 2 . 5 gramsdistilled water 9 . 0 .. 0 . cc______________________________________ the addition of sodium acetate in the most preferred embodiment increases the anti -- fungal activity of the compound . the sodium acetate containing compound was shown to have longer shelf life than the same compound without sodium acetate , since it will not support the growth of bacteria or fungi . the resulting composition is an aqueous solution with sufficient consistency to drain slowly . in use for treatment of contagious equine metritis , the composition is applied topically directly to the external genitalia of stallions and mares and preferably is used one time each day for at least two successive days . an effective amount is simply a thorough application of the viscous solution to the external genitalia manually . it has been found that this method will provide 100 % effectiveness in curing horses of the contagious equine metritis organism - caused disease . although the composition was originally developed for treatment of contagious equine metritis , it has been found that the composition is also effective against pseudomonas infections where the infection occurred on the external genitalia of the affected horses . this discovery led to the discovery of use of the composition of the invention for burn patients and patients with skin and muscle wounds infected with pseudomonas bacterias , particularly pseudomonas aeruginosa . when the composition was applied to accidental skin burns , it not only gave dramatic relief of pain , but also prevented the blistering of the epidermis as well as dramatically accelerating wound healing . the same results were obtained in several cases with skin burns from sun , steam , heat , friction and grease . the compound was also shown to accelerate the healing of contact ( allergenic ) dermatitis . when the compound was applied at the time of exposure to poison ivy , the skin lesions of poison ivy did not develop . when applied to early cases , the compound was shown to be antipruritic within a few minutes of application , and greatly accelerated the healing of the skin lesions . similar relief and reduction of swelling was observed in cases of insect - induced skin reactions . the composition is also useful in healing burns caused by friction , chemical and heat . in experiments involving skin and wound lesions of dogs , cats , cattle and horses , the composition of the invention was shown to greatly accelerate the healing of superficial and deep skin and muscle wounds . it not only prevented bacterial and fungal infections of the wound , but it dramatically hastened the healing of the wound and the new growth of skin thereover . in numerous cases of animal wounds involving cats , dogs , cattle and horses , the composition dramatically promoted complete wound healing after other &# 34 ; state of the art &# 34 ; medical treatments failed to produce satisfactory results . although the exact mechanism by which the composition works is not known , it was originally developed to enhance the normal bacteria flora of the skin to produce an anti - bacterial - like metabolite to inhibit the growth of the contagious equine metritis ( cem ) organism . in addition to the production of the antibacterial metabolite , it appears that the rapid healing of wounds caused by the composition of the invention provides an environment that discourages the growth of pathogenic bacteria and fungi . further , the composition has other beneficial properties and functions , including anti - pruritic properties , reduction of tissue fluids in epidermal vesicles and wound lesions , increased circulation to wound lesions and inhibition of bacterial and fungal growth in wounds . in preliminary tests on numerous cases of burns and naturally induced viral , bacterial , fungal , allergic and traumatic diseases of the eye , external ear , nose , oral mucosa , periodontal tissues , external genitalia , vagina , uterus , perianal and dermal tissue , and muscles affected with deep wound lesions , the composition was shown to dramatically accelerate the healing of lesions in the mucous membranes , epidermis , dermis and muscles . with the exception of neoplasia , the compound was effective on any type of lesion . the following examples are to illustrate the invention , but the invention is not to be considered as limited thereto . in the examples and throughout the specification , parts are by weight unless otherwise indicated . ______________________________________ingredient parts by weight______________________________________dextrose 25 . 0 . gramscitric acid 5 . 0 . gramssodium citrate 25 gramsglycerine 1 . 0 .. 0 . ccs . water 4 . 0 .. 0 . ccs . ______________________________________ the resulting composition was a viscous solution having a ph of 3 . 20 . to show the effectiveness of the compound on cem , twenty horses were selected for testing . each of the twenty horses was treated with a single treatment of the solution by manually applying topically directly to the external genitalia of the horses . from this test , 17 of the horses were found to be cured by the single treatment . the three horses which were not cured with the single treatment were then treated again with two successive treatments which were found to successfully cure the disease . accordingly , in the field it is recommended that the disease be treated one time per day with application of the composition on at least two successive days . ______________________________________ingredient parts by weight______________________________________distilled water 9 . 0 .. 0 . cc . glycerine 1 . 0 .. 0 . cc . dextrose 5 . 0 .. 0 . gramscitric acid 1 . 0 .. 0 . gramssodium citrate 5 . 0 . gramssodium acetate 2 . 5 grams______________________________________ the resulting composition is a viscous solution having a ph of 3 . 0 . the compound of the invention is topically applied to ten patients having second degree epidermal heat burns . in all ten cases , the patients experience dramatic relief of pain , and no blistering of the burn area occurs . further , the healing time of the burn is dramatically accelerated . in addition , none of the patients develop pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in the area of the burn . similar results are obtained in cases where the skin burns are caused from sun , steam , friction and grease . the invention has been described herein with reference to certain preferred embodiments . however , as obvious variations thereon will become apparent to those skilled in the art , the invention is not to be considered as limited thereto . | 0 |
referring to fig1 reference numeral 1 designates a heating chamber 1 having segments 2 extending downward from the bottom thereof . these protruding segments are open at their extremities to permit passage of air through the chamber , as illustrated by the arrows . the roof of chamber 1 may be painted black as is well known in the solar heating art . when assembled , segments 2 extend through holes 3 in planar - shaped base 4 which may be fabricated from 4 &# 39 ;× 8 &# 39 ; sheets of 3 / 4 - inch exterior plywood nailed to a wooden framework in the prior art manner , e . g ., standard roof construction . a piece of rigid insulation 5 , e . g ., isocyanurate , may be sandwiched between the heating chamber and the base . as seen in fig1 a , which is a transverse cross - sectional view of the partially assembled kit , chamber 1 and insulation 5 may be held in place on base 4 by tie - down strips 6 along the chamber &# 39 ; s longitudinal edges . as further shown therein , chamber 1 may be fabricated from two pieces of sheet metal 30 and 31 crimped together along the chamber &# 39 ; s longitudinal edges , which is a wellknown technique in the sheet metal working art . referring again to fig1 the kit further includes guide strips 7 to be nailed or otherwise secured to base 4 to surround the perimeter of heating chamber 1 and to be covered by glazing supports 8 when the kit is assembled . the glazing supports may be fixed to the base by means of nails through lips 8a . preferably , guide strips 7 are secured to the base before holes 3 are cut therein and before the heating chamber is placed thereupon . guide strips 7 , which may be fabricated from one and one - half inch strips of half - inch plywood , constitute an important aspect of the invention . more specifically , once guide strips 7 are accurately secured to base 4 , it is a comparatively simple task to complete the remaining assembly of the kit . that is , glazing supports 8 are easily , snuggly fitted over the guide strips , due to the fact that the width of bottom slot 8b of each support is properly matched to the width of its respective guide strip . therefore , accurate placement of guide strips 7 automatically results in the glazing supports 8 being quickly and precisely positioned on base 4 . precise placement of the glazing supports is critical so that pre - cut glazing panes will properly seat in the framework created by the supports . the chance of an error in frame size in an apparatus of this type is especially pronounced when the kit incorporates a substantial number of glazing panes in a manner later described . the installation of a multi - pane kit without benefit of the guide strips 7 becomes a tedious , trial - and - error , overly expensive task not suitable for the do - it - yourselfer , because it is quite difficult to accurately position and secure the glazing supports in comparison to the smaller , lighter and therefore more easily handled guide strips . referring now to fig2 therein is shown an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the heating chamber of the present invention . the chamber is composed of five sections 1a , 1b , 1c , 1d , and 1e . each section may be about eight feet long and about three feet wide so that practically any local sheet metal shop can fabricate same . sections 1a , 1b , and 1c include downwardly extending segments 2a , 2b , and 2c , respectively , to extend through respective holes in base 4 ( e . g ., see fig1 ). thus , there are two downwardly extending segments at opposite ends of the chamber , and a third segment at the half - way point of the chamber . during operation of the heating chamber of fig2 air enters the chamber through the openings at the extremities of protruding end segments 2a and 2b , and exits from the chamber through protruding center segment 2c . sections 1d and 1e of the chamber do not include downwardly extending segments , because these sections simply connect center section 1c to end sections 1a and 1b . fig3 illustrates the manner in which the sections of the preferred heating chamber may be joined together . that is , the roofs may be joined by pop rivets 9 , while the floors may be joined by adhesive caulking 10 . as illustrated in the close - up view of chamber section 1c in fig4 and 4a , each section is preferably made up of a plurality of side - by - side elongated channels 11 each of which are substantially closed except for the end thereof . in addition to being open at their ends , the parallel channels in section 1c are open at the half - way point of the channels to communicate with downwardly extending segment 2c . thus , in this embodiment segment 2c ( as well as the other downwardly extending segments 2a and 2b ) function as air manifolds for the channels 11 . as also shown in fig4 and 4a , each channel includes a plurality of transverse partitions 12 extending downward from the ceiling , which partially obstruct flow of air therethrough and thereby create turbulence which results in more intimate contact between the air and the heated ceiling . in addition , the fact that the partitions 12 are located in the ceiling causes them to become directly heated by solar energy , thereby providing more heating area for the air travelling through the chamber . referring now to fig5 therein is shown in cross - section a preferred embodiment of glazing support 8 . the supports are hollow and include an opening at the bottom thereof . preferably , they are manufactured in eight - foot lengths from extruded metal , e . g ., aluminum . as is well known in the greenhouse glazing art , each support may include end flanges ( not shown ) to permit joining one support to another by means of pop - riveting . it can further be seen from fig5 and 5a that the kit includes rigid insulation pieces 13 ( e . g ., isocyanurate ) inserted into the glazing supports . these pieces are sized ( i . e ., properly dimensioned ) to snuggly fit totally within each glazing support in a position recessed from the bottom thereof , so as to define a slot 14 keyed to the shape and size of guide strips 7 . in this manner , the glazing supports snuggly fit on top of , as well as along the sides of each guide strip 7 . referring now to fig6 therein is shown a top view of an embodiment of the present invention which accommodates a plurality of glazing panes 5 . the structure is approximately 40 feet long to accommodate the 40 foot chamber depicted in fig2 and each pane may be a standard piece of tempered glass , 1 / 8 × 34 × 76 inches . the perimeter of the chamber is surrounded by primary glazing supports 8 . in addition to said supports 8 , there are a plurality of intermediate supports 16 which extend between and are connected to parallel primary supports 8 . fig7 and 7a illustrate how the intermediate supports 16 in fig6 are connected to the primary supports 8 . referring thereto , a plurality of supporting arms 17 are pop - riveted or otherwise transversely attached to each of the parallel primary supports 8 at a plurality of predetermined and premarked points along such supports . the support arms are very short , e . g ., they are a small fraction of the length of intermediate supports 16 , usually about 11 / 2 inches long . after arms 17 are attached to supports 8 , each end of each intermediate support 16 is snuggly fitted over one of such arms , e . g ., supports 16 may be snap - fitted over arm 17 . each support 16 provides two ledges for holding glazing panes . it can be seen from fig7 a that support 16 rests on the ledge of support 8 , as well as on arm 17 , and that each support 16 is slightly shorter than the actual distance between parallel supports 8 , i . e ., see gap y . this differential in length provides for easy placement of the supports 16 between parallel primary supports 8 , and further provides for subsequent expansion and contraction of the overall structure . once the primary and intermediate supports are in place , glazing panes 15 may be secured to the structure in the prior art manner . for example , referring to fig8 an extruded aluminum bench 18 is attached , e . g ., glued , to the ledge 19 of primary supports 8 ( and to similar ledges on intermediate supports 16 ). each pane is edged with a rubber gasket 20 and placed on top of the benches . a caulking sealant 21 is beaded along the top of the gasket , and then the structure is capped with an elongated sheet metal cap 22 which is attached to the elongated supports by means of screws 23 . whenever adjacent metal cap members are joined to one another , they may be caulked for further sealing . after assembly of the kit , air ducts ( not shown ) are attached to the extremities of downwardly extendind segments 2a - c in the prior art manner , to establish communication between the heating chamber 1 and the house and / or heat storage ( e . g ., a bed of rocks ). fans , electrical sensors and other controls ( not shown ) may be incorporated into the system as will be obvious to those skilled in the art . while the preferred structure of the present invention has been described with specified materials and dimensions , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other materials and dimensions may be readily employed , and in fact other materials and dimensions may be more practical depending upon the location and requirements of the unit . furthermore , it will be apparent that the kit may include a plurality of side - by - side heating chambers . | 5 |
the method of the present disclosure rearranges the image pixels based on a non - rectangular image convolution kernel shape to organize the pixels to alignment and contiguity of data access patterns so that general box filter convolution strategy can be applied for smoothing the input image without severe performance penalties during memory access . the method of the present disclosure uses two arrays to represent non - rectangular shaped convolution kernel in an orthogonal coordinate system so that a general box filter convolution strategy can be applied . the length of the two arrays is equal to the size of the convolution kernel &# 39 ; s vertical dimension ( the height ) and the contents of the two arrays define the convolution kernel &# 39 ; s horizontal dimension ( the width ). one of the two arrays carries the skip length of the kernel ( representing the number of pixels not in the convolution kernel ) and the other array carries the run length ( representing the number of pixels that are in the convolution kernel ). once the non - rectangular convolution kernel is presented in an orthogonal coordinate system , a general box filter convolution strategy can be applied to smooth the input image . this concept will be illustrated using a hexagonal shaped convolution kernel as an example . fig1 shows an input image 300 that is 11 pixels high by 22 pixels wide . in actual spect operation , an input image could be much larger than the example input image 300 shown here but for the purpose of this description , the example input image 300 is selected to have this limited size . the 242 pixels in the input image 300 are labeled using a row - major convention notation inside a pair of brackets , i . e . [ row , column ]. according to an aspect of the present disclosure , a non - rectangular shaped convolution kernel is applied to smooth the input image 300 , specifically a hexagonal shaped convolution kernel . for example , a hexagonal convolution kernel image h 1 is shown overlaid onto the input image 300 centered over the pixel [ 6 , 6 ]. the pixel [ 6 , 6 ] is the pixel in the input image 300 that will be smoothed by the hexagonal convolution kernel image h 1 and aligns with the center or the anchor pixel location of the hexagonal convolution kernel image h 1 . the hexagonal convolution kernel employed here has 11 × 11 pixel size and , thus , twelve kernel images h 1 through h 12 will be required to smooth the input image 300 . the twelve anchor pixels associated with the twelve kernel images h 1 through h 12 are shown with shading in fig1 . the twelve anchor pixels correspond to the pixels [ 6 , 6 ], [ 6 , 7 ], [ 6 , 8 ], [ 6 , 9 ], [ 6 , 10 ], [ 6 , 11 ], [ 6 , 12 ], [ 6 , 13 ], [ 6 , 14 ], [ 6 , 15 ], [ 6 , 16 ], and [ 6 , 17 ] of the input image 300 . for purposes of illustration , only three of the twelve convolution kernel images h 1 , h 2 and h 12 are shown in fig1 . thus , the particular number of convolution kernel images required to smooth an input image would depend on the size of the input image . for illustration purposes , only three of the twelve hexagonal convolution kernel images h 1 , h 2 and h 12 are identified in fig1 . fig2 a shows one hexagonal convolution kernel image 402 of the present example in a boundary box area 400 . the convolution kernel image 402 has a size that is defined by a 11 × 11 pixels boundary box area 400 . because the hexagonal convolution kernels is not box - shaped and does not occupy all of the pixels in the 11 × 11 boundary box area 400 , the shape of the convolution kernel inside the boundary box area 400 is defined with skip - length array 405 and run - length arrays 410 . the run - length array 410 contains the number of neighborhood pixels in each row , i . e . the pixels that are in the convolution kernel image . the skip - length array 405 contains values that represent half of the number of pixels in each row that are not the neighborhood pixels . for example , in the first row on top of the image shown in fig2 a , there are five neighborhood pixels in the center that are inside the convolution kernel image and , thus , the run - length value for the first row in the run - length array 410 is “ 5 ”. there are six pixels that are not the neighborhood pixels , three on each side of the five neighborhood pixels . thus , the skip - length value for the first row in the skip - length array 405 is “ 3 ”. the skip - length array and run - length array of the convolution kernel image is calculated once by the image processor 240 and stored in the data storage unit 220 during the initialization step before the image smoothing process is executed . the method of the present disclosure takes the non - rectangular shape of the convolution kernel image , remaps the convolution kernel image pixels from a hexagonal coordinate map to an orthogonal coordinate map using pre - calculated skip - length and run - length array information . the orthogonal coordinate map corresponds to the orthogonal coordinate system of the memory space in the data storage unit 220 . then , the pixels in the input image 300 is also rearranged using the hexagonal coordinate conversion described herein into an orthogonally aligned memory space based on the skip - length and run - length array information . this rearrangement and alignment of the input image pixel data into orthogonally aligned memory space allows the use of a general box filter convolution strategy for smoothing the input image 300 even when the filter kernel is non - rectangular . in other words , regardless of the particular shape of the non - rectangular filter kernel shape , a general box filter method can be used to smooth the input image . in order to explain the remapping of the convolution kernel image pixels from a hexagonal coordinate map to an orthogonal coordinate map of a memory space , fig2 b shows the hexagonal convolution kernel images defined in a hexagonal coordinate system . the hexagonal coordinate system is a non - orthogonal coordinate system defined by two axes a and b that form an angle of 120 ° with each other . in the example shown in fig2 b , two hexagonal kernel images are illustrated in the hexagonal coordinate system along with their respective group of 121 image pixels that define each kernel image &# 39 ; s boundary box area associated with their respective anchor pixels . the anchor pixels are marked in dark color and the periphery pixels outlining the hexagonal kernel shape are shown in cross - hatches . the pixels that correspond to the convolution kernel 402 are labeled using ( row , column ) convention denoting their eventual location in the orthogonal coordinate map of the memory space in the data storage unit 220 after being remapped . fig3 a shows the remapped convolution kernel 402 a . in the remapped convolution kernel 402 a , the pixels in the convolution kernel 402 in fig2 b have been remapped into an 11 × 11 orthogonal coordinate map of a memory space 500 . the pixels in the memory space 500 are labeled using a row - major convention in where the rows and columns refer to the rows and columns in the memory space 500 . this is not to be confused with the “[ row , column ]” labeling of the pixels in the input image 300 in fig1 . in order to distinguish the two , the row , column labeling of the memory space 500 are shown without the brackets “[ ]” in the figure and are referred to using parentheses “( row , column )” in this description . using the remapped convolution kernel 402 a as a remapping template , the input image 300 pixel data is remapped into the memory space &# 39 ; s orthogonal coordinate map of the memory space also . comparing the ( row , column ) labels in the remapped convolution kernel 402 a in fig3 a to those in the convolution kernel 402 in fig2 b , one can see that all of the pixel data in the convolution kernel 402 have been remapped into the remapped convolution kernel 402 a &# 39 ; s orthogonal grid . one can see that the 121 pixels in the convolution kernel have been rearranged from the parallelogram shaped arrangement in fig2 b to the square shaped arrangement of fig3 a . the remapping will be referred to herein as the “ hexagonal coordinate remapping .” the shaded pixels represent the neighborhood pixels associated with the anchor pixel ( 6 , 6 ) defined by the run - length array 410 and they contain a uniform value . each value in the run - length array 410 represents the number of pixels covered by the convolution kernel in each row . in order to ensure a valid operation when image boundary pixels are smoothed , an assumption is made that all referred neighborhood pixels necessary for the operation are available . the term “ image boundary pixels ” refer to the pixel locations near the edge of the image that are not in the image . for example , in fig2 b , if the hexagonal convolution kernel on the left side were the convolution kernel h 1 in fig1 , the pixel locations in the region c in fig2 b would be located outside the boundary of the input image 300 and not part of the actual input image 300 . for image smoothing calculation , these pixel locations are deemed to have null values . the image smoothing process of the present disclosure is further described in connection with fig3 b through 6 . the anchor pixel location ( 6 , 6 ) of the hexagonal convolution kernel h 1 is indexed at the first input image pixel [ 6 , 6 ] to be processed . ( see fig1 ). smoothing of the first input image pixel [ 6 , 6 ] is calculated first during the initialization procedure applying conventional convolution using the hexagonal kernel 402 . the smoothed output data for the input image &# 39 ; s first anchor pixel [ 6 , 6 ] is then stored in the result array r as the first output pixel so 1 . in order to complete the smoothing of the input image 300 , the remaining input image pixels [ 6 , 7 ] through [ 6 , 17 ] corresponding to the anchor pixels of the convolution kernels h 2 through h 12 need to be processed . the last pixel to be processed in the input image 300 is input image pixel [ 6 , 17 ] corresponding to the anchor pixel of the hexagonal filter kernel h 12 . the image smoothing process will be described from this point in terms of the input image data that has been remapped into the memory space via the hexagonal coordinate remapping and the pixel data locations will reference the coordinate in the memory space &# 39 ; s orthogonal map . referring to fig3 b , the neighborhood pixels of the anchor pixel ( 6 , 6 ) in the convolution kernel 402 can be conceptually separated into two sections , a top section 605 ( size 5 × 11 ) and a bottom section 610 ( size 6 × 11 ) in the memory space 500 . as discussed above , the neighborhood pixels are those defined by the run - length array 410 and are shown shaded in fig3 b . separating the hexagonal convolution kernel 402 into two sections reduces demand on data processing memory space ( usually a fast cache memory space ) especially when the convolution kernel and the input image are large . it should be noted here that the particular sizes of the convolution kernel 402 and the input image 300 being used here as examples are arbitrarily chosen to be not too large for simplification . thus , the method described herein is applicable to images that are smaller or larger than the examples . furthermore , one skilled in the art would appreciate that the hexagonal convolution kernel 402 can be divided into more than two sections in order to further reduce the demand on data processing memory space . as shown in fig4 a , the top section 605 and the bottom section 610 of each of the hexagonal filter kernel data in the memory space are further divided into two subsections based on the initially calculated run - length array data . fig4 a shows the top section 605 associated with the last anchor pixel ( 6 , 17 ) further divided into subsections 605 a and 605 b . the bottom section 610 associated with the first anchor pixel ( 6 , 6 ) is shown further divided into subsections 610 a and 610 b . the top subsection 605 a represents the neighborhood pixels in the kernel image associated with the last anchor pixel ( 6 , 17 ) in the top section of the remapped input image 300 , as represented in the memory space . in other words , as in fig3 b , the notation in each pixel shown in fig4 a represents the ( row , column ) location of the pixel data in the memory space of the data storage unit 220 . the top subsection 605 b represents the pixels that are outside the kernel image associated with the last anchor pixel ( 6 , 17 ) in the top section of the remapped input image 300 , as represented in the memory space . similarly , the bottom subsection 610 a represents the neighborhood pixels in the kernel image associated with the first anchor pixel ( 6 , 6 ) in the bottom section of the remapped input image 300 , as represented in the memory space . the subsection 610 b represents the pixels that are outside the kernel image associated with the first anchor pixel ( 6 , 6 ) in the bottom section of the remapped input image 300 , as represented in the memory space . the notation a 1 refers to the first anchor pixel at memory location ( 6 , 6 ) and a 12 refers to the twelfth anchor pixel at memory location ( 6 , 17 ). in order to carry out the image smoothing process of the present disclosure , each of the four subsections 605 a , 605 b , 610 a and 610 b need to be extended to cover all neighborhood pixels for all of the eleven remaining anchor pixels ( 6 , 7 ) to ( 6 , 17 ) in the remapped input image 300 a ( i . e ., the input image 300 after it has been remapped into the orthogonal coordinate map of the memory space as discussed above ). this is illustrated in fig4 b . there are eleven anchor pixels to be considered because the first image pixel [ 6 , 6 ], which is now located at memory space location ( 6 , 6 ), has already been smoothed during the initialization step as discussed above . when considering the input image 300 &# 39 ; s pixel data remapped into the memory space using the hexagonal coordinate remapping discussed above , the position of the twelve anchor pixels in the memory space &# 39 ; s orthogonal map are ( 6 , 6 ) to ( 6 , 17 ) in the memory space &# 39 ; s ( row , column ) convention . fig4 b ( a ) shows a schematic illustration of the remapped input image 300 a in which the extended top subsection 605 a is shown in dotted line and labeled as 605 a - extended . fig4 b ( b ) shows a schematic illustration of the remapped input image 300 a in which the extended top subsection 605 b is shown in dotted line and labeled as 605 a - extended . the 605 a - extended is aligned to the right side of the memory space or memory index decrement ( from right to left ) and the top subsection 605 b - extended is aligned to the left side of the memory space or memory index increment ( from left to right ). however , in order to apply the general box filter convolution , the subsection 605 b - extended need to be aligned to the right side of the memory space or memory index decrement , same as the subsection 605 a - extended . this can be realized by loading the non - aligned &# 39 ; pixel data for the subsection 605 b - extended from a main memory space ( such as the data storage unit 220 shown in fig7 ) location to a temporary cache memory ( which is generally smaller memory but has much faster access time ) and aligning the pixel data from the cache memory in order to same computation time . the cache memory can be provided as part of the data storage unit 220 or as a separate memory device . the two subsections 605 a - extended and 605 b - extended can have overlap of the memory space as shown . for reference , fig4 b ( a ) and ( b ) also show the outlines of the neighborhood pixels n ( 6 , 6 ) and n ( 6 , 17 ) under the convolution kernel ( per the calculated run - length array ) associated with the first anchor pixel ( 6 , 6 ) to be smoothed and the last anchor pixel ( 6 , 17 ) to be smoothed , respectively . fig5 shows both the top subsections 605 a - extended and 605 b - extended aligned to the right side of the memory space in the decremented order and ready for further processing . with both of the top subsections aligned in decremented order , we can calculate the convolution kernel values for the top portions of the neighborhood pixels associated with each of the eleven remaining anchor pixels efficiently . first , summation operations 705 and 710 are performed to sum the values of the pixels in each column in the top subsections 605 a - extended and in the top subsection 605 b - extended , respectively . the number of columns in each of the two top subsections 605 a - extended and 605 b - extended is same as the total number of anchor pixels in the input image 300 minus 1 , which in this case is 11 . then , the summed column values of the top subsection 605 b - extended are subtracted from the summed column values of the top subsection 605 a - extended and the subtraction results are placed in a temporary buffer array h top . the temporary buffer array h top holds eleven values , each value representing the difference in the kernel values for the top portion of the kernel between one kernel and the next kernel in the sequence . these differences represent the difference in the kernel values from one kernel to the next associated with the anchor pixels ( 6 , 7 ) to ( 6 , 17 ) if one were to perform convolution for each of the anchor pixels individually in sequence . for example , referring to the illustration in fig4 b ( a ), after a convolution is performed on the neighborhood pixels n ( 6 , 6 ) for the first kernel , in order to perform a convolution on the neighborhood pixels for the next kernel in sequence , i . e . n ( 6 , 7 ) , the kernel image is shifted one pixel to the right so that the kernel image is now centered over the next anchor pixel ( 6 , 7 ). shifting the kernel image one pixel to the right is same thing as adding a column of neighborhood pixels on the right side of the kernel image while subtracting a column of pixels on the left side of the kernel image . therefore , the effective change between the value of the first kernel to the next is effectively the difference between the column of neighborhood pixels added on the right side and the column of neighborhood pixels subtracted on the left side . thus , the values in the array h top represent the differences in the kernel values from one kernel to the next associated with the anchor pixels ( 6 , 7 ) to ( 6 , 17 ) if one were to perform convolution for each of the anchor pixels individually in sequence . the computation of the temporary buffer array h top is shown in equation 1 as follows : h top [ i ] = ∑ k = 1 ( hex - 1 ) / 2 topsection 1 [ k ] [ i ] - ∑ k = 1 ( hex - 1 ) / 2 topsection 2 [ k ] [ i ] ( eq . 1 ) where hex refers to hexagonal kernel size and i refers to a number of anchor pixels minus 1 , range from 17 to 7 ( i . e ., in decremental order from right to left starting from the position of the last of the twelve anchor pixels to the second anchor pixel in the input image 300 ). “ topsection1 ” refers to the top subsection 605 a - extended and “ topsection2 ” refers to the top sub - section 605 b - extended . similarly , the two bottom subsections 610 a - extended , 610 b - extended are aligned in the incremental order ( from left to right ) to facilitate implementing the box filter convolution . similar to the summing operations performed on the two top subsections 605 a - extended and 605 b - extended , the columns in each of the bottom subsections 610 a - extended , 610 b - extended are also summed . then , the summed column values of the bottom subsection 610 b - extended are subtracted from the summed column values of the bottom subsection 610 a - extended and the subtraction results are placed in a temporary buffer array h bot . the length of the array h bot is the total number of anchor pixels in the pixel row 6 in the input image 300 minus 1 . the computation of the temporary buffer h bot is shown in equation 2 as follows : h bot [ i ] = ∑ k = 1 1 + ( hex - 1 ) / 2 bottomsection 1 [ k ] [ i ] - ∑ k = 1 1 + ( hex - 1 ) / 2 bottomsection 2 [ k ] [ i ] ( eq . 2 ) where hex refers to hexagonal kernel size and i refers to the number of anchor pixels minus 1 , range from 7 to 17 ( i . e ., in incremental order from left to right starting from the second anchor pixel position to the last of the twelve anchor pixels in the input image 300 ). “ bottomsection1 ” refers to the bottom subsection 610 a - extended and “ bottomsection2 ” refers to the bottom subsection mob - extended . next , referring to fig6 , since the arrays h top and h bot contain the differences in the kernel values from one kernel to the next associated with the anchor pixels ( 6 , 7 ) to ( 6 , 17 ) for the top portion and the bottom portion of the input image data , the arrays h top and h bot are added together to obtain a temporary summed array h . thus , the array h contains the differences in the kernel values from one kernel to the next associated with the anchor pixels ( 6 , 7 ) to ( 6 , 17 ). this process can be shown in equation 3 as follows : where hex refers to hexagonal kernel size and r refers to the number of anchor pixels minus 1 , range from 7 to 17 . because the total number of anchor pixels in this example is 12 , the n − i indexing means that the h top is aligned from left to right when h bot is aligned from right to left , so array h top is flipped before being added to array h bot . the summed array h consists of elements h [ 7 ] through h [ 17 ]. once the array h is obtained , a box filter convolution strategy can be applied to complete the image smoothing . as mentioned above , smoothing of the input image &# 39 ; s first anchor pixel [ 6 , 6 ] was pre - calculated during the initialization step and already stored in the result array r as the first output pixel so 1 . such output pixel so 1 is the output image for the first kernel image h 1 . the value of the first smoothed output pixel so 1 is added to the first element h [ 7 ] of the summed array h to obtain the second smoothed output pixel so 2 , which is the output image for the second kernel image h 2 . the value of the second smoothed output pixel so 2 is then added to the second element h [ 8 ] to obtain the third smoothed output pixel so 3 , which is the output image for the third kernel image h 3 . this operation is repeated until all anchor pixels are smoothed , generating smoothed output pixels so 1 to so 12 for kernel images h 1 through h 12 corresponding to the anchor pixels [ 6 , 6 ] through [ 6 , 17 ] in the input image 300 . there are many ways to implement a box filter efficiently . for example , the image pixels of the hexagonal convolution kernel images h 1 . . . h 12 can be moved in the memory space from left to right by subtracting pixels at the left - most side in the column of the box kernel and adding pixels at the next column of the image at the right side of the kernel box . in general , the operations by subtraction and addition can be added up by a number of elements in the column ( kernel size ). if the box kernel size is k pixels , the total operations per output pixel is 2 * k without counting overhead . in other words , the output pixel is the weighted sum of neighboring input pixels . in contrast , the convolution takes k 2 operations ( multiply - additions ). by organizing pixel data elements into arrays and creating loop blocking by transforming the memory domain of misalignment into smaller chunks of aligned memory space to maximize data reuse , the performance for image smoothing can be improved for any shape of convolution kernel . given the box kernel size k , the total operation per output pixel is 2 *( k + 1 ) without counting overhead of rearranged pixels . the box filter is able to accelerate the performance of a geometric shape point - spread - function ( g - psf ) in the 3d iterative spect reconstruction . the rearranged image pixels can be applied to a general box filter convolution without substantial performance penalties during memory access . the box filter attenuates the high - spatial frequency components of an image and has little effect on the low - frequency components . the effect of passing an image through a low - pass filter is a slight blurring . referring to a schematic diagram of fig7 , the method of the present disclosure is envisioned as being carried out in a spect system by an image processor 240 of a spect system controller 200 . the spect system controller 200 is a computer that can comprise a central processor 210 for managing and executing various programs necessary for the operation of the spect system 100 , the image processor 240 for executing the image processing described here , and a data storage unit 220 . the data storage unit 220 can be a single component unit or , if appropriate , can comprise multiple components that collectively provide the data storage unit 220 the ability to store information permanently and / or temporarily as necessary . for example , the data storage unit 220 can include one or more suitable storage components for holding firmware and other programs required for the operation and management of the spect system 100 . the data storage unit 220 can also include fast access data storage hardware such as cache memory devices for temporarily holding data for purposes of performing convolution calculations on the data fast . in the present case , the image pixel data would be temporarily stored in the data storage unit 220 in order to perform the image convolution described in this disclosure . the data storage unit 220 can also include more permanent data storage devices for storing information . regardless , the data storage unit 220 can include any appropriate computer readable data storage medium in which a set of instructions ( e . g . a software program ) is tangibly embodied thereon . the set of instructions when executed by a computer processor such as the image processor 240 , the image processor performs the image smoothing method of the present disclosure . by implementing the method of the present disclosure , the image processor 240 is able to smooth the input image 300 using the non - rectangular convolution kernel 402 using a general box filter convolution strategy without substantial performance penalties during memory access . the spect system controller 200 receives a spect image data 80 from the spect system 100 , processes the image data 80 and the image processor 240 converts the image data into an input image 300 and can display the image on the display 150 . the input image 300 is stored in the data storage unit 220 . the image data may include one or more kernel images discussed above . the image smoothing method disclosed herein can be implemented in software , hardware , or a combination thereof as a set of instructions tangibly embodied in any computer readable storage medium such as the data storage unit 220 or other portable medium , e . g . compact disks , flash memory devices , etc ., provided external to the spect system controller 200 . when the image processor 240 executes the instructions , the image processor 240 performs the image processing method described herein . fig8 is a high - level flow diagram 1000 that illustrates the image smoothing process of the present disclosure referring to the exemplary input image 300 and the hexagonal filter kernel image 402 . the image processor 240 first determines a valid output image dimension based the input image 300 and the filter kernel image 402 . ( see box 1005 ). for example , a valid output image dimension for the input image 300 is 1 × 12 based on a 11 × 22 input image and an 11 × 11 kernel image . the image processor 240 calculates the skip - lengths and run - length values for each row of pixels in the convolution kernel image 402 for the skip - length array 405 and the run - length array 410 . ( see box 1010 ). the calculated skip - length array 405 and run - length array 410 data is stored as a data table in a suitable memory such as the data storage unit 220 accessible to the image processor 240 . as part of the initialization process , the image processor 240 performs convolution for the first anchor pixel in the input image using the convolution kernel 402 and stores the smoothed output pixel data in the result array r as smoothed output pixel so 1 . ( see box 1020 ). the convolution kernel 402 is remapped into the orthogonal coordinate map of a memory space using the hexagonal coordinate remapping described above to generate a remapping template . ( see box 1030 ). using the remapping template , the input image 300 pixel data is remapped into the orthogonal coordinate map of the memory space . ( see box 1040 ). next , the remapped convolution kernel in the memory space is defined into at least two sections , a top section 605 and a bottom section 610 so that operation on the convolution kernel can be conducted on one section at a time to reduce the demand on the memory space during computation . ( see block 1050 ). next , one of the two sections , the top section 605 or the bottom section 610 , is further defined into two subsections , grouping the pixels in each of the two sections into a first subsection that are inside the kernel image 402 and a second subsection that are not in the kernel image 402 . these subsections are then extended to subsections ( e . g . 605 a - extended , 605 b - extended , 610 a - extended , 610 b - extended ) to cover all neighborhood pixels corresponding to all of the anchor pixels in the remapped input image 300 a . ( see block 1060 ). next , the extended subsections are realigned within the memory space so that each pair of subsections ( i . e . 605 a - extended and 605 b - extended ; 610 a - extended and 610 b - extended ) in each of the top and bottom sections in the remapped input image 300 a are aligned in decremental order or incremental order . ( see block 1070 ). for each pair of extended subsections , the pixel values in each column are summed first and then the summed values from the extended subsection ( 605 b - extended , 610 b - extended ) representing the pixels that are outside the kernel image are subtracted from the summed values from the extended subsection ( 605 a - extended , 610 a - extended ) representing the pixels that are inside the kernel image , thus , generating an array ( one of h top or h bottom depending on which pair of subsections were processed ) representing the differences in the kernel values from one kernel to the next associated with the remaining anchor pixels ( i . e . all anchor pixels minus the first one for which the smoothed value has already been calculated ) for the corresponding top or bottom portion of the input image data . ( see block 1080 ). next , the steps in blocks 1060 , 1070 and 1080 are repeated for the second section ( 605 or 610 depending on which section was processed first ) generating a second array ( the other of h top or h bottom ). ( see block 1090 ). next , the arrays h top and h bottom are added together to obtain an array h which represents the differences in the kernel values from one kernel to the next associated with the anchor pixels ( 6 , 7 ) to ( 6 , 17 ), i . e . the remaining anchor pixels other than the first anchor pixel ( 6 , 6 ). ( see block 1100 ). now the box filter convolution strategy is applied to the array h to obtain the smoothed data for the remaining anchor pixels . the value of the first smoothed output pixel so 1 is added to the first element of the summed array h , representing the difference in the kernel value between the first kernel h 1 and the second kernel h 2 , and obtain the second smoothed output pixel so 2 . ( see block 1110 ). the value of the second smoothed output pixel so 2 is then added to the second element of the summed array h , representing the difference in the kernel value between the second kernel h 2 and the third kernel h 3 . ( see block 1120 ). this operation is repeated until the last smoothed output pixel data so 12 is processed by the step 1120 and the result is stored in the data storage unit 220 as the last smoothed output pixel data for the last anchor pixel , i . e . pixel ( 6 , 17 ). this process produces the results array r containing the smoothed output pixels so 1 to so 12 corresponding to the anchor pixels ( 6 , 6 ) to ( 6 , 17 ) for the hexagonal convolution kernel images h 1 to h 12 . ( see block 1130 ). it should be noted that any process descriptions or blocks in flowcharts should be understood as representing modules , segments , or portions of code which include one or more executable instructions for implementing specific logical functions or steps in the process . as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of the software development , alternate embodiments are also included within the scope of the disclosure . in these alternate embodiments , functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed , including substantially concurrently or in reverse order , depending on the functionality involved . this description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed . obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings . the embodiments discussed , however , were chosen to illustrate the principles of the disclosure , and its practical application . the disclosure is thus intended to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to use the disclosure , in various embodiments and with various modifications , as are suited to the particular use contemplated . all such modifications and variation are within the scope of this disclosure , as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly and legally entitled . | 6 |
the device of fig3 and 4 is a three - colour backlit lcd display device . the device comprises a planar backlight unit 20 and a planar lcd unit 21 . the backlight unit is located behind the lcd unit 21 in the viewing direction , so that in the emission direction light from the backlight can pass through any light transmissive pixels of the lcd unit and towards a viewer 22 ( fig4 ). the backlight is provided by an organic light - emissive device which has a plurality of parallel linear regions 23 - 27 of light - emissive material . each region is provided by one of three different emissive materials which emit correspondingly different colours of light . the materials alternate so that the regions are in groups of red , green and blue emissive materials , as indicated in fig3 and 4 by the initials r , g and b . the emissive regions are sandwiched between anode and cathode electrodes . the cathode electrode 29 is common to all the emissive regions . the anode electrode is patterned into distinct rows 30 - 34 which each overlie a respective one of the emissive regions , so that the emissive regions can be controlled independently . the anode is formed of a light transmissive material . the anode is deposited on a glass substrate 36 . the lcd unit is a normal passive - matrix lcd unit in which the pixels 50 - 59 are arranged on an orthogonal grid and are connected by row 60 - 64 and column 65 , 66 electrodes . the backlight is dimensioned and located relative to the lcd unit so that each row of pixels in the lcd unit is underlain by one red , green or blue emissive region of the backlight . in fig3 and 4 pixels 50 to 54 are underlain by regions 23 to 27 respectively , as are pixels 55 to 59 in fig3 only . the backlight unit and the lcd unit are connected to a control unit 45 . the control unit receives a video data feed at 46 , which defines the colour pattern to be shown on the display . the video feed could come from any suitable source , such as ( without limitation ) a television decoder , a personal computer or another electronic device . the pattern may represent a frame of a multi - frame moving image . in the normal way a separating unit 47 of the control unit separates the colour pattern into red , green and blue pattern components which can be displayed in turn to give a user a time - averaged impression of the desired full colour pattern . a driver unit 48 of the control unit then drives the pixels of the lcd device and , in synchronisation with the lcd device , the emissive regions of the backlight . first , a suitable voltage and current is applied between the cathode 29 and the anode electrode strip 30 which corresponds to red emissive region 23 . this causes that regions to emit red light . at the same time the pixels 50 , 55 of the lcd panel are controlled using electrodes 60 , 65 and 66 to allow transmission only where red light is to be emitted for the red component of the pattern . after a predetermined duration the driver unit turns off the red emissive region 23 . then a voltage and current to cause the green emissive regions 24 to emit light and at the same time the pixels 51 , 56 of the lcd panel are controlled to allow transmission only where green light is to be emitted for the green component of the pattern . after a predetermined duration has passed the driver unit turns off the green emissive region 24 and applies a voltage and current to cause the blue emissive region 25 to emit light at the same time as the pixels 52 , 57 of the lcd panel are controlled to allow transmission only where blue light is to be emitted for the blue component of the pattern . the rapid switching between colours gives a viewer an impression of a steady full - colour pattern . the process continues until all the rows of the display have been scanned in this way . after that the display controller causes the display to cycle through the rows again . to display a moving image that next cycle could show the pattern of the next frame . the device could use more or fewer than three emission colours , driven in a corresponding way to that described above . the duration of display of each colour could be the same or different . if the emissive regions for different colours differed in efficiency then the duration of display could be related to the efficiency so that the time - averaged intensity of emission of each colour was substantially the same . the frequency of cycling through all three colours could vary ; convenient frequencies are in the range from 50 to 120 hz but higher or lower frequencies could be used . the lcd device may have several thousand pixels . for instance , one typical size is 800 columns by 600 rows , giving a total of 480 , 000 pixels . a typical pixel size is 300 × 100 μm . the light - emissive regions could run parallel to the rows or , less preferably , the columns of the lcd unit . the backlight unit is manufactured taking as a first step a commercially available ito - coated glass substrate . the ito is then patterned in lines by a standard process such as photolithography to define the separate electrode regions 30 - 34 . additional lines of metallisation could be provided in contact with the ito , e . g . between the ito and the glass substrate , or in the plane of the ito , to help distribute charge in the ito . preferably the metallisation lines are at least in part located between the bank and the glass substrate . over the ito an insulating layer shown generally at 49 is deposited and then patterned to leave banks 70 of insulating material that lie between and overlap the edges of the anode strips 30 - 35 . the banks 70 define grooves in the gaps between adjacent banks . the banks may suitably be formed of polyimide or any other suitable insulating material such as sio 2 . to help the formation of the light - emissive region in the grooves between the banks , especially when the material that is to form the light - emissive region is deposited by ink - jet printing , a differential wetting bank formation may be used . the bank may be formed from two layers of material : one thin layer that is easily wettable by the material that is to form the light - emissive region , and over that a thicker layer that defines the upper walls of the groove and is not easily wettable by the material that is to form the light - emissive region . then when the material that is to form the light - emissive region is deposited in the region it tends to bead up at the base of the groove . the banks overlap the edges of the ito anode strips . this helps to define sharp edges to the light emission from the light - emissive regions . then the light - emissive material is deposited by ink - jet printing into the grooves that are defined between the banks . to deposit the light - emitting material by inkjet printing the material or a precursor of the material is sprayed into the appropriate groove through an ink jet printer spray head . a suitable spraying cycle is 14 , 400 drops per second , with a drop volume of 30 pl . the ink jet system could be a continuous stream system ( e . g . using electrostatic directional control of the stream ) or a drop - on - demand system using e . g . a piezoelectric or bubble - jet print head . some examples of suitable light - emissive materials are : for the red emissive regions a di - alkoxy ppv , for the green emissive regions ppv ( e . g . prepared by the precursor route ) and for the blue emissive regions a polyfluorene . other materials and other colours could , of course , be used . an alternative to using the grooves is to use a differential wetting process : the substrate on to which the emissive material is to be deposited could be treated with a wetting agent or a non - wetting agent to cause the ink jetted material to bead up into the desired formations over the anode strips . instead of ink - jet printing other selective deposition methods could be used , preferably methods that allow for easy patterning of the light - emissive regions into stripes . other selective deposition methods that may be suitable include screen printing ( which is especially appropriate for large - area displays ), masking techniques , off - set printing , screen printing , electrostatic printing , gravure printing and flexographic printing . finally the cathode layer 29 is deposited over the banks and the emissive layers . ppv . the cathode layer could be a thin layer of calcium adjacent to the emissive regions , topped by a thicker layer of aluminium . one or more charge carrier transport layers , for instance of pedot - pss or other materials could be located between the anode strips and the light - emissive regions and / or between the cathode and the light - emissive regions . these layers could help charge transport in the forward direction and / or help to block charge transport in the reverse direction . the same charge transport layer ( s ) could be used between the respective electrodes and all the emissive regions or specific charge transport layers could be used for each emissive material . especially where the same material is used for the charge transport layer for all the emissive regions it may be found that in many cases the device will perform acceptably if the charge transport layer is not patterned — thus a continuous transport layer may be used over the entire device . where a charge transport layer is to be patterned it may be deposited uniformly and then patterned or may be deposited in a patterned form , e . g . by ink jet printing . other layers could be present such as barrier layers to counteract degradation of the device during use , conducting layers to improve charge distribution over the area of the device , insulating layers to inhibit unwanted charge migration , or protection layers to prevent degradation of parts of the device during manufacture . instead of ( or in addition to ) the patterning of the anode into lines the cathode could be patterned into lines parallel to the rows of emissive material . where the “ top ” electrode ( i . e . the later of the electrodes to be deposited — the cathode in the example of fig3 and 4 ) is patterned it will be appreciated that the banks 70 can usefully serve to protect lower layers from damage from the process of patterning the top electrode , particularly by spacing active pixel edges laterally from the patterned edges of the top electrode regions . the cathode could be located in front of the emissive regions , with the anode behind them . in that case , the cathode should be of a light transmissive material . it may be desirable to sharpen spatially the emission from one or more of the emissive regions to improve the effect of the display . one efficient way to achieve this is by defining a resonant cavity within the device which can spatially and / or spectrally narrow the emission by means of interference and / or cavity effects . one particularly efficient way of implementing such a cavity is by integrating the emissive material itself into such a cavity , with ( for instance ) the spacing between the anode and cathode electrodes on either side of the emissive material defining the ends of the cavity . additional layers such as dielectric stacks could be provided to define some or all of the cavity . the cavity itself could be augmented by the thickness of the organic layers . the lcd unit is a conventional passive matrix lcd unit . any suitable type of lcd unit could be used , including ferroelectric , tn and stn types . it will be appreciated that liquid crystal displays are just one class of light - switching devices that could be used in relation to the present invention and that other suitable devices could be used instead . the present invention may include any feature or combination of features disclosed herein either implicitly or explicitly or any generalisation thereof , irrespective of whether it relates to the presently claimed invention . in view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention . | 6 |
radio frequency identification ( rfid ) labels can be intelligent or just respond with a simple identification ( id ) to radio frequency ( rf ) interrogations . the rfid label can contain memory . this memory can be loaded with data either via an interrogator , or directly by some integrated data gathering element of the rfid label , for example , an environmental sensor . this data is retrieved some time later . as shown in fig1 , an exemplary rfid label 10 includes an antenna 12 , transceiver 14 , microcontroller 16 , clock 17 , memory 18 , temperature sensor 20 and battery 22 . other rfid labels may include one or more other data detecting devices in place of , or in addition to , the temperature sensor 20 . the label 10 can include other data detecting devices that record other data such as , for example , pressure , humidity and so forth . in this example , the data detecting device is the temperature sensor 20 , which senses and transmits a time and temperature to memory 18 at a time programmed by an interrogator . when triggered by rf interrogation via transceiver 14 , microcontroller 16 fetches data ( i . e . temperature and time the temperature was recorded , along with the current time in the label 10 ) from memory 18 and sends it out to the interrogator as multiplexed data packets from transceiver 14 . in this manner , a historical temperature log stored in memory 18 in the rfid label 10 can be retrieved . data logging , such as temperature logging , is limited by the size of memory 18 and / or life of battery 22 . as shown in fig2 , an exemplary interrogator 50 includes an antenna 52 , transceiver 54 , memory 56 , clock 57 , central processing unit ( cpu ) 58 and optional user interface ( ui ) 60 . the rfid interrogator 50 performs time division multiplexing ( tdm ) with the transceiver 54 and antenna 52 . data ( e . g ., time and temperature ) downloaded from the rfid label 10 can be stored in memory 56 . the rfid interrogator 50 can be used to program the data detecting device ( e . g ., temperature sensor 20 ) of the rfid label 10 to record or log a time and temperature in memory 18 at one or more selected times . at a selected time the temperature sensor 20 of the rfid label 10 records a temperature and a time of the temperature recordation in memory 18 . the rfid interrogator 50 can download the recorded time and temperature from memory 18 to memory 56 . when the rfid label 10 is initialized by the rfid interrogator 50 , the time in the clock 17 in the rfid label 10 ( i . e ., referred to as label start time ) is set to time in the clock 57 in the rfid interrogator 50 ( i . e ., referred to as actual start time ). however , over a period of service , the time maintained in the clock 17 of the rfid label 10 can drift from the actual time maintained in the clock 57 of the rfid interrogator 50 . at the time the rfid interrogator 50 downloads the data from the rfid label 10 , the actual time in the rfid interrogator 50 is referred to as the actual stop time and the time in the label 10 referred to as the label stop time . and at the time the rfid interrogator 50 downloads the data from the label 10 , the interrogator 50 acquires the label stop time from the clock 17 in the rfid label 10 . if the actual stop time does not equal the label stop time , the time in the label 10 has drifted and the time at which the label 10 logged the temperature ( referred to label time ) is suspect . using the label time , actual stop time , actual start time , label stop time and label start time , the rfid interrogator 50 can compensate / adjust the label time to a time at which the label 10 actually recorded the data ( referred to as actual time ). more specifically , memory 56 includes a synch process 100 . synch process 100 compensates for any drift of time in the rfid label 10 and the actual time as found in the rfid interrogator 50 at the time the data is downloaded from the rfid label 10 . as described above , at initialization , the rfid interrogator 50 sends the rfid label 10 a time , so both the interrogator 50 and the label 10 have identical times . the rfid interrogator 50 loads the rfid label 10 with a time ( e . g ., two hours after start ) at which the rfid label 10 is to store / log data , e . g . temperature and time , in its memory 18 . at a subsequent interrogation of the label 10 by the interrogator 50 , the interrogator 50 knows the label time , the actual stop time , the actual start time , the label stop time and the label start time . from these times , synch process 100 calculates an actual time , i . e ., the actual time at which the label 10 recorded the data . as shown in fig3 , synch process 100 includes initializing ( 102 ) a rfid label with a label start time , which is the actual start time indicated by a clock in the interrogator , and a time to record data . process 100 subsequently interrogates and receives ( 104 ) a label stop time , a recorded label time and recorded data from the rfid label . the label stop time is the time indicated by the label clock at the time of interrogation . the label time is the time the label indicates it recorded the data . process 100 receives ( 106 ) the actual stop time from the clock in the rfid interrogator . process 100 calculates ( 108 ) an actual time at which the label recorded the data using the following : the actual time equals [ label time *( actual stop time − actual start time )]/( label stop time − label start time ). for example , if the label start time and the interrogator actual start time are 0000 hours , the label time 0200 hours , the label stop time 1200 hours and the interrogator stop time 0600 , the label thinks 12 hours ( 1200 hours − 0000 hours ) elapsed between the start and finish . however , the interrogator knows that only 6 hours elapsed between the start and finish ( 0600 hours − 0000 hours ). in this example , the time in the label is fast compared to the actual time as indicated in the interrogator . therefore , the label &# 39 ; s clock has drifted , and is fast . accordingly , the label time , i . e ., the time the label thinks it recorded the data , is wrong . synch process 100 calculates the actual time the data was recorded by the label as [ 200 *( 0600 − 0000 )]/( 1200 − 000 ), i . e ., 0100 hours . in another example , if the label start time and the interrogator actual start time are 0000 hours , the label time 0200 hours , the label stop time 0600 hours and the interrogator atop time 1200 , the label thinks 6 hours ( 0600 hours − 0000 hours ) elapsed between the start and finish . however , the interrogator knows that 12 hours elapsed between the start and finish ( 1200 hours − 0000 hours ). in this example , the time in the label is slow compared to the actual time as indicated in the interrogator . therefore , the label &# 39 ; s clock has drifted , and is slow . accordingly , the label time , i . e ., the time the label thinks it recorded the data , is wrong . synch process 100 calculates the actual time the data was recorded by the label as [ 200 *( 1200 − 0000 )]/( 0200 − 000 ), i . e ., 0400 hours . as shown above , the synch process 100 can compensate for any variation in time in the label by knowing the label time , actual stop time , actual start time , label stop time and label start time . embodiments of the invention can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations of them . embodiments of the invention can be implemented as a computer program product , i . e ., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier , e . g ., in a machine readable storage device or in a propagated signal , for execution by , or to control the operation of , data processing apparatus , e . g ., a programmable processor , a computer , or multiple computers . a computer program can be written in any form of programming language , including compiled or interpreted languages , and it can be deployed in any form , including as a stand alone program or as a module , component , subroutine , or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment . a computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network . method steps of embodiments of the invention can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing a computer program to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . method steps can also be performed by , and apparatus of the invention can be implemented as , special purpose logic circuitry , e . g ., an fpga ( field programmable gate array ) or an asic ( application specific integrated circuit ). processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include , by way of example , both general and special purpose microprocessors , and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both . the essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data . generally , a computer will also include , or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to , or both , one or more mass storage devices for storing data , e . g ., magnetic , magneto optical disks , or optical disks . information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non volatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , e . g ., eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks , e . g ., internal hard disks or removable disks ; magneto optical disks ; and cd rom and dvd - rom disks . the processor and the memory can be supplemented by , or incorporated in special purpose logic circuitry . it is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the scope of the appended claims . other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . | 7 |
various embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below . while specific implementations are discussed , it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only . a person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention . unlike suburban residential markets , the mdu market can benefit greatly from economies of scale . fig1 illustrates an example system architecture for provisioning service to multiple customer premises in an mdu . in this illustrated example , the mdu service is supported by central office 110 ( or other hub location ). although not shown , central office 110 is itself connected with other central offices and hubs through a broader communications network . in one embodiment , central office 110 is connected to mdu 120 via a high bandwidth connection between line terminal ( lt ) 112 in central office 110 and network unit ( nu ) 121 in mdu 120 . in one scenario , nu 121 is located in a basement of mdu 120 . in various implementations , link 114 can be embodied as a copper link , fiber optic link , etc . moreover , in one embodiment , lt 112 is positioned as a remote terminal in a location that is remote from central office 110 . nu 121 in mdu 120 can be configured to perform a media conversion . for example , nu 121 can perform a media conversion from fiber optic cabling to copper cabling . in the illustrated example , nu 121 can support multiple cpes in mdu 120 via a plurality of links 122 . in a typical high - rise building , the plurality of links can extend from the basement to customer premises 131 - 134 on various floors in mdu 120 . in one configuration , the connection between nu 121 and individual cpes is via a copper connection . in various embodiments , this copper connection can be based on standard ethernet , dsl , or the like . in various implementations , the copper dsl connection can be ethernet ( e . g ., 2base - tl and 10pass - ts ) or non - ethernet based . as illustrated , nu 121 also incorporates switching functionality that aggregates a plurality of links into a single uplink . nu 121 can also effect various network policies . for example , nu 121 can enforce various bandwidth limitations in accordance with service provisioning under a particular service level agreement ( sla ). in general , a cpe can be configured to perform media conversion , switching , security , provisioning , etc . as such , a cpe such as a dsl modem can be used to support multiple devices within a single customer premises . for example , a dsl modem can support such devices as a voip phone , a computer , a wireless access point , a television , etc . as illustrated in fig1 , nu 121 can have a dsl connection to cpe 142 in customer premises 134 . cpe 142 in turn supports various customer devices . as illustrated , cpe 142 supports voip phone 146 via ethernet connection 144 . one of the disadvantages of the provisioning example of fig1 is the expense of supporting the various links from nu 121 to each customer premises 131 - 134 . in a typical mdu , these links can extend well over 100 meters , thus creating a need for cpe components such as dsl modems . cpes represent the most significant component of the expense in supporting the links from nu 121 to customer premises 131 - 134 . fig2 illustrates a system architecture that enables a reduction of such costs . in the illustrated example , a high - bandwidth connection such as fiber - optic link 214 is supported by lt 212 in central office 210 and nu 221 in mdu 220 . unlike the previous system architecture , links from nu 221 to customer premises 231 - 234 are not supported by conventional cpes . rather , the conventional cpe such as a dsl modem is eliminated from the system architecture . instead , the links from nu 221 to customer premises 231 - 234 can be based on an ethernet cpe device such as voip phone 242 in customer premises 234 . in this arrangement , a voip phone can be configured to function as a voip cpe . as illustrated in fig2 , voip cpe 242 can therefore be used to support multiple customer devices ( cds ) 246 in customer premises 234 . examples of such cds are personal computers , wireless access points , televisions , hd receivers , etc . these cds can be coupled to voip cpe 242 via a separate link ( e . g ., ethernet ). in the system architecture of fig2 , each voip cpe can be coupled to nu 221 via a wall socket that supports an ethernet - type connection . as noted , one example of mdu 220 is a high - rise building . as would be appreciated , a link from nu 221 to a customer premises near the top of the high - rise building would require a link length that is far greater than 100 meters . conventional ethernet connections only support link spans up to 100 meters . accordingly , conventional ethernet connections cannot be used to support the lengthy link spans from nu 221 to customer premises 231 - 234 . for this reason , the connection between nu 221 and a customer premises can be based on a broad reach ethernet connection that can handle link spans as long as 500 meters and beyond . an example of such a broad reach ethernet transceiver is broadcom &# 39 ; s broadr - reach ™ transceivers . the broad reach connection enables frames to be carried natively in ethernet . this is advantageous because nu 221 can be based on a conventional enterprise switch box not a dsl box , and a frame format conversion such as that performed by a dsl modem at the cpe would not be required . moreover , the switch chips inside nu 221 are standard devices that can enjoy high volume efficiencies . in general , broad reach ethernet extends the physical transmission capabilities of ethernet but preserves the pcs , rs , mac and above as native ethernet . broad reach ethernet is also backwards compatible with standard ethernet . in general , the voip cpe can be built with functionality similar to personal computers . for example , a voip cpe can have a central processing unit ( cpu ), a switch , router , and software / firmware that can define its configuration and functionality . in one embodiment , the voip cpe is embedded with cpe functionality such as encryption , authentication , provisioning , packet inspection , router , network address translation , usb support , prioritization , audio / video bridging , etc . this embedded functionality would enable the voip cpe to operate in a capacity similar to a conventional cpe . fig3 illustrates an example of a voip cpe . as would be appreciated , various bus / bridge architectures ( e . g ., north / south bridge architectures ) can be used to connect the various components in the system . as illustrated , voip cpe can include conventional components such as cpu 311 , system memory 312 , and power 313 . as the voip cpe can be embodied as a voip phone , support for voip traffic is also included . here , the voip cpe would include display 314 , codec 315 , and keypad 316 . display 314 can be embodied as an lcd screen for dialing and other call control / notification functions . codec 315 supports the conversion of an audio signal from / to a digital bitstream in the downstream / upstream directions . as such , codec 315 can be coupled to an amplifier that supports a speaker and microphone for voip communication . finally , keypad 316 enables the user input of dialing instructions . in combination , display 314 , codec 315 , and keypad 316 would support the voip function of the voip cpe . as noted , a voip cpe can support multiple cds such as wireless access points , televisions , computers , hd receivers , etc . in fig3 , this support is enabled by switch 319 , router 318 , and network address translation ( nat ) 317 functionality . in combination , switch 319 , router 318 , and nat 317 enable the voip device to operate as a cpe for one or more cds . fig4 illustrates an example of such cpe functionality . as illustrated , voip cpe 400 includes wan port 412 for connection to an nu / sw , one or more lan ports 414 for connection to one or more cds , and internal port 418 . in one embodiment , wan port 412 and lan ports 414 are ethernet ports . in general , wan port 412 , lan port ( s ) 414 and internal port 418 support full duplex links such that traffic can be coming from either direction at the same time . traffic can also be switched to two ports simultaneously . for example , internal port 418 can add traffic to wan port 412 ( e . g ., voip traffic ) and lan port ( s ) 414 , or receive traffic from either or both of wan port 412 and lan port ( s ) 414 . wan port 412 , lan port ( s ) 414 , and internal port 418 are coupled together via switch 416 . in routing traffic from wan port 412 to lan port ( s ) 414 , voip cpe 400 would support a cpe switching functionality for the customer premises . voip cpe can be designed to support some form of authentication , privacy and security . authentication would indicate to the network that the voip cpe is a valid network device that can receive communication . by validating exactly what services ( e . g ., iptv , voip , data , etc .) are allowed to the voip cpe , the system can ensure that services are not stolen . privacy / security can be enabled by encryption ( e . g ., macsec ), which would ensure that transmitted data ( e . g ., voice data ) cannot be monitored by third parties . in general , authentication , privacy and security can be used to prevent unauthorized devices from accessing the link at other points . as described above , the voip cpe can be designed with a physical layer device ( phy ) that supports broad reach ethernet . in one embodiment , the voip cpe is configured with a standard ethernet phy . this configuration would be suitable for those applications where links less than 100 meters were used . this configuration can also be used for those applications where links are greater than 100 meters . in accordance with the present invention , a voip cpe with a standard ethernet phy can be coupled to a broad reach ethernet connection via a conversion device that converts standard ethernet to broad reach ethernet . fig5 illustrates such an embodiment , where voip cpe 530 having a standard ethernet phy is coupled to nu 520 via conversion device 5 10 . here , nu 520 supports a broad reach ethernet link that terminates on a broad reach phy in conversion device 5 10 . conversion device 510 then converts the broad reach ethernet link to a standard ethernet link for delivery to voip cpe 530 . in one embodiment , conversion device 510 is a dongle that is designed for insertion into voip cpe 530 . in another embodiment , conversion device 510 can be coupled to voip cpe 530 via an ethernet cable . an advantage of using an ethernet link ( conventional or broad reach ) between an nu and cpe is the elimination of reliance on local loop technologies such as dsl . this feature leads to simpler nu and cpe designs that leverage high volume ethernet components . specifically , the support of broad reach ethernet communication by the voip cpe either directly or through a conversion device obviates the need for dsl support by both the nu and cpe . this greatly reduces the complexity and cost of the nu . fig6 illustrates an embodiment of a conversion device , which operates as a media converter . as illustrated , conversion device 600 includes broad reach ethernet phy 610 and standard ethernet phy 620 operating back to back . here , broad reach ethernet phy 610 is coupled to the nu , while standard ethernet phy 620 is coupled to the wan port of the cpe . conversion device 600 can also include buffering and / or control logic 630 in between broad reach ethernet phy 610 and standard ethernet phy 620 . in one embodiment , conversion device can also include internal port 640 for management purposes . in one embodiment , the conversion device can be used to abstract the voip cpe from knowing the particular type of physical wan connection . the voip cpe can therefore be designed with a standard ethernet wan port , while relying on the conversion device to meet the particular application need . thus , the voip cpe having a standard ethernet wan port can be coupled to a conversion device that converts standard dsl , ethernet - based dsl ( e . g ., 2base - tl and 10pass - ts ), etc . to a standard ethernet connection . these and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by a review of the preceding detailed description . although a number of salient features of the present invention have been described above , the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading the disclosed invention , therefore the above description should not be considered to be exclusive of these other embodiments . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting . | 7 |
embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for correcting borehole effects in induction tools having transverse or triaxial antennas . methods of the invention are applicable to both induction tools and propagation tools . because the distinction between an induction tool and a propagation tool is not germane to this invention , the term “ induction tool ” is used in this description to include both the induction and propagation tools . similarly , borehole effects and tool eccentering effects ( or eccentricity effects ) are used interchangeably in this description because the distinction between them is not germane . one of ordinary skill would appreciate that conductivity is an inverse of the resistivity , and , therefore , any reference to “ conductivity ” in this description is intended to include its inverse , the “ resistivity ,” and vice versa . as noted above , induction arrays with magnetic moments perpendicular ( i . e ., transverse ) to the axis of the borehole are more sensitive to the borehole effects . in addition , the sensitivity of a transverse coil to eccentricity is very different depending on whether the eccentricity is in the direction of the magnetic moment or perpendicular to the magnetic moment . in this description , a transverse array is used in a broad sense to include any array having a transverse component in its magnetic moment . for example , an array having a tilted coil ( i . e ., a coil not parallel or perpendicular to the axis of the tool ) will have a transverse component in its magnetic moment and , therefore , may be referred to as a transverse array in this description . similarly , a triaxial array is a subset of a transverse array . fig1 a illustrates that a logging tool may have its transverse or tilted magnetic dipole ( tmd ) antenna located at the center ( shown as 20 ) of the borehole 13 or eccentered in a parallel direction ( shown as 22 ) or a perpendicular direction ( shown as 21 ). the parallel or perpendicular direction is with respect to the direction of the magnetic dipole of the antenna . parallel eccentering 22 produces eddy currents up and down the borehole . however , due to the symmetry , no net current flows up or down the borehole . thus , a tool having its tmd antenna eccentered in the parallel direction 22 does not produce undesired effects more than a tool having its tmd antenna perfectly at the center of the borehole 20 does . in contrast , a tool having its tmd antenna eccentered in the perpendicular direction 21 induces eddy currents to flow up and down the borehole , but without the symmetry to cancel out the up and down currents . as a result , perpendicular eccentering 21 gives rise to significant borehole currents 23 , as shown in fig1 b . the current flow in the formation is also asymmetric in this case . the asymmetric current distribution produces a strong signal in a receiver 24 disposed on the resistivity instrument 10 . the perpendicular eccentering 21 and parallel eccentering 22 shown in fig1 a illustrate the extremes of tool displacements from the center of the borehole 20 . in a typical case , the eccentering would likely lie between these two extremes , i . e ., eccentering in a direction that is a combination of both the x and y directions . fig2 shows that the eccentricity effects of an induction tool . the curves shown are for a tool having an insulating sleeve disposed in a 7 . 9 ″ diameter borehole . the conductivity of the mud ( σ m ) is 5 . 1 s / m and the conductivity of the formation ( σ f ) is 0 . 061 s / m . as shown , curve xx represents eccentering of the tool in the x - direction ( the direction of the magnetic moment ). this situation is shown as 22 in fig1 a . as noted above , eccentering in the direction parallel with the direction of the magnetic moment produces minimal borehole effects , thus , curve xx is essentially flat as a function of the eccentricity . in contrast , curve yy , which depicts eccentering in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic moment ( shown as 21 in fig1 a ), is very sensitive to the eccentering distances . as shown in fig2 , the eccentering effects in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic moment of the coil ( curve yy ) can be up to two orders of magnitude stronger than that in the direction parallel with the magnetic moment ( curve xx ). the unusual sensitivity to the eccentricity in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic moment can be reduced by inclusion of a conductive member in the insulating sleeve , as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 573 , 722 issued to rosthal , et al . however , inclusion of a conductive member in the insulating sleeve does not completely eliminate the differential effects . as shown in fig3 , the eccentric effects in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic moment ( curve yy ) are still more significant than the eccentricity effects in the direction parallel with the direction of the magnetic moment ( curve xx ), although they are on the same order of magnitude . the curves shown in fig3 are for a tool having a conductive mandrel disposed in a 7 . 9 ″ diameter borehole . the conductivity of the mud ( σ m ) is 5 . 1 s / m and the conductivity of the formation ( σ f ) is 0 . 061 s / m . the most common arrangement for an induction tool having transverse coils is a fully triaxial array , as shown in fig4 . fig4 shows that the triaxial array consists of a triad of transmitters mounted orthogonally and a triad of receivers at a spacing l m mounted in substantially the same orthogonal directions as the transmitter coils . in fig4 , the triad transmitters are shown as having magnetic moments , m x t , m y t , m z t , while the triad receivers are shown as having magnetic moments , m x m , m y m , m z m . such an arrangement is called a two - triad array . such an array is not useful in an actual logging operation because the direct couplings between the i - th transmitter and the i - th receiver ( i = 1 , 2 , 3 ) are much larger than any signal from the formation . the adverse effects from the mutual couplings can be mitigated , in a way similar to a conventional axial induction array , by mounting a triad of orthogonal receivers between the main receiver triad and the transmitter triad . this additional triad is referred to as a balancing triad ( or a bucking triad ). in fig4 , the balancing triad is shown at a distance l b from the transmitter triad , as having magnetic moments the number of turns in each coil of a balancing triad is adjusted so that , in air , the sum of the voltages detected by the main and balancing triads is zero . that is , is the voltage induced in the i - th main receiver by the i - th transmitter , and is the voltage induced on the i - th balancing receiver by the same i - th transmitter . the array shown in fig4 produces nine couplings . the voltages can be considered as a matrix v : v = [ v xx v xy v xz v yx v yy v yz v zx v zy v zz ] , ( 3 ) where v ij is the voltage detected by the i - th receiver from energizing the i - th transmitter . depending on the directions of eccentricity , each or some of these couplings may have associated eccentricity effects ( borehole effects ) that would need to be corrected . as an example , fig5 shows the eccentricity effects of the xz , zx , yz , and zy couplings . the curves shown are for a tool having a conductive sonde body , disposed in a 7 . 9 ″ diameter borehole , and eccentered in the x direction . the conductivity of the mud ( σ m ) is 5 . 1 s / m and the conductivity of the formation ( σ f ) is 0 . 061 s / m . when the tool is displaced along the x direction in a circular cylindrical borehole , there are only five non - zero couplings , i . e ., the matrix v has the form among the four couplings shown in fig5 , only xz and zx couplings are influenced by the borehole effects , because yz and zy couplings produce substantially zero signals , as illustrated in equation ( 4 ). on the other hand , if the eccentering is in the y direction , then the yz and zy couplings will have substantial borehole effects , while xz and zx couplings will have no borehole effects . in practice , the tool is likely eccentered in a direction that is a combination of the x and y directions . therefore , these four couplings are likely all influenced by the borehole effects . the relative magnitudes of the borehole effects among these four couplings depend on the actual eccentering direction . therefore , it should be possible to derive the eccentering direction of the tool from the borehole effects in these four couplings . a method for deriving the eccentering direction from these measurements will be described later . in addition , these couplings may be included in an inversion process to enable more sensitive determination of the eccentering direction . the borehole / eccentricity effect of each coupling of a triaxial array can be described as a parametric model in a similar manner to the axial coils described above . however , the model for the triaxial arrays will have additional parameters . first , because the borehole effects depend on the direction of tool eccentering , the model should include the standoff and its direction relative to the tool x - axis ( or y - axis ). in addition , the transverse arrays are sensitive to formation anisotropy . therefore , according to some embodiments of the invention , the formation conductivity in the model may include anisotropic components . in this case , the formation - borehole model for calibrating a triaxial array includes six parameters : □ m , □ fh , □ fh , r , s , and the eccentering direction □. a formation - bore - hole model including these six parameters are illustrated in fig6 . one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that a formation model for use in the calibration of a triaxial array may include more or less than six parameters . for example , a formation - borehole model for calibrating a triaxial array may further include dipping angles , if the formation includes dipping planes or the borehole is a deviated hole . similarly , the formation - borehole model for calibrating a triaxial array may include five parameters : □ m , □ f , r , s , and the eccentering direction □— if the formation is isotropic . a preferred triaxial induction tool my include a triaxial transmitter , several axial receiver arrays , and at least one triaxial receiver array . for example , fig7 illustrates one embodiment of a triaxial induction tool having a triaxial transmitter , 3 axial receiver arrays , and 6 triaxial receiver arrays . the data from each of the 3 axial arrays include the following couplings : each of the triaxial arrays on a tool shown in fig7 has 9 couplings as shown in equation ( 6 ). each or some of these couplings may include borehole / eccentering effects , which would need to be removed before deriving formation resistivity from these measurements . as noted above , a method for correcting borehole effects for an axial array is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 041 , 975 issued to minerbo and miles . this patent is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated by reference in its entirety . according to the method disclosed in this patent , a formation model includes four parameters : mud conductivity (□ m ), borehole radius ( r ), standoff distance ( s ), and the formation conductivity (□ f ). often , the mud conductivity (□ m ) and the standoff ( s ) are known . according to a method disclosed in this patent , measurements from the four shortest arrays are used in an inversion process to derive the parameters of the formation model . if this method is extended to a triaxial tool shown in fig7 , data from the 4 shortest arrays may be used to solve for borehole parameters . alternatively , data from other couplings may be selected for inclusion in the computation based on desired properties . for example , the xz and yz couplings are quite directional , and , therefore , their inclusion in an inversion scheme can provide useful information for determining the direction of eccentering (□). a method for determining the direction of eccentering (□) will be described later . similarly , the xx and yy couplings have good sensitivity to the vertical conductivity (□ fv ) and , therefore , they may be included in the inversion to provide a better estimate of the vertical conductivity (□ fv ). fig8 shows a method 80 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . first , a formation - borehole model ( e . g ., that shown in fig6 ) is selected and the initial estimates of the parameters are determined ( step 81 ). some of the parameters may be known from other measurements . for example , the mud conductivity (□ m ) may be obtained from a mud sensor , and the borehole radius ( r ) may be obtained from caliper measurements . the method then computes array responses in the selected formation - borehole model ( step 82 ). the computation may be a direct solution of maxwell &# 39 ; s equations in this model , or it may be a table built from such a solution . a table would be built to include a sufficient range of all 6 parameters . in addition , interpolation techniques , such as the akima interpolation , may be used to estimate responses that fall between discrete parameter values . reference is made to the paper by hiroshi akima : “ bivariate interpolation and smooth surface fitting based on local procedures ,” ( algorithm 474 ), commun . acm 17 ( 1 ): 26 - 31 ( 1974 ). an inversion technique is then used to compare and match the computed results with the experimental results ( step 83 ). this step may use any inversion technique known in the art . the inversion finds a match between the computed responses and the actual tool responses by looking for parameters in the formation - borehole model that produce a minimum in the penalty function e t or reduce the penalty function e t below a selected criterion (∈). various penalty functions may be used for this purpose . equation ( 7 ) shows a least square penalty function that may be used with embodiments of the invention . e t ( σ fh _ , σ fv _ ) = ∑ j = 1 4 ∑ i = 1 n σ meas ij - σ model ij ( σ m , σ fh _ , σ fv _ , r , α , s ) 2 ɛ ij , ( 7 ) where e t is the triaxial penalty function , □ m is the borehole ( mud ) conductivity ; □ fv and □ fh are the vertical and horizontal conductivities of the formation , respectively ; r is the borehole radius ; s is the standoff ; n is the eccentering direction relative to the tool coordinate system ; □ is the index for the directional couplings ; and j is the index for the arrays . e ij is the weight appropriate for each coupling . n is either 3 or 9 , depending on whether the receiver is axial or triaxial . note that the penalty function e t in equation ( 7 ) sums over 4 arrays ( j = 1 - 4 ), because data from 4 shortest arrays are used . one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the precise number of summation depends on the measurement data used . as noted above , the hole size ( i . e ., borehole radius , r ) and borehole ( mud ) conductivity (□ m ) can be measured independently . for example , the borehole radius ( r ) may be determined using a caliper and the mud conductivity (□ m ) determined with a mud resistivity sensor . the other four variables (□ fh , □ fh , s , and □) can then be determined using the inversion technique and the data from the 4 shortest arrays . the inversion process optimizes the parameters to produce a minimum penalty function e t or to produce a penalty function e t below a selected criterion (∈). the optimization process ( step 87 ) is iterative : if the penalty function e t is not below the selected criterion ∈, then the parameters are adjusted ( step 84 ); the responses of the forward model is re - computed ( step 82 ); and the computed responses are compared with the determined responses ( step 83 ). these steps ( 84 , 82 , 83 ) are repeated until the penalty function e t is at a minimum or is below the selected criterion ∈. once the penalty function e t is at a minimum or is below the selected criterion ∈, then the estimated ( optimized ) parameters may be output and used to correct borehole effects in other arrays ( step 85 ). specifically , the optimized borehole parameters are used to compute borehole effects ( in terms of conductivity ) for each coupling in the remaining arrays . then , the borehole effects are subtracted from the actual measurements ( or conductivity derived from these measurements ) from each of these couplings / arrays to yield the corrected measurements ( or conductivities ). these optimized parameters may also be used to compute other parameters , such as tool standoffs in the x and y directions ( step 86 ). fig8 illustrates a method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that modifications of this method are possible without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , other penalty functions may be used . in addition , more or fewer parameters may be determined from other measurements and used in the computation described above . for example , the direction ( angle α ) of tool eccentering may be determined from the measurement data , which will be described later , and used in the computation to reduce the number of parameters to be estimated from the inversion . application of a method ( shown in fig8 ) in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig9 . this example is based on an isotropic formation , i . e ., □ fv =□ fh . the graphs shown are receiver responses for a series of formation - borehole models with varying □ fh and □ m . fig9 a shows the expected homogeneous formation responses of an array in a 5 . 0 inch borehole . the tool standoff is 0 . 125 inch and the direction of the eccentering is 67 . 5 ° from the x - direction . fig9 b shows actual tool responses of this array in the borehole under the same conditions . a comparison between fig9 a and fig9 b shows that borehole effects are quite significant when the mud is conductive . fig9 c shows the corrected tool responses obtained by correcting the borehole effects in the responses shown in fig9 b . the borehole effect correction was performed using a method similar to that shown in fig8 , except that the formation model is isotropic (□ fv =□ fh ). the corrected data shown in fig9 c is substantially the same as the expected responses for the homogeneous formation shown in fig9 a , attesting to the effectiveness of the borehole effect correction in accordance with embodiments of the invention . as noted above , the tool eccentering angle α may be independently determined , leaving only three unknowns to be determined in equation ( 7 ). the direction of the displacement of the tool in the borehole can be determined from the measured triaxial data as follows . the matrix of voltages in equation ( 3 ) can be converted into apparent conductivities : σ _ _ appt = [ σ xx σ xy σ xz σ yx σ yy σ yz σ zx σ zy σ zz ] ( 8 ) by dividing the voltages v ij with the sensitivity factors k ij , i . e ., the diagonal sensitivity factors k xx , k yy , k zz are chosen so that , in a homogeneous isotropic medium with a low conductivity , the diagonal conductivities □ xx =□ yy =□ zz =□ hom , where □ hom is the conductivity of the homogeneous formation , i . e ., similarly , the off - diagonal sensitivity factors may be chosen to simplify rotation transformations , for example , k yx = k xy and k xx = k yy . for the special case of a rotation around the z axis , the rotation matrix is r = [ cos ϕ - sin ϕ 0 sin ϕ cos ϕ 0 0 0 1 ] ( 10 ) where □ is the rotation angle . the effect of this rotation on the apparent conductivity matrix may be written as : when the tool is eccentered in the x direction in a circular borehole , the apparent conductivity matrix has five non - zero components that can be computed by modeling : estimates of the angle □ can be obtained by comparing the matrix of measurements from each triaxial receiver pair to the theoretical matrix in equation ( 13 ). for example , comparison between □ xz and □ yz gives : note that measured conductivity components are used in equations ( 14 - 15 ). other estimates can be obtained from □ xx , □ xy , □ yx , and □ yy , in a similar fashion : ϕ = arctan { σ xx - σ yy ± ( σ xz - σ yy ) 2 + 4 σ xy σ yz 2 σ xy } , ( 16 ) equations ( 16 ) and ( 17 ) give four angles , but only two of these are physically distinct . note that □ in equations ( 10 , 13 - 17 ) is the same as □ in fig . ( 6 ). to take into account data from several triaxial receiver pairs , a least squares minimization may be performed on all □ ι values obtained in equations ( 14 - 17 ) to determine the angle □. after the angle □ is determined , the borehole corrections may then be applied to the data using the computed values in equation ( 12 ). the corrected matrix of apparent conductivities is then rotated back to the original tool coordinates , as follows : some embodiments of the invention relate to systems for performing the above - described methods for correcting borehole effects in triaxial arrays . a system in accordance with embodiments of the invention may be implemented on a stand alone computer or a downhole computer that is included on a tool . fig1 shows a general purpose computer that may be used with embodiments of the invention . as shown in fig1 , a general computer system may include a main unit 160 , a display 162 and input devices such as a keyboard 168 and a mouse . the main unit 160 may include a central processor unit 164 , a permanent memory ( e . g ., a hard disk ) 163 and a random access memory 166 . the memory 163 may include a program that includes instructions for performing the methods of the invention . a program may be embodied on any computer retrievable medium , such as a hard disk , a diskette , a cd - rom , or any other medium known or yet to be developed . the programming may be accomplished with any programming language and the instructions may be in a form of a source codes that may need compilation before the computer can execute the instructions or in a compiled ( binary ) or semi - compiled codes . the precise form and medium the program is on are not germane to the invention and should not limit the scope of the invention . while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , those skilled in the art , having benefit of this disclosure , will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims . | 6 |
the following definitions may help illuminate the topics of discussion that follow . pivot candidate : a single record that has the potential to be a selected pivot . this is a new term proposed by the author and is specific to this invention . in relation to quick sort &# 39 ; s median - of - three pivot selection routine , the three records that are compared to find a median could easily be termed pivot candidates , but no such distinction has been coined to the best of my knowledge . pivot or selected pivot : a special pivot candidate that has been selected to be a key in the partitioning phase . all figures and embodiments listed in this document concentrate on isolating pivot candidates at the end of the list for continuity and flow . this does not mean that the invention can not be implemented by placing candidates at the front of the list and partitioning around the later pivots first . also , the pseudocode used in the preferred embodiments section is meant as a guide for programmers and not as the absolute end algorithm . among the topics not covered in the presented pseudocode include building a min heap and a reverse max heap , handling skewed pivot lists with random generation of the number of pivots , and adjusting the pivotsort declaration to include a number of pivots parameter . however , all of these optimizations are detailed in the sections that follow . to sort a list of records , pivot sort first selects pivot candidates from the population . according to statistical theory , these candidates should be sampled at strategic locations in the population ( ie equidistant from each other in the array or equidistant pairs in the array ), but pivot sort will also work with contiguous candidate selection ( ie taking all pivot candidates from the front or rear of the list of records in a known random population .) after a selection policy is in place , pivot sort sorts this small list of pivot candidates with another sorting algorithm , one which has less overhead and works well on small lists . in theory , insertion sort is an excellent algorithm for sorting this small list of pivot candidates , but because of inherent flaws in the insertion sort algorithm , the size of the list of pivot candidates should not exceed 15 and should be an odd number . this forces pivot sort to use anywhere from two to seven pivots for effective and efficient partitioning . from extensive testing , five pivots have been shown to work most effectively . after the list of pivot candidates has been sorted with an algorithm like insertion sort , pivots are selected from the pivot candidate list by selecting the 2 nd element and every two elements after . because we are using odd numbers of candidates , this pivot selection method results in selecting pivots at locations that are guaranteed to have records between the pivots . this ideal is probabilistically sound and results in reliable partitioning by expanding on ideals of the median - of - three method commonly used in quick sort implementations . pivot sort is in many ways better than quick sort because it takes a larger sample size than quick sort which gives a much better chance of partitioning on a median value . if a list of pivot candidates is selected from equidistant locations in the list of records and pivots are selected as outlined earlier , the pivoting process is likely to produce better partitions . even though both m pivot sort and quick sort are based on the same partitioning principle that does not necessarily mean that they have the same optimal conditions . the odds that m pivot sort will partition the list identically to an optimal quick sort implementation are slim . m pivot sort &# 39 ; s optimal situation is either this one ( where performance is nearly identical to quick sort and the list is partitioned in halves for each pivot selected ) or a near perfect snapshot of the list is taken with the selection of pivot candidates . the latter results in m pivot sort dividing the list into equal length partitions and is the ideal situation , resulting in less recursion and less overall work , especially in data moves . the list is partitioned similarly to the method used in quick sort but around each of the pivots selected from the sorted list of candidates . in an ascending sort , all comparatively smaller records will be placed before the pivot and larger records will be placed after . however , unlike quick sort , pivot sort can handle duplicates by comparing pivots to each other . if two pivots are equal , then not only are those two pivots equal , but the pivot candidate that existed between them is equal . instead of wasting comparisons for comparatively smaller records , pivot sort searches the list for equal records and places them between the previous pivot and current pivot . no recursion needs be done on the final partition between the equal pivots . on lists with large numbers of duplicates , pivot sort becomes an o ( n ) sorting algorithm , and the overhead of comparing pivots for equality is negligible . after the partitioning process is complete , pivot sort is called recursively on those partitions that are not already sorted , resulting in a sorted list . of note , because pivot sort performs more partitions per level , pivot sort performs less recursion than quick sort or merge sort — two industry standard comparison - based sorting algorithms . this results in a sorting algorithm with better memory management and a system that does not use as much stack space on function calls . also , pivot sort can be tweaked to randomize the number of pivots ( preferably between 3 and 7 because of the limits of insertion sort ) if a worst case partition occurs , ie when a partition is skewed to one side ( way more elements on the left than on the right .) consequently , pivot sort is able to detect runtime problems , correct them , and proceed with partitioning . m pivot sort may be used in contiguous or queued schemes . as noted in the introduction , this pseudocode is meant as a guide to those who wish to implement aspects of this patent . the preferred embodiments listed here are not the only ways of implementing this algorithm , and this section is not intended to be complete and exhaustive . referring to claim 1 , a preferred embodiment is the following : pivotsort ( a , first , last ) 1 . create array p [ 0 .. m − 1 ] 2 . if first & lt ; last and first & gt ;= 0 3 . then if first & lt ; last − 13 4 . then choosepivots ( a , first , last , p ) 5 . insertionsort ( a , p [ 0 ]− 1 , last ) 6 . nextstart first 7 . for i 0 to m − 1 8 . do curpivot p [ i ] 9 . nextgreater nextstart 10 . nextgreater partition ( a , nextstart , nextgreater , curpivot ) 11 . exchange a [ nextgreater ] a [ curpivot ] 12 . exchange a [ nextgreater + 1 ] a [ curpivot + 1 ] 13 . if nextstart == first and p [ i ] & gt ; nextstart + 1 14 . then pivotsort ( a , nextstart , p [ i ]− 1 ) 15 . if nextstart != first and p [ i ] & gt ; p [ i − 1 ]+ 2 16 . then pivotsort ( a , p [ i − 1 ]+ 1 , p [ i ]+ 1 ) 17 . nextstart nextgreater + 2 18 . if last & gt ; p [ m − 1 ]+ 1 19 . then pivotsort ( a , p [ m − 1 ]+ 1 , last ) 20 . else insertionsort ( a , first , last ) referring to claim 3 and including the algorithm highlighted in claim 1 , the preferred embodiment is the following : pivotsort ( a , first , last ) 1 . create array p [ 0 .. m − 1 ] 2 . if first & lt ; last and first & gt ;= 0 3 . then if first & lt ; last − 13 4 . then choosepivots ( a , first , last , p ) 5 . insertionsort ( a , p [ 0 ]− 1 , last ) 6 . nextstart first 7 . for i 0 to m − 1 8 . do curpivot p [ i ] 9 nextgreater nextstart 10 . if nextstart != first and a [ p [ i − 1 ]] == a [ p [ i ]] 11 . then nextgreater pivotequalsleft ( a , nextstart , nextgreater , curpivot ) 12 . while i & lt ; m and a [ p [ i − 1 ] == a [ p [ i ]] 13 . do exchange a [ nextgreater ] a [ curpivot ] 14 . exchange a [ nextgreater + 1 ] a [ curpivot + 1 ] 15 . p [ i ] nextgreater 16 . nextstart nextgreater + 2 17 . i i + 1 18 . curpivot p [ i ] 19 . nextgreater nextstart 20 . i i − 1 21 . else 22 . then nextgreater pivotsmallerleft ( a , nextstart , nextgreater , curpivot ) 23 . p [ i ] nextgreater 24 . nextstart nextgreater + 2 25 . if nextstart == first and p [ i ] & gt ; nextstart + 1 26 . then pivotsort ( a , nextstart , p [ i ]− 1 ) 27 . if nextstart != first and p [ i ] & gt ; p [ i − 1 ]+ 2 28 . then pivotsort ( a , p [ i − 1 ]+ 1 , p [ i ]+ 1 ) 29 . nextstart nextgreater + 2 30 . if last & gt ; p [ m − 1 ]+ 1 31 . then pivotsort ( a , p [ m − 1 ]+ 1 , last ) 32 . else insertionsort ( a , first , last ) claim 2 can be implemented in many forms . however , checking for the conditions necessary to call on such a correction method is easy to describe . during the partition phase , code must be written that checks where the pivots end up . although a thorough system of checks may seem attractive , it is discouraged because it is unnecessary . instead , a check should only be made after the pivots reach their final destinations , and pivotsort should not be called recursively on the sorted partitions until after the check has been made . the latter means that instead of the above code which combines the partition and recursive calls to pivotsort , the partitioning phase would be clearly delineated between the following steps : 2 . check for a skewed pivot list . the worst case will be the last selected pivot ending up close to the front of the list ( say in the first quarter of the list ). a less dire worst case will be the first selected pivot ending up close to the end of the list , but in this case with 5 pivots used , at least 10 elements have been sorted on this level while only really requiring the work done on the first selected pivot . still , this is a worst case and o ( n 2 ) behavior , though a fraction of the worst case of algorithms like insertion sort , quick sort , bubble sort , etc . 3 . if the pivot list is not skewed , just partition the list . no problems have been encountered . however , if the list is skewed , either build a min heap and reverse max heap or either one of the two , or more preferably , change the number of pivots for the next level of partitioning . this is the easiest and best way to change the sampling and correct run time performance . if the number of pivots was five and now it is three , the algorithm is selecting pivot candidates from completely different areas of the list with no real overhead ( one random number generated with a modulus of the maximum number of pivots allowed , which is determined by the method used to sort the list of pivot candidates .) this is a sure way to beat any pattern that might have resulted in a worst case for the pivot sort algorithm , and in practice , results in an algorithm that does not go into exponential time . | 6 |
the present invention will now be described in further detail in the following examples : in this example , surface treatment was carried out using the dc plasma nitriding apparatus shown in fig1 . this apparatus comprises a sealed vessel 10 , a vacuum system 12 with a rotary pump ( not shown ), a dc power supply and control unit 14 , a gas supply system 16 , a temperature measurement and control system 18 , and a work table 20 for supporting articles 22 to be treated . in this example , the articles to be treated were 316 type austenitic stainless steel discs 25 mm in diameter and 8 mm in thickness . the discs to be treated were placed on the table 20 inside the vessel 10 . the table 20 was connected as a cathode to the unit 14 , and the wall of the vessel 10 was connected to the dc source as the anode . the temperature of the discs 22 was measured by a thermocouple 24 inserted into a hole of 3 mm diameter drilled in one of the discs 22 or a dummy sample . after the sealed vessel 10 was tightly closed , the rotary pump was used to remove the residual air and thus reduce the pressure in the vessel . when the reduction in pressure reached 10 pa ( 0 . 1 mbar ) or below , a glow discharge was introduced between the article 22 . ( cathode ) and the vessel wall ( anode ) by applying a voltage of 400 volts to 900 volts between these two electrodes . a heating gas of hydrogen was at the same time introduced into the vessel 10 . the pressure of the hydrogen gas in the vessel 10 was increased gradually as the temperature of the articles 22 increased . no external or auxiliary heating was employed , and the articles 22 were heated by the glow discharge only . after the articles 22 were heated up to the prescribed temperature , a gas mixture of hydrogen and methane was introduced into the vessel 10 and the treatment step started . no additional sputter cleaning step was used in this example . treatment temperatures from 350 ° c . to 600 ° c . were employed for treatment times from 3 hours to 20 hours . the working pressure in the treatment step was 500 pa ( 5 . 0 mbar ) for all the experiments in this example . after the completion of the treatment step , the glow discharge was turned off and the articles 22 were allowed to cool in the vessel 10 in the treatment atmosphere down to room temperature before they were removed from the vessel . then , the articles 22 were subjected to x - ray diffraction analysis for phase identification , glow discharge spectrometry ( gds ) analysis for chemical composition determination , surface hardness measurements and metallography analysis of the cross section for thickness measurements and hardness profile measurements . the results are shown in table 1 and fig2 to 5 . it is thus confirmed that surface treatment at temperatures between 300 ° c . and 600 ° c . can produce a “ white ” ( corrosion resistant ) layer on 316type austenitic stainless steel . the layer is enriched with carbon , has a high surface hardness and a diffuse - type hardness profile , and comprises an expanded austenite with a possible nanocrystalline / amorphous structure . indentation , scratch and simple bending tests were conducted to assess the ductility and bonding strength of the hardened surface layer . no cracks or debonding of this layer were observed during these tests and the hardened layer was found to deform with the substrate , thus confirming that the layer has good ductility . the surface treatment conditions in example 2 were similar to those in example 1 . in example 2 , in addition to 316 steel , discs formed of other grades of austenitic stainless steel were used as articles to be treated . accordingly , discs of 25 mm in diameter and 8 mm in thickness were prepared from 304 , 321 and 316 austenitic stainless steels . following the process procedures outlined in example 1 , the articles were treated at 440 ° c . and 520 ° c . for 12 hours . after the treatment , the articles were analysed using the techniques outlined in example 1 . it was confirmed that hardened layer of expanded austenite enriched with carbon can be formed in all types of austenitic stainless steel . table 2 summarises the thickness and surface hardness values of the layers formed . discs formed of 316 type austenitic stainless steel were used as the articles to be treated in this example . two sets experiments were performed which were different from those in example 1 . firstly , various heating gases and gas mixtures were used in the heating step . these included hydrogen , argon , a mixture of hydrogen and argon and a mixture of hydrogen and methane . secondly , various carbon - containing treatment atmospheres were used in the treatment step , and these included a mixture of hydrogen and methane , a mixture of hydrogen , argon and methane , and a mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide ( co 2 ). following the process procedure outlined in example 1 , the articles were treated in these heating gases and treatment atmospheres at 500 ° c . for 3 hours . the obtained results are shown in table 3 in terms of layer thickness and surface hardness . it can be seen that a hardened layer can be formed in various combinations of heating gases and treatment atmospheres . in example 4 , the process conditions were similar to those used in example 1 , except that nitrogen gas was added to the treatment atmosphere in the treatment step . discs of 316type austenitic stainless steel were used as the articles to be treated in example 4 . the articles were treated at 450 ° and 500 ° c . for 3 hours . two levels of nitrogen gas were introduced to the treatment atmosphere , i . e . 2 . 0 % at 450 ° c . and 5 % at 500 ° c . the treated articles were analysed using the techniques used in example 1 . table 4 shows the thickness and hardness values of the layers produced . it was confirmed that the addition of nitrogen to the treatment atmosphere can also result in a thick and hard layer , which also appears “ white ” after etching . gds composition profile analysis revealed that both carbon and nitrogen were incorporated in the layer . in example 5 , wear testing and corrosion testing specimens made from 316 - type austenitic stainless steel were treated under conditions similar to those used in example 1 . table 5 lists the treatment conditions used and the resultant layer thickness . were testing was carried out using a pin - on - disc machine under unlubricated pure sliding conditions . a hardened bearing steel ball of 5 mm in diameter was used as the slider ( pin ). three different normal loads were used for the tests . the results are given in fig6 . which shows that surface treatment under a variety of different conditions can significantly improve the sliding wear resistance of the austenitic stainless steel by up to 20 times under the present testing conditions . in addition , the treated specimens showed a stable friction coefficient of 0 . 73 , whilst the untreated specimen showed a large scatter in friction coefficient which averaged 0 . 80 . corrosion testing was carried out using the electrochemical testing technique in 3 . 5 % sodium chloride ( nacl ) and 0 . 05 m na 2 so 4 solutions . the test results are presented in fig7 and 8 . for comparison purpose , the untreated article was also tested . it can be seen that , in the na 2 so 4 solution , both untreated and treated articles showed excellent corrosion resistance ; no significant difference in corrosion current density was observed between different samples ; however , the treated samples exhibited a shift of the corrosion potential towards the positive ( passive ) side , indicating improvement in corrosion behaviour . in the nacl solution , the treated articles showed a much improved corrosion behaviour , particularly pitting resistance . the untreated article was subjected to pitting corrosion when the potential reached 0 . 4 v / sce or above , resulting in a dramatic increase in current density . in the treated articles , no pitting has been observed even after testing up to 1 . 5 v / sce , indicating an improvement in pitting potential for at least 4 times . in this solution , the treated article exhibited a general corrosion behaviour , ie . the corrosion rate increases slowly with increasing potential . further corrosion testing was performed on the article treated at 500 ° c . for 5 hours after the surface hardened layer had been completely removed by grinding , with the purpose to assess the effect of surface treatment on the corrosion behaviour of the substrate . tests performed in both nacl and na 2 so 4 solutions indicated that the treatment has negligible influence on the corrosion behaviour of the substrate . | 2 |
referring now to the drawings by reference characters , there is shown a pallet 7 having a load of boxes 9 thereon . the boxes 9 have a rectangular configuration and have been stacked to fit the pallet 7 . in accordance with the present invention , four corner elements , generally designated 11 , 13 , 15 , and 17 , are placed at the four corners of the loaded pallet and a flexible strap 19 is employed to hold the cornerboards together and maintain the pallet load in a desired configuration . although only a single strap 19 has been shown , in many instances two or even more straps might be used around the load . since each of the cornerboards is identical , only one will be described in detail . referring specifically to fig2 through 4 , each of the cornerboards consists of an upper section , generally designated 21 , and a lower section , generally designated 23 . the upper section is formed , preferably by bending , of a steel sheet so that one has the walls 25 and 27 held at substantially right angles to each other . preferably , a top cap 29 is provided which may be stamped of steel and welded onto the upper section 21 . each of the walls 25 and 27 has a series of tongues , generally designated 31 , formed at regular intervals along the wall . each of the tongues consists of a generally horizontal section 33 and a downwardly - extending tip 35 . the tip 35 is formed generally parallel to the wall 27 and the space between the tip 35 and an imaginary continuation of the wall 27 is slightly greater than the thickness of the wall 27 , assuming that both the upper and lower sections are made of the same gage of steel . the bottom section 23 is of the same general configuration , having the walls 37 and 39 and a bottom plate 41 of the same general configuration as the top plate 29 . the bottom section 23 is provided with a plurality of holes 43 , corresponding in placement and separation to the tongues 31 . in use , it is only necessary to place the two sections in proximity to each other and to bring the upper section into contact with the lower so that the tongues 31 extend through the holes 43 . now , if one pushes downwardly slightly on the upper member , the tongues will lock into place on the bottom section as is clearly shown in fig3 of the drawings . in the foregoing description , it has been assumed that the upper and lower sections would be fabricated in such a way that a considerable range of adjustment would be possible . in some instances , the cornerboards might be fabricated to fit a certain specific load in which case the large range of adjustment would not be necessary . in fact , in its simplest form , the top member might have a single pair of tongues set at right angles thereto while the bottom section might have only a single pair of mating slots for the reception of the tongues . however , it is preferred that a plurality of tongues be formed between each of the metal sections , both from the standpoint of increased strength when more than one set of tongues is used to lock the structure and also because of the desirability of providing the adjustable feature . many variations can be made in the exact structure shown without departing from the spirit of this invention . | 1 |
fig6 to fig9 are schematic , cross - sectional diagrams showing a method for fabricating a solder pad structure on a circuit board in accordance with one preferred embodiment of this invention . first , as shown in fig6 , a surface wiring structure 10 a is provided on the surface of the circuit board 10 . the surface wiring structure 10 a may include but not limited to a plurality of copper pad structure 20 and fine traces 30 . it is to be understood that the circuit board 10 may be a single wiring layer circuit board , double wiring layer circuit board or multiple wiring layer circuit board . for the sake of simplicity , the conductive via holes or other inner layer interconnection inside the circuit board 10 are not shown in the figures . after the formation of the surface wiring structure 10 a , a non - conductive material layer 120 is coated on the surface of the circuit board 10 . the non - conductive material layer 120 comprises a dielectric matrix and laser - activable catalytic particles . the catalytic particles are evenly dispersed in the dielectric matrix . the aforesaid catalytic particles may be activated by laser energy and a conductive layer may be selectively deposited on the laser - activated traces on the non - conductive material layer 120 . according to the preferred embodiment of this invention , the dielectric matrix comprises polymer material such as epoxy resins , modified epoxy resins , polyesters , acrylate , fluoro - containing polymer , ( ppo ) polyphenylene oxide ( ppo ), polyimide , phenolic resins , polysulfone ( psf ), si - containing polymer , bt resins , polycyanate , polyethylene , polycarbonate , acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene copolymer , polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polybutylene terephthalate ( pbt ), liquid crystal polymers ( lcp ), polyamide ( pa ), nylon 6 , nylonpolyoxymethylene ( pom )· polyphenylene sulfide ( pps ), coc or a combination thereof . according to the preferred embodiment of this invention , the catalytic particles described above may be nano - particles of metals or metal coordination compounds . for example , suitable metal coordination compounds may include metal oxides , metal nitrides , metal complexes and / or metal chelating compounds . in one embodiment of the present invention , the aforesaid metal may include but not limited to zinc , copper , silver , gold , nickel , palladium , platinum , cobalt , rhodium , iridium , indium , iron , manganese , aluminum , chromium , tungsten , vanadium , tantalum , and / or titanium . as shown in fig7 , a specific laser beam such as uv laser is directed to the top surface of the non - conductive material layer 120 to etch openings 120 a into the non - conductive material layer 120 . each of the opening 120 a exposes a portion of each of the copper pads 20 . optionally , a desmear process may be carried out to ensure removal of epoxy - smear or residuals from the exposed surface of the copper pad 20 . suitable desmear process may include but not limited to plasma or oxidation methods . for example , permanganate may be used as an oxidant in the desmear process . at this point , the catalytic particles inside the opening 120 a are activated by laser , thereby forming a laser activated layer 120 b on sidewall of each of the openings 120 a . as shown in fig8 , a chemical copper deposition or plating process is carried out to grow chemical copper 60 from the laser activated layer 120 b and from the exposed top surface of the copper pad 20 at the same time . since the chemical copper 60 is directly grown from the laser activated layer 120 b on the sidewall of the opening 120 a , a tight bonding between the chemical copper 60 and the non - conductive material layer 120 is created . optionally , the chemical copper 60 may continue to grow until it protrudes from the top surface of the non - conductive material layer 120 to thereby form a bump structure 70 , as shown in fig9 . the bump structure 70 and the copper pad structure 20 together constitute a solder pad structure 80 . the present invention comprises at least the following advantages . first , the laser method for forming the opening 120 a provides higher accuracy compared to the conventional photolithographic process . second , the production throughput is improved because the chemical copper 60 grows simultaneously from the laser activated layer 120 b on the sidewall of the opening 120 a and from the exposed top surface of the copper pad 20 . third , since the bump structure 70 is grown on the copper pad 20 , the poor yield due to conventional solder paste printing can be avoided . in addition , direct bonding between the chemical copper 60 or the bump structure 70 and the sidewall laser - activated layer 120 b improves the reliability of the solder pad structure 80 . fig1 to fig1 are schematic , cross - sectional diagrams showing a method for fabricating a solder pad structure on a circuit board in accordance with another preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig1 , likewise , a surface wiring structure 10 a is provided on the surface of the circuit board 10 . the surface wiring structure 10 a may include but not limited to a plurality of copper pad structure 20 and fine traces 30 . for the sake of simplicity , the conductive via holes or other inner layer interconnection inside the circuit board 10 are not shown in the figures . after the formation of the surface wiring structure 10 a , a solder resist layer 220 is coated on the surface of the circuit board 10 . the solder resist layer 220 comprises a dielectric matrix and laser - activable catalytic particles . the catalytic particles are evenly dispersed in the dielectric matrix . the aforesaid catalytic particles may be activated by laser energy and a conductive layer may be selectively deposited on the laser - activated traces on the non - conductive material layer 120 . however , the solder resist layer 220 may be composed of photo - sensitive polymers or inks . the aforesaid dielectric matrix may comprise polymer material such as epoxy resins , modified epoxy resins , polyesters , acrylate , fluoro - containing polymer , ( ppo ) polyphenylene oxide ( ppo ), polyimide , phenolic resins , polysulfone ( psf ), si - containing polymer , bt resins , polycyanate , polyethylene , polycarbonate , acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene copolymer , polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polybutylene terephthalate ( pbt ), liquid crystal polymers ( lcp ), polyamide ( pa ), nylon 6 , nylonpolyoxymethylene ( pom )· polyphenylene sulfide ( pps ), coc or a combination thereof . the aforesaid catalytic particles described above may be nano - particles of metals or metal coordination compounds . for example , suitable metal coordination compounds may include metal oxides , metal nitrides , metal complexes and / or metal chelating compounds . in one embodiment of the present invention , the aforesaid metal may include but not limited to zinc , copper , silver , gold , nickel , palladium , platinum , cobalt , rhodium , iridium , indium , iron , manganese , aluminum , chromium , tungsten , vanadium , tantalum , and / or titanium . as shown in fig1 , a peelable film 230 is formed on the solder resist layer 220 . for example , the peelable film 230 may be a polymer release film such as polyester film or the like . preferably , the peelable film 230 has a thickness of about 1 - 2 micrometers , but not limited thereto . as shown in fig1 , a specific laser beam such as uv laser is directed to the top surface of the peelable film 230 to etch openings 220 a into the peelable film 230 and the solder resist layer 220 . each of the opening 220 a exposes a portion of each of the copper pads 20 . optionally , a desmear process may be carried out to ensure removal of epoxy - smear or residuals from the exposed surface of the copper pad 20 . suitable desmear process may include but not limited to plasma or oxidation methods . for example , permanganate may be used as an oxidant in the desmear process . as shown in fig1 , a seed layer 240 , for example , pd , ti , w or the like , is conformally deposited on the interior sidewall of the openings 220 a , the exposed surface of the copper pad 20 and on the top surface of the peelable film 230 . notably , the seed layer 240 is conformally deposited on the circuit board 10 and does not fill up the openings 220 a . according to the preferred embodiment of this invention , the seed layer 240 may be an organic seed layer or an inorganic seed layer . as shown in fig1 , after the conformal deposition of the seed layer 240 , the peelable film 230 is peeled off from the surface of the solder resist layer 220 . a portion of the seed layer 240 that is situated on the peelable film 230 is also removed , thereby leaving the other portion of the seed layer 240 on the interior sidewall of the openings 220 a intact . as shown in fig1 , a chemical copper deposition or plating process is then carried out to fill the openings 220 a with chemical copper 260 . a top surface of the chemical copper 260 may be lower than the top surface of the solder resist layer 220 . in another case , the top surface of the chemical copper 260 may be higher than the top surface of the solder resist layer 220 . the production throughput is improved since the chemical copper 260 is grown from the seed layer 240 in different directions , for example , from the sidewall directions and from the top of the pad 20 at the same time . fig1 to fig1 are schematic , cross - sectional diagrams showing a method for fabricating a solder pad structure on a circuit board in accordance with still another preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig1 , likewise , a surface wiring structure 10 a is provided on the surface of the circuit board 10 . the surface wiring structure 10 a may include but not limited to a plurality of copper pad structure 20 and fine traces 30 . for the sake of simplicity , the conductive via holes or other inner layer interconnection inside the circuit board 10 are not shown in the figures . after the formation of the surface wiring structure 10 a , a solder resist layer 320 is coated on the surface of the circuit board 10 . the solder resist layer 320 may be composed of photo - sensitive polymers or inks . subsequently , a protective layer 330 is coated on the surface of the solder resist layer 320 . the protective layer 330 may be coated by printing or spraying methods . preferably , the protective layer 330 has a thickness that is less than 2 micrometers . preferably , the protective layer 330 is composed of nano - coating or nano - paint comprising nano - scale particles . as shown in fig1 , a specific laser beam such as uv laser is directed to the top surface of the protective layer 330 to etch openings 320 a into the protective layer 330 and the solder resist layer 320 . each of the opening 320 a exposes a portion of each of the copper pads 20 . optionally , a desmear process may be carried out to ensure removal of epoxy - smear or residuals from the exposed surface of the copper pad 20 . suitable desmear process may include but not limited to plasma or oxidation methods . for example , permanganate may be used as an oxidant in the desmear process . as shown in fig1 , after the formation of the openings 320 a , a seed layer 340 , for example , pd , ti , w or the like , is selectively deposited on the interior sidewall of the openings 320 a , the exposed surface of the copper pad 20 but not deposited on the top surface of the protective layer 330 . the seed layer 340 is conformally deposited on the interior sidewall of the openings 320 a and does not fill up the openings 320 a . according to the preferred embodiment of this invention , the seed layer 340 may be an organic seed layer or an inorganic seed layer . as shown in fig1 , a chemical copper deposition or plating process is then carried out to fill the openings 320 a with chemical copper 360 . a top surface of the chemical copper 360 may be lower than the top surface of the protective layer 330 . in another case , the top surface of the chemical copper 360 may be higher than the top surface of the protective layer 330 . the production throughput is improved since the chemical copper 360 is grown from the seed layer 340 in different directions within the openings 320 a at the same time . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . | 1 |
one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig3 a ( right side view ) and fig3 b ( front view ) showing a typical laser system module outfitted aircraft , in this case a sikorsky s - 64 skycrane heavy lift helicopter 30 . fig3 c shows a bottom interior view of the laser system ( ls ) module illustrating its major subsystem components . fig3 d shows a photo , and fig3 e the components , of a module subsystem , a typical telescope beam director assembly 42 . this helicopter is now manufactured by erikson air - crane , inc ., portland , oreg . simplex aerospace , portland , oreg . outfits the craft for its conventional fire attack task , to drop or spray water or other chemicals from a holding tank ( as was seen in the photo 1 b ). to allow for interchange of this tank for other modules , allowing dual use capability of the aircraft , the tank 34 is quick - clamped by hydraulic fittings 36 in fig3 a and 3b . our embodiment uses this same holding method developed by simplex aerospace , thus allowing the dual use scheme they perfected for their chemical tank to be used for our laser system module chamber . note that just as in its normal water / chemical drop firefighting mode this laser enhanced system will be controlled from those in the cockpit 32 , usually a pilot that controls the craft and a co - pilot that controls the firefighting effort . the operational aspects of the backfire setting aircraft mode , shown here with an intense focused laser beam 38 impacting targets 40 such as treetops or ground foliage ( 40 l ) and resulting fire ( 40 r ), will be discussed later when we complete identification of the major laser system equipment elements . fig3 c shows a mockup of such a backfire being set along a timberline by our first embodiment laser module equipped sikorsky helicopter . fig3 b shows a frontal view of this sikorsky ch - 54 / s - 64 . the so - called “ air crane ” has extremely large payload weight ( about 10 , 000 kgs or 22 , 050 lbs ) and volume carrying capability . the latter is very large since it can even transport things like houses held from the helicopter &# 39 ; s cables . in the embodiment figures shown we have assumed the laser module box 34 to be about 5 m ( 16 . 4 ft ) in width , 2 m ( 6 . 6 ft ) in height , as seen in fig3 b , and 6 . 4 m length as seen in 3 a . as reference , the aircraft is 21 . 4 m in length and 5 . 67 m in height . its cruising speed is 169 km / hr . note that other helicopters with less or more capability may also serve to carry other laser system modules for the firefighting service we claim in this embodiment . with more payload / volume capability a more powerful laser system could be used and this would increase the rate of setting the backfire . alternatively , some of that higher weight capability could be used to increase aircraft fuel capability and hence the range and time in the air before needing to refuel . such trades between margins for the carrier and the laser system load are common for those familiar in the laser weapon systems trade ( ref . 14 ). below , as the laser subsystem assemblies are discussed , similar trades are encountered . ref . ( 15 ) discusses such state - of - art issues in his book beam control for laser systems . in the embodiment discussed here , 34 is the typical laser system ( ls ) module which will be more fully discussed below in fig3 d , fig3 e and fig3 f . note the rear protrusion 42 from the module , in fig3 a and 3d ) and the photo in fig3 e . this is the laser beam director assembly which contains the optics that directs the laser beam to the target area where the laser - induced backfire is to be set . while there are many commercial versions of such a subassembly , in this embodiment we use as an example the “ othela ” module ( ref . 12 ) manufactured by mza associates , corp ., in albuquerque , n . mex . this particular commercial unit 42 contains many components and subassemblies as seen in fig3 e and 3f . in fig3 f , following the laser beam 72 that unit 42 receives as input through its components is a convenient way to identify those components . after passing through the input window 74 , the beam enters the set of optical elements in the beam control assembly 76 . as its bca name implies , these optics precondition the optical beam for its path ahead so that is arrives with desired good focus and with little jitter and beam wander away from its desired point of impact on the treetop or foliage . since this electro - optic assemblage varies with the type of usage desired and its level of detail exceeds what is desired in this document , we consider it a “ undefined black box ” here . we will do this for other boxes seen in fig3 c as well , only providing functional information but not internal detail . there are many manufacturers like mza associates that sell such subassemblies designed to customer specifications . exiting the bca , the laser beam encounters 78 , the first of three successive coude ′ mirrors 78 , 80 , and 82 . then it is deflected by the yaw mirror 64 to hit the half - angle mirror 66 . this series of five mirrors accomplishes an important task , namely to keep the forward moving laser beam aligned with the turret axis , from whence it began , to now as it leaves mirror 66 , even as the turret assembly 42 is rotated about its axis using the rotational bearing assembly 70 . this turret rotation is the azimuthal angle , indicated as az in fig3 d and 3e . there is a second rotation angle el , the elevation angle also seen in the figures . this corresponds to the rotation of 68 the spherical shell that holds the telescope &# 39 ; s secondary mirror 62 and primary mirror 60 . in the figure the el angle is 0 degrees and the beam leaves the shell though its output window 44 moving along the turret axis . if the operator commands it to move 90 degrees , the beam would move orthogonally out of the plane of the figure . then on command of the operator for the turret to rotate by an az angle change of − 90 degrees , the beam would move orthogonal to the turret axis downward to the bottom of the figure . clearly the operator has a wide range of beam direction angles that are at his control by rotating the turret about its axis combined with a rotation of the telescope &# 39 ; s shell . however it is written into the controller &# 39 ; s real time control software , instructions for the laser beam to cease whenever an angular choice would have the beam strike the aircraft , its landing gear , or any other than the desired treetop or foliage . another aspect of the telescope is its ability to expand the beam &# 39 ; s diameter and to focus that expanded beam onto the distant target . it is an important design trade to choose as large of a diameter as is consistent with allowed telescope weight and volume in the laser system module since it &# 39 ; s diameter size sets the laser beam &# 39 ; s smallest focal spot size at the target . then , as the beam reflects from 66 , the half - angle mirror , it strikes the secondary mirror , 62 . this convex mirror reflects the beam into an expanding beam that just fills the primary mirror 60 . the primary is a concave focusing mirror . as the secondary mirror &# 39 ; s axial distance between it and the primary mirror is changed under control of the secondary , the telescope &# 39 ; s focal length is adjustable . this allows the real - time controller , either manually or under computer control , to focus the beam for maximum backfire setting effect on the target . moving now to fig3 c we examine the other elements of the laser system module 34 . the genesis of the laser beam is the high energy laser ( hel ) 48 . assembly 50 is the power system which , as stated earlier , provides controlled electric power for all system assemblies and also for the electric - driven laser . the waste heat control and cooling assembly 52 , maintains the desired temperatures throughout the system . nominal beam pointing control is provided through the unit 54 , the real - time fire control assembly . this electronic computer assembly uses pointing techniques that have matured mostly under military technology development . in the all and atl laser aircraft , “ joy stick ” beam pointing control was developed and successfully used . in the abl program we perfected the technique for computer controlled autonomous target acquisition and tracking . in the present embodiment , both joy stick and pre - planned computer autonomous track setting and gps - assisted execution will be provided . the tracking & amp ; imaging subassembly 56 provides imaging of the terrain and foliage in which the backfire is being set . techniques for tracking the hot spot &# 39 ; s path are similar to those we have developed for laser weapon systems . frequently 56 and 32 work together in this regard , for example an infrared image camera in 56 will see through the smoke and provide the joy stick operator located in the cockpit 32 with scene information needed to guide the laser “ hot spot ” backfire setting . completing the laser beam odyssey through the system module , the beam leaves the hel 48 and enters the beam transfer assembly 58 . this unit resizes the laser beam and cores it as needed to fit the requirements of the turret assembly . 58 also removes any beam walk and beam jitter that appears in the hel beam so that these effects are not present as the beam passes through the void region 46 and enters the turret as beam 72 . the 46 is a storage space left to withdraw the turret assembly 42 when the laser is not in use in order to protect it from debris during flight . a bird strike protective cover , not shown , might also be used to close the aperture input . the operational concept for this first embodiment is as follows . prior to the fire season , the helicopter is assumed to be outfitted at various times with differing modules for its many agriculture , power company , logging , and other tasks as has been done in the past . but when fire season approaches the craft would normally be outfitted with its water / chemical tank for traditional firefighting . alternatively , the new laser backfire option may be used by a quick and straightforward replacement of the tank with the laser system module . for this helicopter the rate of climb to altitude is 405 m / min , its cruise speed is 169 - 203 km / hr , and its range is 370 km . hence it should arrive at the early stages of the fire in order to start setting a backfire downwind of the conflagration so as to remove possible fuel for the fire &# 39 ; s spread . fig3 c was a mock - up of such a backfire activity . david leigh and zvika avni ( ref . 10 ) have suggested that removing the tree - top combustible material is an especially effective backfire technique . they suggest a generic airborne laser to do this but no design information . in contrast , this patent provides example airborne laser systems that can serve this purpose . in addition to the treetop backfires , more conventional ground level backfires may be set by the laser beam . as stated earlier , these backfires will be much quicker accomplished with the laser than by state - of - art non - laser system means . finally , if after all the desired backfires are set , the craft can go into a infrared search mode for other hot spots or needed additional backfires . alternatively it may return to base . there it may , if desired change out its laser system module for the water / chemical tank and return to fight the main conflagration using this conventional means . to illustrate that in addition to helicopter designs , there are also fixed wing aircraft laser system module designs , we consider those aircraft here . while those of us in the laser weapon system design field have considered pallet - loaded laser systems that could fit into large cargo aircraft like the lockheed martin c130j , the recent development of the previously discussed lightweight , smaller volume , higher efficiency and hence lower electric power and waste heat cooling requirements , reli - class lasers makes the fixed wing fighter concept discussed here certainly possible . previously , a fixed wing state - of - art water / chemical firefighter approach had been patented by edward c . herlik ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 549 , 259 ) awarded 27 aug . 1996 . as seen therein , to illustrate this concept he used the fighter aircraft fairchild / northrop grumman a - 10 thunderbolt - ii shown in fig4 a . in its militarized configuration shown , it is an incredible craft . its overall length is 16 . 16 m ( 53 . 3 ft ) and height is 4 . 42 m ( 4 . 42 m ( 14 . 75 ft ); payload capacity is 7 , 257 kg ( 11 , 000 lbs ); maximum speed is mach 0 . 56 ( 420 mph ); and range 695 nautical miles ( 800 miles ). herlik de - militarized the a - 10 , as we will also assume , first modifying it by removing the 30 mm gau - 8 / a seven - barrel gatling gun 122 and its armament storage drum 94 , other military armor protection such as the cockpit armor 96 , the two wing fuel tanks 92 , and miscellaneous other military hardware not needed for firefighting . one or two new fuel cells were placed in the nose , using some space that was previously occupied by the gun . ( see also fig4 c for pictures showing this large gun 122 and access doors 124 .) we also assume such modifications in fig4 b , and the fuel cells to power 118 , our electric power and thermal control assembly for our laser system module . finally , we also assume the available envelope that herlik used for his firefighting water tanks and pumps , but in our case for the laser module subsystem assemblies as seen in fig4 b . that envelope is about 4 . 78 m ( 15 . 7 ft ) in length , having a maximum height of 3 . 38 m ( 11 . 1 ft ), and an average width ( normal to the plane of the drawing ) of 1 . 64 m ( 5 . 39 ft ). the volume of this envelope is about 5 . 7 m 3 . note that the u . s . defense advanced project agency ( darpa ) is nearing completion of its program to develop a 100 kw hellads laser system with a smaller total volume of 1 m × 1 m × 3 m = 3 m 3 . and since our baseline reli laser is being developed to have equivalent , or even lower volume and weight per unit output power , a 60 kw reli system should find the available volume of 5 . 7 m 3 more than adequate . this laser system module seen in fig4 b , enclosed in the shell 102 , contains the same major subsystems as were required previously in the first embodiment . 120 is the turret containing the telescope and beam control assembly , 108 is its recess for storage , 110 is the active tracking module , 106 is the beam transfer assembly , 112 the tracking and imaging module , and 116 is the high energy laser which rests on its vibration isolation bench , 104 . note that the craft is outfitted , as was the helicopter , with 114 , a real - time fire control assembly which includes ir imaging , allowing it to let the pilot to see through smoke and also to operate at night . note that as with the first embodiment , the turret 120 needs to be stowed and its recess volume 108 capped for protection whenever the craft is not setting backfires . this second embodiment has been described with reference to the a - 10 aircraft for illustrative purposes . it is apparent to those skilled in the art of fighting fires from the air that different craft may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention or the associated methods as claimed here . these laser module systems may be attached to other craft to realize many of the same benefits . the purpose of showing the photos in fig4 c is to not only indicate the space available when the gatling gun is removed , but also the belly doors which provide access for laser system module installation , servicing , and replacement with a water / chemical tank or other module should it be desired to multi - task the aircraft beyond its laser backfiring service . in this water / retardant mode configuration the craft could for example , patrol day and night using its infrared sensitive camera capability to detect the infrared radiation emitted by even small fires as they start and then drop the retardant immediately . after alerting the fire control group of the fire &# 39 ; s location , the craft could then return quickly to base either for more retardant or , if desired , to make a quick exchange to convert to the laser system module which would allow it to fly out and begin backfire protection . as previously stated , early backfire setting may drastically reduce the ultimate size of the conflagration and its loss of life and property and cost to extinguish . this laser system module - assisted fixed wing firefighter will operate much as the helicopter . note that its telescope has a 360 degree ( 2π radian ) azimuthal angle coverage . although it needs a runway unlike the helicopter , its cruise speed of 360 mph would allow it to quickly get to the region where the backfire is to be set . the laser system module aircraft will fight fires as follows . it will fly to a known fire &# 39 ; s coordinates or locate the fire independently using its surveillance capabilities . of course these capabilities will allow it to identify and avoid flight hazards and to report such information to the fire controlling agency . approval to begin setting backfires may be given along with the desired paths or a more free - lance approval given . in either case the co - pilot fire manager aboard will enter the instructions into the laser beam pointing and tracking control system . joy stick operation or automatic operation will follow . this backfire operation will continue until the desired path is completed . if the craft needs refueling it will return to refueling base and then quickly return to complete the backfire task . finally , as stated above , at that point the fire control agency may order the craft to return to base to exchange its laser system module for a water / chemical tank to allow it to perform conventional retardant - drop firefighting . alternatively , the fire controller may order the craft to stay aloft in order to use its enhanced surveillance capabilities to look for new flare - ups or to identify flight hazards such as transmission lines , other aircraft , etc . the prior embodiments related to piloted aircraft . but the emergence of uavs , unmanned aerial vehicles , or so - called drones , offers interesting possible use for laser system module equipped uavs . ( more precisely , the international civil aviation organization refers to these craft as remotely piloted aircraft ( rpa ), i . e . aircraft without a human pilot aboard .) its flight is controlled either by on board computers with pre - scripted flight plans or by the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle . ( ref . 16 ) discusses uav many uses , both military and civilian . among these is remote fire detection : “ another application of uavs is the prevention and early detection of forest fires . the possibility of constant flight , both day and night , makes the methods used until now ( helicopters , watchtowers , etc .) become obsolete . [ they may have ] cameras and sensors that provide real - time emergency services , including information about the location [ coordinates ] of the outbreak of fire as well as many factors ( wind speed , temperature , humidity , etc .) that are helpful for fire crews to conduct fire suppression .” while present day laser system modules for backfire use may appear to be too heavy , voluminous , and inefficient to be accommodated in present day unpiloted aircraft , developments in both uavs and in laser systems and our discoveries reported here should soon change this . examples of recent developments by a lockheed martin - kaman aircraft team , fig5 a to fig5 d , indicate this . the pilot - less lm k - max ( fig5 a ) has just completed a demonstration program in afghanistan . over the last few months , this new unmanned military version of k - max 130 has been flying in afghanistan , primarily to ferry meals ready to eat ( mres ) and other supplies between bases in order to keep manned ground vehicles from making the hazardous trips on the ied - infested roads . as seen in fig5 c , the craft is remotely piloted by a marine 138 using his “ joy stick ” 134 which provides a signal through the antennas 132 . since last december 2013 a lm k - max has flown five flights per day , delivering over 600 , 000 pounds of cargo to troops in the field , flying over hazardous enemies and terrain , with no failures and no unscheduled down time . this remarkable helicopter is based upon one designed by the chief engineer of those used by the german army in ww ii . as seen in fig5 a it uses two separate blade systems 126 which counter - rotate to avoid the gyroscopic instability of a single - bladed craft which usually must use a tail rotor to counter it . of course not only is the copter very stable but two blades gives it better lift capability even though it is a small craft . despite its small size , 15 . 8 m ( 51 ft ) length , 4 . 14 m ( 13 . 6 ft ) height , 14 . 7 m ( 48 . 25 ft ) rotor diameter , its payload capacity is 2 , 727 kg ( 6 , 000 lbs ). while this might appear to be too small to support a “ conventional ” 30 - 60 kw output power laser that we have discussed in previous embodiments , our further insight , as follows , will prove otherwise . foremost , we have no human aboard , and the safety risk tolerance can be markedly higher . as is well known for manned flight design , this dramatically lowers the weights ( and costs ) of safety features that had to be built into those aircraft we previously discussed . the same is true of the laser system module designs . but equally important , this allowable risk level also allows the remote uav operator to fly the uav much closer to the treetops or ground where the backfires are needed . since the laser power received on target decreases with the square of the range between laser and target , reducing the range from say a “ safe ” 1 km to 0 . 1 km would require 10 2 = 100 times less laser power to have the same fire - starting effect ! in addition , if therefore instead of a 30 kw laser only a 0 . 3 kw one were required , smaller scale optics and less sophisticated beam control , would result ! in brief , the laser system module volume , electric power , waste heat cooling and weight could dramatically decrease when it is used for backfire setting when mounted in a uav like the lm k - max . even the lower load capacity of 2 , 727 kg ( 6 , 000 lbs ) would then easily suffice . another simplification is also possible . the k - max nominally carries its load 140 on a cable , as seen in fig5 d . if the cable also carried electric power from the aircraft to a laser package at the cable &# 39 ; s lower terminus , then the target range might be made even smaller , say 0 . 01 km = 10 m , and a very small 100 - w - class laser output power might suffice for backfire ignition . but what must we assume for the design of this laser module package ? all of the subsystem elements that we have required in the prior embodiments must be present . note that the electric power could be provided by battery in the module or alternatively by an electric cable that is part of the support cabling . however the much lower laser powers required would allow smaller optics since their diameters scale downward with the square of the laser power handled . one issue of concern might be any sway of the module if it were held by cable rather attaching it to the underbelly of the craft . but there are remedies for this . first , the k - max cable - held payloads are much more stable than those suspended from other helicopter designs which suffer from the gyroscopic effect . secondly , kaman claims that the counter - rotating props provide much lower “ down - wash ” than conventional helicopters . finally , it should be noted that the military has developed gyroscopically controlled laser beam pointing systems to keep the beam on its intended target even if it is reflected off a mirror held on such a cable by a helicopter . turning now to the last uav photograph shown as fig5 e , the lockheed martin vector hawk is a just released mini - uav only a meter or so in width and length . this device has been constructed to allow its wing and tail sections to be folded under and above its fuselage , respectively . then it may be launched like a mortar out of a tube to the desired flight altitude where it unfolds and begins cruising . this ingenious protocol is used to conserve the onboard battery &# 39 ; s stored energy , which it would otherwise expend in gaining altitude . thus payload capability and flight time enhancements result . but in its present few kg payload capability limit , only very small designator lasers appear as possible laser payload . however even these could play an important role in firefighting by providing close - in directing of the illuminated aim points to be followed by a more powerful and distant laser system . of course such low power laser target designation is presently used to guide missiles and even bullets on the battlefield . another important firefighting role that such a uav could play is to provide infrared and optical surveillance . without the risk of life , such a craft could be allowed to fly into harm &# 39 ; s way , through smoke and darkness to obtain close - up infrared images . these could identify risks , or their absence , for follow - on manned aircraft . of course general surveillance for fire flare - ups , need for restarting some backfires that have died , etc . would all be important information for the fire control agency . vector hawk data link uses a high - bandwidth , software - defined radio . this would enable the transmission of these images and their gps coordinates . uavs have unique capabilities to provide to firefighting . not requiring pilots to prepare and come aboard , they are always ready to immediately take off for duty . this is an important issue to minimize a fire before it begins to spread . once aloft they can immediately use their ir thermal cameras , day or night or veiled in smog or smoke , their images of infrared emitting hot spots can be quickly sent to fire control headquarters . then , either under programed gps computer control , or being flown by a remote pilot , like fig5 c , at the control base on in another plane , to carry out the fight . with the ability to fly much closer to the target than a manned craft , their smaller , lower power laser system modules can be engaged to setting the optimum backfires . and the laser backfire ignition fire rate , being so much more rapid and effective than state of art methods , will be able to contain the fire to a smaller region , saving lives and property . when adequate backfires have been set , the uav may turn to other of its multiple tasks . for surveillance , it may or may not even remove its laser system module package . on the other hand , for chemical retardant release , as seen in fig5 b , it would release its laser module at a base and attach a chemical belly tank as shown in fig5 b or use a cable supported water bucket tank , supported as seen in fig5 d . this operation may be reversed should more backfire duty is again required . finally , the operational use of a mini - uv like the lm vector hawk , fig5 e , is to provide the fire control manager and the firefighting foot troops ir and white light images of the territory from high and very low vantage points . needing to know in the dark which way to advance for best firefighting , or which way to move to escape an advancing fire , the foot soldier can tube launch the uav and quickly decide on the course of action for his troops . of course this surveillance can also continue as the crew sleeps , automatically awakening them by an alarm when a fire is observed . finally , this uav can , with low cost and no risk of life , be launched to explore regions that are covered with smoke or darkness in order to identify obstacles that manned craft or foot fire fighters might encounter . although the description above contains much specificity , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of several embodiments . for example , the laser system module can have many shapes and various subassemblies which may be provided by many vendors , etc . thus the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents , rather than the examples given . | 1 |
the objectives noted above , as well as other objectives , are addressed by the present invention , which provides a high efficiency amplifier architecture for efficiently handling high peak - to - average signal ratio applications while maintaining desirable am / pm characteristics . the amplifier does so , without complicated and expensive electronics . furthermore , the amplifier is viable with linearization schemes , including digital , analog , and hybrid pre - distortion , feed forward , and cross cancellation . furthermore , it is compatible with drain bias modulation schemes . the present invention provides a new , simple and relatively inexpensive device and method for a high efficiency power amplifier utilizing a signal delay scheme applicable to a doherty amplifier design . the invention decreases the change or variation in the am / pm characteristic as the input signal frequency is changed . while not completely eliminating the am / pm change , it does provide a measurable improvement that allows doherty amplification to be used in situations where it had previously been excluded . a brief explanation of a classic doherty circuit operation , which would be known to a person of ordinary skill in the art , is useful for understanding the operation of the present invention . generally , a simple doherty circuit 10 , as shown in fig1 , will combine the outputs of a main amplifier 20 , such as a carrier amplifier , and an auxiliary amplifier 22 , such as a peaking amplifier . an input signal 21 to the amplifiers 20 , 22 is split by an appropriate signal splitting circuit 24 , such as a hybrid coupler circuit . the other input port of the hybrid coupler may be terminated with an appropriate impedance 23 . the split input signals are directed to the carrier amplifier 20 and the peaking amplifier 22 . the output of the carrier amplifier 20 is combined through a signal combining network , such as a combiner / impedance transforming network 26 , with the output of the peaking amplifier 22 , and the combined outputs are present at the output 30 of network 26 . under a low input signal level drive condition , the peaking amplifier 22 is turned off and its high output impedance is assumed to not significantly load the output circuit . when the input signal 21 drive level is increased to where the carrier amplifier 20 reaches saturation , the peaking amplifier 22 is allowed to turn on , thus contributing current to the output network 26 . the additional current causes the network 26 output to increase which , in turn , results in a decreasing load impedance at the carrier amplifier &# 39 ; s output 31 . as the input signal level continues to rise , the carrier amplifier 20 is kept in a voltage - saturated condition , but the power level of that saturated condition increases due to the decreasing load impedance . at the same time , the peaking amplifier is contributing power to the output of the amplifier . at the highest input drive level , both the carrier and peaking amplifiers have their designated nominal load impedance , at their respective outputs , and are delivering their maximum rated power to the load that is coupled to output 30 . fig2 illustrates an am / pm characteristic for a typical doherty amplifier . while the characteristic displays a relatively constant phase with an increasing input signal level , as indicated at line 40 , at a specific transition point 42 , the am / pm characteristic deviates . specifically , the am / pm characteristic is dependent upon the deviation of the frequency of operation of the amplifier from the center frequency of the operational band for that amplifier . for example , an amplifier would generally be operated within an operational frequency band . that is , for the doherty amplifier design illustrated in fig1 , each of the main amplifier 20 and auxiliary amplifier 22 are operated at a specific operational frequency band . such a frequency band would have what is generally considered a center of frequency . in the present invention , reference to an operational frequency band is made , but it is not limited to any specific band . furthermore , when a center frequency is referred to , it is not limited to a specific or precise center frequency , but generally indicates a frequency approximately at the center of defined operational frequency band . returning now to the graph of fig2 , past the transition point 42 , the am / pm characteristic is affected by the frequency of operation of the amplifiers with respect to the deviation of that signal frequency from a center frequency . that is , it is affected by the frequency of the input signal as it deviates from the center frequency of the operational frequency band . generally , for those frequencies proximate the center of the band ( f mid ), as illustrated by the portion of the graph in fig2 indicated by reference numeral 44 , the signal phase remains generally consistent with an ever - increasing input signal level . however , there is a change in the am / pm characteristic as the frequency of operation deviates from the center frequency . specifically , the portion of the graph indicated by reference numeral 46 illustrates the am / pm characteristic for those high frequencies f high that deviate from the middle of the band f mid . similarly , as illustrated by the portion of the graph indicated by reference numeral 48 , the am / pm characteristic also changes as the frequency deviates to a frequency f low that is below the middle range f mid of frequencies for the operational frequency band . the variations or changes in the am / pm characteristic cause im distortion in an optimized doherty amplifier . such im distortion degrades as the frequency of operation increasingly deviates from the center frequency of the operational frequency band . as illustrated in fig2 , significant changes in the am / pm characteristic may cause significant im distortion . this , in turn , may cause an amplifier to fail a specification out at the band edge , far from the center frequency . furthermore , there may be a decreased margin with respect to an operational specification for the amplifier due to such im distortion from the varying am / pm characteristic . in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , as illustrated in fig3 , the am / pm variation , as a function of the input frequency in the doherty amplifier , is reduced through the addition of a delay in the path of the auxiliary amplifier , or peaking amplifier . referring to fig3 , where like reference numerals as in fig1 are used , a delay element 50 is coupled in the path of the auxiliary amplifier . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 , the delay element 50 is coupled to the input of the auxiliary amplifier 22 to introduce a delay to that input and ultimately to introduce a delay to the auxiliary amplifier path prior to the combiner / impedance transforming network 26 . the delay introduced by the delay element 50 has a value based on several criteria in accordance with the principles of the invention , and as discussed below . as the signal level of the input signal 21 increases , the increasing delay that occurs through the main amplifier 20 , or carrier amplifier , as discussed above , is compensated by the delay element 50 . more specifically , the decreasing delay through the main amplifier 20 is somewhat compensated by the addition at the output 30 of a signal from the auxiliary amplifier that has been delayed by the specific delay element selected 50 . this net effect is a reduction in the amount of variation in the amplifier delay as the level of the input signal 21 is increased . the net effect of a reduction in the amount of change in the amplifier delay as the level of the input signal is increased results in less of a variation in the am / pm characteristic as a function of the change in the input frequency of the amplifier . this , in turn , results in a reduction in the im distortion , as the frequency of the amplifier operation deviates from the center frequency of the operational frequency band for the amplifier . that is , there is less of an excursion of the signal phase from zero at various low and high frequency extremes associated with the operational frequency band . fig4 illustrates an am / pm characteristic for a doherty amplifier system utilizing the present invention . fig4 shows the reduced deviation of the am / pm characteristic with increased input signal level as the frequency deviates from the center frequency ( see , e . g ., fig2 ). the additional delay in the path of the auxiliary amplifier may be implemented in several ways . for example , the delay element 50 may include a co - axial cable element , or may include micro - strip or strip - line transmission line elements or other suitable physical implementations of an rf delay element . alternatively , commercially available surface mount delay lines might be utilized in the auxiliary amplifier path . at some point , dependent upon the bandwidth of interest and the magnitude of delay being compensated , further increases in the auxiliary amplifier path delay will result in degraded power performance at the amplifier band edges . the optimum delay is selected considering the system requirements and in accordance with the principles of the present invention . the delay presented by the delay element 50 cannot be just any delay , but rather will depend on the desired operation of the amplifier and the amount of reduction in the am / pm characteristic that is desirable . for example , while an increase in the delay in accordance with the principles of the invention will generally improve the am / pm characteristic , a delay that is too large will narrow the bandwidth . typically , the bandwidth narrowing will cause the efficiency improvement , normally provided by the doherty topology , to suffer at the band edges . therefore , the desire for am / pm improvement and bandwidth performance must be determined . in accordance with one aspect of the present invention , several criteria are utilized for the delay element in order to determine the proper delay for the particular doherty amplifier design . the amount of delay that should be added for enhanced performance will depend upon the specifics of the particular doherty amplifier design . more specifically , in the present invention , the delay introduced by the inventive delay element will depend upon how much the delay through the main amplifier &# 39 ; s output matching network changes with the changing additions of the load on its output . in accordance with the invention , this delay change is determined by measuring the delay through the entire doherty amplifier under two conditions . the first condition is when the output is driven to the rated pep of the doherty amplifier . the second condition is where the output is driven to a level significantly below ( at least 10 db ), the rated peak power or pep of the doherty amplifier . generally , the delay measured under the first condition will be less than the delay measured under the second condition , below peak power . this difference in delay is designated as δt . in one aspect , the delay to be added tc the auxiliary amplifier path through the delay element 50 , designated as t a will mostly be in the following range : however , a delay generally in the range of t a = around 1δt – around 6δt may also be suitable . in accordance with another criteria for the delay provided by delay element 50 of the invention , the t a has an additional restriction . that is , t a should generally be approximately an integer multiple of a wavelength at a frequency within the operational frequency band . more preferably , the delay should generally be an integer multiple of a wavelength at the center frequency within the operational band for the amplifier . as readily understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art , a delay indicated as being an integer multiple of a wavelength refers to a delay that is an integer multiple of the delay through a one ( 1 ) wavelength transmission line . such delay is expressed in units of time . this is equivalent to : t a ( nsec )= n / f ( ghz ), n = 1 , 2 , 3 equation 2 an example best illustrates the desired delay from delay element 50 . assume , for example , the measured difference in delay , δt , for the various output conditions described above was approximately 0 . 8 nsec , at a center frequency of around 2 ghz . from equation 1 above , we can pick one of the values of equation 2 that is also within the range set forth in equation 1 . from equation 1 , t a = 1 . 6 – 3 . 2 nsec ( or possibly 0 . 8 – 4 . 8 nsec ). from equation 2 , t a = 0 . 5 , 1 . 0 , 1 . 5 , 2 . 0 , 2 . 5 , 3 . 0 , 3 . 5 , 4 . 0 . . . nsec . therefore , the added delay meeting both these criteria would then be a t a of 2 . 0 , 2 . 5 , or 3 . 0 nsec . from these choices , the best choice would be determined experimentally . for example , the various am / pm characteristics as in fig4 might be determined to see which t a value yields the greatest reduction in the am / pm variation as a function of the operational frequency . typically , increasing the delay improves the am / pm characteristic . however , as noted above , if the delay is too large , then the bandwidth is undesirably narrowed , and gain and efficiency may suffer out at the band edges . a decision is made as to which criteria , that is , improvement in am / pm or bandwidth considerations , are more desirable . although the embodiment illustrated in fig3 shows a delay element 50 positioned at the input to the auxiliary amplifier 22 , the delay , according to the criteria of the invention , might also be placed elsewhere within the auxiliary amplifier path . fig5 illustrates an alternative embodiment . a delay element 60 may be incorporated at the input to the auxiliary amplifier , while another delay element 62 might be incorporated at the output . the total delay provided in the auxiliary amplifier path between elements 60 and 62 is determined according to the criteria set forth above . in still another alterative embodiment , as illustrated in fig6 , all the delay may be placed at the auxiliary amplifier output , such as by using a delay element 66 . it should be noted that although t a , or a portion of t a , may be placed at the auxiliary amplifier output , it is suspected that doing so will result in decreased bandwidth , relative to the case where all the t a is placed at the auxiliary amplifier input . accordingly , while the alternative embodiments shown in fig5 and 6 might be utilized , the embodiment of fig4 may be most preferable with respect to the desired bandwidth characteristics . in accordance with another aspect of the present invention , the t a added to the doherty amplifier , such as through a delay element 50 , is added to any inherent delay that already appears at the auxiliary amplifier input . for example , depending on the splitting / combining scheme chosen for the particular doherty amplifier , there may be an inherent short delay ( quarter wavelength , for example ) at the input of the auxiliary or peaking amplifier , to provide the proper phasing relationship outputs to achieve optimum power combining . in such a situation and in accordance with the principles of the present invention , the t a should be added to this already existing delay at the input to the auxiliary amplifier . while the present invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail , it is not the intention of the applicant 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 , representative apparatus and method , and illustrative examples shown and described . accordingly , departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant &# 39 ; s general inventive concept . | 7 |
fig1 ( prior art ) shows a conventional optical imaging system using a contact lens over an eye . object 15 is imaged through contact lens 25 , through the cornea 26 , the iris 27 , lens 28 , and the vitreous humor 29 onto the retina 30 . such a system creates a sharp , in - focus image at the retina 30 only if object 15 is located at or very close to the in - focus object plane . some accommodation is provided by the lens 28 . however , this lens hardens with age and loses its ability to refocus . if the distance from the back principal plane of lens 28 to retina 30 is d i , and the focal length of contact lens 25 is f , the distance from the front principal plane of lens 28 to object 15 , d 0 must be chosen such that : in order for the image at retina 30 to be in adequate focus . the depth of field of an optical system is the distance that the object can move away from the in - focus distance and still have the image be in focus . for a simple system like fig1 the depth of focus is very small , unless the light is bright and the iris is stopped down . prior attempts to solve this problem have used contact lenses and optical implants that have multiple ( usually two ) foci . one focus is correct for objects at infinity , and one is correct for objects at a close distance . this means that two images of an object at one of those locations are formed , one in focus , and one out of focus . fig2 shows this effect when imaging a point at infinity . rays 41 form a point image 50 at one of the foci of the combined system formed by contact lens , 25 , cornea 26 , and lens 28 . the second focus of the system forms a blurred image 52 . when the point object is at a reading distance , the previously blurred image 52 is in focus , and the image 50 becomes blurred . at other distances , neither image is in focus , and the degree of misfocus changes with object location . p ( x , y )= exp ( j (( α x 3 + βy 3 + γx 2 y + δxy 2 )), x 2 + y 2 ≦ 1 choice of the constants , α , β , γ , and δ allow phase functions that are rectangularly separable ( with γ = δ = 0 ) to systems whose modulation transfer functions ( mtf &# 39 ; s ) are circularly symmetric ( α = β = α 0 , γ = δ =− 3α 0 ). for simplicity we will use the symmetric rectangularly separable form , which is given by : p ( x , y )= exp ( j α ( x 3 + y 3 )), x 2 + y 2 ≦ 1 where α is a parameter used to adjust the depth of field increase . since this form is rectangularly separable , for most analyses its one - dimensional component can be considered : p ( x , y )= exp ( jαx 3 ), x 2 ≦ 1 as the absolute value of α increases , the depth of field increases . the image contrast before post - processing also decreases as α increases . this is because as α increases , the mtf slumps down . fig3 shows the effect of the edf - coding phase element on the rays that pass through the eye . rays 41 , which come from a point at infinity , pass through contact lens 65 , cornea 26 , and lens 28 , do not form a focus anywhere . phase coding might be applied by variations in the thickness of lens 65 ( exaggerated here for clarity ). an expanded view of the ray pattern near the retina 30 is shown in expanded view 70 where the retina is at plane 72 . this is unlike the ray pattern for an eye with a normal contact lens , it also is unlike the two - foci lens of fig2 . as the object point moves in from infinity , the ray pattern in the region of the retina , shown expanded in 70 , moves to the left , but the cross section of the ray pattern that falls on the retina does not change appreciably . this means that no matter where the object is , the same pattern will fall on the retina . when the object is not a point , the object distribution is convolved with the unchanging ray distribution ( the point spread function ). the brain can deconvolve the resulting coded image because the point spread function of the eye , modified with the edf - coding optics , does not change appreciably . this is in contrast to the changes that normally occur in the point spread function when there is misfocus . for large enough α , the mtf of a system using a cubic pm mask can be approximated by : h ( u , ψ ) ≈ π 3 α u , u ≠ 0 | h |( u , ψ )≈ 2 , u = 0 where u is the spatial frequency in the x direction and ψ is the degree of misfocus . thus , the cubic - pm mask is an example of a mask which modifies the optical system to have a near - constant mtf over a range of object distances . the particular range for which the mtf does not vary much is dependent on α . this range ( and thus the depth of field ) increases with α . however , the amount that the depth of field can be increased is practically limited by the fact that contrast decreases as α increases . however , for the human eye only moderate increases in depth of field are needed . fig4 shows an extended depth of field ( edf ) intraocular implant imaging system in accordance with the present invention where the edf - coding optical shape is on the implant lens 75 . the phase coding results in misfocus as shown in expanded view 70 of fig3 . fig5 shows an extended depth of field ( edf ) modified natural eye imaging system in accordance with the present invention where the edf - coding optical shape is on the cornea 85 . the cornea can be modified using laser surgery , e . g . phase coding is applied by variations in the thickness of cornea 85 ( exaggerated here for clarity ). the phase coding results in misfocus as shown in expanded view 70 of fig3 . | 0 |
primary and secondary sample current waveforms of a flyback switching converter working in discontinuous mode are depicted in fig8 . it will be assumed that its pwm modulator uses a current mode control . the average output current i out is : where , i s is the secondary peak current , t onsec is the time during which the secondary current is flowing , and t is the switching - cycle period . by adding a dedicated circuit , able to estimate the ratio t onsec / t in the current mode ic controller , it is possible to calculate the i out value by the above formula . this approach may be applied to any current - mode - controlled switching converter with primary feedback . in order to better understand the gist of this technique , the functioning of an off - line all - primary - sensing switching regulator , disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 729 , 443 and 6 , 590 , 789 ( which are incorporated by reference ) will be discussed . an equivalent high - level circuit scheme of the switching regulator disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 590 , 789 for regulating the output voltage is reproduced in fig9 . an accurate image of the output voltage is obtained by sampling the voltage on the auxiliary winding immediately at the end of transformer &# 39 ; s demagnetization phase , as illustrated in the graph of fig1 . the switch q 1 is turned on after the end of the demagnetization phase and then turned off by a comparator that monitors the source current of q 1 using a sense resistor r s . an equivalent high level circuit scheme of the switching regulator disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 729 , 443 for regulating the output current is reproduced in fig1 . the switch q 1 is operated by the pwm signal , set by the end of the demagnetization phase of the transformer , and reset by a comparator that monitors the source current of q 1 through the sense resistor r s . the voltage of an auxiliary winding is used by a demagnetization block demag through a protection resistor . the demagnetization block demag generates a logic flag eod that is high as long as the transformer delivers current to secondary side . waveforms of the currents in the primary side and in the secondary side of the regulator , of the logic flag eod , and of the current i c through the filter capacitor c during a switching period , are shown in fig1 . the logic flag eod is used to turn on and off a mosfet switch q 2 for discharging / charging the filter capacitor c . a resistor r in series with it absorbs a current u c / r , where u c is the voltage across the capacitor c . this capacitor c filters the charge current i ref and the discharge current ( i ref − u c / r ) so that u c is practically a dc voltage , that is applied to an input of the current mode comparator . at steady state , the average current i c is zero . if t onsec is the time during which the secondary current i s is flowing , it is : i ref · ( t - t onsec ) + ( i ref - u c r ) · t onsec = 0 , the voltage u c is then used to set the peak primary current i p : the average output current i out can be expressed as : thus it is possible to set the average output current of the switching regulator by fixing the reference current i ref and the resistances r and r s . it has been found that a signal proportional to the output current can be generated by using signals already available in the primary side of the converter . indeed , combining equations ( 1 ) and ( 3 ), leads to the following expression : hence the charge voltage of the filter capacitor contains information concerning the average output current , thus it can be used for compensating the voltage drop on the cable that connects a load to a flyback switching regulator . moreover , during the voltage regulation , the voltage control loop signal establishes the peak primary current i p = v cv r s ( 5 ) wherein v cv is the voltage generated by the error amplifier eav ( in the circuit of fig1 ) proportional to the difference between the reference voltage v ref and the output voltage v out generated by the controller . in the above formula all the signals are known except for the i out value . in the ic controller is inserted a dedicated cdc block for performing the division between the signals v cv and u c in order to obtain a signal proportional to the output current : in an embodiment , the cdc block is analog , as depicted in fig1 , and comprises an analog divider the output of which is multiplied by a constant k , a filter and an analog subtractor of the output of the filter and the reference voltage v ref . as an alternative , the cdc block could be digital , converting the signals v cv and u c in digital form , carrying out the division , subtracting the result from the voltage value v ref , and converting the result back into an analog signal . the next step is to adjust the voltage reference v ref by an amount depending on the output current , as explained previously . in fact , the cdc block is designed to implement the following transfer function : the cdc block , during the output voltage regulation , introduces a positive feedback that may compromise the stability of the primary loop . for this reason a low - pass filter is preferably added , as shown in fig1 . looking at fig1 it is possible to notice the analog divider , the output signal of which is multiplied by a constant k , the filter and the analog subtractor . fig1 shows the architecture of an embodiment of a voltage mode converter , that includes a cdc block in the primary loop for adjusting the voltage reference value ( v ref ) by an amount proportional to the output current . the new voltage loop reference is v ref ′. this allows to compensate the voltage drop along the output cable and , ideally , to achieve a zero load regulation . this technique may be applied even by modifying the feedback voltage on the capacitor c * instead of directly acting on v ref . a sample embodiment of this type is shown in fig1 , where the cdc block sinks a current proportional to the output current from the feedback resistor divider in order to modify the sampled value : another way to modify the voltage feedback signal value is to generate a voltage proportional to the output current : v cdc = v ref - k · 2 n · r s r · i ref · i out and to connect a resistor r cdc as shown in the fig1 . the resistor r cdc is an external component which gives the user the possibility to set the cdc gain depending on the application . its value is calculated by the following equation : r cdc = k · 2 n · n out n aux · r 1 r cable · r s r · i ref , where , n is the ratio between primary and secondary windings , n out is the number of the windings on the secondary , n aux is the number of the windings on the auxiliary , r cable is the cable resistance and r s is the sensing resistor connected to the power mosfet source . the use of that resistor is a possible way to set the cdc gain depending on the application . in fact , applying the previous embodiments , without r cdc , the same objective can be reached by trimming the constant k value . a signal proportional to the ratio t onsec / t may be generated by exploiting the logic control signal eod that flags the beginning and the end of magnetization phases , for example using the embodiment of the circuit depicted in fig1 . two pulse counters counter generate digital signals corresponding to the duration of the time intervals t onsec and t − t onsec by counting clock pulses while the signal eod and the inverted replica thereof are active , respectively , then a calculation block digital calculator generates a digital signal that represents the ratio t onsec / t , that is converted in a corresponding analog signal vratio by a digital - to - analog converter dac . if the cdc block can be input with digital signals , then the converter dac is not necessary . according to an alternative embodiment , a signal proportional to the ratio t onsec / t may be generated by the circuit of fig1 , that uses three monostable flip - flops for switching three capacitors c , c 1 and c 2 . in correspondence of the leading edge of the signal eod , the charge voltage of the capacitor c is sampled and held on the capacitor c 1 , and the capacitor c is discharged ( signal reset ). the capacitor c is charged again by the current generator iref and its charge voltage is sampled and held on the capacitor c 2 when the signal eod switches low ( that is at the end of each demagnetization phase ). therefore , the charge voltages vc 1 and vc 2 of the capacitors c 1 and c 2 represent the duration of a period and of the magnetization phase , respectively : a divider generates the signal vratio as the ratio v c2 / v c1 . the signal reset used for discharging the capacitor c is substantially a delayed replica of the pulse t , such to zero the charge voltage of the capacitor c substantially immediately after it has been held on the capacitor c 1 . according to an alternative embodiment , the voltage vratio may be generated by integrating the signal eod over a switching period t , as schematically depicted in fig1 . a cdc block suitable for using the voltage vratio for adjusting the reference voltage vref ′ is depicted in fig2 . this cdc block is similar to that depicted in fig1 , but it has an input multiplier instead of an input divider . an embodiment of a switching regulator that employs the cdc block of fig2 and a circuit for generating a voltage vratio proportional to the ratio t onsec / t , such as the circuits of fig1 to 19 , is shown in fig2 . the functioning of this switching regulator is evident in view of the description made referring to fig1 to 16 . furthermore , some to all of the components of the switching regulator of fig2 may be disposed on an integrated circuit ( ic ) die , and the regulated output voltage v out may provide power to a circuit , such as a controller processor , that is disposed on the same die or on a different die . naturally , in order to satisfy local and specific requirements , a person skilled in the art may apply to the solution described above many modifications and alterations . particularly , although the present disclosure has been described with a certain degree of particularity with reference to described embodiment ( s ) thereof , it should be understood that various omissions , substitutions and changes in the form and details as well as other embodiments are possible . moreover , it is expressly intended that specific elements and / or method steps described in connection with any disclosed embodiment of the disclosure may be incorporated in any other embodiment as a general matter of design choice . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates very schematically a control unit which is embodiment in agreement with the principal idea of the invention . the control unit comprises two substrates embodied as printed circuit boards 1 and 2 . the upper printed board 1 is by means of springs 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 resiliently suspended above the printed circuit board 2 , which is installed at a fixed position . the upper printed board is , in a way not shown in detail , connected to the control or measuring handle 7 . furthermore the printed circuit board 1 comprises an only schematically indicated transmitting coil 8 , whereas the lower printed circuit board 2 comprises four receiving coils , which in the fig . are only partly visible and of which only one is indicated by 9 . it will be clear that an outer frame , for instance in the shape of a bin or box can be applied to install the printed circuit board 2 at a fixed position and to connect furthermore the other ends of the springs 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 . various possibilities are , however , conceivable for such a housing . to simplify the drawing and to make the drawing as clear as possible this frame is not indicated in the figures . although in the following description the word control handle will be used which implies that the whole unit is destined to function as control unit , it will be clear that it is also possible to use the unit as measuring unit , in which case the term measuring handle would be more appropriate . in a way , which will be described in more detail later on , the transmitting coil 8 is connected to an oscillator circuit such that by means of this transmitting coil 8 an electromagnetic field is generated . the presence of this field can be detected through the receiving coils 9 which for that purpose are connected to suitable detection circuits which will be described in more detail later on . in the following reference is made shortly to the left , right , front and back receiving coil , whereby in relation to these terms reference is made to the situation illustrated in fig1 . in fig1 furthermore the directions of an orthogonal system of axes is indicated based on which the movements or displacements of the control handle 7 and therewith of the upper printed circuit board 1 in relation to the lower printed circuit board 1 will be explained . in the neutral position the transmitting coil 8 generates an electromagnetic field resulting into an identical signal into each of the receiving coils 9 because the mutually identical receiving coils are all positioned at the same distance and in mutually comparable positions in relation to the transmitting coil . if the knob of the control handle 7 is displaced in x - direction , in other words if the printed circuit board 1 is tilted , taking into account the influence of the suspension springs , around the y - axis in relation to the neutral position indicated by means of a dash - and - dot line , in a way schematically illustrated in fig2 a , then taking into account the transmitting coil generates a constant electromagnetic field , the detection signal in the left hand receiving coil in fig2 a will increase whereas the detection signal in the right hand receiving coil will decrease , and furthermore the signals in both the front coil and the back coil will not or hardly change . if the control handle 7 is displaced in the y - direction , in other words is the printed circuit board 1 tilted around the x - axis , then in a similar way the signal from the front ( or back ) receiving coil will increase whereas the signal from the back ( or front ) receiving coil will decrease , and furthermore the signals in the left hand and right hand receiving coils will mainly remain the same . both during the tilting around y - axis as well as during the tilting around x - axis the four springs 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 take care that the actual tilting point is , at least approximately , not displaced from the neutral position . because of the suspension of the upper printed circuit board 1 by means of four springs as schematically indicated in fig1 it is furthermore possible to move the control handle 7 up and down in the z direction as is schematically indicated in fig2 b . during and upwards displacement of the control handle 7 from the neutral position , indicated by a dash - and - dot line in the figure , the distance between both printed circuit boards 1 and 2 will increase resulting into a decrease of the strength in all receiving coils 9 . a downwards displacement of the control handle 7 in relation to the neutral position will result into a decrease of the distance between both printed circuit boards 1 and 2 , so that the signal strength in all receiving coils 9 will increase proporationally . the suspension of the upper printed circuit 1 by means of a number of springs enables the rotation of the control handle 7 around his own central axis is schematically indicated in fig2 c . in this figure the upper printed circuit board 1 is rotated over an angle φ related to the neutral position which is indicated by a dash - and - dot line . to be able to detect such a rotation the transmitting coil to be embodied such that this rotation causes a change in the flux density in at least one of the receiving coils within the transmitted electromagnetic field . embodiments of such a transmitting coil will be discussed in detail hereinafter . with a correct embodiments of the transmitting coil a rotation will result into a detectable signal into at least one of the receiving coils . because printed circuit boards , one of which is resiliently suspended in relation to the other , are used to realize this joystick , the joystick has a large number of freedom degrees . the joystick is able to carry out rotations around each of the three axis and is furthermore able to make translational movement along the z - axis . in principle it is furthermore possible to carry out translational movements along the x - axis and along the y - axis , but because the user applies an excentrical force onto the control handle in relation to the centre of influence of all the suspension coils 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 the user should have to do his best to create a pure translational movement . however , it is certainly not impossible and such a translational movement falls , certainly in combination with other movements , within the application possibilities of the joystick according to the invention . in many cases the joystick will be used such that a combined movement is carried out , for instance a rotation around the x - axis , combined with a translation in the z - direction . in that case the receiving coils will generate signals which are dependent of the ultimately obtained position of the first printed circuit board in relation to the second printed circuit board . it is also possible to supply the signals , generated by the receiving coils , to a computer in which in the basis of the received signals the type of movements , carried out by the control handle , is determined . it is furthermore possible to embody the electronic circuit such that this circuit generates one or more output signals by means of which the movement , carried out by the control handle , can be identified in a correct way . however , it is also possible in a rather simple manner by adding a third printed circuit board to significantly decrease the necessary electronic circuits or the necessary computer capacity , or even almost completely eliminate the necessary circuits or necessary capacity . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the control unit according to the invention comprising three printed circuit boards 11 , 12 and 13 . the control handle 14 is both connected to the upper printed circuit board 11 as well as connected to the lower printed circuit board 13 . in the central section of the middle printed circuit board 12 an opening is made , the dimensions of which are sufficient to be able to move the control handle without any disturbance . the upper printed circuit board 11 is resiliently suspended by means of four springs 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 . also the lower printed circuit board 13 is resiliently suspended by means of four springs 19 , 20 ( not visible ), 21 and 22 . it will be clear that instead of these eight separate springs also combined resilient suspension elements can be applied in a way , which will be discussed in more detail hereinafter . the upper printed circuit board 11 comprises a transmitting coil 23 and also the lower printed circuit board 13 comprises a transmitting coil 24 . the middle printed circuit board 12 comprises four receiving coils 25 , which are not all visible and of which only one is indicated by this reference number . both transmitting coils 23 and 24 can be powered such that these transmitting coils are generating oppositely directed fields . the result thereof is that in the neutral position of the configuration no signal is generated in any one of the receiving coils . a rotation of the control handle around the y - axis in a way similar to the rotation illustrated in fig2 a will result into a signal of the one polarity in the left hand receiving coil and the signal of the opposite polarity in the right hand receiving coil , whereas in principle the back and front receiving coil will not deliver any signal . if the control handle is tilted around the y - axis in the other direction then again the left hand and right hand receiving coil will deliver a signal , however , of reversed polarity . a similar combination of signals is obtained during tilting around the x - axis . a translational movement in the z - direction , for instance in the upwards direction , will result in signals of the one polarity from each of the four receiving coils , whereas a translational movement in the z - direction , in the downwards direction , will result into signals of the opposite polarity from all receiving coils . if desired a guiding mechanism can be installed into the opening in the middle fixed position board 12 to guide the control or measuring handle 14 . an example of such a mechanism is illustrated in fig3 a and comprises a spherical body 26 , set into an annular bearing 27 of which the inner wall is adapted to the spherical shape of the body 26 , such that the ball 26 is not able to leave the bearing 27 . the ball 26 comprises a passage in which the control or measuring handle is inserted . the ball 26 is movably contained within the bearing 27 and enables therewith the tilting movement in the x - and y - direction . furthermore the handle 14 is able to slide through the passage in the ball 26 , so that also a z - translational movement is possible . the other mentioned movements are with such a mechanisme rather restricted . on the other hand , however , the movement of the lower and upper board 11 and 13 in relation to the middle board 12 is now very defined . fig4 illustrates a further configuration in which also three printed circuit boards are used , i . e . the printed circuit boards 31 , 32 and 33 . in this case the upper and lower board 31 respectively 33 are installed at a fixed position and the middle printed circuit board 32 is connected to the control handle 34 . to give the control handle 34 the necessary freedom of movement an opening of sufficient dimensions is made in the central section of the upper printed circuit board 31 . the middle printed circuit board 32 is resiliently suspended by means of four springs 35 , 36 ( not visible ), 37 , 38 . the middle printed circuit board 32 comprises a transmitting coil and both the lower and upper printed circuit boards 31 respectively 33 each comprise four receiving coils . also without a detailed description it will be clear that from the signals delivered by the eight receiving coils sufficient data can be derived to draw uniform conclusions about the movement carried out by the control handle 34 . above in general transmitting coils and receiving coils are discussed without giving further information about the shape of these coils . in principle it is possible to embody the transmitting coil as a series circuit of four separate coils which are positioned directly about the separate receiving coils onto the fixed positioned other printed circuit board . therewith in fact four transformers are realized of which the primary windings are connected in series . fig . 5 illustrates at the right hand a top view on a printed circuit board 42 , comprising four pairs of receiving coils 43a , 43b , 44a , 44b , 45b , 46a , 46b . fig5 illustrates at the left hand side a top view on the printed circuit board 41 carrying the transmitting coil 47 . the receiving coils 43a , . . . 46b are in this embodiment shaped as approximately rectangular coils . of course the number of windings can be selected freely by the designer only dependent onto the space and the required field strength . also the shape of the coils is not restricted to the illustrated rectangular shape . the transmitting coil 47 is preferably embodied in the shape of a cross , whereby the larger part of the conductor pattern of each of the legs of this cross is in the operational condition positioned directly above corresponding sections of a pair of receiving coils . with such a non - rotation symmetrical embodiment of the transmitting coil it is possible to detect not only tilting movements around the x - and y - axis and a translational movement in the z - direction , but also a tilting around the z - axis in an unambiguous way . during rotation around the z - axis for instance in the clockwise direction the flux in all the coils 43a , 44a , 45a and 46a will decrease proportional with the rate of rotation , whereas the flux in the coils 43b , 44b , 45b and 46b will hardly or not change at all . in contrast therewith , during a rotation around the z - axis in the anti - clockwise direction the flux through the coils 43a , 44a , 45a and 46a will not or hardly change , whereas the flux through the coils 43b , 44b , 45b and 46b will decrease dependent on the rate of rotation . during a translational movement in the z - direction the flux through all the coils 43a , . . . 46b will increase or decrease in a similar way dependent on the direction of the movement . also translational movements in the x - and y - direction are very well detectable with such an embodiment of the coils . during a translation in the x - direction , for instance to the left in fig5 the flux through the coils 43a and 43b will decrease just as the flux through the coils 45a and 45b . the flux through the coils 4a and 44b will hardly not change whereas the flux through the couls 44b and 46a will decrease . a similar reasoning can be applied for a translational movement in the x - direction to the right and for the both possible translational movements in the y - direction . up to now it is postulated that the movable printed circuit board is suspended by means of four tension springs , which are connected to the four edges of the printed circuit board . however , it will be clear that this is only one of the possible solutions to create a resilient suspension of the printed circuit board . if four tension springs are applied in the way illustrated in fig4 and indicated by 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 , which springs all have the same tension strength , and are positioned such that the direction of the spring force runs through the point where the control handle 7 is connected to the printed circuit board 1 , then a tilting movement around the x - axis can be carried out with the same ease as a tilting movement around the y - axis . however , by selecting the direction of the springs in a different way the tilting or rotation around one of these axes can be made easier than the rotation or tilting around the respective other axis . also a variation in tension strength has influence onto the movement characteristic of the control handle . by a proper choice of the direction of the spring force , the point of attachment and the tension strength of each of the tension springs it is possible to exercise influence onto the movements to be carried out by the control handle . in case there are two movable printed circuit boards in the configuration , as in the case of the embodiment illustrated in fig3 it is furthermore possible to delete a number of the eight springs , illustrated in this embodiment , with the consequence that movements in certain directions will be enhanced , whereas movements in other direction are made more difficult . it will be clear that omitting for instance the springs 15 and 17 as well as 20 and 22 in fig3 will result into an other control behaviour than in case all springs are present . an other possibility to resiliently suspend a movable substrate ( or more movable substrates ) is illustrated schematically in fig6 . the movable printed circuit board 60 with the thereto connected control handle 61 is mounted at the upper end of an helical spring 62 of which the under end is mounted to the section 63 of the housing or frame of the measuring or control unit . this embodiment enables both rotational as well as translational movements , whereby dependent on the dimensions and the characteristics of the spring certain movements can be made easier and other movements can be made more difficult . the oscillator circuit for powering the transmitting coil is preferably installed onto the printed circuit board carrying also the transmitting coil itself . therefore , in the embodiment of fig1 the oscillator circuit is preferably installed onto the printed circuit board 1 and is connected through suitable conducting paths to the transmitting coil 8 . in the embodiment of fig3 for instance two separate , however , synchronized oscillator circuits may be present , one on the printed circuit board 11 connected to the coil 23 and one on the printed circuit board 13 connected to the coil 24 . the result thereof is a fixed configuration of the transmitter as a whole so that all eventual influences of moving parts on the transmitting frequency are eliminated . the oscillator circuit itself has to be powered through a separate multiline cable connected to a fixed positioned power supply source ( for instance a battery ). however , this connecting cable might be a cable of a very flexible type which in practice does not have any noticeable influence onto the movement characteristic of the control handle . if , however , for one reason or another the presence of such a connecting cable between the movable printed circuit board or printed circuit boards and a fixed position within the frame of the control unit meets objections , then it is also possible to realize the transmission of powering energy to the oscillator circuit through high frequency energy transmission from a fixed positioned oscillator unit to the transmitting coil through the air . an example of a movable printed circuit board 51 carrying the transmitting coil 57 and a corresponding printed circuit board 52 carrying the receiving coils 53 , 54 , 55 and 56 , installed at a fixed position , is schematically illustrated in fig7 . the transmitting and receiving coils are in this case embodied by means of one single winding . the fixed printed circuit board 52 carries a further coil 58 which in the operational condition is connected to an oscillator circuit , installed at the printed circuit board 52 itself or installed somewhere else within the housing of the control unit . the coil 58 , which can be considered as the primary winding of a transformer , cooperates in the operational position with a coil 59 carried by the movable printed circuit board 51 and to be considered as the secondary coil of the transformer . this coil 59 is connected to the oscillator circuit which is symbolized by one integrated circuit 60 installed onto the printed circuit board 51 . the output of the oscillator circuit is at his turn connected to the transmitting coil 57 . through the coils 58 and 59 high frequency powering energy is transmitted to the oscillator circuit 60 . the high frequency energy is rectified and the resulting dc voltage is used for powering the oscillator circuit 60 . preferably , although certainly not necessarily , the energy transfer from the fixed printed circuit board to the movable printed circuit board is carried out at a frequency different from the frequency used by the transmitting coil 57 to detect the control handle movements . it is also possible to install the oscillator circuit at the fixed printed circuit board 52 and to transfer the high frequency energy through the transformer 58 / 59 to the transmitting coil 57 , which in this case is directly connected to the transformer coil 59 , onto the same frequency as the frequency of the electromagnetic field generated by the transmitting coil 57 . in that case the configuration of the printed circuit board 51 can be simplified in a manner as illustrated in fig8 . at the right hand side in fig8 a substrate 70 is illustrated which in this case is not embodied as a printed circuit board but as embodied as a massive metal substrate , for instance made of aluminium . this substrate comprises five round openings , i . e . the centrally positioned opening 75 and four openings 71 , 72 , 73 and 74 surrounding said central opening . the openings 71 , 72 , 73 and 74 are through relatively narrow slots 76 , 77 , 78 and 79 connected to the central opening 75 . it will be clear that this board 70 can be fabricated from plate material in one single punch or blank operation . the control handle 80 might be embodied as is illustrated in fig9 . the control handle 80 , which is for instance fabricated from a suitable plastic material , comprises a relatively brought base section 75 . the edge of this base section is through a suitable adhesive adhered to the board 70 . both in fig8 as well as in fig9 the small passages 81 are indicated destined to snap in the tension springs by means of which the plate 70 is resiliently suspended at a distance of the fixed position substrate 82 , shown at the left hand side in fig8 . this substrate can be embodied in a usual manner as a printed circuit board comprising a number of annular conductors 83 , 84 , 85 and 86 operating as receiving coils as well as an annular conductor 87 operating as the primary transformer coil . the integrated circuit 88 symbolizes the receiving circuit which in a nonindicated way is connected to the receiving coils and the integrated circuit 89 symbolizes the oscillator circuit which in a nonindicated way is connected to the primary transformer coil . the primary transformer coil 87 cooperates with the secondary transformer coil 75 , embodied as the central opening in the board 70 . because the board 70 itself is not able to pass any electromagnetic field the whole flux will pass through the opening 75 . because the integrated connection of openings and slots in the plate 70 forms as a whole a short circuited winding surrounded by the material of the plate 70 , the sum of the fields through the five openings 71 and 75 should be equal to zero because the short circuited winding creates a counterfield counteracting the field generated by the coil 87 . that implies , that through each of the four openings 71 until 74 a passage will be guided in the direction opposite the flux direction through the central opening 75 , whereby the total flux through the central opening 75 will be divided into four sub - fluxes each running back through one of the four openings 71 until 74 . in this embodiments the transmitting coils ( s ), the secondary transformer coil and the substrate are integrated into one plate of a suitable material which can be brought into its ultimate shape by means of a very simple machining operation . furthermore all the necessary electronic circuits ( the transmitting oscillator , the receiving circuit and eventual further signal processing circuits and if necessary also the powering unit ) and the connection therebetween can be installed onto the fixed printed circuit board . that implies , that this unit can be fabricated with existing production methods in a very simple way which adds to a relatively low cost price of the measuring or control device . in the following embodiment of the transmitting circuit and the detection / receiving circuit will be discussed with reference to the fig1 until 12 . in said figures similar components are indicated by the same reference numbers . in fig1 the first substrate 90 carrying the transmitting coil 91 and a further coil 92 is illustrated at the left hand whereas at the right hand the second substrate 98 carrying the receiving coils 93 until 97 is illustrated . fig1 illustrates the circuit of a prior art three - points oscillator , comprising the transistor t , the capacitors c 1 , c 2 , the resistor r and the transmitting coil 91 , as well as the second coil 92 which is coupled to the transmitting coil 91 . in the fig1 and 11 the oscillator circuit is , apart from the coils , as one circuit indicated by the dash line 93 . for further details about this oscillator circuit the attention is drawn to the literature , for instance electronics vademecum , kluwer , page f5 . 4 , f2 . 1 . the oscillator circuit is powered through the connectors a and f with the power voltages + v and - v . the terminal d has to be connected to earth level . the coil 92 supplies through the terminals c , d and e two signals with opposite phase to the respective terminals c &# 39 ;, d &# 39 ; and e &# 39 ; of the receiver circuit which is illustrated in fig1 . it will be clear that in this embodiment a flexible five wire connection has to be present between the substrate 90 and the receiver circuit / power supply unit to supply the power voltages to the oscillator circuit and furthermore to receive said reference signals with opposite phase from the coil 92 . in fig1 a very schematic lay out of the receiving circuit is illustrated . the receiving circuit comprises three operational amplifiers a x , a y and a z respectively destined to supply signals corresponding to a rotation around the x - axis , a rotation around the y - axis and a translation in the z - direction . the coils 94 and 96 are in a serial connection with the resistor r 1 connected to one input of the amplifier a x . the coils 93 and 95 are in a serial connection with the resistor r 1 connected to the one input of the amplifier a y . the coil 97 , which is centrally positioned on the substrate 98 is in serial with the resistor r 1 connected to one input of the amplifier a z . each of said amplifiers comprises in a known way the resistors r 1 , r 2 and the capacitor c destined to define the amplification factor of each amplifying stage , i . e . the factor r 2 / r 1 . furthermore said one input of the amplifier a z is through a resistor r 3 connected to one of the power supply terminals . the mutually counterphased signals , derived from the coil 92 , are through the terminals c &# 39 ; and e &# 39 ; supplied to a first pair of diodes d 1 , d 2 , to a second pair of diodes d 3 , d 4 and to a third pair of diodes d 5 , d 6 . these counterphased signals will take care that half of the time the diodes for the x - direction are conducting whereas the other half of the time the diodes of the y - direction are conducting . if the diodes are conducting then the corresponding serial pair of detection coils 94 , 96 or 93 , 95 is connected to the related diode pair and through the coil 92 in a low resistance manner connected to earth level . the other side of said pair of coils delivers in such a case a dc component which is proportional to the ac voltage received through the related pair of coils . the amplitude of this ac voltage is equal to the sum of the ac voltages in both coils . if now one coil of each pair of coils is counterwinded then the sum of both voltages is in fact the difference between both voltages . that implies that in the neutral position , in which both voltages of each pair will receive the same signal , there is no voltage at the input of the related operational amplifier a x or a y . it will be clear that a rotation in the one direction will result into a positive dc voltage and a rotation in the other direction will result into a negative dc voltage at the input of the respective operational amplifier a x or a y . these dc voltage components are amplified by the related amplifier stage with a factor r 2 / r 1 . furthermore the voltage is filtered in these amplifier stages because of the presence of the capacitor c , the value of which is together with the value of the resistors r 2 and r 1 selected such that the frequency sensitivity of each stage is restricted to a desired range . if the unit is used as control unit , operated by a human operator , then for instance a restriction to ± 10 hz can be applied . if the unit is used as measuring unit then it will often be necessary to take into account much higher frequencies . the signal for detecting displacements in the z - direction are received by the coil 97 . because the z - translation does not have a zero reference point a resistor r 3 is necessary to subtract a predetermined dc current from the received signal . the resistor r 3 is therefore used to set the circuit at zero . if an embodiment is used with two receiving substrates , each at one side of the transmitting substrate 90 , then it is possible by means of the two coils 97 on each substrate to make a similar serial circuit as is illustrated in fig1 for both the x - and y - direction . in that case it is not necessary to apply the resistor r 3 . a suitable integrated circuit comprising four operational amplifiers in one single housing is for instance the lm348 . together with a relatively small number of further components which can be installed very easily onto the substrate 98 it is therefore possible to realize a complete receiver / detection circuit which delivers at the output x - out , y - out and z - out the desired output signals . an improvement in the functioning of the circuit can be obtained by adding a passive filter between the serially connected coils and the input of the corresponding operational amplifier stage . such a configuration is only indicated for the x - amplifier stage a x indicated in fig1 . a similar circuit can be used for the y - stage a y and for the z - stage axzx . as appears from fig1 a low pass filter comprising the resistor r 4 and the capacitor c 3 is inserted between the coil 96 and the input of the operational amplifier a x . the further resistor r 5 is operating as closing impedance with low resistance . in the circuits illustrated in the fig1 and 13 a one - sided rectification method using the diode pairs d1 , d2 , etc . is used . however , it is also possible to use double - sided rectification as is illustrated in the embodiment of fig1 . in fig1 only the circuit for the x - direction is illustrated . however , it will be clear that similar circuits can be used for the y - direction , in the circuit of fig1 four coils 94 , 96 , 96 &# 39 ; and ( 4 &# 39 ; are used . fig1 illustrates a possible pattern of conductors on the substrate 98 &# 39 ; to realize these coils . in principle use is made of the same configuration as is illustrated in fig1 at the right hand side thereof . the difference is that each coil comprises two windings , one at the upper surface of the substrate and one at the lower surface thereof , whereby both coils are connected in series . in fig1 only the coil 96 is illustrated comprising a winding 96 &# 34 ; at the upper surface of the substrate 98 &# 39 ; and a winding 96 &# 39 ; at the lower surface of the substrate . both coils are connected in series by means of a connection running through the substrate . a similar series circuit of a winding or part thereof at the upper surface of the substrate together with a winding or part thereof at the lower surface of the substrate can be applied of course in case one of the coils is embodied as is illustrated at the right hand side in fig5 to widen therewith the number of detection possibilities . the configuration around the operational amplifier a x is considered as known to the expert in this field . with this known circuit a double - sided rectifying phase - sensitive detector circuit is realized . if a through connection between the upper coil 96 &# 34 ; and the lower coil 96 &# 39 ; is used together with a separate terminal as is illustrated in fig1 then , certainly in case a very thin substrate 98 is used , the configuration of two identical coils will deliver two identical signals and is therefore very suited to be used in a circuit as illustrated in fig1 . by applying these identical coils the adjustment procedure for the detection circuit can be simplified . it will be clear that above only a number of embodiments of the invention are described . the scope of the adjoining claims is , however , not restricted to these embodiments . | 6 |
[ 0013 ] fig1 shows the basic layout of the invention in the preferred embodiment . light sensors 14 are paired with corresponding light sources 12 . in the preferred embodiment the light sensors can be light sensing diodes while the light sources can be leds . preferably , the light sensors are arranged in a side - by - side manner , as shown in fig1 such that one manual scan of bar code 8 will produce three sequential readings , one in each of the light sensors . preferably the light sensors are evenly spaced apart by spacing 16 , which may vary . in the preferred embodiment , spacing 16 is approximately 2 mm . as scanner 10 is scanned over bar code 8 in direction 18 , light sensors 14 will detect light reflected from the light and dark areas of bar code 8 . light sources 12 are placed such that light sensors 14 will detect light primarily from the corresponding light source 12 . also , the field of view of sensors 14 is very narrow to avoid sensing extraneous light from sources other than the corresponding light source 12 . it is also conceivable to put a separating wall between sensors , so that reflected light can only be sensed by the corresponding sensor , not by an adjacent sensor . each of the light sources 12 is modulated at approximately 100 khz . therefore , each light source 12 acts like a light modulator at 100 khz . in an alternate embodiment , it is also possible to modulate each of the light sources at 100 khz , but at different phases . in other words , there is a phase difference between each led modulating signal . thus , light reflected from the bar code sensed by the sensor is synchronously demodulated at the same phase as the light source modulating signal . therefore , light reflected from the bar code from adjacent light sources does not interfere , because it is modulated at a different phase . this ensures proper operation even when the user operated the scanner improperly by not making good contact between the scanner and the bar code . in such a case , a narrow field of view cannot be assumed . in another alternate embodiment it is also possible , in lieu of modulating light sources 12 sequentially , to sample sensors 14 sequentially while leaving light sources 14 illuminated . this approach produces basically the same results . the signal level of the reflected signal received at the sensors 14 varies depending on whether it is reflected on black code bar or white bar code bar . if it is reflected on a white bar , its signal level will be relatively high . if it is reflected on black bar , the signal will be relatively low , or hardly any signal would be detected . the baseband bar code signal is generated by the reflected light beam on the surface of the bar code . the frequency of the baseband signal is a function of the manual scan speed and the spacing between the bars comprising bar code 8 . typically this bandwidth is less then 3 khz . light sources 12 are modulated at a much higher frequency than the bar code baseband signal frequency to allow for proper edge alignment correction . additionally , the sequential modulation of the light sources 12 avoids interference and background noise caused by ambient light . reflected light signal s ( t ) can be expressed mathematically as follows :. where a is the reflection coefficient of the bar code . a can vary between 0 ( no reflection at all ) and 1 ( fully reflected ). “ w ” is 2 f and f is the modulation frequency . a can be considered as a low frequency (& lt ; 3 khz ) binary signal generated as user scans scanner over the bar code . one possible circuit for this implementation is shown in fig2 . led driver 30 drives light sources 12 based on the frequency of oscillator 28 and controlled by microprocessor 38 . as sensors 14 sense the barcode baseband signal , the demodulation takes place using the same signal as was used to modulate light sources 12 , i . e ., that produced by oscillator 28 . this is possible because of an almost zero time delay between when the light is sent and the reflected light is sensed . the reflected signal received at the sensor is filtered by band pass filter 41 and then amplified by amplifier 39 . amplified signal s ( t ) is multiplied by modulation signal cos ( wt ) in mixer 32 . cos ( wt ) is same signal as the modulating signal for light sources 12 . thus , amplified signal s ( t ) can be synchronously demodulated . this process can be expressed mathematically as shown below . s ( t ) × cos wt = a cos wt × cos wt = a / 2 × ( 1 + cos 2 wt ) = a / 2 + ( a cos 2 w t ) / 2 the output of mixer 32 consists of two signal components . one is a / 2 , which is the reflection coefficient and the base band signal . another is ½ a cos ( 2 wt ), which is twice the modulation frequency . this component can be easily filtered out by low pass filter 33 after mixer 32 . only base band signal a / 2 is fed to threshold detector 34 . threshold detector 34 is responsible for converting the demodulated baseband analog signal to a binary digital baseband signal . the demodulated baseband signal wave shape is not a clean binary digital signal due to analog signal processing . edges of the waveform will tend to be some what rounded . thus , threshold detector 34 reshapes the wave form into a binary digital wave form . the threshold can preferably be dynamically changed based on the average received signal level . as the scan is taking place , the demodulated and reshaped digital bits are stored in ram 36 . these digital bits have different bit lengths , because bar codes are not binary digital data . each bar code has a different duration . so , digital bits can be said to be pulse code modulated . the pulse code modulated bits have to be converted into true binary bits . thus , a wide width black bar can be converted into 00000000 , wherein the number of zeros corresponds to the width of black bar . a white bar between black bars can be converted into 11111111 , wherein the number of ones corresponds to the width of white bar ( note that a white bar is in reality a gap between black bars ). the converted binary data bits are stored in the buffer for further processing by the microprocessor . once the scan is complete , the data is retrieved from the buffer and two corrections are made thereto , resulting in code 40 . the first correction is a time alignment which needs to be performed due to the spacing 16 between light sensors 14 . because the scan is done sequentially , there will be a time offset between the reading of the bar code by each of the light sensors 14 . microprocessor 38 compares the sampled digital data stored in buffer ram 36 and makes the appropriate time alignment based on data correlation between the data from the three sensors . the second correction is edge correction . edge correction compensates for a non - constant scanning speed . because scanner 10 is a manual scanner , a constant scanning speed cannot be assumed , and the scan speed may vary even during a very short scan time . therefore , the edge transitions for each bit of the signal needs to be aligned by microprocessor 38 . the edge transition alignment is based on prior and after present data bit information . in other words , it is estimated based on the most likely spot of the transition . once the sample data is precisely time aligned and edge corrected , the final determination and correction of any read errors can be made via a bitwise majority vote . time and edge alignment mean that the number of 0 &# 39 ; s and 1 &# 39 ; s are properly corrected to represent the original bar codes . a wide black bar has more 0 &# 39 ; s than a thin black bar and vice versa for a white bar ( gap ). this process is shown in fig3 . in this example a group of 0 &# 39 ; s is represented as a single 0 for simple explanation of the concept , but in essence , it represents actual black bar width in digital form . in fig3 the output from the first sensor 60 shows a scan without read error . output from the second sensor 62 shows error 50 in the third bit , and output from the third sensor 64 shows error 52 in the sixth bit . a bitwise majority voting scheme is used to correct these errors and the corrected result is shown as 66 . corrected bits 54 and 56 reflect the results of the bitwise majority voting scheme . the result of the use of multiple scanning hardware producing multiple samples per scan , modulating the light sources or the sampling of the light sensors at a high frequency to produce the modulated signals , and the majority voting scheme results in a much more reliable barcode reader than in is available in the prior art . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been discussed , the invention is not meant to be limited to specific components or parameters discussed herein . the scope of the invention is embodied in the claims which follow . | 6 |
in both embodiments of the shallow trench decap structure and process of the invention , patterning of the active si islands is first conducted . here , the shallow trench isolation ( sti ) dielectric , e . g ., an oxide , nitride , oxynitride material or like materials of about 300 nm – 400 nm thick , provides isolation for the two contacts that need to bias the inner and outer electrode of the dt decap . preferably , the sti region comprises an oxide insulator such as low pressure teos ( tetraethylorthosilicate ), high density plasma ( hdp ) oxide or , like oxide . the sti oxide is also used as a hardmask to facilitate silicon trench etching of 2 μm – 3 μm . one concern of making the trench in sti is whether the resist mask would be robust enough to withstand the ( sti ) oxide rie and si rie processes . to circumvent this problem , a borosilicate glass ( bsg ) hardmask may be deposited according to like processes implemented in forming the edram trench . since the trench depth is reduced 2x – 3x , and since the sti dielectric ( oxide ) is also used as a hardmask , the maximum bsg thickness would need to be on the order of about 100 nm – 200 nm . in addition , the sti oxide should not be adversely impacted when the bsg is removed since etch selectivity of bsg to oxide is 200 : 1 . a first embodiment of the shallow trench decap structure 10 and process of the invention , is now described with respect to fig1 ( a )– 1 ( i ). this first process embodiment according to the invention includes the fabrication of the n - well electrode . as shown in fig1 ( a ), the process includes utilizing a process of record ( por ) to form an sti region 12 in a si - containing semiconductor substrate 20 . illustrative examples of si - containing materials that can be employed as the si - containing substrate 20 include , but are not limited to : si , sige , sic , sigec , and layered semiconductors such as si / sige , a silicon - on - insulator ( soi ) or a sige - on - insulator ( sgoi ). thus , as shown in fig1 ( a ), an sti region 12 is fabricated in a substrate 20 with two insulator regions 13 a , 13 b formed on either side of the sti 12 . in the embodiment described , the sti width may range between 0 . 3 μm – 0 . 6 μm and may range in depth from about 2500 å to 5000 å . the two insulator regions 13 a , 13 b are planarized with the surface of the sti and are typically comprised of a pad nitride ( e . g ., sin ) of 1000 å to 2000 å thick , and a thin oxide layer ( e . g ., 50 å to 100 å thick ). as shown in fig1 ( b ), the next step involves etching a trench within the formed sti structure 12 . thus , as shown in fig1 ( b ), a deep trench ( dt ) resist mask layer is first applied and patterned to form a mask 15 having a capacitor trench etch opening 16 formed over the sti region . optionally , under the resist mask layer 15 , a thin layer of bsg ( not shown ) or like material layer may first be deposited to serve as a hardmask . this bsg film would be much thinner than the one used for edram processing , e . g ., to a thickness ranging between 1 kå to 6 kå , and can be removed with a high degree of selectivity with respect to the sti dielectric ( e . g ., oxide ). then , a mask open etch process is applied to form a trench 26 within the sti 12 as shown in fig1 ( c ). while for illustrative purposes an etch having straight profiles is shown in fig1 ( c ), it is understood that a formed trench in the sti may have a taper . further , as shown in fig1 ( d ), a dt si reactive ion etch ( rie ) technique is applied to further extend the depth of the trench 26 below the sti bottom in the si substrate 20 to a target depth of , for example , 1 μm – 3 μm according to the invention . after the trench 26 is etched , as shown in fig1 ( e ), a node sin dielectric process may then be used , as in edram techniques , to fill the trench with the capacitor dielectric , i . e ., node fill , which may comprise sin or other oxide material layer . thus , as shown in fig1 ( e ), the dt resist and optional bsg hardmask layers are first stripped , and a node process implemented to deposit the decap dielectric material layer 32 such as a nitride material ( e . g ., sin ), oxynitride , or oxide material ( e . g ., hfo 2 , alo 2 ) that conforms to the bottom and sidewalls of the decap trench 26 . in the embodiment described herein , a sin node dielectric is deposited to a thickness of approximately 40 å or greater . it is understood that the decap dielectric layer thickness may vary depending upon the capacitance value , dielectric film material , trench depth , trench area , and other design considerations . for example , the depth of the trench may be reduced at a reduced cost , by depositing a high - epsilon ( k ) dielectric . for example , hfo 2 has 5 × the dielectric constant of the por oxynitride that is used in edram designs . if it is desired to have equivalent capacitance , the dt etch may be simply reduced to ⅕ the depth thereby making a 0 . 4 μm – 0 . 5 μm deep trench ), for example . then , as shown in fig1 ( f ), a highly doped n + polysilicon is deposited in the trench 26 and then recessed in the trench to form the decap structure inner electrode 35 . particularly , the deposited n + polysilicon material 35 is deposited within the trench 26 and then a chemical mechanical polish ( cmp ) step is applied to remove the formed node sin laying over the sti and pad sin regions adjacent the trench . the n + polysilicon fill ( polyfill ) 35 is then recessed within the trench so that a surface thereof is at the si active region surface 33 . the recessing of the n + polysilicon within the decap trench 26 is performed using a reactive ion etch process , for example , with the pad sin utilized as a polish stop . finally , after recessing the polyfill , as depicted in fig1 ( g ), the por pad film ( pad sin ) is stripped , for example by an ( hf - based ) nitride deglaze step followed by a hot phosphoric acid step to etch off the pad sin . a pad oxide may remain if a pad stack was provided . in the embodiment shown in fig1 ( g ), the dt decap implements a logic nw doping for the outer electrode 45 . thus , an n - well implant is provided by : forming a resist mask layer on the wafer , and , exposing and opening up the area in which the n - well implant is to be received . an ion implantation technique well known in the art is used to provide the n - well dopant species , e . g ., phosphorus , p , to a targeted depth below the sti level , using energies of up to 1 mev . since the projected range ( rp ) of the logic n - well ( nw ) is usually 1 mm or less , at least half the trench sidewall would be butting against p - type silicon . however , this scenario is actually good for obtaining high capacitance if the trench fill is positively biased ( e . g ., the n - well 45 would be held at ground ) as an n - type inversion layer would be created in the p - type silicon . since the n - doping level of the outer electrode is “ light ” ( e . g ., doping on the order of 1 × 10 17 – 1 × 10 18 / cm 3 ), and if the biasing of the outer plate is at ground , a large depletion region would be created in the nw field . this would require an nw — nw space of about 3 μm or , providing an isolation p - well around decaps as would be fabricated using known techniques . referring now to fig1 ( h ) and 1 ( i ), the formed outer electrode ( n - well ) 45 and inner electrode ( polyfill ) 35 of the dt decap need to be connected to the metal layers to be subsequently formed . as shown in fig1 ( h ), using regular cmos device processing , n + source or drain regions 47 a , 47 b , e . g ., for nfets , may be formed using ion implantation ( i / i ) techniques in the active si ( rx ) layer 20 . first , a resist layer is deposited , patterned , exposed and etched to form contact openings above the n + source or drain contact regions 47 a , 47 b , and above the inner decap electrode 35 . then , an anneal process is performed to form the silicide contact using any metal that is capable of reacting with silicon to form a metal silicide . examples of such metals include , but are not limited to : ti , ta , w , co , ni , pt , pd and alloys thereof . particularly , a metal such as cobalt or nickel is deposited to the exposed silicon , and then an anneal process is performed to form the metal silicide regions , e . g ., cobalt silicide or nickel silicide regions 46 . a thin layer of nitride e . g ., 500 å thick , is then deposited above the exposed n + source or drain regions and silicide regions . a deposition of a bpsg layer 52 is then conducted , patterned with a resist , and etched to open up contact areas 36 within the bpsg layer . the nitride layer above the silicide is etched , stopping on the silicide , so that only the silicide is exposed for the contact areas 36 . fig1 ( i ) illustrates the resulting structure formed after the process of depositing contacts 55 to the inner decap electrode ( to bias the polyfill inner electrode 35 ) as well as on the n + s / d diffusions adjacent to the trench decap ( to bias the outer electrode 45 ). particularly , using well known techniques , a contact material , typically a metal such as tungsten , is deposited in the etched contact areas 36 in the bpsg layer above the formed silicide contacts to form the wire level contacts 55 (“ plugs ”). as the diffusions and top of the trench is silicided , the connection to the decap has a very low resistance since there is no buried strap feature used in this process ( unlike edram where the connection to the trench capacitor is through a n + polysilicon buried strap ). interlevel and intralevel dielectrics and metal layers m 1 , m 2 , formed of tungsten , aluminum or copper are then wired to the plugs 55 using conventional mol and beol processing to contact respectively , the inner electrode 35 and outer electrodes 45 respectively of the decap 10 . in accordance with the first embodiment described herein with respect to fig1 ( a )– 1 ( i ), the only additional costs beyond the por cost is cost of the additional mask needed to form the decap trench and the cost of performing the associated process steps of opening the dt mask open etch , the dt rie step , the node process and the n + polyfill deposition , cmp and recess steps . because the n - well formed is lightly doped , under certain bias conditions , a depletion region may form that affects the performance of the device . for example , if the n - well ( forming the outer decap electrode ) is at ground and the inner decap electrode ( trench ) is at a positive voltage , a depletion region forms that may affect another device , e . g ., pfet area nearby , because of the depletion formed in the n - well . rather than enforcing a ground rule , which would increase the device area , the solution in accordance with the second embodiment is now described . in this second embodiment , the sidewalls of the trench decaps are doped which provides more flexibility in placing decaps within a circuit . in this scenario , it is envisioned that the n - well can be biased at vdd and the trench is at ground voltage . in this configuration , then n - wells can be merged together and one can place p - fets in these vdd - biased n - wells . thus , a substantial reduction in decap area would result as compared to the structure described in accordance with the first embodiment . thus , after the trench has been lithographically defined and etched as shown in process steps described herein with respect to fig1 ( a )– 1 ( d ) are performed , as shown in fig2 ( a )( i )– 2 ( a )( iii ), there are several ways that a thin , heavily - doped n - type diffusion layer may be provided in the “ shallow ” trench decaps . one method of doping the sidewalls of the trench is to perform an angled implant of dopant , e . g ., p or as . for example , as shown in fig2 ( a )( i ), dopant ions 60 may be implanted in the trench sidewalls 27 at an angle of incidence of , for example , 5 degrees or less angle from normal incidence , depending on the depth of the trench . a second method , as shown in fig2 ( a )( ii ), utilizes a gas - phase doping process whereby the open dt trench 26 is exposed to high concentration p or as gases 61 . a third method , as shown in fig2 ( a )( iii ) is to simply fill the trenches with a doped gas 62 , e . g ., asg ( arsenic silicate glass ) or psg ( phosphorus silicate glass ) material layers , and perform an anneal , i . e ., conduct a short high temperature outdiffusion step to outdiffuse the dopant from the silicate glass into the si substrate . in each of the methods described , the highly doped n - type trench diffusion layer 65 ( outdiffused plate ) shown in fig2 ( a )( i )– 2 ( a )( iii ) are formed to a thickness of approximately 500 å of less . since the active si diffusion islands are protected with pad sin , one could avoid many of the processes that are part of the buried plate process presently used in edram . these steps include : ( 1 ) a resist fill of the trench , ( 2 ) a chemical downstream etch ( cde ) of the resist to 1 μm below the si surface , ( 3 ) an oxide etch to remove the doped oxide from the upper region of the dt , ( 4 ) a wet clean of the resist , and , ( 5 ) an oxide capping layer . chosen methods for providing the outdiffused plate , according to the second embodiment , is the implant or gas phase doping procedure as these methods are the least costly . continuing , as shown in steps depicted in fig2 ( b ) through 2 ( f ), the n - well ( decap outer electrode ) is formed by ion implantation , and more particularly , the same exact process steps as described herein with respect to corresponding fig1 ( e ) to fig1 ( h ) are performed to result in a trench decap structure 10 , except for the presence of the outdiffused plate 65 . the presence of the high dopant outdiffuse plate 65 prevents depletion into the substrate , i . e ., thus reducing the device footprint . in accordance with the second embodiment described herein with respect to fig2 ( a )– 2 ( f ), the only additional costs beyond the por cost is cost of the additional mask needed to form the decap trench and the cost of performing the associated process steps of opening the dt mask open etch , the dt rie step , the node process and the n + polyfill deposition , cmp and recess steps and , the outdiffusion process steps which range depending upon the process step implemented . the approaches described herein , provide a very simple increase in decoupling capacitance available for logic based processing and provides a simple well isolation for improved n +/ p + space with no extract process cost . this synergy coupled with the low added process cost and growing need for on chip decoupling capacitance makes this approach very attractive for 9sf and 10sf applications and beyond . the low - cost decoupling capacitor according to further embodiments of the invention is now described herein with respect to fig3 and 4 . in the third embodiment , the trench decaps are made at a lower cost , exhibit higher frequency response while lowering the overall leakage of a decap design and lowering the area set aside for decaps and , are integrated into an silicon - on - insulator ( soi ) designs . there are two distinct “ low - cost ” trench decap structures and process variations described : a first variation described herein with respect to fig3 ( a )– 3 ( j ) depicts a process flow where the trench decap design is quickly and seamlessly integrated into an existing soi technology process . the process calls for an additional two ( 2 ) masks : a dt mask and a block - level n - well mask such that the outer plate of the trench decap can be contacted through existing substrate contacts for soi ( e . g ., doped poly contacts ). in the second variation process described herein with respect to fig4 ( a )– 4 ( j ), a different trench decap process and structure is described whereby metal contacts , such as tungsten ( w ), or other metal materials are used to contact the outer plate of the trench decap . this second unique structure may provide a faster capacitive decoupling response since the tungsten ( w ) resistance is significantly lower than doped substrate contact polysilicon . this second process also calls for the same aforementioned masks , the dt mask and the block - level n - well mask . the two processes share the common physical structure in that a decap trench of , approximately 2 μm – 3 μm deep , is processed . as the decap trench is to be formed to a depth of about 2 μm – 3 μm deep , the number of processes to fabricate the trench decap is greatly reduced compared to conventional edram capacitors . in the decap structure according to the third embodiment , described herein with respect to fig3 ( a )– 3 ( j ), the trench process is performed after the sti regions are physically patterned and filled . that is , this process is polar opposite to “ edram ” processing where the capacitors are formed prior to sti . the process flow described with respect to fig3 ( a ) illustrates the resulting structure of the sti process of record and particularly the formed sti regions 71 a – 71 c extending through to a box ( buried oxide layer ) layer 70 . the sti regions are first patterned and formed by etching through : a pad nitride or nitride stack 74 , the thin active silicon layer 72 and through the thin box layer 70 . etching of the box layer 70 is an optional step , and the sti may be formed to the top of the box layer , i . e ., etched through to the bottom of the silicon layer 72 . the width of the sti region may be about 0 . 3 im to 0 . 6 im , however , the depth may range up to 500 å to 1000 å , but may range up to a depth up to 2500 å . then , the sti is filled with an oxide , e . g ., lp - teos , and hdp oxide , as described herein . after the por sti module , the dt lithography , mask open , and si rie process is conducted . that is , as described herein with respect to fig1 and 2 herein , a resist mask 78 and / or an optional hardmask ( e . g ., bsg ) is applied , and patterned to expose the sti region 71 b and , a deep trench etch is performed through the sti opening in the mask 78 to a depth of 2 μm to 3 μm as shown in fig3 ( c ). subsequent to the formation of the decap trench 76 , the si substrate sidewalls and bottom of the trench 76 are doped to form an outdiffused portion of the outer electrode of the capacitor . this step implements an outdiffusion process and results in the formation of an outdiffused plate 85 forming a highly doped portion of the capacitor outer electrode beneath the buried oxide layer 70 . the trench sidewall doping can be accomplished by either of the following methods : 1 ) an n + type dopant 60 angled ion implantation as shown in fig3 ( d )( i ); 2 ) an n + gas - phase doping 61 of n type dopant , e . g ., p or as dopants , as shown in fig3 ( d )( ii ); and , 3 ) an n + doped glass deposition 62 and anneal as shown in fig3 ( d )( iii ). it is understood that , in alternative embodiments , the process steps for forming the outdiffused plate may be omitted . whether the outdiffused plate 85 is formed or not , the next step is the process of forming the thin capacitor dielectric layer 82 — that is , an oxide or a nitride , such as sin , that conforms to the trench sidewalls and bottom . thus , as shown in fig3 ( e ) and as described in detail herein with respect to fig1 and 2 , a resist strip is first performed and then the node process is performed . next , as shown in fig3 ( f ) and as described herein with respect to fig1 and 2 , a highly n doped polysilicon fill is performed to construct the decap inner electrode 75 . fig3 ( f ) shows the n + poly fill 75 in the decap trench 76 . it is understood that , as part of this process , a cmp is performed and a top portion of the polyfill is then recessed to the top surface of the active silicon layer 72 . then , as shown in fig3 ( g ), after the trench process , the process proceeds to form a bitline contact adjacent to the trench , which comprises steps of punching through an adjacent sti ( or insulator ) area ( s ) 71 a , 71 c and stopping the etch on the bottom substrate , i . e ., it only has to etch the thickness of the active silicon layer 72 and the box layer 70 . according to processes of record for bi module , the etched area ( s ) 83 is ( are ) typically filled with intrinsic ( undoped ) si 93 as shown in fig3 ( g ) and a cmp is performed to planarize and recess each of the filled i - si regions to the surface of the active si layer 72 . it is understood that the steps for recessing the n + polysilicon fill forming decap inner electrode 75 and the i - si may be performed in the same process step . then , as shown in fig3 ( h ), an n - well implant step to form decap outer electrode 95 is performed in the manner such as described herein with respect to fig1 and 2 . the substrate contacts ( plugs ) adjacent to the trench decap are to be used to bias the outer electrode of the trench decap . since the substrate contacts polysilicon plugs 93 are undoped , for the substrate contacts within the trench decap macro , these would necessarily need to be doped n - type . this can be accomplished by n + doping the source / drain regions in the active silicon layer 72 by ion implantation later in the process . however , within the n - well ion implant mask ( not shown ), the implants for the substrate contacts ( plugs ) may be further doped if the n + source / drain diffusions are insufficient to dope the entire poly plug . if necessary , n - type ion implants may then be targeted to depths below the active si layer 72 , e . g ., corresponding to the middle of the box , for example , to guarantee that the whole substrate contact is doped . this ion implantation may be performed during the following n - well ion implantation step or thereafter . thus , to connect the trenches and make them amenable to voltage biasing , the deep n - well implant — like the one used in edram processing , is performed . doses in the range of 10 13 / cm 2 – 10 14 / cm 2 , for example , should provide enough conduction to bias the outer plate ( e . g ., 100 ω / sq – 1000 ω / sq ). the projected range of the n - well implant would only need to be one that is on the order of the soi and box thickness ( e . g ., about 2000 å depth ). if phosphorus ( p ) is used as the n - well dopant , accelerating energies of 200 kev may be sufficient . since the n - well mask is unique to the trench decap macro , other than n - type dopants may be implanted into the substrate contacts 93 to make them more conductive . thus , as shown in the fig3 ( h ), after an oxide deglaze , pad sin etch process , and n - well ion implantation steps , the resulting structure 100 illustrates n + poly plugs 93 contacting the n - well implant 95 which is connected to the outdiffused portion 85 of the outer dt capacitor electrode . after the n - well process , fig3 ( i ) and 3 ( j ) illustrate the remaining processes to create the trench decap uses the por mol module . in fig3 ( i ), the substrate contacts 93 and decap inner electrode poly 75 are silicided 96 and contacted by plugs 98 of a metal material , e . g ., such as tungsten ( w ). the process includes the formation of respective contact holes 97 implementing a dielectric film deposition ( e . g ., a nitride or bpsg ) and a contact hole lithography patterning and etch as shown in fig3 ( i ). m 1 and m 2 metallurgy is then used to follow and finish up the macro as shown in fig3 ( j ). what is described in fig3 ( a )– 3 ( j ) depict the easiest method in that trench decaps 100 can be integrated into existing soi processing technology . in a further embodiment , described herein with respect to fig4 ( a )– 4 ( j ), the deep trench decap 200 can be processed before the sti ( standard ) processing , i . e ., does not require trench formation through sti . in the embodiment depicted in fig4 ( a ), there is formed by process of record a thin active silicon layer 112 atop a box layer 110 formed atop a si - containing substrate 20 . as shown in fig4 ( a ), a pad nitride layer or nitride stack 114 is deposited above the thin active si layer 112 . then , as shown in fig4 ( b )– 4 ( c ), a trench lithography , mask open , and si rie process is conducted . that is , as described herein with respect to fig1 and 2 herein , a resist mask 115 and / or an optional hardmask ( e . g ., bsg ), is patterned to expose a region 116 for forming a deep trench etch . subsequent to the formation of the decap opening 116 , an etch process is performed through the opening in the mask to form a trench 126 that extends through the pad layer 114 , thin active silicon layer 112 and through the thin box layer 110 to a depth of about 2 im to 3 im as shown in fig4 ( c ). subsequent to the formation of the decap trench 126 , the si substrate sidewalls and bottom of the trench are doped to form an outdiffused portion of the outer electrode of the capacitor . this step results in the formation of an outdiffused plate 135 beneath the buried oxide layer 110 forming a highly doped portion of the capacitor outer electrode and implements an outdiffusion process . the trench sidewall doping can be accomplished by either of the following methods : 1 ) an n + type dopant 60 angled ion implantation as shown in fig4 ( d )( i ); 2 ) an n + gas - phase doping 61 of n type dopant , e . g ., p or as dopants , as shown in fig4 ( d )( ii ); and , 3 ) an n + doped glass deposition 62 and anneal as shown in fig4 ( d )( iii ). it is understood that , in alternative embodiments , the process steps for forming the outdiffused plate may be omitted . whether the outdiffused plate 135 is formed or not , the next step is the process for forming the thin capacitor dielectric layer 142 — that is , an oxide or a nitride , such as sin , that conforms to the trench sidewalls and bottom . thus , as shown in fig4 ( e ) and as described in detail herein with respect to fig1 and 2 , any remaining resist strip is first performed and then the node process is performed . next , as shown in fig4 ( f ) and as described herein with respect to fig1 and 2 , a highly n + doped polysilicon fill is performed to construct the decap inner electrode 155 . fig4 ( f ) shows the n + poly fill 155 in the decap trench 126 . it is understood that , as part of this process , a cmp is performed and a top portion of the polyfill is then recessed to the top surface of the active silicon layer 112 . in the next steps in the process flow , shown in fig4 ( g ), a typical sti module process is performed to form two sti structures 131 a , 131 b located on either side of the decap inner electrode 155 . in the sti module process , each sti region is first patterned and formed by etching through a pad nitride or nitride stack 114 , the thin active silicon layer 112 and through the thin box layer 110 . etching of the box layer 110 is an optional step , and the sti may be formed at the top of the box layer , i . e ., etched through to the bottom of the silicon layer 112 . the width of each sti region may be about 0 . 3 im to 0 . 6 im , however , the depth may range up to 500 å to 1000 å , but may range up to a depth up to 2500 å . each sti opening is filled with an oxide , e . g ., lp - teos , and hdp oxide , as described herein . as shown in fig4 ( g ), after the por sti module and a pad nitride strip step ( not shown ), a deep n - well implant step similar to the one used in edram processing , is performed to form the n - well implant regions 145 under each sti region . then , as shown in fig4 ( h ), the bitline lithography , mask open , and si rie process is conducted to form respective openings 141 a , 141 b at each formed sti structure 131 a , 131 b respectively . the etched openings 141 a , 141 b are used to form the metal substrate poly contacts to the decap outer electrode . in fig4 ( i ), the resist 148 used to etch the sti regions in fig4 ( h ) is removed ( stripped ) and a silicide layer , e . g ., a metal silicide , is formed above the entire region of the trench capacitor and the adjacent active silicon regions 112 a , 112 b . silicide is additionally formed at the substrate contact regions ( openings ) 141 a , 141 b . then , a dielectric layer 150 , e . g ., an oxide , or bpsg , is deposited , planarized , lithography patterned and etched to open up the capacitor electrode contact holes 153 above the formed silicide regions 156 . then , in fig4 ( j ) all of the contact holes 153 are filled with tungsten or like conductive material to contact the si underneath the box . then normal beol ( back - end - of - the - line ) and mol processing is performed to connect the formed tungsten plugs to m 1 , m 2 metallurgy layers . advantageously , with tungsten metal contacts 163 formed as part of substrate contacts , the frequency response is higher than the decap structures created with the n + polyfill contacts in the previous embodiment depicted in fig3 ( g )– 3 ( j ). it should be understood that it is possible to eliminate the n - well if there is enough thermal budget such that the outdiffused plate can reach the substrate n + contact . additionally , it has been shown that phosphorus in high concentrations of arsenic dopant will greatly accelerate the phosphorus outdiffusion . an outer plate comprising of these two dopant materials ( p and as ) may be suitable to allow for the n - well elimination . it should be understood that for some applications , the polarity of the electrodes in the decap devices in the embodiments described herein may be reversed , i . e ., p - type dopants may be utilized in the process steps described , without much modification or undue experimentation . as a measure to further reduce costs , the decap 300 of the present invention is implemented in a base logic process consistent with and compatible with logic processing methods and tool set as now described with respect to fig5 ( a )– 5 ( h ). in the embodiment depicted in fig5 ( a )– 5 ( h ), the decap trench is formed in the same processing steps as the formation of the sti regions . that is , the only extra added steps is the patterning and developing a resist layer 302 having an opening 316 upon a formed hard mask oxide layer 313 , a pad oxide layer 310 and / or pad nitride surface layer 312 formed above the si substrate 320 as shown in fig5 ( a ), and then etching a shallow decap trench 326 into the si layer e . g ., below the surface as shown in fig5 ( b ). then the layer of resist is stripped and the base processing for forming the sti region is performed . according to the sti base processing , a new mask is formed by patterning and developing a resist layer 330 including an opening 336 that is about the same width of the sti region to be formed as shown in fig5 ( c ). then , a further etch process , such as a reactive ion etch ( rie ) is performed to etch the si substrate 320 to form sti trench region 340 . as a result of this processing , in the same sti etch step , the depth of decap trench is extended , i . e ., more si is being etched to a depth of about 2 – 3 μm to result in the decap trench structure 326 ′ as depicted in fig5 ( d ). the trench structure shown in fig5 ( d ) is then filled with a hd plasma oxide 327 or like dielectric material and planarized . depending upon a particular application , the resulting structure will form a decap for example , with the formation of an underlying n - well region 350 and provision of a highly doped n - band layer 355 as shown in the structure of fig5 ( e )( 1 ). advantageously , the provision of n - band layer 355 effectively increases the decap capacitance , thus obviating the need for the formation of a heavily doped outdiffused plate as in the other embodiments described herein . alternately , the structure may be used as an isolation region for isolating an n - well region 350 and a p - well region 360 shown in fig5 ( e )( 2 ). further to the forming of decap 300 of the present embodiment , the only other additional cost to the base logic processing is the addition of a second mask 370 as shown in fig5 ( f ) which provides an opening 375 enabling a straight etch , e . g ., rie , to remove the hdp oxide present in the trench while leaving the hdp oxide portions 342 , 343 of the formed sti . once the hdp oxide is removed from the trench , the standard technology for forming the thin decap dielectric layer 382 is performed concurrently with a surface gate oxidation process , e . g ., grown to a thickness ranging between 2 . 0 and 5 . 0 nm . then , a standard gate polysilicon deposition process providing a conformal fill 385 of the decap trench is performed concurrent with base logic standard gate polysilicon deposition and the polyfill is doped with n + material dopant ( as described herein ) to form the inner decap electrode . the resultant structure is shown in fig5 ( g ). preferably , this implantation of n + dopant is also part of the standard logic n + source and drain implant procedure . advantageously , depositing the same dielectric material , e . g ., an oxide , nitride , oxynitride , etc . used for the decap dielectric 382 at the time logic gate dielectric is deposited , incurs no additional cost as this is part of standard base processing . likewise , the polysilicon fill 385 is deposited at the same time logic gate polysilicon is deposited according to standard logic base processing thus , incurring no additional cost . then , in a subsequent processing step shown in fig5 ( h ), the decap polysilicon fill layer is patterned and portions removed by etching the poly over the thin oxide regions and corresponding insulating spacers 395 a , 395 b are formed over the sti regions 342 , 343 according to known techniques . finally , active diffusion regions ( e . g ., source / drain implants ) 390 a , 390 b , e . g ., having implanted n + material dopant materials are formed according to standard processing and concurrently dope the poly 385 that contact the n + doped n - band and n - well regions which form the outer decap electrode . fig5 ( i ) depicts a conceptual top view schematic of a resultant formed decap trenches 300 pointing downward into the silicon for about 2 μm – 3 μm deep forming a high capacitance structure in a small area 400 . it is understood that the amount of decoupling capacitance may be tailored according to number of trenches formed . for example , for a typical nitrided oxide dielectric of 2 . 2 nm in thickness , a trench that is 0 . 1 μm wide with a depth of 1 . 0 μm will result in approximately 25 ff / μm 2 of capacitance . additionally depicted is the formed polysilicon 385 , underlying n - well 350 , active silicon region 398 , and sti 340 regions separating the active silicon . it is understood that spacers separating the outer edges of the polysilicon layers as shown in fig5 ( h ) are omitted in fig5 ( i ). it is further understood that the process and resulting decap structure of the embodiment depicted in fig5 ( a )– 5 ( h ) may be formed in a substrate having an underlying box ( buried oxide ) layer , however , there would be no n - band and additionally , no need for well - to - well isolation with soi structure having a buried oxide . the embodiment of the invention depicted in fig5 ( a )– 5 ( h ) provides a very simple increase in decoupling capacitance available for logic based processing and provides a simple well isolation for improved n +/ p + with no extra process cost . this synergy coupled with the low added process cost and growing need for on chip decoupling capacitance makes the approach of the present invention very attractive for 65 nm node applications and beyond . 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 . | 7 |
the invention proposes to use , in an integrated circuit , isolation trenches of reduced depth and dimensions so as to produce esd protection devices for the integrated circuit . such protection devices , made under the electronic components , are not detrimental to the integration density of the circuit and make it possible to ensure localized protection of these components . the terms implant and implanted area are equivalent throughout the following description . fig1 is a schematic plan view of a portion of an integrated circuit 9 fabricated on soi , in section at the level of ground planes and implants ( or implanted areas ). the integrated circuit 9 here comprises a cell comprising electronic components 1 and 2 . fig2 is a cross - sectional view of the cell . the electronic components 1 and 2 are produced in a layer of a semi - conducting material , termed the active layer , formed on an insulating layer 92 , this insulating layer 92 being formed plumb with a semi - conducting substrate 91 with doping of type p . in this instance the electronic components 1 and 2 are field - effect transistors of fdsoi type . the components 1 and 2 can also be feds ( for “ field - effect diode ”), fers ( for “ field - effect resistance ”), capacitors or z 2 - fets . the transistors 1 and 2 are for example pmos and nmos transistors respectively . the transistors are generally aligned in a row of cells each including an nmos transistor and a pmos transistor . the nmos transistors of the various cells are then aligned . the transistors 1 and 2 comprise a source , a drain and a channel , and a gate stack produced plumb with the channel . the source , the drain and the channel of the transistors 1 and 2 are made respectively in semi - conducting active layers 15 and 25 . the transistors 1 and 2 comprise respective gate stacks 16 and 26 disposed respectively on the semi - conducting active layers 15 and 25 , plumb with the channel . to simplify the drawings , the detailed structure of the active layers is not represented therein . the transistors of the active layer can comprise a channel of weakly doped semi - conducting material , with a concentration of dopants that is substantially equal to the concentration of dopants of the substrate 91 . the transistors 1 and 2 also comprise respective source and drain electrodes , not illustrated . semi - conducting ground planes 11 and 21 are formed respectively plumb with the transistors 1 and 2 , under the buried insulating layer 92 . the doping of the ground plane 11 is of type p , that of the ground plane 21 is of type n . the ground planes 11 and 21 are biased respectively by semi - conducting implants 14 and 24 . the implants 14 and 24 exhibit respective dopings of type p and n ( and preferably p +, n + dopings respectively ). the biasing of the ground planes 11 and 21 can be performed by way of a bias circuit , not represented here . the implants 14 and 24 are coplanar with the ground planes 11 and 21 . coplanar is understood to mean that it is possible to define a plane parallel to the layer 92 and passing through the zones concerned . semi - conducting wells 12 and 22 are formed respectively , plumb with the ground planes 11 and 21 . the dopings of the wells 12 and 22 are respectively of type n and of type p . the implants 14 and 24 are in contact respectively with the wells 12 and 22 . the implants 14 and 24 thus make it possible at one and the same time to bias the ground planes 11 and 21 , and to form inputs for a device for protection against the electrostatic discharges between two potentials . the wells 12 and 22 are biased respectively by semi - conducting implants 17 and 27 . the implants 17 and 27 exhibit respective dopings of type n and p ( and preferably n +, p + dopings respectively ). the biasing of the wells 12 and 22 can be performed by way of a bias circuit , not represented here . the transistor 1 is here disposed between the transistor 2 and the implants 14 and 17 . in a similar manner , the transistor 2 is here disposed between the transistor 1 and the implants 24 and 27 . a deeply buried well of type n can be made so as to form a separation between the wells 12 , 22 and the substrate 91 with doping of type p . the buried insulating layer 92 , in a manner known per se , electrically insulates the transistors 1 and 2 from their ground plane , from their well , and from the substrate 91 . the buried insulating layer 92 formed plumb with the transistors is here of utbox type (“ ultra - thin buried oxide layer ”). thus , the control of the bias of the ground planes 11 and 21 ( also called back gates ) makes it possible to modulate the respective threshold voltages of the transistors 1 and 2 . the insulating layer 92 exhibits for example a thickness of less than or equal to 60 nm , less than or equal to 50 nm , or indeed less than or equal to 20 nm . the insulating layer 92 can be produced in a manner known per se from silicon oxide . a contact for biasing the substrate 91 is illustrated here , to bias the substrate 91 for example to a ground voltage gnd . deep isolation trenches 61 and 63 are made at the periphery of each of the transistors 1 and 2 . the isolation trenches 61 and 63 extend depth - wise through the insulating layer 92 and into the respective wells 12 and 22 for the transistors 1 and 2 . a deep isolation trench 64 is here made so as to isolate the contact for biasing the substrate 91 . the transistors 1 and 2 furthermore comprise deep isolation trenches 62 . the isolation trenches 62 extend depth - wise through the insulating layer 92 and into the respective wells 12 and 22 for the transistors 1 and 2 , without reaching the substrate 91 . the wells 12 and 22 extend laterally plumb with the implants 14 , 17 and 24 , 27 respectively , and under the isolation trenches 62 . the isolation trenches 62 ensure insulation between the implants 14 , 17 and 24 , 27 respectively . the deep isolation trenches 61 to 64 here advantageously exhibit an identical depth . isolation trenches 13 and 23 are made plumb with the contact between the ground planes 11 , 21 and the implants 14 , 24 respectively . the isolation trenches 13 and 23 are not as deep as the isolation trenches 61 to 64 . the isolation trenches 13 and 23 do not extend as far as their respective wells 12 and 22 . the isolation trenches 13 and 23 here pass through the insulating layer 92 and therefore extend into their respective ground planes 11 and 21 . the isolation trenches 13 and 23 make it possible to improve the insulation between the transistors 1 and 2 and their implants 14 and 24 while enabling the regions 11 and 21 to be biased . the wells 12 and 22 can exhibit concentrations of dopants of between 10 16 cm − 3 and 10 18 cm − 3 . the ground planes 11 and 21 can exhibit concentrations of dopants of between 10 18 cm − 3 and 10 19 cm − 3 . the wells 12 and 22 can extend to a depth of less than 1 μm and , preferably , less than or equal to 700 nm . metallic contacts can be deposited after silicidation directly on each of the implants 14 , 17 , 24 , 27 , in order to allow electrical connection of each of them . advantageously , the implants 14 , 17 , 24 , 27 each exhibit a concentration of dopants at least fifty times , or a hundred times greater than the concentration of dopants of the wells 12 and 22 . for example , the implants 14 , 17 , 24 , 27 exhibit concentrations of dopants advantageously greater than or equal to 5 * 10 18 cm − 3 and , preferably , of between 10 19 cm − 3 and 10 21 cm − 3 . these concentrations of dopants are for example substantially equal to the concentrations of dopants of the source or of the drain of the transistors 1 and 2 . the implants 14 , 24 , 17 and 27 are here made laterally with respect to the transistors 1 and 2 . the implant 14 is biased to a first voltage level e 1 , the implant 24 is biased to a second voltage level e 2 , the implant 17 is biased to a third voltage level e 3 and the implant 27 is biased to a fourth voltage level e 4 . a device for protection against electrostatic discharges is included in the integrated circuit 9 , plumb with the transistors 1 and 2 . the protection against electrostatic discharges is aimed at ensuring protection against the discharges between the voltage levels e 1 and e 2 . this embodiment exhibits reduced sensitivity to accidental triggering ( designated by the term latchup ). fig3 is an electrical diagram of the protection device , of the scr ( for semiconductor controlled rectifier ) type . bipolar transistors b 1 and b 2 are formed . the bipolar transistor b 1 is a pnp transistor and the transistor b 2 is an npn transistor . the emitter is formed by the implant 14 , and is at the potential e 1 ; the base is formed by the well 12 , and is at the potential e 3 ; the collector is formed by the well 22 , and is at the potential e 4 . the emitter is formed by the implant 24 , and is at the potential e 2 ; the base is formed by the well 22 , and is at the potential e 4 ; the collector is formed by the well 12 , and is at the potential e 3 . a thyristor potentially having dual - control is thus formed , between the potentials e 1 and e 2 , the signals e 3 and e 4 being able to be applied to both controls of this thyristor . fig4 is an electrical diagram of an exemplary implementation of the first embodiment . the pmos transistor 1 is here a circuit having to be protected by the transistors b 1 and b 2 . the source of the transistor 1 and its ground plane 11 are connected to a power supply potential vdd of the integrated circuit 9 . the drain of the transistor 1 is connected to a potential of a signal sgn . the transistors b 1 and b 2 here ensure local protection of the pmos transistor 1 against electrostatic discharges between the power supply potential vdd and the signal sgn . vdd is thus applied as potential e 1 , sgn is applied as potential e 2 . a resistor r 1 is made between the collector of b 1 / the base of b 2 and the potential sgn . a resistor r 2 is made between the base of b 1 / the collector of b 2 and the potential vdd . the nmos transistor 2 is here a control circuit for the thyristor formed by the transistors b 1 and b 2 . the transistor 2 has its source connected to the potential sgn , its drain connected to the collector of b 2 , and its ground plane 21 connected to the potential sgn . a resistor r 3 is formed between the gate of the transistor 2 and the potential sgn . upon an electrostatic discharge between the potentials vdd and sgn , the thyristor formed of the transistors b 1 and b 2 is turned on by way of the transistor 2 . an electrostatic discharge between the potentials vdd and sgn is here short - circuited by the thyristor formed , thereby protecting the transistor 1 . the integrated circuit 9 can furthermore advantageously include an additional triggering circuit 3 . the additional triggering circuit 3 illustrated includes a capacitor and a zener diode connected in parallel , between the gate of the transistor 2 and the potential vdd . the values of the resistors r 1 and r 2 can be well resistances , defined in an appropriate manner , by adapting for example the depth of the isolation trenches 62 . the level of the voltages for maintaining the control signals of the thyristor formed can be defined by altering the distance separating the implants 17 and 24 . it will be possible for the resistor r 3 value to be defined by an additional element . fig5 is a cross - sectional view of a second embodiment of a cell for an integrated circuit according to a second embodiment . electronic components 1 and 2 are produced in a layer of a semi - conducting material , termed the active layer , formed on an insulating layer 92 , this insulating layer 92 being formed plumb with a semi - conducting substrate 91 with doping of type p . just as for the first embodiment , the electronic components 1 and 2 are here pmos and nmos transistors respectively , for example of fdsoi type . semi - conducting ground planes 11 and 21 are formed respectively plumb with the transistors 1 and 2 , under the buried insulating layer 92 . the doping of the ground plane 11 is of type p , that of the ground plane 21 is of type n . the ground planes 11 and 21 are biased respectively by semi - conducting implants 14 and 24 . the implants 14 and 24 exhibit respective dopings of type p and n ( and preferably p +, n + dopings respectively ). the implants 14 and 24 are coplanar with the ground planes 11 and 21 . semi - conducting wells 12 and 22 are formed respectively , plumb with the ground planes 11 and 21 . the dopings of the wells 12 and 22 are respectively of type n and of type p . the wells 12 and 22 are biased respectively by semi - conducting implants 17 and 27 . the implants 17 and 27 exhibit respective dopings of type n and p ( and preferably n +, p + dopings respectively ). the implants 14 , 24 , 17 and 27 are here made laterally with respect to the transistors 1 and 2 . the implants 14 and 17 are here made on either side of the transistor 1 . the implants 24 and 27 are here made on either side of the transistor 2 . a deeply buried well of type n can be made so as to form a separation between the wells 12 , 22 and the substrate 91 with doping of type p . deep isolation trenches 61 and 63 are made at the periphery of each of the transistors 1 and 2 . the isolation trenches 61 and 63 extend depth - wise through the insulating layer 92 and into the respective wells 12 and 22 for the transistors 1 and 2 . the transistors 1 and 2 furthermore comprise deep isolation trenches 62 . the isolation trenches 62 extend depth - wise through the insulating layer 92 and into the respective wells 12 and 22 for the transistors 1 and 2 , without reaching the substrate 91 . the wells 12 and 22 extend laterally plumb with the implants 14 , 17 and 24 , 27 respectively , and under the isolation trenches 62 . the isolation trenches 62 ensure insulation between the implants 14 , 17 and 24 , 27 respectively . the deep isolation trenches 61 to 63 here advantageously exhibit an identical depth . isolation trenches 13 and 23 are made plumb with the contact between the ground planes 11 , 21 and the implants 14 , 24 respectively . the isolation trenches 13 and 23 are not as deep as the isolation trenches 61 to 63 . the isolation trenches 13 and 23 do not extend as far as their respective wells 12 and 22 . the isolation trenches 13 and 23 here pass through the insulating layer 92 and therefore extend into their respective ground planes 11 and 21 . the isolation trenches 13 and 23 make it possible to improve the insulation between the transistors 1 and 2 and their implants 14 and 24 while enabling the regions 11 and 21 to be biased . the implant 14 is biased to a first voltage level e 1 , the implant 24 is biased to a second voltage level e 2 , the implant 17 is biased to a third voltage level e 3 and the implant 27 is biased to a fourth voltage level e 4 . just as in the first embodiment , a device for protection against electrostatic discharges is included in the integrated circuit 9 , plumb with the transistors 1 and 2 . the protection against electrostatic discharges is aimed at ensuring protection against the discharges between the voltage levels e 1 and e 2 . on account of the more reduced distance between the implants 14 and 24 , this embodiment exhibits increased sensitivity to electrostatic discharges . fig6 is an electrical diagram of an exemplary implementation of the second embodiment . the nmos transistor 2 is here a circuit having to be protected by the transistors b 1 and b 2 . the drain of the transistor 2 is connected to a potential of a signal sgn of the integrated circuit 9 . the source of the transistor 2 and its ground plane 21 are connected to a ground potential gnd . the transistors b 1 and b 2 here ensure local protection of the nmos transistor 2 against electrostatic discharges between the signal sgn and the potential gnd . sgn is thus applied as potential e 1 , gnd is applied as potential e 2 . a resistor r 1 is made between the collector of b 1 / the base of b 2 and the potential gnd . a resistor r 2 is made between the base of b 1 / the collector of b 2 and the potential sgn . the pmos transistor 1 is here a control circuit for the thyristor formed by the transistors b 1 and b 2 . the transistor 1 has its source connected to the potential sgn , its drain connected to the collector of b 1 , and its ground plane 11 connected to the potential sgn . a resistor r 4 is formed between the gate of the transistor 1 and the potential sgn . upon an electrostatic discharge between the potentials sgn and gnd , the thyristor formed of the transistors b 1 and b 2 is turned on by way of the transistor 1 . an electrostatic discharge between the potentials sgn and gnd is here short - circuited by the thyristor formed , thereby protecting the transistor 2 . the integrated circuit 9 can furthermore advantageously include an additional triggering circuit 4 . the additional triggering circuit 4 illustrated includes a capacitor and a zener diode connected in parallel , between the gate of the transistor 1 and the potential gnd . fig7 is an electrical diagram of another application of an integrated circuit according to the invention . in this embodiment , the transistors 1 and 2 are intended to control the transistors b 1 and b 2 formed , so as to ensure centralized protection for other components , between the potentials e 1 and e 2 . the transistor 2 repeats the detailed configuration with reference to fig3 . the transistor 1 repeats the detailed configuration with reference to fig6 . in this embodiment , the transistor 1 or the transistor 2 can apply a command turning on the thyristor formed . the electrical diagram illustrates additional triggering circuits 3 and 4 , such as detailed with reference to fig3 and 6 . fig8 is a cross - sectional view of a variant of the invention , here applied to the first embodiment . as a variant , a resumption of epitaxy can be performed on the implants 14 , 24 , 17 and 27 , to avoid the difference in altitude with the active layers 15 and 25 . in this example , the implants 14 and 24 extend more deeply than the layer 92 , and more deeply than the isolation trenches 13 and 23 . although , structurally , the thyristors formed and illustrated exhibit two control electrodes , the invention can also be implemented by forming a single control electrode . as a variant , an nmos can be produced on a p - doped ground plane , and / or a pmos can be produced on an n - doped ground plane . | 7 |
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