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before the description of the present invention proceeds , it is to be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the accompanying drawings . referring now to the drawings , there is shown in fig1 a braking circuit provided with an antilocking apparatus according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention , which includes a brake pedal 1 , a master cylinder 2 for operating in accordance with a pedaling force of the brake pedal 1 , a wheel brake 3 , a main flow passage l1 for connecting the master cylinder 2 with the wheel brake 3 , a reflux passage l2 which is branched at the branch point p1 from the main flow passage l1 so as to join the main flow passage l1 at the return point p2 of the upstream side ( namely , the master cylinder 2 side ) above the branch point p1 , a flow amount controlling valve 4 provided at a branch point p1 of the main flow passage l1 , an electromagnetic valve 5 provided on the reflux passage l2 , a pump for the operating liquid reflux use 6 provided with the electromagnetic valve 5 and the return point p2 in the reflux passage l2 , a pressure absorbing valve 7 provided on the reflux passage l2 between the pump 6 and the return point p2 . the electromagnetic valve 5 , which is normally closed , to be provided on the reflux passage l2 is adapted to automatically open by the electromagnetic operation at the antilocking pressure reduction time , to discharge the operating liquid from the wheel brake 3 into the reflux passage l2 through flow amount controlling valve 4 so as to pressure reduce the wheel brake 3 . at the pressure reincreasing time of the braking pressure , the electromagnetic valve 5 is closed to cut off the discharge into the reflux passage l2 , and also , the operating liquid is fed into the wheel brake 3 through the flow amount control valve 4 from the main flow passage l1 so as to increase pressure to the wheel brake 3 , with the pressure governing means of the operating liquid being composed of the flow amount controlling valve 4 and the electromagnetic valve 5 . on the reflux passage l2 , a reservoir 8 is provided on the lower stream of the electromagnetic valve 5 , the pump 6 to be driven by the motor 9 is provided on the lower stream of the reservoir 8 . the check valves 10 , 11 are respectively coupled to the pump 6 and the reservoir 8 , and the pump 6 and the pressure absorbing valve 7 , so that the operating liquid discharged into the reflux passage l2 is refluxed only in the direction of the return point p2 from the branch point p1 . the pressure absorbing valve 7 has a liquid chamber 13 provided within the housing 12 , a first port 14 connecting onto the side of the return point p2 of the reflux passage l2 is communicated with the left end ( in the drawing ) of the liquid chamber 13 , and a second port 15 connecting with the reflux passage l2 on the pump discharging side is formed on the lower portion on the right end side opposite to the liquid chamber 13 . within the housing 12 , a valve member accommodating chamber 16 of the small diameter is formed in communication with the center portion of the right end face of the liquid chamber 13 . a valve member 17 is accommodated from the above described liquid chamber 13 to the valve member accommodating chamber 16 , and is approximately cylindrical shape having two stages of large , small diameters . the larger diameter portion 17a is accommodated in the large space drilled in the interior portion of the liquid chamber 13 , while the tip end side of the accommodating portion 17b composed of the smaller diameter portion is slidably inserted into the valve member accommodating chamber 16 . a flange portion 17c is projected from the tip end outer periphery of the larger diameter portion 17a of the valve member 17 with a valve opening / closing portion 17d projected into a conical shape is formed in the central portion of the flange portion 17c . a spring 18 is contracted between the above described flange portion 17c and the other end face 13a ( the side face on the communication side with respect to the valve member accommodating chamber 16 so as to urge the valve opening / closing portion 17d to come into contact against the valve seat portion 14a of the first port 14 for normally closing the first port 14 to cut off the flow passage with respect to the second port 15 . a space s is set to be caused between the tip end 17f of the valve member accommodating portion 17b inserted into the valve member accommodating chamber 16 and the tip end wall face 16a of the valve member accommodating chamber 16 with the valve member 17 being urged by the spring 18 . it is to be noted that the tip end of the valve member accommodating chamber 16 may be kept open . a seal mounting portion 16b is formed in the axial intermediate portion of the valve member accommodating chamber 16 , and the operating liquid is adapted not to be leaked onto the space s side of the valve member accommodating chamber 16 into the liquid chamber 13 with a seal 19 being provided between the inner peripheral face of the seal mounting portion 16b and the outer peripheral face of the valve member small diameter portion 17b . when the pump discharge liquid is flowed into the second port 15 in the pressure absorbing valve 7 , it enters into the liquid chamber 13 to act upon the flange portion 17c of the valve member 17 for moving the valve member 17 against the spring 18 in the right direction in the drawing so as to open the valve seat 14a of the first port 14 . the valve member accommodating portion 17b is inserted further deeply into the interior of the valve member accommodating chamber 16 , as shown in fig2 by the movement of the valve member 17 , because the space s is provided within the valve member accommodating chamber 16 . therefore , the volume of the valve member 17 located within the liquid chamber 13 is decreased , and the filling volume of the operating liquid within the liquid chamber 13 is to be correspondingly increased . the operating liquid to be discharged out of the pump 6 becomes periodically larger in pressure as shown in fig3 the valve member 17 of the above described pressure absorbing valve 7 is moved in accordance with the pressure to increase the filling volume of the operating liquid , so that the pressure is to be absorbed when the larger pressure has been applied . thus , the operating liquid having the pressure fluctuation shown in fig3 is not discharged from the second port 15 in a condition as it is , and the large pressure is moderated , namely , the pulsating is moderated , so that the pressure becomes approximately uniform and is discharged out of the second port 15 . the flow amount controlling valve 4 composing the above described adjusting means engages a spool 31 slidably in the axial direction into the hole 30a drilled in the housing 30 as shown in detail in fig4 ( a ). a entrance 30b connected with the first port 14 of the above described flow passage area switching valve 7 through the main flow passage l1 on the return point p2 side , flow passages 30c , 30d branched from the entrance 30b and communicating with the hole 30a , a first exit 30e connected with the main flow passage l1 on the side of the wheel brake 3 , a second exit 30f connected with the reflux passage l2 , flow passages 30g , 30h branched from the second exit 30f and connected with the hole 30a are provided on the side face of the housing 30 . the spool 31 has an outer peripheral groove portion 31a provided on the side face , and also , has holes respectively opened in both the end faces through the orifice 32 along the axial core portion so as to constitute a pressure adding chamber 31b , a pressure reducing chamber 31c . a spring 33 is contracted in , inserted into the pressure reducing chamber 31c to upwardly ( in the drawing ) urge the spool 31 . as the flow amount controlling valve 4 is constructed as described hereinabove , the spool 33 is provided in a position shown in fig4 ( a ) at the normal brake pressure increasing time . a large flow passage for flowing the operating liquid from the master cylinder 2 side onto the side of the wheel brake 3 through the entrance 30b , the outer peripheral groove portion 31a , the first exit 30e is formed . at the normal braking operation time , namely , at the non - antilocking time , the operating liquid is guided into the flow amount controlling valve 4 from the master cylinder 2 side , and is introduced into the wheel brake 3 through the large flow passage with the flow amount controlling valve 4 . therefore , the operating liquid corresponding to the pedaling force of the brake pedal 1 is fed to the wheel brake 3 so as to apply the pressure upon the brake . at the antilocking pressure reducing time , the electromagnetic valve 5 is opened , the operating liquid within the pressure reducing chamber 31c of the flow amount controlling valve 4 is discharged onto the side of the reflux passage l2 from the second exit 30f through the flow passage 30g and flows into the reservoir 8 through the electromagnetic valve 5 . in the flow amount controlling valve 4 , the different pressure is caused at both the ends of the spool 31 with the orifice 32 as a boundary by the outflowing of the operating liquid from the pressure reducing chamber 31c , and the spool 31 is moved downwards in the drawing as shown in fig4 ( b ). therefore , the communication between the outer peripheral groove portion 31a and the entrance 30b is cut off by the edge 31d of the outer peripheral groove portion 31a so as to close the large flow passage . as shown in fig4 ( c ), the spool 31 moves downwards in the drawing so as to form a pressure reducing passage leading to the first exit 30e → the outer peripheral groove portion 31a → the flow passage 30h → the second exit 30f . in the pressure reducing flow passage , the flow amount is controlled in accordance with the open condition of the flow passage 30h by the edge 31e so as to discharge the operating liquid from the wheel brake 3 into the reflux passage l2 . the operating liquid discharged into the reflux passage l2 is stored in the reservoir 8 , and is discharged onto the side of the pressure absorbing valve 7 through the pump 6 to be driven by the motor 9 . as described hereinabove , in the pressure absorbing valve 7 , the operating liquid flowed into the liquid chamber 13 from the second port 15 moves so that the accommodating portion 17b may insert the valve member 17 deep into the valve member accommodating chamber 16 in accordance with the pressure so as to increase the operating liquid filling capacity of the liquid chamber 13 in accordance with the movement amount , so that the pressure fluctuation is absorbed to reflux it to the return point p2 from the first port 14 with approximately equal pressure . it is refluxed onto the master cylinder 2 side with the pulsation being restrained through the main flow passage l1 from the return point p2 . at the pressure reincreasing time after the antilocking operation , the electromagnetic valve 5 become non - fed so as to stop the outflow of the operating liquid from the second exit 30f of the flow amount controlling valve 4 . as shown in fig4 ( c ), under the condition , the small flow passage leading to the entrance 30b → the flow passage 30c → the pressure increasing chamber 31b → the orifice 32 → the pressure reducing chamber 31c → the flow passage 30g → the flow passage 30h → the outer peripheral groove 31a → the first exit 30e in the flow amount controlling valve 4 . the operating fluid from the master cylinder 2 is fed to the wheel brake 3 through the small flow passage of the flow amount controlling valve 4 through the main flow passage l1 so as to slowly raise the pressure of the brake 3 . when the different pressure between the above described flow entrance 30b and the first exit 30e becomes smaller , the spool 31 of the above described flow amount controlling valve 4 is restored into a position shown in fig4 ( a ) by the urging force of the spring 33 to retain the large flow passage again . at the pressure reincreasing time , one portion of the operating liquid to be discharged from the pump 6 is fed to the wheel brake 3 through the flow amount controlling valve 4 from the return point p2 . as is clear from the foregoing description , in the braking circuit provided with an antilocking apparatus in accordance with the present invention , the operating liquid to be discharged from the pump at the antilocking operation is absorbed large in volume so as to ease the pressure variation , so that it is refluxed onto the master cylinder side so as to restrain the pulsation to be operated upon the brake pedal . also , as the present utility model is of simple construction only with provision of the pressure absorbing valve composed of extremely simple construction , the pulsation of the pump discharging pressure is restrained to improve the pedal feeling without the space being made larger , the size being made larger , and the cost being made higher . although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted here that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention , they should be construed as included therein . | 1 |
the embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and illustrate the best mode of practicing the invention . upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures , those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the invention and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein . it should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims . the present invention is a side rigger for extending a fishing line to the side of a boat during trolling . the side rigger contains a rod holder base adapted to mount in an existing fishing rod holder on a boat . in this manner , the side rigger is portable , small , and inexpensive . the side rigger contains two additional rod holders so that up to two more fishing rods may be placed onto the side rigger when in use , since the side rigger has eliminated use of a fishing rod holder on the boat when installed . the side rigger consists of an adjustable telescoping pole so that the fishing line can be extended away from the boat when trolling . the telescoping pole is mounted to a variably adjustable mount so that the telescoping pole can be rotated outward up to ± approximately 90 degrees to extend the pole outward from the boat at different and desired angles , and so that the side rigger can be used on either side of the boat to extend the fishing line . the side rigger also contains a swivel mount for the rod holder base so that the orientation of side rigger can be adjusted depending on the fish rod holder orientation on the boat to keep the platform of the side rigger level , since rod holder designs and orientation angles differ from boat to boat . fig1 illustrates a side rigger 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in general , the side rigger 10 consists of a rod holder base 12 that is adapted to mount into the inside of a fishing rod holder 14 , typically built into the top of the hull of a boat 15 on most sport fishing boats . the rod holder base 12 supports the side rigger 10 when in use . the rod holder base 12 is attached to a platform 16 that supports other components of the side rigger 10 . two additional rod holders 18 a , 18 b , are mounted to the platform 16 to support the addition of two additional fishing rods . as illustrated in fig1 , one fishing rod 20 is installed in the rod holder 18 a . the fishing rod &# 39 ; s line 22 is extended from the side of the boat 15 using the side rigger 10 . a telescoping pole 24 is mounted to the platform 16 via a variably adjustable pole mount 26 . the adjustable pole mount 26 is typically attached to the platform 16 on its end at approximately perpendicular or 90 degrees , so that the telescoping pole 24 can be rotated in a plane substantially perpendicular to the surface of the platform 16 about a pole mount grooved orifice 28 built into the adjustable pole mount 26 to move the telescoping pole 24 from an upright position approximately ± 90 degrees to the left or right to extend the pole 24 out from the boat 15 . the grooved orifice 28 may be of any circumference as long as it allows some degree of movement or rotation . in this manner , when the fishing rod line 22 is attached to the pole 24 , the fishing rod line 22 is extended outward from the side of the boat 15 to prevent entanglements , as previously discussed in the “ background of the invention ” section . a fastener ( not illustrated in fig1 ) is used to connect the pole 24 to the adjustable pole mount 26 to rotate the pole 24 to the desired position and to then tightly fasten the pole 24 to the pole mount 26 in the desired position for use . this is important so that the pole 24 can be rotated in both right and left of center of the pole mount grooved orifice 28 in the pole mount 26 so that the side rigger 10 can be used on either side of the boat 15 . the pole 24 needs to be rotated to the right of center when used on the right side of the boat 15 , and left of center when used on the left side of the boat . in order to attach to the fishing rod line 22 to the telescoping pole 24 to extend the fishing rod line 22 out from the boat 15 as illustrated in fig1 , the line 22 is attached to a close - pin type loop line 30 via a breakaway type clamp or fastener 32 . the pole loop 30 runs between two eye - loops 34 , 36 mounted permanent on each end of the telescoping pole 24 . when it is desired to extend the fishing line 22 outward , the fishing line 22 is attached to the loop line 30 , via the clamp 32 , and the line 30 is pulled , thereby moving the loop line 30 between the eye holes 34 , 36 and extending the clamp 32 and line 22 outward towards the end of the pole 24 towards the outside eye hole 34 . in this manner , the line 22 is attached to the loop line 30 when in reach of persons on the boat 15 , but then extended outward from the boat 15 during trolling to extend the line 22 from the boat 15 . the clamp 32 is releasable when a force is placed on the line 22 , such as when a fish attacks the bait on the end of the line 22 , or when the person holding the fishing rod 20 jerks upward on the line 22 , so that the line 22 is detached from the loop line 30 and the fish can be reeled in as normal when a fish strike occurs . fig2 illustrates a typical sport fishing boat 15 employing the side rigger 10 in accordance with the present invention . as seen from fig2 , the entire telescoping pole 24 is shown in extended form , and the line 22 is seen extending outward from the boat 15 as desired . the telescoping pole 24 consists of an outer conduit 38 containing an inner conduit 40 . the inner conduit 40 contains the outward eye loop 34 , and the outer conduit 38 contains the inner eye loop 36 . the inner conduit 40 extends outward at the far end of the outer conduit 42 . more detail on the telescoping design of the pole 24 will be described below . fig3 and 4 illustrate in more detail the individual components that comprise the side rigger 10 . fig3 illustrates a break - out view of the individual components of the side rigger 10 in an unattached form . fig4 illustrates the side rigger 10 completely assembled with all components attached . as illustrated in fig3 , the side rigger 10 comprises a rod holder base 12 as previously described . the rod holder base 12 contains a notch 44 that is adapted to fit around a support member ( not illustrated ) in the bottom of a standard fishing rod holder 14 to keep the side rigger 10 from turning while installed in the fishing rod holder 14 and to keep the side rigger 10 stable when in use . actually , two notches 44 are provided on opposites sides of each other on the rod holder base 12 ( only one is shown in fig3 ), since a standard fishing rod holder support member runs across the bottom of fishing rod holder 14 , and the two notches 44 create a horizontal space for the support member to fit within to prevent rotation , as is well known . the rod holder base 12 is angled and contains a neck portion 46 . this is because most fishing rod holders 14 on boats 15 are angled . by providing the neck portion 46 , it typically allows the platform 16 to rest in a level position with respect to the boat 15 and the water even through the rod holder base 12 is inserted into an angled fishing rod holder 14 . the rod holder base 12 contains a mounting member 48 at its top comprised of a disc - shaped member with three threaded orifices 50 and a threaded screw or bolt 52 extending out of the top of the mounting member 48 . the threaded screw 52 inserts into a fixed or stationary receiving orifice 54 in the platform 16 , and a locking nut 56 attaches to the end of the threaded screw 52 to tighten the mounting member 48 , and thus the rod holder base 12 , securely to the platform 16 . in accordance with the present invention , it is desirable for the rod holder base 12 to be rotated about the platform 16 so that the orientation of the platform 16 , with respect to the boat &# 39 ; s rod holder 14 is adjustable since rod holder 14 designs vary from boat to boat . however , it is also desired to limit the amount of rotation so that the platform 16 does not have the ability to rotate 360 degrees around the rod holder base 12 uncontrollably . in order to accomplish this design feature , three threaded orifices 50 are provided on the mounting member 48 , wherein one of the three threaded orifices 50 are adapted to receive a threaded screw 58 in order to allow the rod holder base 12 to be rotated about the platform 16 . the threaded screw 58 extends through a semi - circle shaped platform grooved orifice 60 and attaches securely to one of the three threaded orifices 50 . the platform grooved orifice 60 may allow rotation ± 30 degrees from a center position , for example . the grooved orifice 60 may be of any circumference as long as it allows some degree of movement or rotation . the threaded screw 58 contains a head 62 with a cylindrical orifice 64 for receiving a horizontal lever 66 that is used to allow a person to twist or rotate the head 62 , thus rotating the threaded screw 58 to loosen the mounting member 48 from the platform 16 to allow the rod holder base 12 to be rotated about the semi - circle shaped platform grooved orifice 60 in order to rotate the position of the rod holder base 12 with respect to the platform 16 . for example , the platform grooved orifice 60 may allow rotation ± 30 degrees . the amount of rotation is limited by the circumference of the semi - circle platform grooved orifice 60 provided in the platform 16 . in the illustration in fig4 , the threaded screw 58 is attached to the center threaded orifice 50 , which allows rotation of the platform 16 about the rod holder base 12 left or right with a starting position of 0 degrees , and ± 30 degrees for example , if this maximum angle of rotation is provided by the semi - circle shaped platform grooved orifice 60 . if more rotation is desired than the maximum allowed by the platform grooved orifice 60 ( i . e . the threaded screw 58 is loosened and the platform 16 is rotated so that the threaded screw 58 is adjacent on end of the semi - circled shaped platform grooved orifice 60 ), the threaded screw 58 can be completely unscrewed from the center threaded orifice 50 and screwed into one of the outside threaded orifices 50 . this allows the starting position of the platform 16 rotation with respect to the rod holder base 12 to be offset from 0 degrees , so that rotation of the platform 16 about the rod holder base 12 , as limited by semi - circle shaped platform grooved orifice 60 , can be rotated further . for example , if the platform grooved orifice 60 allows rotation by ± 30 degrees , and the outside threaded orifice 50 allows fifteen ( 15 ) more degrees in offset , then the total rotation can be 45 degrees ( 30 degrees + 15 degree offset ). this is particularly important if the rod holder 14 design of a boat requires that the side rigger 10 be rotated to a greater degree of rotation that allowed by the semi - circle shaped platform grooved orifice 60 , to keep the platform 16 substantially level . the additional rod holders 18 a , 18 b are attached to the platform via an l - shaped member 68 , wherein the bottom portion of the l - shaped member 68 is welded to the top of the platform 16 , and the side portion of the l - shaped member 68 is welded to the rod holders 18 a , 18 b . lastly , the telescoping pole 24 is mounted to the side rigger 10 . the telescoping pole 24 contains two threaded members or screws 70 , 72 that extend outward from the pole 24 . threaded screw 72 is adapted to fit in an orifice 73 provided in the adjustable pole mount 26 . a locking nut and washer 74 attaches to the threaded screw 72 and securely fits the telescoping pole 24 to the pole mount 26 and thus the side rigger 10 . just as it is desirable to rotate the rod holder base 12 about the platform 16 , it is also desirable to provide for the ability to rotate the telescoping pole 24 outwardly from the platform 16 of the side rigger 10 at varying angles as desired to extend the pole 24 outwardly from the boat 15 up to substantially parallel to the platform 16 . this allows the telescoping pole 24 to be extended upward at 0 degrees , as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , when the side rigger 10 is not in use for easier storage , and extended outward from the boat 15 at the angle desired when the side rigger 10 is in use . rotation ability is provided by the mounting screw 70 being inserted through the semi - circle shaped pole mount grooved orifice 28 provided in the pole mount 26 , and securely fastened via a threaded orifice head 76 ( like head 62 ) that is adapted to tighten to the threaded screw 70 with a spring 78 provided therebetween . to rotate the telescoping pole 24 , a horizontal member 80 , provided through an orifice 82 in the head 76 , is rotated to rotate the head 76 to loosen it from the threaded screw 70 to allow the telescoping pole 24 to rotate in either direction about the semi - circle shaped pole mount grooved orifice 28 . in this manner , if it is desired to extend the fishing line 22 the maximum distance from the boat 15 , and so that the fishing line 22 is closest to the water , the pole 24 is rotated fully to a parallel position to the platform 16 . if not , then pole 24 can be rotated to a lesser extent , which brings the line 22 closer to the boat 15 and pulls the line 22 upward off of the water where the pole 24 extends . in this manner , the line 22 will reach the water behind the telescoping pole 24 depending on the angle of rotation . fig3 and 4 also show the outer conduit 38 and inner conduit 40 in more detail to show the telescoping feature of the telescoping pole 24 . to telescope the pole 24 , the inner conduit 40 is simply pulled outward and away from the outer conduit 38 . so that the inner conduit 40 is not pulled completely out of the outer conduit 38 thereby detaching itself from the side rigger 10 . the outer conduit 38 contains an orifice 84 that is adapted to receive a retractable pin 88 ( illustrated in fig5 ) attached on the inner conduit 40 , when the pole 24 is fully extended . when the retractable pin 88 reaches the orifice 84 , it retracts outward from a retracted position into the orifice 84 to keep the inner conduit 40 from extending farther outward . in order to retract the inner conduit 40 back inside the outer conduit 38 , a person presses down on the retractable pin 88 to remove it from the orifice 84 , which allows the inner conduit 40 to again move freely inside the outer conduit 38 and the outer conduit 40 to be placed back inside the outer conduit 38 . fig5 a and 5b illustrate the rod holder base 12 rotated about the platform 16 , as discussed above for fig3 and 4 , to allow for maximum flexibility to place the platform 16 in the desired position with respect to the rod holder 14 . in fig5 a , the rod holder base 12 is rotated to the left , by rotating head 62 , using horizontal member 66 , to loosen the threaded screw 52 from the mounting member 48 , and then rotating the rod holder base 12 to the left . the head 62 and threaded screw 52 , as attached together , rotate along the semi - circle shaped platform grooved orifice 60 ( illustrated in fig3 ) to allow the rod holder base 12 to rotate to the left with respect to the platform 16 . after rotation , the horizontal lever 66 is rotated clockwise to tighten the head 62 against the threaded screw 52 thereby securely tightening the mounting member 48 against the platform 16 so it cannot move . as discussed above , this allows the angle of the rod holder base 12 to be changed with respect to the platform 16 so that the platform 16 can be adjusted and kept level , as desired , depending on the angled variability of fishing rod holders 14 on boats 15 . similarly in fig5 b , the rod holder base 12 is rotated to the right with respect to the platform 16 in the same manner , except the head 62 is rotated in the platform grooved orifice 60 on the right hand side as illustrated . as discussed above , this allows the angle of the rod holder base 12 to be changed with respect to the platform 16 so that the platform 16 can be adjusted and kept level , as desired , depending on the angled variability of fishing rod holders 14 on boats 15 . fig5 a and 5b also illustrate the horizontal lever 66 which contains limiters 86 that have a larger diameter than cylindrical orifice 64 extending through the head 62 so that the horizontal lever 66 does not fall out . the limiter 86 rests against the orifice 64 to keep the horizontal member 66 from escaping from the orifice 64 . the horizontal lever 66 can be slid up and down the head 62 to allow for rotation on either side of the head 62 depending on what is most convenient for the person rotating the head 62 and the angle and position of the person doing the rotating . additionally , a lanyard loop 87 is attached to the platform 15 ( shown from a front view ) in fig5 a and 5b , so that a lanyard may be attached the loop 87 to prevent loss of the side rigger 10 if the fishing rod holder base 12 becomes unsecured from the fishing rod holder 14 . fig6 illustrates the side rigger 10 in use with the telescoping pole 24 fully extended . note that the retractable pin 88 is extended through the orifice 84 to lock the inner conduit 40 in place with respect to the outer conduit 38 . the pole 24 is rotated in the semi - circle shaped pole mount grooved orifice 28 by having loosened the head 76 , rotating the pole 24 , and tightening the head 76 , to firmly secure the pole 24 against the pole mount 26 , to almost a parallel position to the platform 16 . the fishing rod line 22 extends downward from the top of the fishing rod 20 ( not shown ), and is attached to the clamp 32 , which is attached to the loop line 30 . the line 22 then extends back from the pole 24 at the clamp 30 into the water . thus , the line 22 reaches the water in a position that is extended outward from the boat 15 . fig7 illustrates the rear view of the side rigger 10 and the rear of the pole mount 26 used to attach the telescoping pole 24 to the side rigger 10 . in one embodiment of the present invention , the pole mount 26 contains semi - circle shaped ridges 90 all along the edge of the pole mount grooved orifice 28 to provide for easier positioning of the pole 24 when rotated . the ridges 90 allow one to position the pole 24 in the same location of rotation if desired in a repeatable fashion . the user simply rotates the pole 24 in the pole mount grooved orifice 28 to the desired ridge 90 and then tightens the head 76 to secure the pole 24 firmly against the pole mount 26 . fig7 also illustrates the head 76 and its horizontal member 80 that is used to rotate the head 76 to loosen the head 76 to allow rotation of the pole 24 and securing of same in the desired position about pole mount grooved orifice 28 . similar to horizontal member 66 for rotating the rod holder base 12 , the horizontal lever 80 contains limiters 92 that have a larger diameter than orifice 82 extending through the head 76 so that the horizontal member 80 does not escape the orifice 82 . the horizontal member 80 can be slid up and down the head 76 to allow for the rotation on either side of the head 76 depending on what is most convenient for the person rotating the head 76 and the angle and position of the person doing the rotating . it should be noted that the fastener types , angles of rotating , circumferences of grooves , number of additional rod holders provided on the side rigger , and other measurements and sizes shown and illustrated are not limited to the description of one embodiment of the present invention above . any type of these functions and features may be provided and be within the scope of the present invention . those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present invention . all such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow . | 0 |
while the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which particular embodiments are shown , it is to be understood at the outset that persons skilled in the art may modify the invention herein described while still achieving the favorable results of this invention . accordingly , the description which follows is to be understood as a broad teaching disclosure directed to persons of skill in the appropriate arts and not as limiting upon the present invention . thus there is shown in fig1 an embodiment of an apparatus or cardiac assist device 101 of the present invention . a patient &# 39 ; s heart 100 is shown schematically . enveloping or enshrouding heart 100 from its apex 102 to its base 104 is a helically wound length of tubing or a bladder array 106 , the tubing segments on the back side of heart 100 being shown in dashed lines . alternatively , the array 106 could comprise an arrangement , locus , or series of fluidically coupled chambers . the individual helices 108 of the tubing array 106 shown in fig1 are separated by distances d and d ′: distances d , d ′ are variable and can be adjusted by the physician ( e . g ., by selecting a device with wider or narrower “ d ” spacing ) to create a more natural mimic of the heart &# 39 ; s rhythmic contractions as is described below . also shown in phantom in fig1 is an optional heart - shaped , supporting cup or envelope 202 . the heart - shaped cup member 202 is constituted of a somewhat rigid , but flexible material . the material ( preferably translucent ) of cup - shaped member 202 should have adequate rigidity so that it does not collapse during diastolic actuation . further , it should not expand radially to any great extent when pressurized fluid is introduced into chambers 108 in accordance with the method of the present invention . as is shown in fig1 the inside surface 210 of cup 202 , in this embodiment , is in contact with the outer - most surface of chambers 108 so as to support them , to keep the segments or chambers separated from each other , and to direct inwardly ( to compress heart 100 ) any pulsatile or pump surge input thereto . also shown in fig1 to be in fluid communication with chamber array 106 are a pressure regulator 110 and a pump 112 . the regulation of chamber pressure may be achieved by a relief valve coupled to the fluid circuit , a pressure regulator , or possibly , by “ pump surge .” pressure regulator 110 and pump 112 are electrically coupled to a controller means or module 114 , e . g ., a microprocessor . ( under circumstances where added complexity is permissible , a solenoid valve could be substituted for a pressure regulator 110 ). microprocessor 114 is programmed to receive input information as to the status and performance characteristics of heart 100 from a cardiac activity sensor / input means 115 . assuming heart 100 is providing adequate cardiac output i . e ., it is beating sufficiently frequently , with sufficient efficiency , the assist system shown in the fig1 provides no stimulation or assistance to heart 100 . however when microprocessor 114 receives input that the cardiac output of heart 100 is inadequate for the patient &# 39 ; s activity , microprocessor 114 activates pump 112 and valve 110 . pump 112 causes a fluid , preferably an incompressible , low viscosity , biocompatible fluid such as saline to flow into the individual helices 108 starting at the heart &# 39 ; s apex 102 and flowing toward its base 104 . ( it is conceivable that compressed gas could be used to activate the helices or chambers according to this invention ). this creates a wave form or wave front which travels from the apex toward the base which causes the heart ( specifically the ventricles ) to contract in rhythmic fashion . this contraction wave form tends to mimic normal cardiac depolarization but with enhanced or accelerated fluid blood flow from the ventricles . the speed of pump 112 ( which preferably is either a kinetic or centrifugal pump , a peristaltic or positive displacement pump but may be of any type including axial turbine or a radial pump ) is coordinated with pressure regulator 110 to create a sequence or series of wave forms or pulses of fluid in chambers 108 causing at least the ventricles ( but preferably both the ventricles and the atria ) to be rhythmically massaged or compressed . in this manner cardiac output is substantially enhanced with the assistance of this device . a device of this invention has the capability of assisting left and right ventricles ( i . e ., compressing or massaging ) essentially simultaneously or sequentially . the intensity of the compression step can be adjusted by adjusting pump speed and pressure regulator 110 timing . the intensity of the compression step can also be adjusted by the selection of stiffness and diameter of the bladder or tube elements used to create the array 106 . the number of chambers 108 wrapped around heart 100 and their separation distance ( discussed above ), also determines the intensity and extent of assist provided to the heart . one skilled in the art will appreciate that some amount of experimentation regarding bladder characteristics may be needed to optimize the natural pumping efficiency of the heart using a device of this invention . it also is to be appreciated that the physiological factor ( or factors ) observed or monitored by sensor / input means 115 to provide input to control means 114 may include many ( if not all ) of the parameters normally observed appurtenant to electrical sensing and / or pacing of the heart . thus general body activity , oxygen saturation , pulse , peak - to - peak t - wave separation and numerous other indicia of cardiac activity may be observed in order to trigger e . g ., via the microprocessor 114 , the use of the present device . appropriate input leads , whether internal or external to the heart , are selected depending upon the parameter ( s ) of cardiac activity selected to be observed or monitored . to some extent , the overall placement and configuration of the chamber array may be modified in view of the physiologic factor or factors chosen to be monitored . it is possible that the sensor / input means 115 to control means 114 could be the electronic output of a device which measures cardiac output i . e ., blood flow or blood volume , directly . various sensors e . g ., cardiac sensing / pacing leads , which measure cardiac output directly or indirectly , are available from medtronic , inc ., in fridley , minn ., u . s . a . cardiac output also can be measured using a sensor inserted into an artery at the wrist . it also is within the contemplation of this invention that the input 115 to control means 114 could be the output from a cardiac pacemaker . integration of the present device with a cardiac pacemaker would provide the advantage of e . g ., fewer organ - electrode interfaces . it follows , of course , that a sophisticated pacemaker may control the pump and pressure regulator without the need for a second implanted control means ( i . e ., in the absence of control means 114 ). it is understood that the device shown in fig1 presumes the chambers are either attached to the outside of the heart ( e . g ., by suturing ) or placed within a semi - rigid cup such as is that shown and as also is depicted in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 169 , 381 , the teaching of which is incorporated by reference herein . alternatively , a mesh or net arrangement ( not shown ) may be used in this latter embodiment . the individual chambers 108 would be attached or retained on the inside surface of the cup so as to maintain the relative separation d , d ′ between the chambers themselves while maintaining the chambers in contact with the heart &# 39 ; s surface . the cup or mesh arrangement also causes all expansion of helices 108 to be inwardly directed to create the advantageous bottom - to - top cardiac massage contemplated by this invention . referring to fig1 arrows 120 show the general direction of incompressible fluid flow within the system . as is shown , fluid leaves pump 112 passes toward the apex of the heart and then passes through the system toward the heart &# 39 ; s base or basal region . it is this direction and the pulse effect given to the fluid via the use of pressure regulator 110 which creates the advantageous cardiac compression wave form which provides the unique cardiac assist of the present invention . referencing fig2 and 3 there is shown an embodiment to the present invention in which a heart - shaped cup member 202 is employed exteriorly of the chamber array 101 discussed above . in this version of cardiac assist device 201 the exterior cup is used to anchor the individual chambers 108 and to maintain their separation distance d , d ′. in this version of the invention cup member 202 is merely inserted over the heart 100 and sutured into place . as is shown in fig3 cup member 202 substantially envelopes heart 100 so as to maintain the chamber members 108 in exterior contact with the heart . partial or complete coverage of heart 100 are both contemplated . thus , when fluid is pulsed into the helices of the present invention the heart is massaged or compressed in the advantageous fashion described herein thereby generating additional cardiac output . [ 0039 ] fig4 shows a fully implanted version of the present assist device 201 . in addition to the components of the invention shown in fig1 ( and which similar designations have been used ) there is shown an additional implanted source of electrical energy , e . g ., a battery 203 and an implanted fluid reservoir 205 . as is shown battery 203 is electrically coupled to pump 112 and , preferably controller 114 while optional fluid reservoir 205 is fluidically coupled to pump 112 to replenish fluid to be pumped through the device 201 . equivalents to optional fluid reservoir 205 , e . g ., a larger diameter chamber array which would contain sufficient fluid , are within the contemplation of the present invention and will be readily apparent to one skilled in this art . [ 0040 ] fig5 shows schematically , a further embodiment of the present invention in which the chamber array 300 comprises a series of fingers or elongated patches 302 directed around the heart in a palm - open upward fashion . the fingers or patches 302 , as shown , are sutured to the exterior of heart 100 . chamber array 300 envelopes heart 100 such that when compressed radially inwardly e . g ., by generation of a pulsatile wave or wave form , heart 100 is massaged or compressed in accordance with the invention . surrounding and enveloping fingers 302 is cup - shaped member 304 . member 304 is substantially radially rigid such that expansion of fingers 302 by pulsatile input of fluid from pump 112 ( via input tubes or input connectors 308 ) causes fingers 302 ( or at least the inside surface thereof 303 ) to be displaced inwardly arrow 305 thereby compress heart 100 . fluid flows from the apex of heart 100 toward its base , pulsatile fluid emerging from fingers 302 into return connector or output connectors 310 to be returned to pressure regulator 110 for reuse . the outside surface 305 of finger 302 is in substantial contact with the inside surface 307 of member 304 . [ 0041 ] fig6 shows the embodiment of the invention of fig5 discussed above , fully implanted within the human chest cavity 42 . it should be noted that the devices shown in fig4 and fig6 are not necessarily drawn to the same scale . [ 0042 ] fig7 shows schematically , a further embodiment of the present invention in which the chamber array 400 comprises a series of “ bourdon type ” fingers or elongated patches 402 directed around the heart in a palm - open upward fashion . the bourdon type fingers 402 , as shown , are sutured to the elastic cup 403 which is sutured to the exterior of heart 100 . the bourdon chamber array envelops heart 100 such that it compresses the heart radially inward by straightening the fingers due to the pulsation of pressure inside the bourdon tubes , massages the heart in accordance with the invention . the cup - shaped elastic members 403 are substantially radially rigid and hence help the fingers 402 to compress the heart 100 effectively when pulsatile input of fluid from pump 112 ( via pressure regulator valve 110 and input tube or input connector 408 ) cause fingers 402 to be displaced inwardly thereby massaging heart 100 . the pressure generated due to the fluid flow from the pump 112 helps the heart to be massaged from the apex to its base in accordance with the invention . when pressure regulator 110 changes the direction of fluid flow upon the signal received from the microprocessor 114 , the backward fluid flow will contract the bourdon tube fingers outwardly to release the pressure from the heart 100 . the outflow of the fluid from the fingers 402 will return through the output connector 409 and pressure regulator valve 110 ) back into the pump 112 and reservoir 205 for reuse . bourdon tubes are described in greater detail at pages 444 and 445 of van nostrand &# 39 ; s scientific encyclopedia , 8 th edition ( 1995 ), the entire description of which is incorporated by reference herein . the present invention has the advantage of providing cardiac assistance or enhancement without creating the kind of blood / device interfaces characteristic of artificial hearts , implanted blood pumps , and other such mechanical , fluid - circulating assist therapies . thus , blood / interface artifacts , e . g ., damage to blood constituents , thrombus creation , and coagulation do not result because the present invention uses only the normal cardiac endothelium to interface with blood . the present invention is also broadly applicable to cardiac muscle infirmities which are evidenced by weakened cardiac muscle wall and muscle aneurysms or bulges . such muscular infirmities are evidenced by dyskinetic cardiac muscle segments ( i . e ., wall segments which do not reliably contract , and hypokinetic segments i . e ., wall segments which contract too slowly . utilization of the present invention with its cardiac cupping or enveloping structure tends to mitigate or eliminate these phenomena . thus , in one aspect , the present invention is a method of mitigation of cardiac muscle infirmities including dyskinesia and hypokinesia , which method involves the steps of providing a heart - shaped , cup apparatus ; deploying the cup apparatus so that it substantially envelopes a patient &# 39 ; s heart evidencing muscle infirmities , the apparatus being located so as to provide exterior support thereto ; and | 0 |
the teachings of the present inventions are preferably embodied as injectable hormonal preparations and as protocols that use such preparations in order to improve estrus synchronization and achieve a much higher percentage of estrus synchronization as well as the desired preservation of larger corpus luteum sizes . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the protocols and administered preparations described below in conjunction with the present invention are further facilitated by other techniques known to optimize the benefits of estrus synchronization . these other techniques include the maintenance of adequate nutrition as well as efforts to maintain sufficient overall body scores for the cows and heifers . those skilled in the art will also recognize alternative applications of the compounds and methods of the present invention that may include the preparation of recipient cows for implantation of embryos . for reference in various aspects of the preferred embodiments of the present invention , applicant has developed a preferred formulation for a steroidal hormonal preparation that applicant expects to commercialize under the designation “ supersync ™. ” the formulation of the supersync ™ preparation is a combination of an estrogenic compound , a progestin , and appropriate excipients to achieve an injectable form . by an “ estrogenic ” compound , we mean an artificial or synthetic estrogen ( i . e ., a steroidal estrogenic compound ) or derivatives , analogs , or agonists thereof , and any combinations thereof . likewise , by a “ progestin ,” we mean an artificial or synthetic progesterone ( i . e ., a steroidal progestogenic compound ), such as , for example , progesterone , hydroxyprogesterone , medroxyprogesterone , altrenogest , norgestomet , levonorgestrel , or other progestogenic compound , or derivatives , analogs , or agonists thereof , and any combinations thereof . preferably , the estrogenic compound is selected from the group of estradiol 17 - β or estradiol benzoate , or their derivatives , analogs , agonists and the like . to achieve a preparation that is suitable for intramuscular injection , the estrogenic compound and the progestin are compounded with an excipient that preferably combines an anhydrous carrier base ( such as sesame seed oil , cotton seed oil , olive oil ) with one or more excipient solvents . in the preferred embodiments , the excipient solvents are phenylmethanol ( approximately 10 % of the final volume ) and a co - solvent benzoic acid phenylmethyl ester ( approximately 10 % of the final volume ). the excimer is compounded with at least 1 mg / ml estrogenic compound ( preferably 1 . 25 mg / ml ). for a 2 cm3 dose , preferred preparations provide from 2 to 3 mg estradiol 17 - β , which is an amount effective to initiate estrus or , in other words , to reset the follicular wave in a heifer or a cow ( including a non - bovine cow ), and at least 30 mg / ml progestogenic compound ( preferably more than 40 mg / ml and approximately 60 mg / ml ), which has been found to be effective at preserving the corpus luteum intact for five or more days from the date of injection . the maximum amount of estradiol 17 - β should not ever exceed 5 mg per dose . fig3 depicts the methodology of a supersync ™ protocol according to the processes of the present invention . fig4 provides a flow chart describing in a step - by - step manner the methodology of the protocol of the present invention . initially ( step 402 in fig4 ), it is necessary to identify a day zero for the protocol by determining a time period of 45 - 60 days postpartum . starting the protocol no earlier than this time period ensures an involuted uterus . on day zero ( step 404 ), 2 cm3 of the proprietary formulation ( supersync ™) is administered by intramuscular ( im ) injection , preferably in the neck of the animal . the formulation of the proprietary preparation may vary moderately , but in the preferred embodiment includes progesterone and estradiol in a ratio of 60 mg / ml progesterone to 1 . 25 mg / ml estradiol . this proprietary preparation should be administered in the first twelve hours of day zero . the administered preparations described above in the protocol ( supersync ™ protocol ) generally carry out the following functions in the process of estrus synchronization . the proprietary preparation of progestin and estradiol provides a unique simultaneous combination of effects . as indicated above , the progestin component keeps a cow or heifer out of heat and extends the estrous cycle . the progestin / estradiol combination , when administered at day zero , resets the follicular wave in the animal . the prostaglandin ( pg ) prepares for initiation of heat in the animal . estradiol , administered subsequent to prostaglandin , further facilitates ovulation . gonadotropin releasing hormone ( gnrh ), as indicated above , is a hormone that triggers ovulation or starts development of a new follicular wave . lutenizing hormone ( lh ) also triggers ovulation and follicle stimulating hormone ( fsh ) promotes follicular formation . progestin mimics natural progesterone produced by the corpus luteum after ovulation which prepares the uterus for pregnancy and serves to keep the cow or heifer from coming back into heat . estradiol is the most common , and generally considered to be the most effective estrogen hormone . estradiol 17 - β is a naturally occurring hormone that tends to result in the quickest reaction in cows . estradiol benzoate is a possible alternative to estradiol 17 - β . the compositions contained in the proprietary preparation ( supersync ™) administered on day zero , therefore , carry out the important functions towards the goals of the protocol . the progestin helps to preserve the corpus luteum in good condition by shutting down the pituitary function . in essence the progestin ensures that the corpus luteum remains intact . the estradiol functions to reset the follicular wave . specifically , estradiol 17 - β ( e2 ) knocks off the dominant follicle , thereby releasing the ovacyte ( ovulation ), which becomes the egg ( once fertilized ). the ruptured follicle also either becomes the corpus luteum or adds to it ( presuming that a corpus luteum was pre - existing ). the second action step of the supersync ™ protocol ( step 406 ) takes place on day x , where day x is any day from 5 to 8 days after day zero , although it may start as soon as the corpus luteum has adequately redeveloped . on day x , therefore , 5 cm3 of prostaglandin ( pg ) is administered by intramuscular injection , preferably in the neck of the animal , and preferably within four hours of 8 : 00 am and optimally within one hour of 9 : 00 am . in the preferred embodiments , the prostaglandin ( pg ) utilized may be a product marketed as lutalyse ® ( a registered trademark of pharmacia & amp ; upjohn co . of michigan ) which contains the naturally occurring prostaglandin f2α ( dinoprost ) as the tromethamine salt . each milliliter contains dinoprost tromethamine equivalent to 5 mg dinoprost . alternately , in the preferred embodiments , the prostaglandin ( pg ) may be a product marketed as estrumate ® ( a registered trademark of schering - plough of new jersey ) which is a synthetic prostaglandin analogue structurally related to prostaglandin f2α . each milliliter of the colorless , aqueous solution contains 263 mcg of cloprostenol sodium ( equivalent to 250 meg of cloprostenol ). in any case , the prostaglandin functions to put a heifer or cow into heat , thereby disrupting the yellow tissue that makes up the corpus luteum , causing the release of scent and other signs of heat . this process thereby forces ovulation which is the start of complete estrus . the third action step ( step 408 ) typically occurs on day y , which is the day immediately following day x , but should occur within 12 to 36 hours after administering the second preparation wherein 1 cm3 of estradiol is administered , sometime on day y , preferably within four hours of 1 : 00 pm , and optimally within one hour of 1 : 00 pm . this administration of estradiol functions to stimulate the pituitary to release hormones causing ovulation ( i . e ., ovacyte to drop , vulva to swell , etc .). the estradiol used here and elsewhere in the preferred protocols is preferably estradiol 17 - β ( e2 ) or estradiol benzoate , although it should be appreciated that various other natural or synthetic estrogenic compounds , or their derivatives , analogs , or agonists , and any combinations thereof , may be used as less preferred alternatives . it will also be appreciated that , at the risk of marginalizing the benefits of the dosing in the preferred embodiments , alternate concentrations and / or volumes may also be used . for instance , it is appreciated that certain aspects of the invention can be accomplished through administration of other concentrations of the estrogen compound , so long as at least one milligram of estradiol 17 - β , or the biologically functional equivalent dose of an alternate steroidal estrogenic compound , is administered . the final action step ( step 410 ) in the supersync ™ protocol is carried out on day z , which is the day immediately following day y , wherein insemination is effected on day z , preferably within four hours of 2 : 00 pm , and optimally within one hour of 2 : 00 pm . insemination may be carried out with frozen or thawed semen , with actual fertilization typically occurring 4 - 6 hours after insemination . those skilled in the art will recognize that the protocol of the present invention as described above is less labor intensive than those protocols associated with the use of the cidr ® device and may be used on female animals that are genetically ill - suited to cidr ® use ( e . g ., beefmaster cows that typically cannot retain a cidr ® in place ) or individual females that do not tolerate the cidr ® ( e . g ., vaginal scarring from previous pregnancies ). the present invention &# 39 ; s protocol is less traumatic for the cows and heifers , and may be expected to generally maintain better overall health during administration of the protocol than with the cidr ® system . although the protocol and the proprietary preparation have been described in conjunction with a set of preferred embodiments , it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that certain modifications to the protocols and to the formulation may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . variations based on the size of the herd and / or the size and overall health of the individual cows and heifers , will become apparent . likewise , variations on the ratio of the compounds making up the proprietary preparation will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the specific applications to which the protocol is directed . in other words , some such variations would be appropriate for use of the protocols in conjunction with natural or artificial insemination versus a similar use of the protocols for embryo implantation . as indicated , these variations , given the basic concepts of the present invention , do not necessarily depart from the spirit and scope of the invention . the results that applicants are able to achieve using the present invention are surprisingly better than the prior art . for instance , although still unpublished , controlled studies have indicated dramatically greater conception rates in virgin dairy holstein heifers using a cidr ®- less protocol where the second preparation was administered on day 6 . similarly , although results may vary with poor controls , estrus synchronization using the present invention has been preliminarily reported to such a degree that more then 90 % of a herd reached estrus almost simultaneously , reportedly with two hours of each other . many other objects , features , and advantages of the present invention will be evident from the remainder of this application in light of a more exhaustive understanding of the numerous difficulties and challenges faced by the prior art , which in turn will be evident to those skilled in the art . in the end , while there are many alternative variations , modifications , and substitutions within the scope of the invention , one of ordinary skill in the art should consider the scope of the invention from a review of the claims appended hereto ( including any amendments made to those claims in the course of prosecuting this and related applications ) as considered in the context of the prior art and the various descriptions of this application . for instance , an alternative embodiment of the present invention involves use of a form of the first preparation ( and in a higher dose ) in donor cows to achieve successful estrus synchronization in preparation for embryo production , collection , and transfer into recipient cows . this embodiment is effective in taurine cows but is especially effective in brahman or other zebu cows . fig5 depicts the methodology of a donorsync ™ protocol according to the processes of the present invention . for this embodiment , one or more of the preferred variations of the day zero preparation from the previous embodiments is used to prepare the donor cow . the injected amount of such preparations , however , is increased -- preferably from 30 % to 150 % more than in the prior description . most preferably , the donor cow is injected with the first preparation in a dose of from 3 . 0 to 4 . 5 cm3 and , beginning four days later , a multi - day course of follicle - stimulating hormone ( fsh ) administered intramuscularly twice daily to produce more ovacytes , concluding with injections of prostaglandin to rupture all of the developed follicles . after ovulation , the donor cow is inseminated , usually several times in over a 12 to 24 hour period . thereafter , on day t , typically day 7 , the embryos are collected from the donors and transferred either to the recipients or preserved by freezing . | 0 |
before describing the takeoff weight computer apparatus of fig1 it will be helpful to consider the mathematical basis thereof , reference being made to fig2 . it is recognized that this mathematical analysis is also presented in the above - referenced u . s . pat . no . 4 , 110 , 605 but will be repeated herein for convenience . fig2 illustrates graphically the forces and accelerations acting on the aircraft just after brake release or just after the application of full takeoff power by the flight crew . from a definition and analysis of these forces and accelerations , the following relationships may be derived : ______________________________________t = thrust on aircraft due to enginesd = drag on aircraft due to aerodynamic resistance and to rolling frictionw = weight of the aircraftx = true acceleration of the aircraft along the runwayγ = inclination angle of the runway with respect to earth horizontal______________________________________ ______________________________________c . sub . d = aircraft coefficient of dragq = dynamic pressure = . 7 p . sub . s m . sup . 2p . sub . s = atmospheric pressurem = mach numbers = aircraft wing areaμ = coefficient of rolling frictiong = gravity acceleration______________________________________ since the calculation for w is made substantially at the start of the takeoff roll when the acceleration is a maximum and since at this time m is small , the aerodynamic drag terms in equation ( 4 ) can be neglected without impacting the accuracy of the weight measure . thus , ## equ3 ## it should be noted that the use of a longitudinal accelerometer which reflects a combination of true acceleration and the inclination of the runway results in relationship ( 5 ) being independent of the slope of the runway . referring now to fig1 a preferred implementation of the takeoff weight computer will be described . the two primary terms used in the computation which require basic sensors thereof are aircraft apparent acceleration and the thrust imparted to the aircraft by the engines . a signal proportional to the apparent acceleration of the aircraft relative to the runway is provided on lead 9 by a linear accelerometer 10 mounted on the airframe with its sensitive axis aligned parallel to the aircraft longitudinal axis . such accelerometer may be of any conventional type , for example , such as described in the present assignee &# 39 ; s u . s . pat . no . 3 , 992 , 951 . a signal proportional to the thrust on the aircraft is ultimately provided using a conventional engine pressure ratio ( epr ) sensor normally associated with each engine of the aircraft . in the present embodiment a three - engine aircraft has been assumed and three epr sensors 11 , 12 and 13 are involved . since the total thrust on the aircraft is the sum of the thrust provided by each engine , these separate signals are added , as by summing device 14 , after thrust computers 16a , 16b and 16c determine the thrust of each engine , respectively . the normalized thrust exerted on the aircraft is referred to as thrust over δ where δ is the static pressure ratio of the atmospheric conditions existing . this term is a predetermined function of epr and mach for a particular engine as illustrated in fig3 of the above u . s . pat . no . 4 , 110 , 605 patent which is incorporated herein by reference . in the preferred embodiment , a table of thrust values ( t / δ ) versus epr and mach is stored in a memory , as in a conventional memory within static thrust computers 16a , 16b , 16c , which memory is addressed by the existing engine epr signals on leads 48 , 49 , 50 and by mach number signal from air data computer 19 to provide on lead 17 a signal proportional to the existing normalized thrust t / δ acting on the aircraft . since it is required to provide a measure of the actual thrust t independent of the atmospheric pressure term δ , a signal proportional to δ on lead 18 is provided from a conventional air data computer 19 and supplied to a multiplier 20 responsive also to the t / δ signal for removing the δ term . thus , the output signal of the multiplier 20 on lead 21 is the required measure of the thrust t acting on the aircraft . the acceleration term a x is conventionally multiplied by the reciprocal of the gravity constant 1 / g at 25 to provide on lead 26 the a x / g term required by equation ( 5 ). also , in accordance with the present invention , the average value μ av of the rolling friction of the landing gear is provided on lead 27 from a conventional rolling friction weighted filter 28 , weighted as a function of previous values of rolling friction , to be further described below . this signal is summed with the acceleration term at summing device or means 29 to provide on lead 30 a signal proportional to the denominator of equation ( 5 ). the final signal on lead 31 is proportional to actual takeoff weight since the thrust output on lead 21 is processed through conventional divider device 32 the dividend of which is the thrust signal t on lead 21 and the divisor of which is the acceleration plus rolling friction signal on lead 30 . the actual weight signal on lead 31 may be supplied to any utilization apparatus requiring a measure of aircraft takeoff weight , such as for example , a performance management system . also , the actual weight signal may be supplied to a suitable display apparatus 33 together with the manifest weight signal , to be described , to indicate to the pilot any difference therebetween . as stated above , and in accordance with the present invention , the signal proportional to the average value of rolling friction μ av on lead 27 is derived from a weighted filter 28 weighted in accordance with the history of past values of rolling friction . the contents of filter 28 existing prior to a present takeoff is a value μ av which has been weighted heavily in favor of old values of μ and weighted lightly in favor of the newest value thereof . such filters are well known in the art and accomplish this function by weighting gain constants . the apparatus for calculating this rolling friction term will now be described . equation ( 5 ) expresses the relationship between the dynamic terms , thrust , acceleration and rolling friction for determining aircraft weight . while the thrust and acceleration terms may be physically measured with good accuracy , the rolling friction term cannot be conveniently physically measured because of the variables contributing to it . for example , its value will vary with the condition of the landing gear wheel bearings , tire pressure , brakes , aircraft weight , crosswinds and the existing runway surface conditions such as standing water , snow , slush and the like . however , if the value of rolling friction could be measured during each takeoff of the aircraft , a very accurate measure of rolling friction can be provided by taking the weighted average value thereof over a large number of takeoffs . a computed measure of rolling friction suitable for providing such average value is available . equation ( 5 ) above may be solved for μ : ## equ4 ## thus , since measures of t and a x / g are already available , the value of μ may be calculated if a physical measure of weight is available . since aircraft weight is a critical takeoff parameter , an estimate thereof is always available before any takeoff and is referred to as manifest weight ; that is , an estimated aircraft weight based on the aircraft &# 39 ; s empty weight , fuel quantity , number of passengers , baggage , freight , etc . the manifest weight estimate will have a variance from actual weight which will be high for some flights and low for others . calculations of μ based on equation ( 6 ) will therefore also have high and low values , the average of which should converge to the actual coefficient of rolling friction . referring again to fig1 the apparatus of the present invention includes a manifest weight entry panel or keyboard 35 which may be any of a number of known types of data entry devices such as an alphanumeric pushbutton panel having a visual readout and by means of which the pilot may enter the aircraft &# 39 ; s manifest weight . this data is entered into manifest weight entry 36 where it is conventionally converted into an electrical signal proportional thereto , which signal w m appears on lead 37 . in accordance with equation ( 6 ) this signal is supplied as a divisor to divider 38 , the dividend being the thrust signal on lead 21 . the quotient output signal on lead 39 therefore represents the first term of equation ( 6 ). the second term is represented by the signal on lead 26 proportional to a x / g which is subtracted from the signal on lead 39 by combining device 40 , the resulting difference signal on lead 41 being proportional to the computed value of rolling friction μ c for the present takeoff in accordance with equation ( 6 ). this present μ c signal is supplied to the filter 28 where , as described above , it is conventionally combined with the weighted average of all previous values of μ c . thus , the filter 28 effectively contains the weighted sum of all previous values of μ c and hence , represents a history of the rolling friction characteristic of the aircraft . it may be desirable to evaluate the value of the computed rolling friction term in order to determine whether or not it is grossly abnormal . there may be conditions which would cause this term to be abnormally high and since the value of the rolling friction term used in the weight computation is the average value , such abnormal value could unduly effect such average and the resulting computed takeoff weight . for example , it may be that the takeoff is being made from a slushy runway in which case the resulting increase in drag would result in an abnormally high μ c . also , if there is a malfunction causing a dragging brake or one or more of the tires are too soft , etc ., the μ c value will be abnormally high . accordingly , the computed value of rolling friction on lead 41 for the present takeoff is compared with the average value on lead 27 by means of comparator 42 . if the new value is within predetermined deviation limits , it is considered to be acceptable and is further processed by accept circuit 43 and passed onto the filter 28 via lead 44 . if , however μ c signal is not within such limits , it is considered not acceptable and is rejected . the reject circuit 45 processes the unacceptable μ c signal to form a flag signal which is passed on via lead 46 to a suitable maintenance recording apparatus 47 where it is ultimately conventionally used to set a landing gear maintenance display , indicating that there may be a landing gear abnormality which requires correction . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be implemented using either conventional analog computation instrumentation or conventional digital computation apparatus . in the former cases , the various functional blocks may be implemented from analog circuits such as operational amplifiers , configured to perform the required mathematical summing , multiplication , division and logical functions . similarly , these same mathematical and logical functions may be implemented in a digital computer , preferably using conventional and well understood analog - to - digital converters , microprocessor computations , analog - to - digital converters and programming techniques . the digital implementation has an advantage in that it enables the computation be made at a point when the acceleration is at a maximum . using a high speed digital computer , the weight calculation may be made several times a second , say , at 0 . 25 second intervals , using sampled acceleration and thrust measures and using as the final value , the average of the highest acceleration and corresponding thrust samples . while the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects . | 6 |
turning to fig1 , there is an integrated circuit 10 , such as a band gap regulator or a voltage controlled oscillator , that has a resistance network 28 that includes a number of polysilicon drift fuses f 1 - f 4 . each fuse is in series with a corresponding resistor , r 1 - r 4 . the resistors r 1 - r 4 are connected in parallel with each other . in this way , the effective resistance of the resistor network 28 is increased by blowing one of more fuses f 1 - f 4 and thereby removing the blown fuse &# 39 ; s resistance from the parallel resistor network 28 . the circuit 10 has input / output pins 30 . 1 , 30 . 2 , . . . 30 . n that are connected to one or more of the circuit elements ( not shown ) inside the device 12 . such circuit elements may include and are not limited to transistors , diodes , capacitors , inductors , resistors and other active or passive devices that can be fabricated on or in a semiconductor substrate . at least one input pin 30 . 5 is connected to the fuses f 1 - f 4 . the input pin 30 . 5 is multiplexed or otherwise enabled to communicate individually with each of the fuses in order to connect the fuse to a source of current sufficient to blow the fuse . each polysilicon drift fuse has a bow - tie shape as shown in fig2 a . a typical polysilicon drift fuse 40 has an elongated body 48 . at opposite ends of body 48 are terminal regions 42 , 43 . those regions are relatively large compared to the central region 46 . angled transition regions 44 , 45 connect the end regions 42 , 43 to the central region 46 . the transition regions 44 , 45 gradually reduce in width along the respective length in a direction toward the center to match the width of the central region 46 . the terminal regions 42 , 43 have heavily doped with n - type regions 4 a , 4 b . see fig2 b . the n + regions 4 a , 4 b extend from the one surface of the polysilicon drift fuse 40 to the other surface . near the center , there is lower , uniformly doped p − layer 3 b and an upper , graded n - doped region 6 . the graded n - doped region 6 gradually decreases in n - type doping density toward the middle 9 of the body 48 . the resistance of the polysilicon drift fuse 10 is inversely proportional to the total dopant concentration in the central region 6 and its length . its resistance is increased by making the region 6 longer , thinner , reducing the dopant concentration , or any combination thereof . prior to application of a voltage or current to either terminal region 42 , 43 , the lower central p - type region 3 b will be depleted of holes . when a potential difference is applied across the fuse body 48 , current flows from one terminal ( 42 or 43 ), through the central drift region 6 to the other terminal ( 43 or 42 ). for n - type polysilicon fuses , the carriers are only electrons , because all the holes are depleted from the lower central body . the graded n - type concentration in the central region 6 provides a resistance to flow of electron current . this resistance is similar to the resistance provided by a drift region in a typical mosfet , thus the fuse is called a polysilicon drift fuse . drift regions can support a defined voltage or current limit , but breakdown when the voltage or current exceeds the limit . in the case of the polysilicon drift fuse , the current ruptures the polysilicon in the central region of the body . when the polysilicon ruptures , the current no longer has a path between the ends . steps for manufacturing examples of the invention are shown in fig3 a - 3f . turning to fig3 a , a semiconductor substrate 1 , typically p - type silicon , is locally oxidized to form a relatively thick layer 2 of thermally grown silicon oxide ( locos ). those skilled in the art know that locos is a conventional process for electrically insulating and isolating one device from another . next , a layer 3 a of polysilicon is deposited by known means onto the oxide layer 2 . the thickness of the polysilicon layer may vary , but typical thicknesses consistent with current manufacturing processes range from 27 μm to 50 μm , and preferably between 27 μm and 37 μm . the substrate 1 is placed in an ion implanter and polysilicon layer 3 a is implanted with a light doping of p - type ions , in particular , boron . the substrate 1 is annealed to distribute the p - type ions throughout the substrate and thereby form a substantially uniform doped layer 3 a . turning to fig3 b , the substrate 1 is covered with a layer of photoresist . that layer is exposed to light through a mask ( not shown ) to develop ( harden ) certain regions such as region 5 . the undeveloped resist is removed with a liquid or dry etch and the substrate is again placed in an ion implanter . this time n - type ions , phosphorous or arsenic , are implanted in the exposed portions of the substrate , namely terminal regions 42 , 43 . the mask 5 prevents the ion from implanting the central region . the n - type ions are implanted at the same time as the gate and the source and drains are implanted . as such , the implant shown in the figure is representative of the gate implant and the source and drain implant . as shown in fig3 c , the photoresist mask 5 is removed and the substrate is again implanted with a light dose of n - type ions to form doped region 6 . in an annealing step ( fig3 d ) the substrate is heated to drive in the ions from the lightly doped n - type region 6 and from the heavily doped n + regions 4 a , 4 b . layer 3 , in particular region 3 b is implanted with light dose of n - type phosphorous ions in the order of 2 . 5e 14 atoms / cm 2 . that is only one level of dose . those skilled in the art understand that the dose may be varied to achieve a desired resistance commensurate with the drivers used to operate the fuse . the implanted ions diffuse into the region 3 b and form , in effect , a drift region between heavily doped n + regions 4 a , 4 b . the lightly doped graded n − region 6 prevents a p / n junction from forming between the two heavily doped n + end regions 4 a , 4 b . the lightly n - doped central region 6 establishes the resistance of the polysilicon drift fuse 10 . in a final step , the polysilicon drift fuse 10 is covered with a layer 7 of oxide . the layer 7 is preferably a deposited oxide . one of the advantages of the invention is that the polysilicon drift fuses can be integrated into existing mosfet processes . the polysilicon layer for the body may be formed from the gate polysilicon layer . likewise , the n + doping of the ends 4 a , 4 b is done at the same times as the polysilicon gate is doped to form the gate electrode and the source and drain regions are formed . in the above embodiment , the doping dose of the boron is 3 . 5e14 / cm 2 . the dopant amount largely depends on the thickness of the polysilicon layer 3 a . in a typical process , the p − implant dose is chosen to provide a p − type polysilicon resistivity of 2 , 382 ohms / sq . conventional fuses do not use a p − dopant in the central region . instead , conventional fuses are primarily doped n + during the n + polysilicon implant and during the n + source / drain implants . such conventional fuses have a silicide layer on the ends to provide the resistive difference needed to blow the fuse . when the polysilicon body 3 a is masked and provided with a p − central implant and a gradient n - doping , most of the p − implant is driven down , and there is a counter doping of lightly doped n - type ions . it is estimated that the resistivity in the central region cannot be much less than 1500 ohms / sq . this makes a fuse with a resistivity of 35 . 95 ohms / sq on the edges to 1500 ohms / sq in the central region , providing a 41 × resistance factor . in operation , a fuse control circuit , not shown but familiar to those skilled in the art , applies a fast pulse of voltage across the terminals 4 a , 4 b of the polysilicon drift fuse . when the pulse is applied to the fuse body 48 , the body heats up , the polysilicon ruptures , and the connection between the two ends is severed . the pulse leaves a void 8 or a region of high resistance including lightly doped polysilicon and melted silicon dioxide . in theory , the pulse heats up the central region , thereby lowering its resistance . as the resistance lowers , the heat increases until the polysilicon melts and severs the connections between the ends 4 a , 4 b . when the material cools and returns to a solid , the material is denser than before and it leaves an opening between the ends 4 a , 4 b . when the polysilicon melts some of the oxide in layers 7 and 2 , may also melt . when viewed through a microscope , the region 8 has a bulging shape between the 4 a , 4 b . in theory , the bulge is likely a mixture of lightly doped polysilicon and silicon dioxide . the resistance of the bulge 8 is relatively high compared to fuses where layer 6 is intact . measurements have placed the resistance in the high megohm to gigohm range . another feature of the embodiments of the invention is that they do not require silicide for performance . however , the embodiments of the invention do not preclude using silicide . in fact , one may add silicide to the outer edges of the inventive fuse embodiments and thereby further enhance its performance . the silicide will lower the resistivity on the outer edges thereby increasing the ratio of resistivity between the edges and the central body . if the resistors are in a ladder network , such as multiple resistors disposed between two parallel conductors , the removal of each resistor increases the net resistance between the two conductors . the polysilicon drift fuses of the invention may be applied to many circuits to alter the resistance of a network of resistors . resistor networks are found in numerous linear circuits such as voltage controlled oscillator where the frequency of the oscillator is controlled by the applied voltage and that voltage is taken from a resistor network . another application is a band gap regulator circuit or any voltage regulated circuit where it is important to set the over and under voltage protection . it is more accurate to set such voltages with a resistor network than to attempt to fabricate precise devices with the required under and over settings . further embodiments of the invention add other circuit elements , such as capacitors and inductors . such other elements may be selectively added or removed using the polysilicon drift fuse of the invention . in still further embodiments , sub - circuits or sub - networks are also selectively added or removed using the polysilicon drift fuse of the invention . experimental tests showed that fuses made with embodiments of the invention have superior performance to conventional fuses . in particular , fuses embodying the invention require less current than conventional fuses . this benefit allows the designer to reduce the size of the driver transistors that are used to blow the fuses . as a result , devices and integrated circuits that embody the invention have more space for active devices and require less space for passive fuses and their drivers . while the examples of the invention are shown with n - type carriers , those skilled in the art understand that similar examples could be constructed with p - type carriers . in addition , although silicide is not required , those skilled in the art may use conventional silicide technology to the examples . for example , a layer of silicide may be formed on top of the body 48 . typical silicide technology leaves a small silicide gap in the middle of the central region 6 . | 7 |
the present invention generally provides a power mosfet dfn semiconductor package exhibiting improved electrical characteristics . an increased source bonding area provides for an increased number of source bonding wires having a 2 mil diameter . improved thermal performance is also provided by an increased contact area between the encapsulant and the source bonding area and source bonding wires . in a first aspect of the invention and with reference to fig2 a , a dfn semiconductor package generally designated 200 may include a leadframe 210 fabricated of copper , aluminum , nickel or other good electrical and thermal conductive material . leadframe 210 may be fabricated using metal plating or general manufacturing techniques . leadframe 210 may include a drain portion 220 fused to drain leads 260 , a source portion or lead 230 and a gate portion or lead 240 . a power mosfet die 250 may be attached to a die bonding pad 300 ( fig3 a ). drain portion 220 may include four drain leads 260 to provide a six lead package . power mosfet die 250 may include a patterned active area including a source bonding area 270 and a gate bonding area 280 . a bottom portion of the power mosfet die 250 ( not shown ) may include a drain bonding area . with reference to fig3 a , the drain portion 220 includes the die bonding pad 300 integrally formed or fused with the drain leads 260 . when the drain bonding area of the power mosfet die 250 is attached to the die bonding pad 300 using a conductive epoxy or solder , and considering that the drain portion 220 includes an exposed bottom portion 720 ( fig2 b ), a thermal dissipation path is provided . the source lead 230 ( fig2 a ) may be larger than in conventional semiconductor packages to enable the use of an increased number of source wires 285 which preferably are formed from gold or copper . increasing the number of source wires 285 advantageously decreases the semiconductor package 200 resistance significantly . additionally , as the dfn semiconductor package 200 has no external leads , the overall size of the package is reduced allowing for the use of shorter source lead 230 , drain leads 260 and gate lead 240 thereby reducing package resistance and inductance . the leadframe 210 , power mosfet die 250 and source wires 285 and gate wire 290 may be encapsulated by an encapsulant 500 formed of resin or other suitable material as shown in fig5 a and fig5 b . drain leads 260 , the gate lead 240 and the source lead 230 are shown disposed a distance internally of the encapsulant 500 edges . with reference to fig6 , a land pattern 600 for a pcb to which the dfn semiconductor package 200 may be mounted includes a standard pitch between drain lead mounting portions 610 and a standard dimension 620 . disposing the drain leads 260 , the gate lead 240 and the source lead 230 a distance from an edge of the encapsulant 500 ( fig5 a and fig5 b ) provides for reduced short circuiting between devices and for higher device density . in another aspect of the invention and with reference to fig2 b , a dfn semiconductor package generally designated 700 may include the source lead 230 , the gate lead 240 and the drain leads 260 disposed at an edge of an encapsulant 710 . in another aspect of the invention and with reference to fig4 , a dfn semiconductor package generally designated 400 includes a leadframe 410 having an expanded drain portion 420 . expanded drain portion 420 provides for an eight lead dfn semiconductor package 400 having six drain leads 440 . in another aspect of the invention and with reference to fig3 b , a dfn semiconductor package generally designated 800 may include a first drain portion 810 and a second drain portion 815 having drain leads 820 and 825 respectively . first drain portion 810 may include a first die bonding pad 830 integrally formed with the drain lead 820 and the second drain portion 815 may include a second die bonding pad 835 integrally formed with the drain lead 825 . first drain portion 810 may have associated therewith a first gate lead 840 and a first source lead 845 . first source lead 845 may include an expanded surface area to accommodate more source bonding wires . second drain portion 815 may have associated therewith a second gate lead 850 and a second source lead 855 . second source lead 855 may include an expanded surface area to accommodate more source bonding wires . the first drain portion 810 and the second drain portion 815 may be fused together to provide a common drain device ( not shown ). in yet another aspect of the invention , a 6 × 5 mm dfn semiconductor package generally designated 890 ( fig8 ) may include a leadframe 891 having a source bonding area 892 of increased area . a gate bonding area 893 may also be of an increased area . the source bonding area 892 allows for the use of 21 source bonding wires of 2 mil diameter rather than the conventional package which allows for the use of 11 source bonding wires . in another aspect of the invention , a 2 × 5 mm dfn semiconductor package generally designated 900 ( fig9 ) may include a leadframe 910 having a pair of source bonding areas 920 a and 920 b of increased area . gate bonding areas 930 a and 930 b may also be of an increased area . source bonding area 920 a and gate bonding area 930 a may be disposed along a first shorter length of the leadframe 910 . source bonding area 920 b and gate bonding area 930 b may be disposed along a second shorter length of the leadframe 910 . leadframe 910 may be used for a common - drain die package where the drains of two mosfet devices 940 a and 940 b may be connected internally either through the semiconductor substrate or through the die bonding pad 950 of the leadframe 910 . source bonding area 920 a may be connected to a source pad of a first mosfet by wire bonding and source bonding area 920 b may be connected to the source pad of a second mosfet by wire bonding . similarly , gate bonding area 930 a and 930 b may be connected to the gate bonding pads of first and second mosfets respectively by wire bonding . in yet another aspect of the invention and with reference to fig1 , a 3 × 3 mm dfn semiconductor package generally designated 1000 may include a leadframe 1010 having a pair of source bonding areas 1020 a and 1020 b of increased area . gate bonding areas 1030 a and 1030 b may also be of an increased area . source bonding areas 1020 a and 1020 b may be disposed along one side of the leadframe 1010 and gate bonding areas 1030 a and 1030 b may be disposed along an opposite side of the leadframe 1010 . leadframe 1010 may be used for a common - drain die package where the drains of two mosfet devices may be connected internally either through the semiconductor substrate or through the die bonding pad 1040 of the leadframe 1010 . source bonding area 1020 a may be connected to a source pad of a first mosfet by wire bonding and source bonding area 1020 b may be connected to the source pad of a second mosfet by wire bonding . similarly , gate bonding area 1030 a and 1030 b may be connected to the gate bonding pads of the first and second mosfets respectively by wire bonding . in another aspect of the invention and with reference to fig1 , a 3 × 3 mm dfn semiconductor package generally designated 1100 may include a leadframe 1110 having a pair of source bonding areas 1120 a and 1120 b of increased area . gate bonding areas 1130 a and 1130 b may also be of an increased area . source bonding areas 1120 a and 1120 b may be disposed along a first side of the leadframe 1110 on either side of the gate bonding area 1130 a . gate bonding area 1130 b may be disposed along an opposite side . leadframe 1110 may also include drain leads 1140 a and 1140 b disposed on the opposite side on either side of the gate bonding area 1130 b . leadframe 1110 may be used for a common - drain die package where the drains of two mosfet devices are connected internally either through the semiconductor substrate or through the die bonding pad of the leadframe 1110 . source bonding area 1120 a may be connected to a source pad of a first mosfet by wire bonding and source bonding area 1120 b may be connected to a source pad of a second mosfet by wire bonding . similarly , gate bonding area 1130 a and 1130 b may be connected to the gate bonding pads of first and second mosfets respectively by wire bonding . in yet another aspect of the invention and with reference to fig1 , a 2 × 3 mm dfn semiconductor package generally designated 1200 may include a leadframe 1210 having a pair of drain pads 1250 a and 1250 b and a pair of corresponding source bonding areas 1220 a and 1220 b of increased area . gate bonding areas 1230 a and 1230 b may also be of an increased area . leadframe 1210 may also include drain leads 1240 a and 1240 b fused to drain pad 1250 a and drain leads 1240 c and 1240 d fused to drain pad 1250 b . source bonding areas 1220 a and 1220 b and gate bonding areas 1230 a and 1230 b may be disposed along a longer side of the leadframe 1210 while the drain leads 1240 a , 1240 b , 1240 c and 1240 d may be disposed along an opposite side of the leadframe 1210 . leadframe 1210 may be used for a common - drain die package where the drains of two mosfet devices are connected internally either through the semiconductor substrate or through the die bonding pad of the leadframe 1210 . source bonding area 1220 a may be connected to a source pad of a first mosfet by wire bonding and source bonding area 1220 b may be connected to a source pad of a second mosfet by wire bonding . similarly , gate bonding area 1230 a and 1230 b may be connected to the gate bonding pads of first and second mosfets respectively by wire bonding . the dfn semiconductor package of the invention provides for a non - leaded semiconductor package having reduced resistance and inductance and improved thermal conductivity . by providing a source lead having an expanded surface area , an increased number of source wires may be used to reduce package resistance and inductance . integrally forming the drain bonding pad with the drain leads provides a thermal dissipation path through the bottom of the dfn semiconductor package . it should be understood , of course , that the foregoing relates to preferred embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims . | 7 |
the stent of the present invention is employed to support or otherwise treat a targeted site within the vasculature . such stent is introduced into the vasculature , advanced therethrough to the deployment site and expanded using conventional techniques and delivery systems . once in position and subject to the continuous flow of blood therethrough , it gradually degrades , substantially without the risk inherent in previously known biodegradable stents or stents with biodegradable coatings of breaking up into or releasing sizeable particles that may be swept downstream and cause emboli . the material employed in the manufacture of the stent of the present invention is a polymer that is simultaneously hydrophobic and has water - labile linkages interconnecting its monomers that are further fortified by ester or imide bonds . the hydrophobic nature of the polymer precludes the incursion of water into its interior while the water - labile bonds that are exposed on its surface nonetheless cause the polymer to degrade . degradation thereby exclusively progresses from the material &# 39 ; s surface inwardly to yield a much more uniform degradation rate and to preclude bulk erosion . the incorporation of the imide or ester bonds serves to impart sufficient strength to the material to enable it to provide the support that is required of a stent . alternatively , if the material is used as stent coating , the incorporation of the imide or ester bonds impart sufficient strength to the material to prevent it from flaking off or otherwise becoming detached as the underlying stent undergoes the distortion attendant its being expanded by for example the inflation of a balloon . many of the stent &# 39 ; s ultimate performance characteristics are controllable by the appropriate selection of the various dimensional parameters of the stent . increasing the dimensions of various structural elements of the stent will generally serve to increase strength and decrease flexibility . such effect would result from both an increase in the width or in the wall thickness of the stent &# 39 ; s structural elements . the time period in which the stent would become totally degraded or absorbed is a function of the wall thickness of the various elements while the degradation rate is a function of the total area exposed to contact with the blood . by for example selecting a stent configuration which employs a large number of relatively narrow spine and strut elements to achieve a particular level of strength , the time in which the stent degrades when subjected to the blood flow can be substantially accelerated . conversely , a stent configuration in which a relatively few , wide structural elements are employed causes the degradation rate to be somewhat retarded . the stent &# 39 ; s ultimate performance characteristics are of course also controllable by the appropriate selection of chemical variables . for example , the number of imide or ester bonds that are incorporated in the polymer material not only affects the ultimate strength and flexibility characteristics of the stent , but also has an effect on the rate at which the material degrades when subjected to blood flow . an increased bond content enhances strength , decreases flexibility and increases degradation time . the specific requirements of a particular application will ultimately determine the optimal combination of the stent configuration , wall thickness and ester or imide bond content . polymers that satisfy the above - described requirements include polyanhydrides and polyorthoesters . representative examples of polyanhydride polymers suitable for use in the construction of a stent or formulation of a stent coating in accordance with the present invention include anhydride - co - imide ter polymers containing trimellitylimido - l - tyrosine , sebacic acid ( sa ) and 1 , 3 bis ( carboxyphenoxy ) propane . other examples of suitable polyanhydrides include poly ( fatty acid — sebacic acid ) synthesized from erucic acid and sebacic anhydride p ( ead : sa ) and poly ( l - lactic acid - co - l - aspartic acid ). representative examples of polyorthoester polymers suitable for use in the construction of a stent or formulation of a stent coating in accordance with the present invention include poly ( 4 - hydroxy - l - proline ester ), poly ( 1 , 10 decanediol - 1 , 10 decanediol dilactide ) and poly ( 1 , 2 , 6 hexanetriol - trimethylorthoacetate ). an ester or imide content of 20 %- 40 % has been found to be effective to provide sufficient strength for a stent application . the process for forming a polymer stent is well known in the art . a stent of the present invention is formed by first causing the appropriate reagents to react to form the desired polyanhydride or polyorthoester composition . during copolymer synthesis , the imide content of such composition is increased by incorporating higher imide containing monomers like trimellitylimido - l - tyrosine . increasing imide content results in higher strength material . flexibility of polyanhydrides like p ( ead : sa ) can be increased by increasing the percentage of erucic acid dimer ( ead ) during polymer synthesis . the ester content of such composition is increased by incorporating higher ester containing monomers such as l - proline ester or trimethyl orthoacetate . selected pharmacological agents can be added to the reagents so as to incorporate such materials throughout the polymer to thereby provide for the gradual dispensation of the drug over the service life of the stent . the blending may be accomplished either in solution or in a melt state . drugs such as for example heparin or other proteins can readily be added to the reactants before or during the polymerization process . alternatively , some drugs may be infused throughout the polymer after polymerization is completed . if desired , the drug may be applied to the surface of the cured polymer to cause the entire dosage to be released shortly after implantation . the stent may be formed by any of a number of well known methods including the extrusion of the polymer into the shape of a tube . preselected patterns of voids are then formed into the tube in order to define a plurality of spines and struts that impart a degree of flexibility and expandability to the tube . alternatively , the drug loaded polymer may be applied to the selected surfaces of a stent formed of , for example , stainless steel or nitinol . in order to coat all of the surfaces of the stent , the stent is immersed in the molten polymer . alternatively , the polymer may be extruded in the form of a tube which is then co - drawn with a tube of stainless steel or nitinol . by co - drawning two tubes of the polymer with a metal tube , one positioned about the exterior of the metal tube and another positioned within such metal tube , a tube having multi - layered walls is formed . subsequent perforation of the tube walls to define a preselected pattern of spines and struts imparts the desired flexibility and expandability to the tube to create a stent . while a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described , it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the invention be limited except by the appended claims . | 0 |
referring first to fig1 there is shown a graphical illustration of an “ r - wave ” portion of an electrocardiogram ( ecg ) waveform ( designated “ r ”) and the related plethysmographic waveform ( designated “ p ”). as will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art , the ecg waveform comprises a complex waveform having several components that correspond to electrical heart activity . the qrs component relates to ventricular heart contraction . the r - wave portion of the qrs component is typically the steepest wave therein , having the largest amplitude and slope , and may be used for indicating the onset of cardiovascular activity . the arterial blood pulse flows mechanically and its appearance in any part of the body typically follows the r wave of the electrical heart activity ( i . e ., r - wave event , designated r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , etc . in fig2 ) by a determinable period of time that remains essentially constant for a given patient . see , e . g ., goodlin et al ., systolic time intervals in the fetus and neonate , obstetrics and gynecology , vol . 39 , no . 2 , ( february 1972 ) and u . s . pat . no . 3 , 734 , 086 . correlating the occurrence of cardiovascular activity with the detection of arterial pulses typically occurs by measuring an ecg signal , detecting the occurrence of the r - wave portion of the ecg signal , determining the time delay by which an optical pulse in the detected optical signal follows the r - wave , and using the determined time delay between an r - wave and the following optical pulse to evaluate the waveform . referring now to fig2 there is shown a graphical illustration of the arterial blood pressure ( designated “ p a ”) which is similarly follows the r - wave event by a determinable period of time . the venous blood pressure ( designated “ p v ”), in the absence of extraneous forces or events ( e . g ., restricting venous blood flow ), is typically relatively constant . referring now to fig3 there is shown a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a pulse oximeter apparatus 5 that can be employed within the scope of the invention . as discussed above , conventional pulse oximetry methods and apparatus typically employ two lights ; a first light having a discrete frequency in the range of ˜ 650 - 670 nanometers in the red range and a second light having a discrete frequency in the range of ˜ 800 - 1000 nanometers . the lights are typically directed through a finger 4 via emitters 12 , 14 and detected by a photo detector 16 . emitters 12 and 14 are driven by drive circuitry 18 , which is in turn governed by control signal circuitry 20 . detector 16 is in communication with amplifier 22 . the photo detector 16 provides an output signal s 1 that is transmitted to an amplifier 22 . the amplified signal s 1 from amplifier 22 is then transmitted to demodulator 24 , which is also synched to control signal circuitry 20 . as will be appreciated by one having skill in the art , the output signal from the demodulator 24 would be a time multiplexed signal comprising ( i ) a background signal , ( ii ) the red light range signal and ( iii ) the infrared light range signal . the demodulator 24 , which is employed in most pulse oximeter systems , removes any common mode signals present and splits the time multiplexed signal ( s 1 ) into two ( 2 ) channels , one representing the red voltage ( or optical ) signals ( designated s 3 ) and the other representing the infrared voltage ( or optical ) signals ( designated s 4 ). as illustrated in fig3 the signal from the demodulator 24 is transmitted to analog - digital converter 26 . the desired computations are performed on the output from the converter 26 by signal processor 28 and the results transmitted to display 30 . further details of the conventional pulse oximeter components , and related functions , are set forth in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 934 , 372 , which is incorporated by reference herein . referring now to fig4 the red signal s 3 includes motion artifacts or noise and the base red signal s , which comprises arterial blood ( a b ) and venous blood ( v b ) components . the infrared signal s 4 similarly includes noise and the base infrared signal s . it should be noted that if the pulse oximeter apparatus 5 is designed correctly , such that the red and the infrared light pass through substantially the same tissue , the pulses in the plethysmographic waveform in the red channel , i . e ., red voltage signal ( s ) s 3 , will be shaped identically to those in the infrared channel , i . e ., infrared voltage signal ( s ) s 4 . only their size and the slowly - varying voltage on which they sit will be different . ( see fig5 ) according to the invention , the venous blood component v b can be distinguished from the arterial blood component v a in the following manner : referring to fig6 a and 6b , in a first embodiment of the invention , the pulse oximeter 5 is operatively connected to a patient &# 39 ; s finger 4 . the patient &# 39 ; s hand 3 ( and , hence , finger 4 ) is then raised and held in a first position above the heart level ( designated h ) until substantially all of the venous ( i . e ., non - pulsating ) blood is dissipated from or flows out of the finger 4 . in a preferred embodiment , the hand 3 is held in the raised position for a first time period greater than 3 sec ., more preferably , in the range of approximately 4 . 0 to 6 . 0 sec . during this first period of time , the red and infrared optical ( or oximetry ) signals are obtained . the patient &# 39 ; s hand 3 is then lowered to a second position below the heart level ( h ) for a substantially equal time period ( see fig6 b ). during this second period of time , the red and infrared optical ( or oximetry ) signals are also obtained . referring now to fig7 there is shown a graphical illustration of the venous blood flow during the above described test cycle . as illustrated in fig7 when the finger 4 is in the second position , i . e ., below the heart level ( h ), venous blood flows into the finger 4 , designated v b ( in ) . when the finger is raised to the second position , venus blood dissipates from the finger 4 , designated v b ( out ) . after the oximetry signals are acquired , the ratios of the low frequency ( i . e ., 0 . 08 to 0 . 12 hz ) and high frequency ( i . e ., 0 . 8 - 1 . 2 hz ) signals of s 3 ′ ( red ) and s 4 ′ ( infrared ) are then computed and compared ( see fig8 ). according to the invention , the ratio of the extended time period ( e . g ., 10 sec ) reflects the venous blood component ( v b ). indeed , as will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art , the ratio of the extended time period can only be attributed to the venous blood component ( v b ), since a period of 10 sec . could not be attributed to the heart rate . the following is an illustrative example : an oximeter sensor arrangement is coupled to a finger on patients a &# 39 ; s left hand . the hand is raised over patient a &# 39 ; s head and held for 4 sec . the hand is then lowered to patient &# 39 ; s a &# 39 ; s side and held for 4 sec . referring now to fig9 there is shown a representative modulation of red r and infrared i light for patient a when both the venous concentration and arterial concentration are varying with time . as illustrated in fig9 the arterial blood concentration is varying at approximately 1 cycle / sec . and the venous blood concentration is varying at approximately 1 cycle / 10 sec . as will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art , the 1 cycle / sec . variation is due to the periodic changes in blood pressure attendant with each heart beat . the 1 cycle / 10 sec . variation corresponds to the raising and lowering of the hand 3 above and below the heart level h within a 10 . 0 sec . period . as illustrated in fig9 the 1 cycle / sec . modulation has different amplitudes for red r and infrared i signals ( i . e ., “ saw - tooth ” shaped waveform ). the 1 cycle / 10 sec . modulation has the same amplitude for the red r and infrared i signals . according to the invention , the same ratio variations at low frequencies , designated generally f 1 , is indicative of a venous blood saturation of approximately 81 %. the 2 : 1 amplitude variations ( of the infrared to red signals ) at 1 cycle / sec . is indicative of an arterial blood saturation of approximately 97 %. the following data can thus be acquired from fig9 : according to the invention , the arterial and venous blood components of the noted oximetry signals can be determined as follows : v a = ln r max / r min / ln i max / i min = 0 . 52 eq . 1 v b = ln r ′ max / r ′ min / ln i ′ max / i ′ min = 1 . 0 eq . 2 the arterial blood component , v a , would thus correspond to a saturation level of approx . 97 %. the venous blood component , v b , would thus correspond to a saturation level of approx . 80 %. in an additional embodiment of the invention , the red ( r ) and infrared ( i ) signals are achieved by sequentially blocking and releasing the blood flow to the tissue ( e . g ., finger ) coupled to the pulse oximeter . various means may be employed to block and release the blood flow , such as a cuff disposed on the finger . ( see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 4 , 883 , 055 ) as will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art , the noted method can be employed with virtually all pulse oximeter methods and apparatus to enhance the accuracy of the output data ( i . e ., plethysmographic waveform ). the method can similarly be employed in the method and apparatus described in co - pending application ser . no . 09 / 815 , 827 , filed mar . 23 , 2001 , entitled “ method and apparatus for determining physiological characteristics .” the method of the invention is also particularly advantageous when employed in any device where venous saturation could interfere with the accuracy of the output data . without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention , one of ordinary skill can make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions . as such , these changes and modifications are properly , equitably , and intended to be , within the full range of equivalence of the following claims . | 0 |
the invention is a flash fire furnace 10 useful for dewaxing an investment casting ceramic mold structure 12 . in its simplest form , the invention comprises a heatable furnace chamber 14 , an extinguishing chamber 16 and one or more gas injectors 18 . the invention is useful in flash fire dewaxing a ceramic investment casting mold structure 12 . a typical investment casting mold structure 12 is shown in fig7 . six individual mold units 20 are attached to a vertical wax support member 22 . after dip - coating , the support member 22 and mold units 20 are surrounded by a layer of ceramic 24 . a sprue hole 26 is defined in the base 27 of the structure 12 . the heatable furnace chamber 14 is a typical heatable furnace chamber having heat resistant walls 28 , floor 30 and a source of heat energy . in a typical embodiment , the walls 28 and the floor 30 of the furnace 14 are constructed of steel which is heat protected by appropriate thicknesses of refractory . in a typical embodiment , the source of heat energy is one or more gas fired primary burners 32 mounted into the side walls 28 of the furnace chamber 14 . the furnace chamber 14 shown in fig1 has a door 33 which slides up and down and the furnace floor 30 rolls left and right on wheels 34 . this configuration allows the removal of processed mold structures 12 and the installation of unprocessed mold structures 12 outside of the furnace chamber 14 so that the furnace chamber 14 can be continuously maintained at processing temperatures . the furnace 14 also has a flue duct 36 which removes smoke and other combustion products from the furnace chamber 14 . preferably , the primary burners 32 fire horizontally from an upper corner of one of the horizontal walls 28 of the furnace chamber 14 and a flue duct opening 38 is located in the center bottom of the same furnace chamber wall 28 . by this configuration , a circular heating pattern is generated within the furnace chamber 14 . disposed within the flue duct 36 can be an afterburner 40 . during operation , the afterburner 40 acts to totally combust smoke , soot and other carbonaceous materials in the flue duct 36 so as to yield a non - polluting exhaust effluent . the furnace floor 30 has one or more furnace floor openings 42 . typically , each furnace floor opening 42 is circular and has a diameter between about 1 . 0 and about 6 . 0 inches . in the embodiment shown in fig5 the furnace floor 30 has nine openings 42 arranged in a 3 × 3 array . multiple furnace floor openings 42 allow the processing of multiple investment casting mold structures 12 , thereby increasing productivity . preferably , each furnace floor opening 42 has disposed within it a cup structure 44 . each cup structure 44 has a base 46 , side walls 48 and a hollow drain tube 50 . most preferably , the drain tube 50 is dimensioned to fit snugly within the furnace floor opening 42 to minimize gaseous communication between the furnace chamber 14 and the region below the furnace floor 30 . also , it is preferable ( for the same reason ) for each cup structure 44 to effectively cover a furnace floor opening 42 . the base 46 and the side walls 48 of the cud structure 44 are dimensioned to receive and retain the base 27 of the investment casting mold structure 12 in such a way that the bottom sprue hole 26 of the mold structure 12 is disposed immediately above the drain tube 50 . the cup structure 44 is constructed of any suitable material which can withstand the high heat generated in the furnace chamber 14 and by the drips of flaming wax material . the extinguishing chamber 16 is a substantially enclosed structure made of material calculated to mechanically and chemically withstand the high temperatures of the dripping flammable wax . as shown in fig1 and 6 , the extinguishing chamber 16 can be a simple box having two side walls 52 , a first end wall 54 , a second end wall 56 , a top wall 58 and a bottom wall 60 . preferably , the bottom wall 60 slopes downwardly . in the embodiment shown in fig1 the extinguishing chamber 16 has an opening 62 in the top wall 58 directly below each of the furnace floor openings 42 . in this configuration , wax dripping through each furnace floor opening 42 gravitates directly into the extinguishing chamber 16 . the extinguishing chamber 16 also comprises an outlet 64 opening , typically in the first end wall 54 at the base of the sloping bottom wall 60 . as shown in fig1 a wax catch drum 66 is used to recover the extinguished and cooled wax . in the embodiment shown in fig1 a gas injector 18 is disposed in the second end wall 56 of the extinguishing chamber 16 . the gas injector 18 is in fluid communication with a source of non - aqueous inert gas , represented in fig1 by a gas canister 68 . a valve 70 is used to control the flow of gas from the canister 68 to the gas injector 18 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 a single gas injector 18 is used . other configurations can also be used . in fig5 an eight injector configuration is shown . several pairs of gas injectors 18 are disposed in a horizontal plane so as to direct a gas stream perpendicular to the dripping wax . each pair of injectors 18 is disposed so that their respective gas streams flow into the extinguishing chamber 16 at 90 ° with respect to one another . each pair of gas injectors 18 has a corresponding , oppositely - directed pair of gas injectors 18 injecting gas into the extinguishing chamber 16 at an angle of about 180 ° from the gas injected by the first pair . as shown in fig6 downwardly directed gas injectors 18 , disposed in a vertical plane can also be used where deemed appropriate . any suitable inert , non - aqueous gas can be used in the invention . in a typical embodiment , the inert gas is carbon dioxide . nitrogen can also be used , as can many other inert gases . the gas should be non - aqueous , that is , it should not comprise steam . the gas should also comprise no other material which would form a condensate at operating temperatures which would mix with the cooled and extinguished wax and be difficult to separate from the wax . also , the gas should not be reactive to the wax or to the materials of construction of the furnace chamber 14 , extinguishing chamber 16 or gas injectors 18 . in the embodiments shown in fig3 and 4 , the furnace chamber 14 has two vertically sliding doors 33a and 33b , and the furnace chamber 14 has two identical furnace floors 30a and 30b , both having a set of furnace floor openings 42 . in this embodiment , one furnace floor 30a or 30b can be being unloaded and reloaded with mold structures 12 while mold structures 12 disposed on the other furnace floor 30 are being dewaxed . the double furnace floor 30 slides back and forth on wheels 34 . in operation , the furnace floor openings 42 are disposed outside of the furnace chamber 14 by opening the furnace door 33 and rolling the floor 30 using the wheels 34 . an investment casting mold structure 12 is disposed within each of the cup structures 44 within the furnace floor openings 42 . the furnace chamber 14 is preheated to a temperature between about 1400 ° f . and about 1600 ° f . the extinguishing chamber 16 is purged for about ten seconds with inert gas . the furnace door 33 is opened , the mold structures 12 are moved into the furnace chamber 14 and the furnace door 33 is closed . a light spray of carbon dioxide is initiated within the extinguishing chamber 16 via the gas injector 18 . as the mold structures 12 are heated , wax begins to melt and drip out of each structure 12 , into the drain tube 50 and into the extinguishing chamber 16 . much of the dripping wax is aflame . complete dewaxing usually takes between about seven and about ten minutes . as the flaming wax drips into the extinguishing chamber 16 , it is quickly extinguished by the flow of inert gas which purges the extinguishing chamber 16 of all oxygen . after the last of the wax is dripped through the drain tubes 50 , any residual wax in the mold structure is burned away by additional heating of the mold structures 12 . thereafter , the mold structure shells are removed from the furnace chamber 14 by opening the furnace door 33 , moving that portion of the furnace floor 30 having the shells outside of the furnace chamber 14 using the wheels 34 , and then reclosing the furnace door 33 . the shells are allowed to cool and the cycle can be repeated . the foregoing describes in detail several preferred embodiments of the invention . the foregoing should not be construed , however , as limiting the invention to the particular embodiments describes . practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well . for a definition of the complete scope of the invention , the reader is directed to the appended claims . | 1 |
fig1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a contact supporting system according to a first embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating the relationship between the contact supporting system and a sensor system . as shown in fig1 a contact supporting system 100 of the first embodiment includes a command analysis unit 1 , a command forming unit 2 , a communication unit 3 , a display unit 4 , a call determination unit 5 , a database access unit 6 , an external storage device ( information for determination ) 7 , and a memory 8 . as shown in fig2 the contact supporting system 100 of the first embodiment is connected to a sensor system 102 and a position - information database 101 via a network . as shown in fig3 the sensor system 102 controls the positional relationship between a tag ( badge ) 301 held by an individual and sensors 302 disposed at various locations , by updating data in the position - information database 101 . that is , each tag 301 periodically transmits an id peculiar to the tag 301 using infrared rays or the like , and a sensor 302 receives a signal from the tag 301 when the tag 301 is present within the range of the sensor 302 . the sensor 302 transmits the sensor &# 39 ; s own id and the received id of the tag 301 to the position - information database 101 . the position - information database 101 controls the position of the sensor 302 where the tag 301 is present , from the received information . the contact supporting system 100 obtains information relating to a person &# 39 ; s location by referring to the data of the position - information database 101 , and utilizes the obtained information for determining whether or not the person is to be called . each tag ( badge ) 301 in the sensor system 102 incorporates a speaker , so that a sound can be output from the speaker of a desired tag according to a command to call the person having the tag . the call using sound may be a telephone call utilizing a pbx ( private branch exchange ) or a call from a pocket pager . in fig1 the command analysis unit 1 is connected to an input device , such as a keyboard , a mouse or the like , and analyzes an input command . the command forming unit 2 forms a command to instruct the sensor system 102 to output a sound from the appropriate speaker . the communication unit 3 is connected to the network , and performs communication with the position - information database 101 or the sensor system 102 . the display unit 4 is connected to a display , and displays the contents of an output . the call determination unit 5 determines whether or not a person can be called , for example , based on the position information of the person . the database access unit 6 refers to data from the position - information database 101 . the external storage device ( information for determination ) 7 stores information relating to users utilizing the system and locations . the memory 8 is used by the system for temporarily storing data . next , a description will be provided of the operation of the system of the first embodiment with reference to the flowcharts shown in fig4 and 5 . the command analysis unit 1 , the command forming unit 2 , the call determination unit 5 and the like are provided as a part of the function of a microprocessor ( not shown ) provided in the system . the operation shown in the flowcharts is executed by a control program stored in a memory within the microprocessor . such a control program of the microprocessor may be stored in advance in a storage medium such as a hard disk , a floppy disk , a cd - rom ( compact disk read - only memory ) or the like , then may be set in a reader ( not shown ) of the system of the first embodiment , and may be read into the microprocessor . fig4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing when a command is input from an input device , from the start to the end of the system of the first embodiment . when the system of the first embodiment has been started , first , in step s 1 , initialization of variables used within the system is performed . when a command has been input from the input device in step s 2 , the command analysis unit 1 analyzes the input command . then , in step s 3 , it is determined if the input command is assignment of a partner to be called . if the result of the determination in step s 3 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 4 , where the user id of the partner to be called is retrieved . when assigning the partner to be called , the user assigns the partner using the partner &# 39 ; s name , and the user id is retrieved using the name . information necessary for the retrieval is stored in the external storage device 7 in a format as shown in fig6 . the information is configured by a list including three items , i . e ., a user name , a user id , and a level . the level indicates the user &# 39 ; s authority when the user calls another person . the authority to call the other person is larger as the value of the level is larger . in the first embodiment , the level is represented by an integer between 0 and 10 . the user id obtained by the retrieval is stored in the memory 8 . the value of the level may be determined based on various factors , such as ranking in a company , the relationship between a salesman and a customer , and the like . if the result of the determination in step s 3 is negative , the process proceeds to step s 5 , where it is determined if the input command assigns a degree of emergency ( urgency , pressure ). if the result of the determination in step s 5 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 6 , where the assigned degree of emergency is stored in the memory 8 . in the first embodiment , the degree of emergency is represented by an integer between 0 and 10 . the initial value when the degree of emergency is not assigned is set to 0 . for example , by increasing the value of the degree of emergency value , a call from a subordinate to a superior may be made . upon completion of the processing of step s 4 or s 6 , the process returns to step s 2 . if the result of the determination in step s 5 is negative , the process proceeds to step s 7 , where it is determined if the input command is a request for execution of a call . if the result of the determination in step s 7 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 8 , where the command forming unit 2 forms a position - information - data request command which is to be transmitted from the database access unit 6 to the position - information database 101 . then , in step s 9 , the database access unit 6 transmits the command formed in step s 8 to the position - information database 101 via the communication unit 3 . then , in step s 10 , the communication unit 3 awaits reception of position - information data from the position - information database 101 . processing when the communication unit 3 receives position - information data from the position - information database 101 will be described below with reference to fig5 . if the result of the determination in step s 7 is negative , the input command is an end command . hence , the system of the first embodiment is terminated . fig5 is a flowchart illustrating processing when the system of the first embodiment receives position - information data from the position - information database 101 . in fig5 when the communication unit 3 has received position - information data , in step s 20 the database access unit 6 analyzes the received data . position - information data obtained as the result of the analysis is stored in the memory 8 . position information obtained from the position - information database 101 is the sensor id of the sensor 302 where the tag 301 of the partner to be called is located . then , in step s 21 , the call determination unit 5 calculates a numeral representing the determination of a call indicating the degree of callability . fig8 illustrates a formula used in this calculation . in fig8 a user m is a calling side , and a user n is a called side . the level of each user is referred to based on the table stored in the external storage device 7 shown in fig6 . since the user id of the person to be called is stored in the memory 8 in step s 4 shown in fig4 the table is referred to using the user id . the user id of the calling side ( the user m ) is set in advance ( the user id of the user logged in the system ), and the table is referred to using that user id . the value stored in the memory 8 in step s 6 shown in fig4 is used as the degree of emergency . the level of the location where the user n is present is a number indicating the difficulty of calling a user when he is in that location , and is represented in the first embodiment by an integer between 0 and 10 . the greater the value , the more difficult it is to call a user present in that location . when the numeral representing the determination of a call has been calculated according to the formula shown in fig8 the process proceeds to step s 22 , where it is determined if the user assigned in fig4 can be called . the rule used in this determination is shown in fig9 . when the numeral representing the determination is larger than 0 , it is determined that a call can be executed . when the numeral representing the determination is 0 , it is determined that a call can be executed or cannot be executed . when the numeral representing the determination is less than 0 , it is determined that a call cannot be executed . when the numeral representing the determination is larger than 0 in step s 22 , the process proceeds to step s 23 , where a call is executed . in the first embodiment , a command to output a sound from the speaker of the concerned tag ( badge ) is generated for the sensor system 102 , and the generated command is transmitted to the sensor system 102 . this calling process may be performed by dialing a telephone using a pbx , or ringing a pocket pager . when the numeral representing the determination in step s 22 is 0 , the process proceeds to step s 24 where the display unit 4 displays a confirmation dialog 20 shown in fig1 on its display . that is , if it cannot be determined whether or not a call is to be executed , the determination is left for the user . it is determined whether or not a call is to be executed by depressing a “ yes ” button 21 or a “ no ” button 22 by the user . when one of the buttons has been depressed , the confirmation dialog 20 is erased . in step s 25 , the call determination unit 5 checks the depressed button . when the “ yes ” button 21 has been depressed , the process proceeds to step s 23 where a call is executed . when the “ no ” button 22 has been depressed , the process returns to step s 1 . when the numeral representing the determination is less than 0 , the process proceeds to step s 26 where it is determined that a call cannot be executed , and the display unit 4 outputs a warning dialog shown in fig1 on its display . when the user has depressed an “ ok ” button 31 , the warning dialog 30 is erased , and the process is terminated . completion of the processing of steps s 23 , s 24 , s 25 and s 26 indicates completion of one cycle of the operation of the system of the first embodiment , and the process returns to step s 1 shown in fig4 . the contents of the call determination processing in steps s 21 and s 22 will now be described using specific numerical values shown in fig6 and 7 . first , calculation will be performed for a case in which a user a calls a user b present in conference room 1 . the degree of emergency is assumed to be 1 . since the level of user a is 10 , the level of user b is 0 , and the level of the conference room 1 is 7 , the numeral representing the determination is 10 − 0 + 1 − 7 = 4 , which is larger than 0 . hence , a call is executed in this case . next , calculation will be performed for a case in which a user c calls user a present in executive room 1 . the degree of emergency is assumed to be 5 . since the level of the user c is 5 , the level of the user a is 10 , and the level of the executive room 1 is 10 , the numeral representing the determination is 5 − 10 + 5 − 10 =− 10 , which is less than 0 . hence , a call cannot be executed in this case . next , the configurations and the operations of the position - information database 101 and the sensor system 102 utilized in the system of the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the sensor system 102 . in fig1 , a computer terminal 600 collects position information and transmits the collected information to the network . sensors 700 are connected to the computer terminal 600 via cables , such as serial or the like . a plurality of sensors 700 are disposed at locations to be detected before operating the system , and all of the sensors 700 are connected to the computer terminal 600 . a badge 800 is mounted on the chest or the like of each user . a description will now be provided of the system of the first embodiment in which infrared rays are used for communication between the badges 800 and the sensors 700 . in the sensor 700 , a communication unit 702 performs communication with the computer terminal 600 . a command processing unit 704 receives and analyzes a command transmitted from the computer terminal 600 . a transmission unit 706 transmits the command received by the command processing unit 704 to the badges 800 . an ir ( infrared ray ) emitting unit 708 converts an electrical signal into infrared rays and emits the infrared rays toward the badges 800 . a position - information control unit 710 forms position information obtained by combining a badge id and a sensor id received from each badge 800 , and the obtained position information is transmitted from the communication unit 702 . a reception unit 712 receives the badge id from the badge 800 . an ir sensing unit 714 senses the infrared rays transmitted from the badge 800 , converts the contents of the received infrared rays into an electrical signal , and transmits the electrical signal to the reception unit 712 . programs for processing the operations of the sensors 700 , sensor id &# 39 ; s peculiar to the respective sensors , and the like are written in a rom 716 . a ram ( random access memory ) 718 is used as region for temporarily storing data during the operation of the sensors 700 . in the badge 800 , an ir sensing unit 802 senses the infrared rays emitted from the sensor 700 , converts the contents of the sensed infrared rays into an electrical signal , and transmits the electrical signal to a reception unit 804 . the reception unit 804 receives a command transmitted from the sensor 700 . a command processing unit 806 analyzes and executes a command received by the reception unit 804 . a sound output unit 808 generates a sound in accordance with the command of the command processing unit 806 . an ir emitting unit 810 converts an electrical signal into infrared rays , and transmits the infrared rays toward the sensors 700 . a transmission unit 812 transmits a badge id to the ir emitting unit 810 to cause it to transmit the infrared rays toward the sensors 700 . an id control unit 814 periodically transmits a command to transmit the badge id in accordance with the operation of a timer 816 . programs for processing the operation of the badge 800 , the badge id peculiar to the badge , and the like are written in a rom 818 . a ram 820 is used as a region for temporarily storing data during the operation of the badge 800 . the timer 816 is used for acquiring a time interval of transmission of the badge id . the computer terminal 600 is configured as shown in fig1 . in fig1 , a cpu ( central processing unit ) 602 controls a ram 608 , a communication i / f ( interface ) 604 , and an external i / f 610 in accordance with programs stored in a rom 606 . the rom 606 stores various kinds of programs for processing position information received from the external i / f 610 , and for executing processing of the cpu 602 . programs for operating the sensor system 102 executed under the control of the cpu 602 are stored in the rom 606 . the communication i / f 604 is connected to the network and transmits position information acquired by the system to the network in response to a request . the external i / f 610 is connected to the plurality of sensors 700 in order to receive position information from each of the sensors 700 . next , the operations in the respective units of the sensor system 102 will be described . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating the process of periodically transmitting the badge id of each badge 800 . in fig1 , first , in step s 401 , the id control unit 814 initializes the timer 816 . in the initialization of the timer 816 , a time variable t is set to 0 . thereafter , the timer 816 periodically increments the value t ( for example , increments by one at every second ). in step s 1402 , the timer 816 determines if the value t reaches a set value t every time the value t is incremented . the set value t is stored in the rom 818 . the set value t is read into the ram 820 and is compared with the value t . when the value t has not reached the value t , the comparison is again performed by repeating the process of step s 1402 . when the value t has reached the value t , then , in step s 1403 , the id control unit 814 transmits a command to transmit the badge id to the transmission unit 812 . the transmission unit 812 which has received the command converts the badge id into infrared rays and transmits the infrared rays via the ir emitting unit 810 . the badge id is stored in the rom 818 , and is referred to by being read into the ram 820 . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating processing when a command from the sensor 700 has been received , and where the badge 800 is present . in fig1 , first , in step s 1501 , when the ir sensing unit 802 has sensed infrared rays , the reception unit 804 receives a command . then , in step s 1502 , the command processing unit 806 determines if the received command is an alarm request . if the result of the determination in step s 1502 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 1503 , where the command processing unit 806 transmits a sound output command to the sound output unit 808 , which outputs a sound . upon completion of this processing , the process returns to step s 1501 in order to await the next command . if the result of the determination in step s 1502 is negative , the command is ineffective and the process returns to step s 1501 . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the sensor 700 . in fig1 , first , in step s 1601 , the sensor 700 is initialized . in the initialization of the sensor 700 , for example , the ram 718 is cleared . then , in step s 1602 , it is determined if the badge id from the badge 800 has been received . the badge id is received in the following manner . the infrared rays emitted from the badge id are sensed by the ir sensing unit 714 , which converts the contents of the received infrared rays into an electrical signal and transmits the electrical signal to the reception unit 712 . the reception unit 712 which has received the badge id completes the reception by storing the received badge id into the ram 718 . then , in step s 1603 , the position - information control unit 710 forms position information . in the first embodiment , the position information in the sensor 700 is a pair of data comprising the sensor id stored in the rom 716 , and the received badge id . fig1 illustrates the format of the position information . a header as shown in fig1 contains information for communicating with the computer terminal 600 , and includes the length of data , the id number of the data , and the like . in step s 1604 , the position - information control unit 710 transmits a data transmission command to the communication unit 702 , and the formed position information is transmitted to the computer terminal 600 . upon completion of the transmission , the processing starting from the step s 1601 is repeated . if the result of the determination in step s 1602 is negative , the received data is a command from the computer terminal 600 , and the process proceeds to step s 1605 , where the command analysis unit 704 receives and analyzes the received command . then , in step s 1606 , the received command is transmitted to the concerned badge 800 . more specifically , the command processing unit 704 transmits a command transmission instruction to the transmission unit 706 . the transmission unit 706 transmits the command to the ir emitting unit 810 , which converts the received command into infrared rays and emits the infrared rays . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the computer terminal 600 . in fig1 , first , in step s 1801 , various kinds of initializing operations are performed . the initializing operations include reading a program for the operation of the computer terminal 600 from the rom 606 into the ram 608 , setting the value of the region for variables in the ram 608 to an initial value , and the like . then , in step s 1802 , it is determined if position information from the sensor 700 has been received by the external i / f 610 . if the result of the determination in step s 1802 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 1803 , where position information to be transmitted to the position - information database 101 is formed . then , in step s 1804 , the position information is transmitted to the network via the communication i / f 604 . upon completion of the transmission of the position information , the processing starting from the step s 1801 is repeated . if the result of the determination in step s 1802 is negative , the process proceeds to step s 1805 , where it is determined if a command from the system 100 of the first embodiment has been received . more specifically , it is determined if the communication i / f 604 has received command data from the network . if the result of the determination in step s 1805 is negative , the processing starting from step s 1802 is repeated . if the result of the determination in step s 1805 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 1806 , where a command to be transmitted to the sensor 700 is formed . then , in step s 1807 , the formed command is transmitted from the external i / f unit 610 . upon completion of the transmission of the command , the processing starting from step s 1802 is repeated . next , the operation of the position - information database 101 will be described . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the position - information database 101 . in fig1 , first , in step s 1901 , various kinds of initializing operations are performed . the initializing operations include reading a program for the operation of the position - information database 101 from a rom 906 into a ram 908 , setting the value of the region for variables in the ram 908 to an initial value , and the like . then , in step s 1902 , it is determined if a position - information request command has been received from the system 100 of the first embodiment . if the result of the determination in step s 1902 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 1903 , where position information relating to the user assigned by the command is formed . then , in step s 1904 , the position information is transmitted . upon completion of the transmission of the position information , the process returns to step s 1902 . if the result of the determination in step s 1902 is negative , the process proceeds to step s 1905 , where it is determined if position information from the position sensor system 102 has been received . if the result of the determination in step s 1905 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 1906 , where the position information is updated . in the first embodiment , the position information is controlled by a table as shown in fig2 . the sensor id indicating the position of the concerned person , and the time of reception of the position information are updated for the badge id in the received position information . the time is acquired from a clock signal incorporated within the system . this table is stored in an external storage device ( for example , a hard disk ). when updating position information , the writing of data is performed via an external i / f 910 . when the badge id in the received position information appears for the first time , that badge id is added to the table . next , a second embodiment of the present invention will be described . fig2 is s block diagram illustrating the configuration of a contact supporting system according to the second embodiment . the configuration shown in fig2 differs from the configuration shown in fig1 only in that a timer 9 is connected to the database access unit 6 . fig2 and 23 are flowcharts illustrating the operation of the contact supporting system of the second embodiment . in the second embodiment , a retrying function is provided in which , when it has been determined that a call cannot be performed as a result of determination of a call , a change in the location of the concerned person is automatically awaited and calling processing is repeated . the timer 9 causes the database access unit 6 to operate periodically as set when starting the system , so as to repeatedly execute the processing from step s 8 to step s 10 shown in fig4 . for that purpose , in fig2 , a confluent terminal c for repeated execution is added . fig2 is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining a call . in fig2 , step s 30 determines if the current location of the user is the same as the preceding location , and is added between the data analysis ( step s 20 ) and the calculation of the possibility of a call ( step s 21 ) shown in fig5 . when it has been determined that a call cannot be performed , the timer 9 is started in step s 31 instead of outputting a warning dialog . when a predetermined time period has been reached in step s 32 , the process proceeds from a branching terminal c to step s 8 shown in fig2 . thus , when a call has failed , call determination processing is repeated . the timing of the repeat is set by the timer 9 . thus , call determination is repeated until a call succeeds . next , a description will be provided of still another example of the system of the present invention . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the contact supporting system according to a third embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig2 , a system 2400 of the third embodiment includes a command analysis unit 2401 , a command forming unit 2402 , a communication unit 2403 , a display unit 2404 , a distance determination unit 2405 , a database access unit 2406 , a memory 2407 , an external storage device ( information for determination ) 2408 , and a timer 2409 . as in the first embodiment , it is assumed that the contact supporting system 2400 is connected to the sensor system 102 and the position - information database 101 via the network shown in fig2 . the sensor system 102 controls the positional relationship between a tag ( badge ) held by a person and sensors disposed at various locations by updating data of the position information database 101 . the sensing may be performed using infrared rays , radio waves , ultrasonic waves , magnetism , or a combination of these media . the contact supporting system 2400 obtains information relating to a person &# 39 ; s location by referring to data of the position - information database 101 , and utilizes the obtained information for determining whether or not the person is to be called . each tag ( badge ) in the sensor system 102 incorporates a speaker , so that a sound can be output from the speaker of a desired tag according to a command . the sound is used to notify that the person having the tag is approaching . it can be easily imagined that the alarm by the sound may be realized by using a telephone utilizing a pbx , or a pocket pager . in fig2 , the command analysis unit 2401 is connected to an input device , such as a keyboard , a mouse or the like , and analyzes an input command . the command forming unit 2402 forms a command to instruct the output of a sound from the concerned speaker . the communication unit 2403 is connected to the network , and performs communication with the position - information database 101 or the sensor system 102 . the display unit 2404 is connected to a display , and displays the contents of an output . the distance determination unit 2405 calculates the distance between the user and a person to be called based on the position - information data of the user and the person , and determines whether or not the distance is within an assigned range . the database access unit 2406 refers to data from the position - information database 101 . the external storage device ( information for determination ) 2408 stores information relating to users utilizing the system of the third embodiment and locations . the memory 2407 is used by the system for temporarily storing data . the timer 2409 controls time so that the database access unit 2406 periodically refers to position information . next , the operation of the system will be described with reference to a flowchart . fig2 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing when a command is input from the input device , from the start to the end of the system of the third embodiment . when the system has been started , first , in step s 2501 , initialization of variables used within the system is performed . when a command has been input from the input device in step s 2502 , the command analysis unit 2501 analyzes the input command . then , in step s 2503 , it is determined if the input command is assignment of the user himself . the system of the third embodiment can be used by anybody , and assumes a case in which even the user &# 39 ; s name is assigned . when the system is used only by a user who has started the system , the user &# 39 ; s name can also be acquired using an environment variable or the like . if the result of the determination in step s 2503 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 2504 , where the user id is retrieved . since the user assigns himself by the user &# 39 ; s own name , the user id is retrieved by that name . information necessary for this retrieval is stored in the external storage device 2408 in the form of a list including each combination of a user name and a user id . the user id obtained by the retrieval is stored in the memory 2407 . if the result of the determination in step s 2503 is negative , the process proceeds to step s 2505 , where it is determined if the input command assigns a communication partner . if the result of the determination in step s 2505 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 2506 , where the user id is retrieved in the same manner as in step s 2504 , and the result of the retrieval is stored in the memory 2407 . upon completion of the above - described step s 2504 or step s 2506 , the process returns to step s 2502 . if the result of the determination in step s 2505 is negative , the process proceeds to step s 2507 , where it is determined if the input command is a request to retrieve the distance between the user and the communication partner . if the result of the determination in step s 2507 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 2508 , where the timer 2409 is initialized . in the initialization of the timer 2409 , a time variable t is set to 0 . the value t of the timer 2409 is periodically incremented . every time the value t is incremented , the timer 2409 determines in step s 2509 if the value t has reached a set value t . if the result of the determination in step s 2509 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 2601 shown in fig2 via branching terminal a , in order to determine the distance . if the result of the determination in step s 2509 is negative , the processing of step s 2509 is repeated . if the result of the determination in step s 2507 is negative , the system is terminated because the input command is a command requesting the end of use of the system . next , a description will be provided of the process for determining the distance every time the time t has elapsed , with reference to fig2 . first , in step s 2601 , a command used by the command forming unit 2402 for referring to the position information of the user himself and the communication partner from the position - information database 101 is formed . then , in step s 2602 , the communication unit 2403 transmits a command for referring to the formed position information to the position - information database 101 . then , in step s 2603 , it is determined if the communication unit 2403 has received the position information from the position - information database 101 . the process of step s 2603 is repeated until the data is received . if the position - information data has been received as a result of determination in step s 2603 , then , in step s 2604 , the database access unit 2406 acquires the position information of the user himself and the communication partner . at that time , the user id acquired in steps s 2504 and s 2506 shown in . fig2 is referred to from the memory 2407 , to acquire the respective position information . the acquired position information is stored in the memory 2407 . then , in step s 2605 , it is determined if the user or the communication partner has moved by comparing the acquired position information with the preceding position information stored in the memory 2407 . if the result of the determination in step s 2605 is negative , there is no change in the distance between the user and the communication partner . hence , the process returns to step s 2508 shown in fig2 from branching terminal b in order to repeat the processing of determining the distance . the initial value is used as the preceding position information in the first comparison operation . the initial value is stored in the memory 2407 in step s 2501 shown in fig2 . if the result of the determination in step s 2605 is affirmative , the distance between the user and the communication partner is calculated . next , a description will be provided for the process of calculating the distance between the user and the communication partner from the position information of the two persons . although various methods may be considered for this processing , four methods will be described in the third embodiment . first , a first method will be described with reference to fig2 . fig2 illustrates a state in which locations where persons having tags ( badges ) are present are divided into blocks . in fig2 , reference numeral 2700 represents a block b 1 from among the divided blocks . similarly , blocks b 2 , b 3 , . . . are shown . each of reference numerals 2701 - 2703 represents a location where a tag ( badge ) is present . that is , in the case of fig2 , tags t 1 , t 2 and t 3 are present in blocks b 3 , b 8 and b 16 , respectively , at a checked time . at that time , if the communication partner is present in one of eight blocks adjacent to the block where the user is present , it can be assumed that the communication partner is present within an assigned range . if the tags t 2 and t 1 correspond to the user and the communication partner , respectively , it can be assumed that the communication partner is within the assigned range because he is in one of eight adjacent blocks as seen from the block b 8 where the user is present . this processing will be described with reference to fig2 . in step s 2606 , the blocks of the user and the communication partner are acquired based on the position information obtained in step s 2604 . then , in step s 2607 , it is determined if the block of the communication partner is in one of eight blocks adjacent to the user &# 39 ; s block . if the result of the determination in step s 2607 is negative , the process returns to step s 2508 shown in fig2 via a branching terminal b in order to repeat the determination . if the result of the determination in step s 2607 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 2608 , where the command forming unit 2402 forms a command for notifying that the communication partner approaches . then , in step s 2609 , the communication unit 2403 transmits the command to the sensor system 102 . in the third embodiment , a speaker is incorporated in each tag ( badge ) so that a sound is generated by transmitting the command from the communication unit 2403 to the sensor system 102 . upon completion of the process of step s 2609 , the process returns to step s 2501 shown in fig2 via branching terminal c in order to repeatedly execute the operation of the entire system . next , a second distance determining method will be described with reference to fig2 . in fig2 , reference numeral 2800 represents an effective range of a sensor of the sensor system 102 . the center distance between such ranges is represented by l 1 through l 6 . each of reference numerals 2801 and 2802 represent a position where a tag is present . if the tag of the user is represented by t 1 and the tag of the communication partner is represented by t 2 , the distance between the effective ranges of the sensors where the tags t 1 and t 2 are present is l 2 . by checking whether the distance l 2 is longer or shorter than an assigned distance , it is possible to determine whether or not the communication partner is present within the assigned range . next , a third distance determining method will be described with reference to fig2 . in fig2 , reference numerals 2900 and 2901 represent tags ( badges ). reference numeral 2902 represents an intensity of detection of each tag by a sensor . as the circle is larger , the intensity to react on a sensor is larger . in other words , this circle indicates the range of the possibility of the presence of the concerned tag . accordingly , when the tags t 1 and t 2 move and reach the position where the two circles contact as shown in fig2 , it can be determined that the communication partner approaches the assigned range . next , a fourth distance determining method will be described with reference to fig3 . in fig3 , reference numerals 3000 and 3001 represent tags ( badges ). if the positions of the tags t 1 and t 2 are represented by ( xl , yl ) and ( x 2 , y 2 ), respectively , the distance between the tags is obtained according to a formula for the distance between two points . if the calculated distance is shorter than an assigned distance , it can be determined that the communication partner is within the assigned range . in each of the above - described distance determining methods , the positions of disposed sensors are controlled by a table as shown in fig3 . the contents of this table have been stored in advance in the external storage device 2408 , and can be referred to whenever necessary . for example , in the second distance determining method , the distance between the sensors can be calculated using the formula for the distance between two points by referring to coordinate data in the table shown in fig3 . in the determination of the distance , weight can be provided in accordance with the location where the communication partner is present . this is for preventing unconditional alarming ( only by the determination of the distance ) when the communication partner assists at an important conference . this can be realized by adding a virtual distance corresponding to the location where the communication partner is present to the obtained distance to the communication partner by referring to a table as shown in fig3 . for example , if the distance to the communication partner is 30 and the distance within the assigned range is 50 , and if the communication partner is in conference room 1 , since the distance to be added is 10 , 30 + 10 = 40 is the distance to the communication partner , so that it can be determined that the communication partner is within the assigned range . if the communication partner is in executive room 1 , since the distance to be added is 100 , 30 + 100 = 130 is the distance to the communication partner . it is therefore determined that the communication partner is not within the assigned range . in calculating the distance , it is also possible to consider a case in which the user cannot move along a straight line , such as in an office . for such a case , for example , the layout of the office is input in advance as data , and the shortest path from the user to the person to contact is obtained . by using a movement - load table as shown in fig3 , the cost required for the movement along the shortest path is calculated . this cost is used as the distance to the person to contact . next , a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described . the fourth embodiment is realized by combining the first embodiment and the third embodiment , and provides a system in which both the relationship of a call and the distance between users are used for the determination of a call . fig3 is block diagram illustrating the configuration of a system according to the fourth embodiment . the system includes a command analysis unit 3401 , a command forming unit 3402 , a communication unit 3403 , a display unit 3404 , a call determination unit 3405 , a call - intensity calculation unit 3406 , a distance calculation unit 3407 , a database access unit 3408 , a memory 3409 , an external storage device . ( information for determination ) 3410 , and a timer 3411 . as in the first and third embodiments , the contact supporting system of the fourth embodiment is also connected to the sensor system 102 and the position - information database 101 via the network shown in fig2 . in fig3 , the command analysis unit 3401 is connected to an input device , such as a keyboard , a mouse or the like , and analyzes an input command . the command forming unit 3402 forms a command to instruct the sensor system 102 to output a sound from the concerned speaker . the communication unit 3403 is connected to the network , and performs communication with the position - information database 101 or the sensor system 102 . the display unit 3404 is connected to a display , and displays the contents of an output . the call determination unit 3405 determines whether or not the concerned person can be called , for example , based on the result of calculation of the call - intensity calculation unit 3406 and the distance calculation unit 3407 . the database access unit 3408 refers to data from the position - information database 101 . the external storage device ( information for determination ) 3410 stores information relating to users utilizing the system and locations . the memory 3409 is used by the system for temporarily storing data . the timer 3411 controls time so that the database access unit 3408 periodically refers to position information . the command analysis unit 3401 , the command forming unit 3402 , the call determination unit 3405 and the like are provided as a part of the function of a microprocessor ( not shown ) provided in the system . the operation shown in the following flowcharts is executed by a control program stored in a memory within the microprocessor . such a control program of the microprocessor may be stored in advance in a storage medium , such as a hard disk , a floppy disk , a cd - rom or the like , then may be set in a reader ( not shown ) of the system of the fourth embodiment , and may be read in the microprocessor . next , the operation of the system of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart . the flow of the general processing of the entire system is basically the same as in the first and second embodiments . however , the fourth embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in the process of determining a call ( portions described with reference to fig5 and 23 in the first and second embodiments , respectively ). hence , this portion will be described in detail with reference to fig3 . since processing in other portions is the same as in the first and second embodiments , further description thereof will be omitted . fig3 is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining a call by receiving position - information data from the position - information database 101 . when the communication unit 3403 has received position - information data , then , in step s 3500 , the database access unit 3408 analyzes the received data . the position - information data obtained as the result of the analysis is stored in the memory 3409 . position information obtained from the position - information database 101 is a sensor id . then , in step s 3501 , it is determined if there is a change in the location of the user himself or the communication partner by comparing the position - information data stored in the memory 3409 in the preceding position - information receiving processed with the received position - information data . if the result of the determination in step s 3501 is negative , the process proceeds to step s 3506 . if the result of the determination in step s 3501 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 3502 , where the distance between the user and the communication partner is calculated . the distance is calculated according to the method described in the third embodiment . the result of the calculation is stored in the memory 3409 . then , in step s 3503 , the call - intensity calculation unit 3406 calculates the intensity of a call indicating the degree of the possibility of a call . the intensity is calculated according to the method described in the first embodiment . the result of the calculation is stored in the memory 3409 . then , in step s 3504 , the call determination unit 3405 determines if a call can be performed . in the fourth embodiment , this determination is performed by comparing the distance value stored in step s 3502 with the value indicated by the sum of the call intensity value stored in step s 3503 . if the result of the determination in step s 3504 is affirmative , the process proceeds to step s 3505 , where a call is executed . in the fourth embodiment , a command for outputting a sound from the speaker of the concerned tag ( badge ) is generated for the sensor system 102 , and the command is transmitted to the sensor system 102 . upon completion of execution of a call , the process returns to the head of the main loop of the system of the fourth embodiment from branch b . if the result of the determination in step s 3504 is negative , the process proceeds to step s 3506 , where the timer 3411 is started . then , in step s 3507 , it is determined if a predetermined time period has elapsed . if the result of the determination in step s 3507 is affirmative , the process resumes the processing from the transmission of a command to request position information relating to the user and the communication partner , from branch c . thus , the determination is repeated until the communication partner can be called . each of the foregoing embodiments can also be realized by providing a computer terminal connected to the network with a program . fig3 illustrates the configurations of computer terminals . in fig3 , a cpu 3600 performs various kinds of control for a ram 3602 , an input device 3605 , a display 3604 and an fdd ( floppy - disk drive ) 3603 in accordance with programs stored in a rom 3601 . the rom 3601 stores various kinds of programs for processing data input from the input device 3605 and executing processing of the cpu 3600 , as well as programs for executing the operation of the system executed under the control of the cpu 3600 . the ram 3602 is used to provide operating regions for various kinds of programs and data input from the input device 3605 as well as to provide temporary storage regions . the fdd 3603 mounts fd &# 39 ; s ( floppy disks , not shown ), where data can be read and written . it is also possible to execute processing by writing a program in the mounted fd and reading the program into the ram 3602 . in each of the foregoing embodiments , the above - described processing is performed after storing a program in the rom 3601 and reading the program from the rom 3601 into the ram 3602 under the control of the cpu 3600 . it is also possible to execute processing by providing a cd - rom drive or an hdd ( hard - disk drive ) instead of the fdd 3603 , storing the above - described program in a cd - rom or an hd ( hard disk ) mounted or incorporated in the corresponding drive , and reading the stored program . the objects of the present invention may also be achieved by supplying a system or an apparatus with a storage medium storing program codes of software for realizing the functions of the above - described embodiments , and reading and executing the program codes stored in the storage medium by means of a computer ( or a cpu or an mpu ( microprocessor unit )) of the system or the apparatus . in such a case , the program codes themselves read from the storage medium realize the functions of the above - described embodiments , so that the storage medium storing the program codes constitutes the present invention . for example , a floppy disk , a hard disk , an optical disk , a magnetooptical disk , a cd - rom , a cd - r ( recordable ), a magnetic tape , a nonvolatile memory card , a rom or the like may be used as the storage medium for supplying the program codes . the present invention may be applied not only to a case in which the functions of the above - described embodiments are realized by executing program codes read by a computer , but also to a case in which an os ( operating system ) or the like operating in a computer executes a part or the entirety of actual processing , and the functions of the above - described embodiments are realized by the processing . the present invention may also be applied to a case in which , after writing program codes read from a storage medium into a memory provided in a function expanding card inserted into a computer or in a function expanding unit connected to the computer , a cpu or the like provided in the function expanding card or the function expanding unit performs a part or the entirety of actual processing by the instructions of the program codes . the functions of the above - described embodiments are realized through this processing . when applying the present invention to the storage medium , program codes corresponding to the above - described flowcharts are stored in the storage medium . more specifically , for example , in the third embodiment , respective modules illustrated in a memory map shown in fig3 are stored in the storage medium . that is , in the third embodiment , program codes of respective modules , such as code for an input process of receiving and interpreting inputs of a command and a user &# 39 ; s name , code for a display process of displaying the contents received from the input process , code for a communication process of performing communication with the position sensor system , code for a position acquiring process of acquiring position information of a user assigned from the position sensor system , code for a first storage process of storing information relating to users and locations in the memory , code for a second storage process of storing information received from the input process in the memory , code for a distance acquiring process of calculating the distance between users based on the information stored in the first storage process , the information stored in the second storage process , and the information acquired in the position acquiring process , code for a distance determination process of detecting that the communication partner has approached based on the distance information acquired in the distance acquiring process , code for a retrying process of repeating the position acquiring process and the distance determination process until the communication partner approaches , and code for a notification process of notifying that the communication partner has approached when the distance determination process has determined that the communication partner has approached , may be stored in the storage medium . as described above , according to the present invention , it is possible to perform a call considering the location of the owner of a communication apparatus , the degree of emergency when calling the owner of the communication apparatus , and the like . according to the present invention , it is possible to determine whether or not a call can be performed based on information relating to a partner to be called , information relating the assigned degree of emergency , and position information of the partner to be called . when a call can be performed , a call is executed . when a call cannot be performed , the contents are displayed . hence , it is possible to perform a call in accordance with information relating to the location of the communication partner . it is also possible to prevent a forced call for a communication partner for whom a call is prohibited , and to prevent a decrease in the efficiency of the operation due to the interruption caused by a call . when it has been determined that the possibility of a call is uncertain , by outputting a dialog to urge the user to perform a confirmation , it is possible to perform a call with more precision , to improve the certainty of a call , and to increase the efficiency of the operation . when a call cannot be performed , processing of determining a call is repeated at every time interval set by a timer . hence , it is unnecessary for the user to repeatedly perform assignment for a call , a call can be assuredly performed , and the efficiency of the operation can be increased . it is also possible to perform a call in consideration of the distance to the person to contact , and to notify that the person to contact is present nearby . when it has been determined that the person to contact is present nearby based on distance information , the user is notified of the fact . hence , each user can know the location of the communication partner . furthermore , since each user can know the location of the communication partner , a chance to easily meet the communication partner can be appropriately obtained . hence , the efficiency of the operation of meeting the communication partner can be increased . it is determined if a partner to be called can be called based on the information relating to the partner , information relating to the assigned degree of emergency , and position information of the partner , and the distance to the partner is calculated based on the position information relating to the user and the partner . when the distance to the partner is small and it has been determined that a call can be performed , a call is executed . hence , it is possible to assuredly call a communication partner present nearby under an exact determination , and to perform a call more smoothly . as a result , the efficiency of the operation can be increased . the individual components shown in outline or designated by blocks in the drawings are all well - known in the communication system and apparatus arts , and their specific construction and operation are not critical to the operation or the best mode for carrying out the invention . while the present invention has been described with respect to what are presently considered to be the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . to the contrary , the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions . | 7 |
to facilitate an understanding of the preferred embodiment , the general architecture and operation of a system using storage devices will be described . the specific architecture and operation of the preferred embodiment will then be described with reference to the general architecture . fig1 a shows a host system 101 a with memory 101 coupled to a san 115 that is coupled to storage subsystem 115 . in the fig1 b example , host 101 a has access to storage sub - systems 116 and 118 . it is noteworthy that a host system 101 a , as referred to herein , may include a computer , server or other similar devices , which may be coupled to storage systems . host system 101 a includes a host processor , random access memory (“ ram ”), and read only memory (“ rom ”), and other components to communicate with various san modules , as described below . fig1 b shows a system 100 that uses a controller / adapter 106 ( referred to as “ adapter ” 106 ) for communication between a host system 101 a with host memory 101 to various storage systems ( for example , storage subsystem 116 and 121 , tape library 118 and 120 ) using fibre channel storage area networks 114 and 115 . servers 117 and 119 can also access the storage sub - systems ( for example , 116 and 121 ) using san 115 and 114 , respectively . host system 101 a communicates with adapter 106 via a pci - exp bus 105 through a pci - exp interface 107 . adapter 106 includes processors 112 and 109 for the receive and transmit side , respectively . processor 109 and 112 may be a risc processor . transmit path in this context means data coming from host memory 101 to the storage systems via adapter 106 . receive path means data coming from storage subsystem via adapter 106 . it is noteworthy , that only one processor can be used for receive and transmit paths , and the present invention is not limited to any particular number / type of processors . adapter 106 also includes fibre channel interface ( also referred to as fibre channel protocol manager “ fpm ”) 122 and 113 in receive and transmit paths , respectively . fpm 122 and 113 allow data to move to / from storage systems 116 , 118 , 120 and 121 . adapter 106 includes external memory 108 and 110 and frame buffers 111 a and 111 b that are used to move information to and from the host to other san components . host memory 101 includes a response queue 104 and a request queue 103 to move information to and from host memory 101 using a driver 102 . fig1 c is a block diagram showing the internal functional architecture of host system 101 a . as shown in fig1 c , host system 101 a includes a microprocessor or central processing unit (“ cpu ”) 124 for executing computer - executable process steps and interfaces with a computer bus 125 ( similar to pci - exp bus 105 ). also shown in fig1 c is an adapter interface 126 ( similar to pci - exp interface 107 ) that interfaces host system 101 a with adapter 106 . host system 101 a also includes a display device interface 127 , a keyboard interface 128 , a pointing device interface 132 , and a storage device 129 ( for example , a disk , cd - rom or any other device ). storage 129 stores operating system program files , application program files , and other files . some of these files are stored on storage 129 using an installation program . for example , cpu 124 executes computer - executable process steps of an installation program so that cpu 124 can properly execute the application program . a random access main memory (“ ram ”) 130 also interfaces to computer bus 125 to provide cpu 124 with access to memory storage . when executing stored computer - executable process steps from storage 129 , cpu 124 stores and executes the process steps out of ram 130 . read only memory (“ rom ”) 131 is provided to store invariant instruction sequences such as start - up instruction sequences or basic input / output operating system ( bios ) sequences for operation of a keyboard ( not shown ). fig2 a shows a block diagram where a motherboard 200 is used in host system 101 a and includes a pci - exp slot 201 . slot 201 includes a pci - exp connector 201 a ( fig2 b ). a card 203 is placed in slot 201 and connector 201 a is used to connect two adapters ( a and b ) 106 to host system 101 a . it is noteworthy that although the example in fig2 a and 2b show two adapters , the present adaptive aspects of the present invention are not limited to any particular number of adapters . for example , in fig2 c , pci - exp slot 201 is shown where two devices 201 g and 201 b ( adapters a and b ) are coupled using × 4 ( i . e . 4 lanes each ) in an × 4 configuration . fig2 d also shows pci - exp slot 201 that couples four devices 201 c - 201 f using the × 2 ( two lanes ) configuration . similarly , other devices can be used in × 12 , × 16 and × 32 configuration . although the foregoing examples show how adapters in the san environment being coupled using the pci - exp bus , the present invention is not limited to any particular type of adapter . for example , plural cards in other environments ( for example , multi - media , graphics , or printing ) may be coupled using the adaptive aspects of the present invention . in one aspect of the present invention , a bridge is not needed to couple plural adapters to a host system using the pci - exp bus . although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , these embodiments are illustrative only and not limiting . many other applications and embodiments of the present invention will be apparent in light of this disclosure and the following claims . | 6 |
systems and methods are provided for navigating content on a single page . as used herein , the term multi - tenant database system refers to those systems in which various elements of hardware and software of the database system may be shared by one or more customers . for example , a given application server may simultaneously process requests for a great number of customers , and a given database table may store rows for a potentially much greater number of customers . next , mechanisms and methods for navigating content on a single page will be described with reference to example embodiments . fig1 illustrates a method 100 for navigating content on a single page , in accordance with one embodiment . as shown in operation 102 , a first request is received from a user for content to be displayed on a single page . in one embodiment , the single page may include any page capable of displaying requested content to the user ( e . g ., a single html page , etc .). in another embodiment , the single page may be displayed on a device . for example , the single page may be displayed on a portable device , such as a cell phone , a smart phone , a personal digital assistant ( pda ), etc . additionally , in yet another embodiment , the single page may be displayed using a browser of the device ( e . g ., an internet browser , a mobile web browser , a web browser with caching and scripting support , etc .). further , in one embodiment , the content may include any data that is displayed to the user . for example , the content may include one or more records , the content of one or more organizations , etc . in another embodiment , the content may include content from a system ( e . g ., a client , a server , a multi - tenant on - demand database system , etc .). also , in another embodiment , the request may include a selection of a link ( e . g ., a hyperlink , etc .) by the user from within the single page . in yet another embodiment , the request may include the entry of a location of the data into a field by the user ( e . g ., utilizing a uniform resource locator ( url ), etc .). of course , however , the request may be received from the user in any manner . additionally , it should be noted that , as described above , such multi - tenant on - demand database system may include any service that relies on a database system that is accessible over a network , in which various elements of hardware and software of the database system may be shared by one or more customers ( e . g . tenants ). for instance , a given application server may simultaneously process requests for a great number of customers , and a given database table may store rows for a potentially much greater number of customers . various examples of such a multi - tenant on - demand database system will be set forth in the context of different embodiments that will be described during reference to subsequent figures . furthermore , as shown in operation 104 , the content is retrieved . in one embodiment , the content may be retrieved from a system . in another embodiment , the content may be retrieved from a data store ( e . g ., a database , etc .) associated with the system . further still , in one embodiment , the content may be retrieved utilizing an application ( e . g ., an application written utilizing asynchronous javascript and xml ( ajax ), etc .). in another embodiment , the content may retrieved in a first format and translated into a second format . also , as shown in operation 106 , the content is added to a data structure associated with the single page . in one embodiment , content that is displayed on the single page may be stored in the data structure . for example , the data structure may be stored within an html page , where the html page includes display information for the single page . in another embodiment , the data structure may include a stack ( e . g ., a navigation stack , etc .). in yet another embodiment , the content may be added to the data structure utilizing a script language ( e . g ., javascript , etc .). additionally , in one embodiment , adding the content to the data structure may include creating a new section of the data structure . for example , a new section of the data structure may be cloned from a template ( e . g ., a template within the html page , etc .). further , in another embodiment , the content may be added to the data structure . for example , the cloned data structure section template may be populated with the content , may be formatted , etc . further still , in yet another embodiment , adding the content to the data structure may include adding the content to the top of the data structure ( e . g ., by pushing the new section of the data structure with the content on to the data structure , etc .). for , example , the data structure may include a navigation stack which may include a marker that indicates the top of the stack . additionally , a new section of the stack containing the content may be pushed onto the stack by adding the new section immediately after the marker . also , as shown in operation 108 , the content from the data structure is displayed on the single page . in one embodiment , the data structure that contains the content may be rendered by a browser . in another embodiment , additional content stored within the data structure may be displayed in addition to the content added in response to the first request . further , in one embodiment , prior to receiving the first request for the content , previous content may be displayed to the user from the data structure on the single page . additionally , in another embodiment , after the content from the data structure is displayed on the single page in response to the first request from the user , a second request may be received from the user for the previous content to be displayed on the single page . for example , the second request may include the selection of a “ back ” icon on an internet browser , etc . further , in yet another embodiment , in response to the second request , the content added to the data structure in response to the first request may be removed ( e . g ., “ popped ,” etc .) from the data structure . for example , a marker may note where the content was added to the data structure in response to the first request , and such content may be removed utilizing the marker . in still another embodiment , the previous content from the data structure may be displayed on the single page . in this way , additional sections of the data structure may be dynamically added for displaying on the single page , and may be dynamically removed when a user requests viewing of earlier sections of the data structure . further , the user may view a smooth transition between sections of information displayed from the data structure . fig2 illustrates a method 200 for adding and removing a record in single page html navigation , in accordance with another embodiment . as an option , the present method 200 may be carried out in the context of the functionality of fig1 . of course , however , the method 200 may be carried out in any desired environment . the aforementioned definitions may apply during the present description . as shown in operation 202 , a record is requested by a user viewing a single page html page . for example , the user may be viewing a human resources “ org chart ” application that may allow the user to navigate up an organization chart tree ( e . g ., of a system , etc .) from employee to manager , manager &# 39 ; s manager , etc . additionally , the user may currently be viewing an employee record and may select a link on the single page in order to navigate from an employee record to a related employee record . for example , the user may utilize iui and / or jqtouch libraries in order to view the single page html page . further , as show in operation 204 , the requested record is retrieved from a data provider of the html page . for example , a database providing data for the human resources “ org chart ” application may be queried , and may return the requested record to the application . in one embodiment , the requested record may be translated from a format in which it was stored in the database into a format usable by the html page . further still , as shown in operation 206 , a template section of the html page is cloned , and the cloned section is renamed for the requested record . for example , each node in the organization chart tree may include an anchor section ( e . g ., a div , etc .) displayed on the mobile html web page , where each section may have a nearly identical format and only slightly different data . additionally , the html page may include a shallow template section , which may be cloned and renamed for the requested record . also , as shown in operation 208 , data from the requested record is added to the cloned and renamed section . in addition , as shown in operation 210 , the cloned and renamed section is pushed onto a navigation stack of the single page html page . in another embodiment , additional data may be added to the cloned and renamed section before it is pushed onto the navigation stack . for example , the pre - rendered html page contains a “ marker ” section that indicates a start of the navigation stack . additionally , the cloned and renamed section may be given an identifier that reflects the record type and time of creation of the section . further , the cloned and renamed section may be pushed onto the navigation stack , which may consist of inserting it into the html document object model ( dom ) right after the marker section . table 1 illustrates an exemplary html dom page showing an empty navigation stack . of course , it should be noted that the html dom page shown in table 1 is set forth for illustrative purposes only , and thus should not be construed as limiting in any manner . table 2 illustrates an exemplary html dom page showing the navigation stack after a record is selected . of course , it should be noted that the html dom page shown in table 2 is set forth for illustrative purposes only , and thus should not be construed as limiting in any manner . table 3 illustrates an exemplary html dom page showing the navigation stack after a second record is selected . of course , it should be noted that the html dom page shown in table 3 is set forth for illustrative purposes only , and thus should not be construed as limiting in any manner . table 4 illustrates an exemplary html dom page showing the navigation stack after a third record is selected . of course , it should be noted that the html dom page shown in table 4 is set forth for illustrative purposes only , and thus should not be construed as limiting in any manner . further still , as shown in operation 212 , the requested record is displayed to the user . also , as shown in operation 214 , a request is received by the user to navigate back to the record displayed before the currently displayed record . for example , the user may select a “ back ” icon from within the human resources “ org chart ” application . additionally , as shown in operation 216 , in response to the user selection of the “ back ” icon , the last section added to the navigation stack is popped off of the navigation stack . in this way , the record displayed to the user before the last requested record may be located on the top of the navigation stack . table 5 illustrates an exemplary html dom page showing the navigation stack after a user selects a “ back ” link after viewing the third record . of course , it should be noted that the html dom page shown in table 5 is set forth for illustrative purposes only , and thus should not be construed as limiting in any manner . further , as shown in operation 218 , the record on top of the navigation stack is displayed to the user . for example , the record displayed to the user before the last requested record may be located on the top of the navigation stack and may therefore be displayed to the user . in this way , a clear navigation stack may exist in the html dom , such that when a user navigates from one record to another record , a new section is pushed onto the navigation stack , and when a user navigates to a previous section on the html page , a section may be popped from the navigation stack . this may avoid pre - rendering an entire chart ( e . g ., an organization chart ) into the single cached html page , as well as placing multiple empty “ dummy ” sections into the html document and rendering them later . additionally , additional sections may be dynamically rendered into an existing single html page and dynamic navigation back between sections may be supported . further , by navigating between sections on a single html page , the browser may avoid accessing a network to render content . fig3 illustrates a block diagram of an environment 310 wherein an on - demand database system might be used . environment 310 may include user systems 312 , network 314 , system 316 , processor system 317 , application platform 318 , network interface 320 , tenant data storage 322 , system data storage 324 , program code 326 , and process space 328 . in other embodiments , environment 310 may not have all of the components listed and / or may have other elements instead of , or in addition to , those listed above . environment 310 is an environment in which an on - demand database system exists . user system 312 may be any machine or system that is used by a user to access a database user system . for example , any of user systems 312 can be a handheld computing device , a mobile phone , a laptop computer , a work station , and / or a network of computing devices . as illustrated in fig3 ( and in more detail in fig4 ) user systems 312 might interact via a network 314 with an on - demand database system , which is system 316 . an on - demand database system , such as system 316 , is a database system that is made available to outside users that do not need to necessarily be concerned with building and / or maintaining the database system , but instead may be available for their use when the users need the database system ( e . g ., on the demand of the users ). some on - demand database systems may store information from one or more tenants stored into tables of a common database image to form a multi - tenant database system ( mts ). accordingly , “ on - demand database system 316 ” and “ system 316 ” will be used interchangeably herein . a database image may include one or more database objects . a relational database management system ( rdms ) or the equivalent may execute storage and retrieval of information against the database object ( s ). application platform 318 may be a framework that allows the applications of system 316 to run , such as the hardware and / or software , e . g ., the operating system . in an embodiment , on - demand database system 316 may include an application platform 318 that enables creation , managing and executing one or more applications developed by the provider of the on - demand database system , users accessing the on - demand database system via user systems 312 , or third party application developers accessing the on - demand database system via user systems 312 . the users of user systems 312 may differ in their respective capacities , and the capacity of a particular user system 312 might be entirely determined by permissions ( permission levels ) for the current user . for example , where a salesperson is using a particular user system 312 to interact with system 316 , that user system has the capacities allotted to that salesperson . however , while an administrator is using that user system to interact with system 316 , that user system has the capacities allotted to that administrator . in systems with a hierarchical role model , users at one permission level may have access to applications , data , and database information accessible by a lower permission level user , but may not have access to certain applications , database information , and data accessible by a user at a higher permission level . thus , different users will have different capabilities with regard to accessing and modifying application and database information , depending on a user &# 39 ; s security or permission level . network 314 is any network or combination of networks of devices that communicate with one another . for example , network 314 can be any one or any combination of a lan ( local area network ), wan ( wide area network ), telephone network , wireless network , point - to - point network , star network , token ring network , hub network , or other appropriate configuration . as the most common type of computer network in current use is a tcp / ip ( transfer control protocol and internet protocol ) network , such as the global internetwork of networks often referred to as the “ internet ” with a capital “ i ,” that network will be used in many of the examples herein . however , it should be understood that the networks that the one or more implementations might use are not so limited , although tcp / ip is a frequently implemented protocol . user systems 312 might communicate with system 316 using tcp / ip and , at a higher network level , use other common internet protocols to communicate , such as http , ftp , afs , wap , etc . in an example where http is used , user system 312 might include an http client commonly referred to as a “ browser ” for sending and receiving http messages to and from an http server at system 316 . such an http server might be implemented as the sole network interface between system 316 and network 314 , but other techniques might be used as well or instead . in some implementations , the interface between system 316 and network 314 includes load sharing functionality , such as round - robin http request distributors to balance loads and distribute incoming http requests evenly over a plurality of servers . at least as for the users that are accessing that server , each of the plurality of servers has access to the mts &# 39 ; data ; however , other alternative configurations may be used instead . in one embodiment , system 316 , shown in fig3 , implements a web - based customer relationship management ( crm ) system . for example , in one embodiment , system 316 includes application servers configured to implement and execute crm software applications as well as provide related data , code , forms , webpages and other information to and from user systems 312 and to store to , and retrieve from , a database system related data , objects , and webpage content . with a multi - tenant system , data for multiple tenants may be stored in the same physical database object , however , tenant data typically is arranged so that data of one tenant is kept logically separate from that of other tenants so that one tenant does not have access to another tenant &# 39 ; s data , unless such data is expressly shared . in certain embodiments , system 316 implements applications other than , or in addition to , a crm application . for example , system 316 may provide tenant access to multiple hosted ( standard and custom ) applications , including a crm application . user ( or third party developer ) applications , which may or may not include crm , may be supported by the application platform 318 , which manages creation , storage of the applications into one or more database objects and executing of the applications in a virtual machine in the process space of the system 316 . one arrangement for elements of system 316 is shown in fig3 , including a network interface 320 , application platform 318 , tenant data storage 322 for tenant data 323 , system data storage 324 for system data 325 accessible to system 316 and possibly multiple tenants , program code 326 for implementing various functions of system 316 , and a process space 328 for executing mts system processes and tenant - specific processes , such as running applications as part of an application hosting service . additional processes that may execute on system 316 include database indexing processes . several elements in the system shown in fig3 include conventional , well - known elements that are explained only briefly here . for example , each user system 312 could include a desktop personal computer , workstation , laptop , pda , cell phone , or any wireless access protocol ( wap ) enabled device or any other computing device capable of interfacing directly or indirectly to the internet or other network connection . user system 312 typically runs an http client , e . g ., a browsing program , such as microsoft &# 39 ; s internet explorer browser , netscape &# 39 ; s navigator browser , opera &# 39 ; s browser , or a wap - enabled browser in the case of a cell phone , pda or other wireless device , or the like , allowing a user ( e . g ., subscriber of the multi - tenant database system ) of user system 312 to access , process and view information , pages and applications available to it from system 316 over network 314 . each user system 312 also typically includes one or more user interface devices , such as a keyboard , a mouse , trackball , touch pad , touch screen , pen or the like , for interacting with a graphical user interface ( gui ) provided by the browser on a display ( e . g ., a monitor screen , lcd display , etc .) in conjunction with pages , forms , applications and other information provided by system 316 or other systems or servers . for example , the user interface device can be used to access data and applications hosted by system 316 , and to perform searches on stored data , and otherwise allow a user to interact with various gui pages that may be presented to a user . as discussed above , embodiments are suitable for use with the internet , which refers to a specific global internetwork of networks . however , it should be understood that other networks can be used instead of the internet , such as an intranet , an extranet , a virtual private network ( vpn ), a non - tcp / ip based network , any lan or wan or the like . according to one embodiment , each user system 312 and all of its components are operator configurable using applications , such as a browser , including computer code run using a central processing unit such as an intel pentium ® processor or the like . similarly , system 316 ( and additional instances of an mts , where more than one is present ) and all of their components might be operator configurable using application ( s ) including computer code to run using a central processing unit such as processor system 317 , which may include an intel pentium ® processor or the like , and / or multiple processor units . a computer program product embodiment includes a machine - readable storage medium ( media ) having instructions stored thereon / in which can be used to program a computer to perform any of the processes of the embodiments described herein . computer code for operating and configuring system 316 to intercommunicate and to process webpages , applications and other data and media content as described herein are preferably downloaded and stored on a hard disk , but the entire program code , or portions thereof , may also be stored in any other volatile or non - volatile memory medium or device as is well known , such as a rom or ram , or provided on any media capable of storing program code , such as any type of rotating media including floppy disks , optical discs , digital versatile disk ( dvd ), compact disk ( cd ), microdrive , and magneto - optical disks , and magnetic or optical cards , nanosystems ( including molecular memory ics ), or any type of media or device suitable for storing instructions and / or data . additionally , the entire program code , or portions thereof , may be transmitted and downloaded from a software source over a transmission medium , e . g ., over the internet , or from another server , as is well known , or transmitted over any other conventional network connection as is well known ( e . g ., extranet , vpn , lan , etc .) using any communication medium and protocols ( e . g ., tcp / ip , http , https , ethernet , etc .) as are well known . it will also be appreciated that computer code for implementing embodiments can be implemented in any programming language that can be executed on a client system and / or server or server system such as , for example , c , c ++, html , any other markup language , java ™, javascript , activex , any other scripting language , such as vbscript , and many other programming languages as are well known may be used . ( java ™ is a trademark of sun microsystems , inc .). according to one embodiment , each system 316 is configured to provide webpages , forms , applications , data and media content to user ( client ) systems 312 to support the access by user systems 312 as tenants of system 316 . as such , system 316 provides security mechanisms to keep each tenant &# 39 ; s data separate unless the data is shared . if more than one mts is used , they may be located in close proximity to one another ( e . g ., in a server farm located in a single building or campus ), or they may be distributed at locations remote from one another ( e . g ., one or more servers located in city a and one or more servers located in city b ). as used herein , each mts could include one or more logically and / or physically connected servers distributed locally or across one or more geographic locations . additionally , the term “ server ” is meant to include a computer system , including processing hardware and process space ( s ), and an associated storage system and database application ( e . g ., oodbms or rdbms ) as is well known in the art . it should also be understood that “ server system ” and “ server ” are often used interchangeably herein . similarly , the database object described herein can be implemented as single databases , a distributed database , a collection of distributed databases , a database with redundant online or offline backups or other redundancies , etc ., and might include a distributed database or storage network and associated processing intelligence . fig4 also illustrates environment 310 . however , in fig4 elements of system 316 and various interconnections in an embodiment are further illustrated . fig4 shows that user system 312 may include processor system 312 a , memory system 312 b , input system 312 c , and output system 312 d . fig4 shows network 314 and system 316 . fig4 also shows that system 316 may include tenant data storage 322 , tenant data 323 , system data storage 324 , system data 325 , user interface ( ui ) 430 , application program interface ( api ) 432 , pl / soql 434 , save routines 436 , application setup mechanism 438 , applications servers 400 1 - 400 n , system process space 402 , tenant process spaces 404 , tenant management process space 410 , tenant storage area 412 , user storage 414 , and application metadata 416 . in other embodiments , environment 310 may not have the same elements as those listed above and / or may have other elements instead of , or in addition to , those listed above . user system 312 , network 314 , system 316 , tenant data storage 322 , and system data storage 324 were discussed above in fig3 . regarding user system 312 , processor system 312 a may be any combination of one or more processors . memory system 312 b may be any combination of one or more memory devices , short term , and / or long term memory . input system 312 c may be any combination of input devices , such as one or more keyboards , mice , trackballs , scanners , cameras , and / or interfaces to networks . output system 312 d may be any combination of output devices , such as one or more monitors , printers , and / or interfaces to networks . as shown by fig4 , system 316 may include a network interface 320 ( of fig3 ) implemented as a set of http application servers 400 , an application platform 318 , tenant data storage 322 , and system data storage 324 . also shown is system process space 402 , including individual tenant process spaces 404 and a tenant management process space 410 . each application server 400 may be configured to tenant data storage 322 and the tenant data 323 therein , and system data storage 324 and the system data 325 therein to serve requests of user systems 312 . the tenant data 323 might be divided into individual tenant storage areas 412 , which can be either a physical arrangement and / or a logical arrangement of data . within each tenant storage area 412 , user storage 414 and application metadata 416 might be similarly allocated for each user . for example , a copy of a user &# 39 ; s most recently used ( mru ) items might be stored to user storage 414 . similarly , a copy of mru items for an entire organization that is a tenant might be stored to tenant storage area 412 . a ui 430 provides a user interface and an api 432 provides an application programmer interface to system 316 resident processes to users and / or developers at user systems 312 . the tenant data and the system data may be stored in various databases , such as one or more oracle ™ databases . application platform 318 includes an application setup mechanism 438 that supports application developers &# 39 ; creation and management of applications , which may be saved as metadata into tenant data storage 322 by save routines 436 for execution by subscribers as one or more tenant process spaces 404 managed by tenant management process 410 for example . invocations to such applications may be coded using pl / soql 434 that provides a programming language style interface extension to api 432 . a detailed description of some pl / soql language embodiments is discussed in commonly owned co - pending u . s . provisional patent application 60 / 828 , 192 entitled , programming language method and system for extending apis to execute in conjunction with database apis , by craig weissman , filed oct . 4 , 2006 , which is incorporated in its entirety herein for all purposes . invocations to applications may be detected by one or more system processes , which manages retrieving application metadata 416 for the subscriber making the invocation and executing the metadata as an application in a virtual machine . each application server 400 may be communicably coupled to database systems , e . g ., having access to system data 325 and tenant data 323 , via a different network connection . for example , one application server 400 1 might be coupled via the network 314 ( e . g ., the internet ), another application server 400 n - 1 might be coupled via a direct network link , and another application server 400 n might be coupled by yet a different network connection . transfer control protocol and internet protocol ( tcp / ip ) are typical protocols for communicating between application servers 400 and the database system . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other transport protocols may be used to optimize the system depending on the network interconnect used . in certain embodiments , each application server 400 is configured to handle requests for any user associated with any organization that is a tenant . because it is desirable to be able to add and remove application servers from the server pool at any time for any reason , there is preferably no server affinity for a user and / or organization to a specific application server 400 . in one embodiment , therefore , an interface system implementing a load balancing function ( e . g ., an f5 big - ip load balancer ) is communicably coupled between the application servers 400 and the user systems 312 to distribute requests to the application servers 400 . in one embodiment , the load balancer uses a least connections algorithm to route user requests to the application servers 400 . other examples of load balancing algorithms , such as round robin and observed response time , also can be used . for example , in certain embodiments , three consecutive requests from the same user could hit three different application servers 400 , and three requests from different users could hit the same application server 400 . in this manner , system 316 is multi - tenant , wherein system 316 handles storage of , and access to , different objects , data and applications across disparate users and organizations . as an example of storage , one tenant might be a company that employs a sales force where each salesperson uses system 316 to manage their sales process . thus , a user might maintain contact data , leads data , customer follow - up data , performance data , goals and progress data , etc ., all applicable to that user &# 39 ; s personal sales process ( e . g ., in tenant data storage 322 ). in an example of a mts arrangement , since all of the data and the applications to access , view , modify , report , transmit , calculate , etc ., can be maintained and accessed by a user system having nothing more than network access , the user can manage his or her sales efforts and cycles from any of many different user systems . for example , if a salesperson is visiting a customer and the customer has internet access in their lobby , the salesperson can obtain critical updates as to that customer while waiting for the customer to arrive in the lobby . while each user &# 39 ; s data might be separate from other users &# 39 ; data regardless of the employers of each user , some data might be organization - wide data shared or accessible by a plurality of users or all of the users for a given organization that is a tenant . thus , there might be some data structures managed by system 316 that are allocated at the tenant level while other data structures might be managed at the user level . because an mts might support multiple tenants including possible competitors , the mts should have security protocols that keep data , applications , and application use separate . also , because many tenants may opt for access to an mts rather than maintain their own system , redundancy , up - time , and backup are additional functions that may be implemented in the mts . in addition to user - specific data and tenant specific data , system 316 might also maintain system level data usable by multiple tenants or other data . such system level data might include industry reports , news , postings , and the like that are sharable among tenants . in certain embodiments , user systems 312 ( which may be client systems ) communicate with application servers 400 to request and update system - level and tenant - level data from system 316 that may require sending one or more queries to tenant data storage 322 and / or system data storage 324 . system 316 ( e . g ., an application server 400 in system 316 ) automatically generates one or more sql statements ( e . g ., one or more sql queries ) that are designed to access the desired information . system data storage 324 may generate query plans to access the requested data from the database . each database can generally be viewed as a collection of objects , such as a set of logical tables , containing data fitted into predefined categories . a “ table ” is one representation of a data object , and may be used herein to simplify the conceptual description of objects and custom objects . it should be understood that “ table ” and “ object ” may be used interchangeably herein . each table generally contains one or more data categories logically arranged as columns or fields in a viewable schema . each row or record of a table contains an instance of data for each category defined by the fields . for example , a crm database may include a table that describes a customer with fields for basic contact information such as name , address , phone number , fax number , etc . another table might describe a purchase order , including fields for information such as customer , product , sale price , date , etc . in some multi - tenant database systems , standard entity tables might be provided for use by all tenants . for crm database applications , such standard entities might include tables for account , contact . lead , and opportunity data , each containing pre - defined fields . it should be understood that the word “ entity ” may also be used interchangeably herein with “ object ” and “ table ”. in some multi - tenant database systems , tenants may be allowed to create and store custom objects , or they may be allowed to customize standard entities or objects , for example by creating custom fields for standard objects , including custom index fields . u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 817 , 161 , filed apr . 2 , 2004 , entitled “ custom entities and fields in a multi - tenant database system ”, and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference , teaches systems and methods for creating custom objects as well as customizing standard objects in a multi - tenant database system . in certain embodiments , for example , all custom entity data rows are stored in a single multi - tenant physical table , which may contain multiple logical tables per organization . it is transparent to customers that their multiple “ tables ” are in fact stored in one large table or that their data may be stored in the same table as the data of other customers . while one or more implementations have been described by way of example and in terms of the specific embodiments , it is to be understood that one or more implementations are not limited to the disclosed embodiments . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements . | 6 |
fig1 and 2 show a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a storage case 10 and leg assembly according to the present invention . the case 10 includes a bottom portion or base 12 and a top portion or lid 14 . the base 12 has a horizontal bottom panel 16 and four vertical panels or walls , which include a front wall 18 , a rear wall 20 , and two sidewalls 22 . the vertical walls form an inner cavity 24 . the base 12 also has a parting line edge 26 member around the periphery of the vertical walls . the term “ parting line ” refers to the portion of a case where the base and lid meet . similarly , the lid includes four vertical panels or walls , i . e ., a front wall 28 , a rear wall 30 , and two sidewalls 32 . the lid 14 includes a horizontal bottom panel 34 and peripheral parting line edge member 36 , which aligns with the parting line member 26 of the base 12 when the case 10 is closed . the bottom panel 34 and vertical panels of the lid 14 form an inner cavity 38 . the case is secured in a closed position through the use of multiple latching mechanisms 40 spaced apart along the vertical walls of the base and lid . each latching mechanism 40 is comprised of a strike 42 that is secured to the case lid 14 and a latch 44 on the base 12 that is in alignment with the strike 42 . the latch 44 has a hooked upper portion 46 that is designed to engage the strike 42 . the latch also includes a cam member 48 , which allows the hooked upper portion 46 to be clamped down on the strike 42 to secure the lid 14 to the base 12 . each strike 42 and latch 44 are located in aligned recesses in the lid and base , 50 , 52 respectively . the general operation of the above - described latching mechanism is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 370 , 254 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein . the case 10 is preferably manufactured from plastic through a rotomolding process . as will be readily appreciated , however , other materials and processes may be utilized provided they are suitable to protect whatever equipment or supplies are stored within the case . the preferred embodiment of the inventive leg assembly for use with the case 10 is depicted in fig2 . as shown , the assembly is comprised of four generally linear legs 54 . the legs 54 are attached to the front and back walls of the base , 18 , 20 , and the front and back walls of the lid , 28 , 30 . the legs 54 extend from the base 12 to the lid 14 to support and stabilize the lid 14 enabling it to function effectively as support surface . the legs 54 are attached to portions of the front and back walls of the base 12 and lid 14 that are proximate the sidewalls , 22 , 32 . the legs are preferably manufactured from a lightweight metal and , in one configuration , are 0 . 06 - inches thick . the legs also have a series of spaced apart apertures or holes 55 which reduce weight . the location of the legs on the base and lid are an important aspect of the present invention as they allow easy access to the interior cavity 24 of the base . prior art support structures have relatively wide legs located on the sides and back of base and lid hindering access to the interior of the base . as will be appreciated , in military and medical applications efficiency is critical . moreover , the legs are located such that they do not extend out from the base or lid and therefore do not require any additional floor space . as shown , the legs 54 have a lower portion or end 58 and a generally u - shaped upper portion or end 60 and a central body portion 61 . the upper end 60 attaches to the lid 14 and the lower end 58 attaches to the base 12 . the upper end 60 includes a flat portion 57 and upper and lower slots 64 , 66 . the legs 54 are shaped to fit into the lid and base recesses 50 , 52 , respectively . preferably , the legs 54 have a corrugated cross - section or profile , which corresponds to the shape of the recesses 50 , 52 and increases strength of the legs . the inter - engagement or mating of the legs 54 and recesses 50 , 52 helps align the lid 14 and base 12 for use as a support structure . as discussed in greater detail below , the legs 54 are also connected and stabilized by two cross members 56 , which extend between the front and back leg on opposite sides of the base 12 and lid 14 . the mating relationship of the legs and the recesses of the base and lid are yet another important aspect of the present invention . the recesses help to locate the legs so that they are properly aligned and stabilize the support structure preventing lateral movement . known cases do not include this feature . as such , the mating relationship imparts a structural stability not found in the art . turning now to fig3 a - fig5 b , the legs 54 are secured to the base 12 through mounting brackets 62 , that are attached to the lower end 58 of each leg . as shown in fig4 a and 4 c , the mounting bracket 62 and lower leg end 58 form a substantially u - shaped bracket or opening 80 in which the lower end of the leg 58 forms a first sidewall 82 and a downwardly extending portion of the mounting bracket 62 forms a second sidewall 84 . when installed , the first and second sidewalls 82 , 84 of the legs 54 are placed over the front wall 18 of the base 12 so that the front wall 18 is between the sidewalls 82 , 84 . when attached , the brackets 62 distribute weight from the legs , cross members and lid on the base parting line 26 and abutingly contact the interior and exterior of the front wall 18 of the base 12 providing stability to the legs 54 . the mounting brackets 62 , which are load bearing , are preferably manufactured from a strong , lightweight metal such as aluminum / magnesium alloy 5052 - h32 . other materials may be used as long as they are sufficiently strong to prevent a material failure . the first and second sidewalls 82 , 84 are important aspects of the present invention . unlike known support structures which attach to either a front or back side of a base wall , the present invention employs a u - shaped bracket having two side walls 82 , 84 one of which contacts a front side of a base wall and the other a back or reverse side of a base wall . this configuration provides a degree of stability and strength not achieved with known systems . the brackets 62 also include a series of weight reducing holes 55 and are secured to the legs through a plurality of bolts or like fasteners . further , the mounting bracket 62 preferably includes a rubber liner 69 on an inner portion of the bracket that contacts the parting line 26 to protect the line and base 12 from damage . as will be readily appreciated , it is desirable that the mounting bracket 62 be as wide as possible to distribute the weight of the legs , cross members and lid over a larger area and increase stability . the width of the mounting bracket 62 is limited , however , by an inside radius between the front wall 18 and sidewalls 22 of the base 12 . as shown in fig5 a , the downwardly extending leg or second sidewall 84 of the bracket 62 is angled outward and away from the leg 54 at an angle θ . as will be readily appreciated the angle is acute . the angled sidewall 84 causes the legs to extend slightly outward and away from the base 12 when the cross member is not installed . upon the addition of a cross member , the legs move inward to a substantially vertical position and the mounting bracket 62 contacts the latch 44 to effectively “ preload ” the leg 54 with the latching mechanism 40 so that the latch may then be cammed downward to secure the leg 54 to the base 12 . in addition to the mounting brackets 62 , the legs 54 are secured to the base 12 through the case &# 39 ; s latching mechanism 40 . as shown in fig3 a , 3 b and 7 the lower end 58 of each leg 54 includes a latching slot 63 that is sized to accommodate the hooked upper portion 46 of the latch 44 that is normally used to secure the lid 14 to the base 12 . when a leg 46 is secured to the base 12 , the mounting bracket 62 is first placed on the front wall so that it extends into the base inner cavity and the leg 54 is lowered toward the base . after the leg 54 has been lowered a certain distance , the hooked upper portion 46 of the latch 44 is placed through the latching slot 63 and the latch 44 is urged downward thereby securing the leg 54 to the base 12 . the attachment of the legs to the base 12 through the latching mechanism 40 is yet another important aspect of the present invention . known cases use a passive attachment means in which legs are simply inserted in metal brackets on the exterior of a case . repeated use of such cases in the field leads to increased lateral movement of the legs and renders the cases unstable . in sharp contrast , the present invention employs both a mounting bracket and an active latching system in which the mechanism used to latch the lid to the base is utilized to secure and stabilize the legs . as will be readily appreciated , stability of support structures is critically important in medical and military applications for which many of such cases are used . the active latching mechanism of the present invention provides a level of stability and strength not found in known cases . referring back to fig2 , the lid 14 rests on the cross members 56 which are attached to the legs 54 . the lid 14 is held in place by the inter - engagement of the corrugated profile of the leg 54 and the lid recess 50 which have corresponding or mating surfaces . as discussed above , this inter - engagement prevents the lateral movement of the lid 14 relative to the legs 54 and base 12 . the cross members 56 are secured to the legs 54 at attachment points located on the legs . more specifically , the cross members 56 are attached to the legs 54 through slots machined in the body 61 of each leg . the slots are sized and shaped to accept the cross members 56 , support the lid 14 , and provide stability . as shown , there are two attachment points or slots per leg 54 , an upper slot 64 and a lower slot 66 . the cross members 56 may be placed in either the upper or lower slots 64 , 66 depending on the size of the lid 14 . in its preferred configuration , the upper slot 64 allows a 2 - inch deep lid to be employed . the lower slots 66 provide for the use of a deeper lid having 9 - inch sidewalls . the upper slot 64 is located at the upper end 60 of each leg 54 and has an open end into which the cross member 56 is lowered . the lower slot 66 is located at approximately the midpoint of each leg 54 and does not include an open end . as such , the cross member 56 is inserted laterally into the lower slot 66 and then lowered into position . as will be appreciated , the upper and lower slots are located at the same positions on each leg 54 in the assembly so that the cross members 56 , when installed , are horizontal and parallel to the lid . both the upper slot 64 and lower slot 66 have end portions 65 , 67 , respectively , which support the weight of an inserted cross member 56 and the lid 14 . the slots 64 , 66 are spaced on the leg body 61 so that top of the leg 54 is flush with the parting line 36 of the lids . that is , if the lower slot 66 is employed with a 9 - inch lid 14 , the top of the legs 54 are flush with the parting line 36 . if the upper slot 64 is used with a 2 - inch lid 14 , the top is flush with the parting line 36 as well . this keeps the lids 14 , i . e ., the table top , at a consistent comfortable height regardless of whether a 2 or 9 - inch lid is used . additionally , the distance between the flat portion 57 of each leg 54 and the top of a cross member 56 installed in the upper slot 64 is great enough so that a lid 14 can be placed cavity side down without damaging the strikes 42 on the lid exterior . the leg slots are a significant aspect of the present invention as they allow cross members to be attached at multiple locations to accommodate lids , and cases , of various sizes . known cases do not allow for this and would require multiple sets of legs for each size case . this would require the manufacture , stocking and deployment of multiple leg sets , which is inefficient and expensive . turning now to fig6 , the cross members 56 are generally linear in shape and include two opposing end portions 68 . each end portion 68 has a mounting slot 70 that is generally s - shaped with an open end 72 and a terminal end 74 having an abutment surface 76 . the abutment surface 76 contacts the end portions 65 , 67 of the leg slots 64 , 66 and is weight bearing . the mounting slot 70 is sized and shaped to accommodate attachment to the legs 54 . when a cross member 56 is inserted into a leg slot 64 or 66 , a portion of each leg 54 directly below each leg slot extends into the mounting slot 70 of the cross member 56 until the end portion 65 , 67 of the mounting slot 70 contacts the abutment surface 76 of the leg slot . the shape of the mounting slot 70 is such that there are four points of contact between each leg 54 and an inserted cross - member 56 . the contact between the abutment surface 76 of the cross member 64 and the end portions of the leg slots 65 , 67 is weight bearing . the remaining three points of contact between the mounting slot 70 and the body portion 61 of each leg 54 provide stability . this configuration , as opposed to a linear mounting slot , reduces friction between the legs and cross members and simplifies the manufacturing process . the cross members are preferably manufactured from a lightweight metal . in a preferred embodiment , the cross members are 0 . 25 - inch thick aluminum . this thickness was chosen to maximize the contact area of each cross member 56 and the lid 14 . as will be appreciated , thicker materials may be used provided they are sufficiently lightweight and strong . the cross members also contain cut away holes 55 to reduce weight . as will be readily appreciated , the cross members are another important feature of the present invention . the cross members act to stabilize the legs and securely support the lid . known cases do not include cross members or any ancillary support structure other than the legs themselves . the cross members of the present invention help create a support that can be used under the most rigorous of conditions and deployments . although the cross members 62 are a critical component of the present invention , the legs 54 may be used temporarily without cross members if they are unavailable . in this configuration , the strike 42 of the lid 14 contacts the flat portion 57 of the leg 54 to support the lid 14 ( fig2 and 3 b ). fig8 a - 8 d graphically depict the assembly of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the mounting brackets 62 of the legs 54 are first attached to the base 12 by placing them over the front and rear walls 18 , 20 . the cross members 56 are then inserted in the leg slots 64 , 66 until the abutment surfaces 76 of the mounting slots 70 contact the terminal ends 74 of the leg slots . the hooked upper portion 46 of the latch 44 is then inserted through the latching slot and the latch is closed securing the legs to the base . the lid 14 is then lowered onto the cross members so that it rests on the cross members and so that its recesses 50 matingly engage the legs 54 securing the lid 14 and preventing its lateral movement . as will be appreciated , the present invention also has utility without the lid 14 and without all four legs 54 . for example , a single leg 54 may be attached to the base 12 for use as a support structure for hanging equipment such as iv bags . in sum , the present invention through the use of an active latching system , mounting brackets , slots , cross members and mating surfaces , provides a support structure that is stronger , lighter and more stable than known systems . moreover , the present invention provides a versatile support assembly that can be used with cases of various sizes and capacities . known cases do not provide these benefits . while many advantages of the present invention can be clearly seen from the preferred embodiment described , it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment . those skilled in the art will appreciate that many alterations and variations are possible within the scope of the present invention . | 8 |
fig1 shows a tape 10 that moves in the direction of arrow 12 due to the capstan motor 14 . motor 14 is speed regulated by control loop 16 . a headwheel 18 has playback heads ( not shown ) mounted thereon to derive video information from tape 10 . headwheel 18 is driven by a headwheel motor 20 that is speed regulated by another servo control loop 22 . the speed of motors 14 and 20 is determined by a speed control circuit 24 . since this speed is not necessarily a standard speed , a synchronizer 26 is used to convert the playback video to standard , e . g ., ntsc line and field rates . now examining fig1 in more detail , the tape 10 has fm ( frequency modulation ) recorded thereon video information in slanted tracks , and control and audio information in am ( amplitude modulation ) recorded in separate longitudinally disposed tracks along the edge thereof , all as known in the art . the control track signal typically has a frequency of 240 hz , and said control signal is reproduced by a control track playback head 28 . the reproduced control signal is applied to capstan servo 30 . also applied to servo 30 through switch 32 is a reference frequency signal ( described in more detail below ) present on reference bus 34 . the control track and reference control signals do not normally have even the same nominal frequency so the frequency of at least one of these signals must be changed either by multiplication or division in servo 30 before any frequency comparison can be done . after this frequency changing operation , the frequencies are compared , and any frequency or phase differences are used to generate an error signal that is used to control the speed of capstan motor 14 , which motor drives tape 10 with the aid of pinch roller 36 . headwheel motor 20 has coupled to it a tonewheel 38 that alternately interrupts and passes a light beam ( not shown ) directed at photodetector 40 . thus tonewheel 38 and photodetector 40 form a tachometer for motor 20 . the output of photodetector 40 is applied to a terminal of switch 32 , where it can be selected as the reference signal for servo 30 instead of the reference signal on bus 34 . in this case , it may be necessary to use a different frequency multiplier division quotient in servo 30 in order to be able to carry out the required frequency comparison therein . control of the capstan servo 30 by the tachometer , rather than by reference bus 34 , has the advantage that , if the reference frequency is incorrect , the heads of headwheel 18 will remain on the recorded tracks . as is conventional in the art , headwheel motor 20 drives the headwheel 18 , which headwheel has four playback heads ( not shown ) uniformly disposed around its periphery and engaging tape 10 . tape 10 is disposed in an arcuate guide ( not shown ) opposingly disposed with respect to headwheel 18 to ensure contact between the playback heads and tape 10 over a selected arc . each of the playback heads reproduces a different segment of a video signal . each segment is about sixteen lines in duration , and the segments are sequentially reproduced as headwheel 18 rotates . the video signal is applied to video processor 42 , where the signal is first preamplified for maximum signal to noise ratio . the video signal is then equalized to compensate for the recording characteristics of the recording head and tape 10 . thereafter , the signal is fm detected and finally the effects of head switching transients are suppressed . the detected video signal from circuit 42 is applied to synchronizer 26 as well as to a sync processor 44 . processor 44 &# 34 ; cleans up &# 34 ; the horizontal sync pulses present in the recorded video , such as by amplitude limiting to ensure that all sync pulses have the same amplitude and by gating to eliminate passing on transients which occur in the middle of a line . the gating operation is achieved by having an automatic frequency controlled ( afc ) oscillator in processor 44 generate a gating pulse that commences just before the occurrence of the horizontal sync pulse . the cleaned - up sync pulses are then applied to a headwheel servo 48 . the reference signal present on reference bus 34 is also applied to servo 48 . as in capstan servo 30 , frequency multiplication or division operation on at least one of the signals applied to servo 48 may be needed in order to compare the two signals . the two signals , reference and horizontal sync , are frequency compared within servo 48 , and an error signal is generated to control the speed of headwheel motor 20 . the video signal from processor 42 will not necessarily conform to a standard , be it ntsc or otherwise , and therefore a wide range synchronizer 26 ( to be described below ) receives &# 34 ; house reference &# 34 ; synchronization signals conforming to a selected standard at input 50 from a master sync generator ( not shown ) and supplies an output conductor 52 the video information recorded on tape 10 in accordance with the selected standard , e . g . ntsc , pal , etc . if the playback rate is higher than a selected standard rate , in order to compress the playback time , then synchronizer 26 drops frames as required ; if the playback is at lower than a standard rate to time - stretch the tape segment , frames are repeated by synchronizer 26 as required speed control circuit 24 comprises a keyboard 54 for receiving manually entered information as to the present and desired durations of a video segment . this information is provided to a process calculator 56 , where the ratio of said durations is calculated . calculator 56 can therefore comprise a decoder for decoding the information from keyboard 54 and an arithmetic logic unit ( alu ) for calculating the ratio . a signal representing said ratio is applied to vfo ( variable frequency oscillator ) circuit 58 as well as to sync processor 44 . the ratio representative signal is applied to processor 44 to ensure that the afc oscillator therein tracks changes in sync and subcarrier frequencies . vfo circuit 58 may comprise , as known , as phase - locked loop circuit having a frequency determining programmable divider whose divisor is controlled by the signal from calculator 56 . therefore , vfo 58 produces for application to reference bus 34 a signal having some reference frequency , such as the horizontal sync frequency or the color burst frequency , multiplied by said ratio for control of servos 30 and 48 . thus , tape 10 and headwheel 18 will be driven by motors 14 and 20 , respectively , faster or slower than normal in accordance with said ratio to speed up or slow down the playback operation as desired . as explained above , synchronizer 26 will supply a video signal conforming to a selected television standard by adding or dropping frames as required . it should be noted that the moviola arrangement does not have such a frequency in accordance with the selected playback speed for application as a reference signal to a servo circuit . if a given program is being shortened , for example , by 4 %, then it will be necessary to drop four out of every 100 frames ; i . e ., every 25th frame . fig2 ( a ) shows a representation of this operation . the upper line 200 shows the fast - running video tape recorder &# 39 ; s output frames which are the input signal of synchronizer 26 , which signal 200 at a 4 % rate increase produces 31 . 2 frames per second . the desired output signal on the lower line 201 shows a standard ntsc 30 - frames - per - second output signal to be made by synchronizer 26 from the 31 . 2 - frame - per - second input signal 200 . choosing an input and output pair of frames 202 and 203 , which have coincident starting times at a time and arbitrarily calling them both frame 1 , we see that as time progresses , the output frame starts later and later in relation to its correspondingly numbered input frame . it is still possible , for example , to make output frame 12 from input frame 12 , but input frame 12 must be stored for about half a frame ( 1 / 60th sec . in ntsc ) before it can be read out as output frame 12 . as the time error between input frames and correspondingly numbered output frames accumulates , it is necessary to store the input frame longer and longer before it can be used as an output frame . finally , ( for the case of 4 % fast rate ), input frame 24 is stored for the duration of an entire frame time before it can be supplied at the output of synchronizer 26 . therefore , all during input frame 25 , the memory of synchronizer 26 is in use storing input frame 24 . by the time the memory is ready for a new input frame , frame 26 is coming in . this is read from the memory as fast as it arrives , and becomes frame 25 of the output signal . thus , input frame 25 was completely ignored , and was therefore dropped as indicated by an &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; in fig2 ( a ), as explained above , when a 4 % shortening of a program is being carried out , every 25th frame will be dropped . since there are 30 frames per second , a frame drop will occur every 25 / 30th of a second , or 0 . 833 second . if the picture is stationary , the drop will be invisible . if there is intermittent motion , the drop may or may not be noticeable , depending on when the drop occurs , and the nature of the motion . if the motion is regular and continuous , e . g ., a turning wheel , the picture will &# 34 ; twitch &# 34 ; at every frame drop , producing a possibly objectionable effect . basically , there are two approaches to making the frame drop less visible . both require additional memory , that is , more memory than is normally found in a simple synchronizer . in the first technique , which will hide the &# 34 ; twitch &# 34 ; only for small or occasional motion , enough memory is added to permit the postponement of a frame drop or repeat . a motion sensor , compairing successive frames , can sense the similarity of successive frames , and wait for similar frames to occur before allowing the drop . of course , the drop cannot be postponed too long , so this technique might allow perceptible effects when processing continuous rapid motion . in the second technique , which will lessen the visibility of the &# 34 ; twitch &# 34 ; for any motion , several successive frames are stored , and the output of said frames is averaged , element by element . this averaging action will make no change to a motionless element , but moving elements will be softened and spread over the motion range for those frames . at the time of a drop , this averaged output is used as the system output ; this makes moving objects less definite in their apparent location and thereby minimizes the visibility of any drop - induced motion discontinuity . in a synchronizer employing a single frame of storage capacity , the frame drop is required whenever the memory is exhausted . stated another way , the frame drop is forced from the fact that the first picture element stored of , e . g ., frame 24 , is not read out until just before frame 26 arrives . as in all devices of this class , ( i . e ., time base correctors , of which a frame store synchronizer is a special case ), it is the &# 34 ; pause &# 34 ; time that determines the extent of time correction available , viz ., how long the memory may pause and hold its contents before the memory must be employed to remember something different , such as the next frame . if we were to have two frames of storage capacity in a synchronizer , a 4 % time change would call for a frame drop at a 1 . 66 sec . rate , half as often as for the single - frame store capacity synchronizer , but the drop would be twice as noticeable ( if there were motion ) since it would be a two - frame drop instead of a single frame . note that the addition of 0 . 033 sec . ( one additional frame ) of memory capacity allows the drop to be postponed 0 . 833 sec ., which is 25 times as long as the amount of memory that was added ( at the 4 % rate ). if the required time change were only 1 %, the drop would occur every one hundred frames ( 3 . 33 sec . for a single frame of storage ), and adding another frame of storage capacity to the memory allows a two - frame drop every two hundred frames . this is a hundred - to - one more postponement time than the time represented by the added 0 . 033 sec . of memory capacity . in general , if the time change rate is r ( e . g ., r = 0 . 04 for 4 % change ), and the added memory is t mem seconds , the drop may be postponed by the time t post = t mem / r . if , for example , it is desired that the system is to handle as much as a 5 % time change , and it is assumed that , on the average , the scenes processed will settle to virtual motionlessness every 2 . 5 seconds , then t mem / r must equal 2 . 5 , and t mem = 2 . 5 × 0 . 05 , which is 0 . 125 seconds of additional memory required . this is slightly under four frames of additional memory capacity . if the postponement time made available by the additional memory capacity is used up before an identical pair of frames if found , the drop must be allowed , and the consequences endured . the amount of added memory capacity may theoretically be any amount from one sample of a digital video signal up to an unlimited amount . however , consideration of the structure of the ntsc color signal makes a four - frame memory optimum for the minimum memory as explained below . increments of two frames thereafter -- 6 , 8 , 10 . . . etc . . . . frames -- continue to offer attractive advantages , so the four - frame system will be described . the structure of the other embodiments will be made obvious by the description of the four - frame system . very briefly , the action of the four - frame memory in eliminating motion discontinuities is as follows : the first two frames of memory capacity are used in a normal synchronizer , but with two additional frames of storage available . thus , a 4 % speed change would drop two of every 50 frames . however , at the drop point -- 49 and 50 -- the drop action does not take place . instead , the synchronizer action continues , using the third and fourth frames of memory capacity for storage . now , address comparators which have been continuously monitoring the read and write addresses note that read and write are now separated by more than two frames , and a motion sensor is interrogated constantly thereafter in a search for substantially identical frames . if a substantially identical pair is found , then the read address is immediately switched to read two frames away from the previous read location . this passes over two frames in memory , thereby dropping them . although it is a two - frame drop , it is made by switching between the two frames that have been verified as substantially identical by the motion sensor , and therefore no motion discontinuity can be seen . fig3 is a block diagram representing synchronizer 26 of fig1 arranged to carry out the above - described operations . here , analog video information from processor 42 is applied to a sync separator 321 that applies vertical and horizontal sync and color burst to generator 308 . the analog video signal is also applied to analog to digital converter ( a / d ) 300 . the resulting digital video signal is , e . g . an eight - bit one ( 256 grey levels ), and is supplied to an arrangement of four frame stores 301 , 302 , 303 and 304 via scanning input path 322 and is written into them in sequence , storing four frames in the four stores , respectively . at the same time , video information is being read out of the frame stores in two paths ; a scanning read path 305 ( used as the main video output 52 after conversion by digital to analog converter 320 ), and a scanning compare path 306 ( used as part of the motion detector scheme ). it is important to note that the video input path 322 and the compare output path 306 are exactly two frames apart in time at all times ; i . e ., as video input path 322 sequentially scans stores 301 , 302 , 303 and 304 , compare path 306 sequentially scans the same frame stores , but at a time displacement of exactly two frames . in the ntsc system , every other color frame is identical , if there has been no motion . ( adjacent color frames have reversed subcarrier phases with respect to the horizontal sync pulses ). therefore , a motion detector 310 can be made by exclusive oring the corresponding video bits coming from the video input path 322 and compare path 306 . if all 8 bits are used for the exclusive oring comparison , the motion detector would be too sensitive . usually , only the most significant 4 bits ( msb ) are used ; the 4 lsb ( least significant bits ) are more than 30 db down in importance . motion detection is known in the art . the locations for reading and writing are determined by a rag ( read address generator ) 307 and a wag ( write address generator ) 308 , respectively . a cag ( comparison address generator ) 309 is added to obtain the comparison output signal . rag 307 is controlled by house reference sync at input 50 . wag 308 is controlled at the rate of the incoming signal , via separator 321 . in the prior synchronizer art , a typical wag or rag would supply about 12 bits of address , to locate where the writing should take place within the frame store . in the present system , the same 12 or so bits are required , for the same purpose , but an additional two bits on 2 - bit bus 323 are needed to determine if the writing is to be in store 301 , 302 , 303 or 304 . these are the most significant bits of the entire addressing system . the 12 bits of the cag and the wag on buses 325 and 324 , respectively , are identical , since they are reading and writing , respectively , precisely two frames apart in their respective frame stores of the moment . only the two store select buses 326 and 323 of the cag and wag , respectively , are different . fig2 ( b ) represents the operation of a four - frame - store synchronizer , the representation being parallel to the representation of the single - frame - store synchronizer of fig2 ( a ). as before , assume that at some point in time , the input and output signals will line up in time , and the two frames that are initially aligned are arbitrarily identified as frame 1 for both input and output video signals . if we assume , for example , that the input frame rate is 4 % higher than the desired output frame rate , then the initial alignment of the frames 1 ( input and output ) will gradually slip , as time progresses , just as it did in fig2 ( a ). however , the synchronizer whose action is represented by fig2 ( a ) has only one frame of memory available . this memory ( when the difference in frame rate is 4 %) will be used up in 25 frames and , therefore , a frame drop must occur , as indicated in fig2 ( a ). in the system represented by fig2 ( b ), however , there are four frame stores available ; these will not be used up ( at the 4 % rate ) until 100 frames have passed . therefore , the frame drops will occur one - fourth as often , but , since the frames will be dropped in four frame groups , any motion discontinuity resulting from the drop will be much more visible than in the case represented by fig2 ( a ). the dropping of a four - frame group is indicated at the right of fig2 ( b ). by the time frame 93 is ready for readout , the entire memory is being used to hold the frames waiting to be delivered to the read line 305 . therefore , when frame 97 arrives at the input there is no place to store it , or the succeeding frames 98 , 99 and 100 . when all of the frame stores 301 , 302 , 303 and 304 finally release their contents to read line 305 ( as output frames 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 ) then input frame 101 is arriving and ready to be stored . this input frame 101 goes into frame store 301 , and is read out as output frame 97 . as fig2 ( b ) indicates , the remaining frames 98 , 99 and 100 of frame - group 25 had no storage room , either ; they are dropped , and input frames 102 , 103 and 104 are placed into stores 302 , 303 and 304 , respectively , and these are read out as output frames 98 , 99 and 100 . thus , a four - frame drop has taken place , and the input and output frames are again aligned ( as they were at both of frames 1 ), and the above - described action can commence again . although the use of a four - frame - store synchronizer allows the postponement of the drop by a factor of four , the visibility of the drop ( as a motion discontinuity ) is much higher and more objectionable ; hence the operation of a four - frame - store synchronizer as indicated in fig2 ( b ) is not an acceptable solution . it is one of the goals of this invention to describe a means by which a four - frame synchronizer can be used to provide an invisible frame drop , provided that sometime during a selected interval ( such as 100 frames , for the case of a 4 % rate differential ) a pair of frames may be found which are substantially identical . to show how this may be done , refer to the middle group of frames ( 45 , 46 , 47 and 48 ) of fig2 ( b ). at the 4 % frame - rate difference chosen as an example , the slip between input and output will have an accumulated time difference of two frames , as indicated in the figure . at this time , a given frame is being stored for at least two frames before being read out . this gives us time to compare two ntsc frames with identical subcarrier phase relationships and determine if the frames are substantially identical . therefore , starting at the point where half the memory has been used ( that is , the read and write are at least two frames apart ) one begins searching for a pair of substantially identical frames . fig2 ( c ) represents the action of the synchronizer when two substantially identical frames are found , and shows how this results in a motion - discontinuity - free frame drop . at the start of the action , frame 57 ( for example ) which was stored more than two frames ago , is being read out on the read output line 305 , and frame 59 is being written , i . e . read in and write out are more than two frames apart . the timing between input and output is such that the writing of 59 is going to be completed before the reading of 57 is completed . this is an obvious consequence of the fact that input and output are more than two frames apart . at the same time , frame 57 is being read by the compare circuits , in exact synchronism with the writing of frame 59 , exactly two frames apart . at the conclusion of the writing of frame 59 , the circuitry possibly concludes that frame 59 and frame 57 were substantially identical ( through the comparison of the write input to frame 59 and the comparison of output from frame 57 ), and the reading of frames 57 is immediately interrupted in midframe , and the reading of frame 59 at the corresponding point is commenced . this is a jump from frame 57 to frame 59 in mid - frame . this jump is invisible , however , since frame 57 and frame 59 are known to be substantially identical . the output frame 57 is therefore made in part from input frame 57 , and part from input frame 59 as shown by the shaded areas in fig2 ( c ). exactly two frames of input information -- part of frame 57 , all of frame 58 , and part of frame 59 -- were dropped . with this as a background , refer again to fig3 and assume that the action shown in fig2 ( c ) is taking place . address comparator 311 determines that reading and writing are more than two frames apart by comparing the msbs of the wag 308 and rag 307 . this information is applied to and and gate 312 , which gate 312 is also monitoring the output of the motion detector 310 . if a no - motion situation is detected , indicating that the write and compare frames are substantially identical , and gate 312 causes a change in state of flip - flop 313 , which flip - flop 313 drives exclusive or gate 314 , thereby reversing the polarity of the rag msb which is passing through said gate 314 . this complementing of the address msb causes the read location to jump by exactly two frames , i . e . from store 301 to store 303 , thereby causing a two - frame drop . however , this causes no motion discontinuities , since the jump was made between two frames determined substantially identical by the motion detector 310 . the same system works for a slower - than - normal ( 30 frames / sec .) video input signal . in this case , the two - frame address difference will cause the read location to jump back to stored video which it has already read ; two frames are therefore repeated . the system just described gives perfect junctures , i . e . no &# 34 ; twitch &# 34 ; at the drop or repeat point ; the limitation lies in the time in which it must be accomplished . the system described below has no time limitation . however , it is less than perfect , in that it does not give perfect junctures , but never provides abrupt junctures ( large &# 34 ; twitches &# 34 ;). the averaging approach to alleviating motion discontinuities is based on the relative ease with which digital video signals may be averaged , on the psychophysical effect that the eye sees less detail in moving objects , and on the use of frame stores to perform this averaging in all directions . averaging two decimal numbers is done by adding the numbers and dividing by two . averaging two binary numbers is done the same way , only the operation is easier , because dividing by two in the binary number system is carried out simply by dropping the lsb . example : average 0100 and 1100 . adding these two numbers yields 10000 . dropping the lsb gives 1000 . checking in decimal equivalents yields 4 + 12 = 16 ; dividing by 2 = 8 , which is 1000 in binary . therefore , averaging two 8 - bit video signals means simply applying the two numbers to an adder , getting a 9 - bit sum due to a possible carry , and throwing away the lsb to get back to eight bits . the result is the average for the two signals . fig4 is a tutorial figure showing this operation being done at the output of two frame stores 401 and 402 . note that for a stationary picture , the stream of bits to the inputs of adder 403 will be sample - for - sample identical , and the average will be identical to the input . if the picture is a moving object on a fixed background , the background will be unaffected by the averaging , but the moving object will be averaged into the background . this will tend to obscure motion discontinuities somewhat , but it also will tend to make double images out of fast moving objects , so the circuitry of fig4 could not be left in a video path all the time . the ideal averaging cover - up for motion discontinuities would do two things : ( 1 ) it would be used only when the drop was actually taking place , and ( 2 ) it would use as one of its averaging inputs the signal from the dropped frame . the arrangement of fig5 does exactly that . in fig5 the synchronizer 26 uses two frame stores , labelled 501 and 502 . frame store 501 functions exactly as frame stores have done in prior art synchronizers ; it alternates by using switch 503 between having rag 504 and wag 505 coupled to its 12 - bit address line 505 , to give an effective simultaneous reading and writing . ( this is accomplished by having input and output buffers , not shown , to store incoming video briefly while the memory is reading , and another buffer to store outgoing video while the memory is writing .) in most synchronizers , the switch 503 alternates very rapidly between rag and wag . however , frame store 502 is tied directly to rag 504 , and operates continuously using read addresses . notice though , it normally writes using read addresses . to enable the write mode , switch 507 is in the grounded position . by looking back at fig2 ( a ), one can see that store 502 will usually write a &# 34 ; split &# 34 ; of parts of two successive frames , which is useless . however , when the rag 504 is causing output frame 24 to be read out of the store 501 , the input signal to store 502 consists solely of input frame 25 , the frame that is destined to be dropped for a 4 % fast video input signal . input frame 25 , the dropped frame , is therefore stored in store 502 . the fact that the read and write addresses are now the same is then sensed ( by comparing wag / rag addresses in drop sensor 506 ) and drop sensor 506 provides a drop signal to switches 507 and 508 . these switches are both thrown to the high position shown in fig5 thereby converting store 502 to read ( for one frame only ) and converting the video output from switch 508 to averaged output from averaging circuit 509 ( also for one frame ). since input frame 26 is now coming into store 501 , and almost immediately coming out again to make output frame 25 ( see fig2 ( a )), and since input frame 25 is coming from store 502 , the output of averaging circuit 509 will be the average of the next input frame 26 and then dropped input frame 25 . if there was no motion between input frames 25 and 26 , the average will be identical to either one . if there was motion between the two frames , then the averaged output will contain an interpolated image which will tend to make the discontinuity much less visible . if the motion was rapid enough to give a double image , one of the double images will fall right where input frame 25 would have put it , thus greatly reducing any effect of motion discontinuity . fig6 shows how to combine the two approaches of fig3 and 5 , respectively , to have the best of both approaches . fig6 is merely fig5 drawn with store 501 , wag 505 and rag 504 , replaced with the entire system of fig3 called 604 in fig6 . internal connections to 604 are numbered in fig6 with numbers corresponding to the numbers used in fig3 . store 502 of fig5 is replaced by a four - frame store 602 and extended averager 601 . the operation of the system is then in complete parallel to fig5 . however , the system of fig6 gives two chances to solve the problem . if the system of fig6 finds two identical frames within its alloted time , ( e . g . within 100 frames at a 4 % rate ), it makes a perfect juncture , and the auxiliary store 602 is not needed . this is done with switches 507 and 508 in their lower ( not shown ) position , and thus line 305 of the system 604 of fig3 is coupled to d / a converter 603 . if system 604 passes to the limit of its store without finding identical frames , then a drop sensor 506 on wag and rag busses 605 and 606 , respectively , signals a four - frame drop , throws the switches as shown in fig6 and averager 601 interpolates an average of the four dropped frames . this four frame average is in turn averaged by averager 509 with the digital signal on line 305 . the resulting five frame average is applied to d / a converter 603 . up to this point , nothing has been said about the reproduced audio . under the circumstances of a moderate change in playback rate from a standard speed , the audio coming from the tape will simply be raised or lowered proportionately in pitch . the ear is very tolerant of such a change ; it is common practice in european tv to show 24 - frame - per - second movie film at 25 frames per second , thereby causing a 4 % upward shift in all audio pitches . since a 6 % change represents roughly a half - tone on a piano keyboard , most changes which would be called for in such a device as this invention would be well tolerated . when larger changes are required , a technique similar to that applied to the video can be applied to the reproduced audio , whereby certain segments would be dropped or repeated to effectively stretch or shrink the audio times and hence restore the audio pitch to its proper values . techniques using bucket brigade delay lines are known for doing this . sometimes a program will start late , e . g ., because of a late breaking news story that is broadcast before the start of the program . in order to have the program end at what would have been its normal real ( wall clock ) time , the operator must enter ( using keyboard 54 ) both the normal and desired durations . the operator knows normal duration as it is written on the prerecorded program reel . however , in the arrangement of fig1 the desired duration must be obtained by subtracting the length of the news broadcast from the normal duration , which may be done erroneously . fig7 shows a modification of the speed control circuit 24 of fig1 for real time control of the invention . real time is continuously provided by clock 64 to calculator 66 . the time can be in the form of the smpte time code , but other convenient codes can be used . the keyboard 58 is similar to the keyboard 58 of fig1 except for the addition of &# 34 ; am &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; pm &# 34 ; keys . the operator first enters on keyboard 54 the normal running time , and this information is stored in normal duration register 60 . the operator then enters desired real end time on keyboard 54 and this information is stored in desired end time register 62 . next a play switch 68 is closed and the information in register 62 is transferred to calculator 66 where the difference between end time and real time is calculated , thus eliminating mentally computing this difference or using a hand calculator with the possible errors arising from such computation . therefore , calculator 62 can be an alu operating as a subtractor . the calculated difference is the desired duration , and it is stored in desired duration register 70 . the calculator 56 receives the normal and desired duration information from registers 60 and 70 , respectively , and calculates their ratio . calculator 56 can be an alu operating as a divider . the resulting digital ratio signal is converted to an analog control signal by digital to analog converter 72 of vfo circuit 58 and the analog signal is coupled to master oscillator circuit 74 . the output of oscillator 74 is applied to reference bus 34 of fig1 . assume that a one - hour tape must be run in 58 . 8 minutes , therefore , it must be run 2 % fast . however , it has three 60 - second commercial &# 34 ; cutaways &# 34 ; in it . ( a &# 34 ; cutaway &# 34 ; is the technique of leaving the program source and going to another source to obtain a commercial message .) this is often done in program tapes by leaving 60 seconds of black video where the commercial should go . another tape machine provides the commercial ; the program tape is just allowed to run . of course , precise cuing and switching is involved , but broadcasters are accustomed to such precise operations . however , one can &# 39 ; t run the commercial 2 % faster , or the advertiser that bought 60 seconds of air time will complain that it &# 39 ; s not receiving what it paid for . therefore , to keep the black inserts at a duration of exactly 60 seconds , the program vtr must come out of the time changing mode for exactly 60 seconds , while the commercial message runs , and then the program vtr must go back in to the time changing mode . however , it fell behind during those 60 seconds of normal running , and must go back to the time changing mode running slightly faster . if there are several cutaways in a program tape , as there normally are , every time the program vtr goes back into the time changing mode the speed must be further increased as compared to the speed used before the 60 - second black video insert to make up for the progressively increasing cumulative time lost at each cutaway . fig8 shows an embodiment of the invention for achieving the above - described operation . the operation starts out identical to that of fig7 . the operator enters the tape &# 39 ; s duration and the desired end time into registers 60 and 62 , respectively , and the automatic calculation proceeds as for fig1 . however , as soon as the operator pressed play , one additional thing happened : the contents of the normal duration register 60 are transferred to another memory , called the auxiliary normal duration register 73 by switch 80 that is ganged to switch 68 . now , for every second the tape plays , the number stored in the auxiliary normal duration register 73 is down - counted by one count , representing one second . this register 73 therefore keeps track of how much time is left on the tape , i . e . the remaining duration . also , note that the once - per - second pulses that down - counts the remaining - duration number in register 73 are derived by divider 76 from the master oscillator 74 that determines how fast the tape runs . since the tape is not running at a standard speed , the once - per - second pulses do not occur exactly at this once - per - second rate . if the tape is being forced to run fast , the seconds down counted off the remaining duration number in register 73 are down counted just a little faster than once - per - second . this means that the remaining duration number is exactly right , no matter how fast the tape is running . conversely , if the tape is running at a slower than normal speed , the down counting proceeds slower than once - per - second and again the remaining duration number is correct . when the first 60 - seconds of black cutaway appears , the program machine immediately goes off air ( though it keeps running ), and the commercial machine goes on the air . the first thing that must be done is to set the master oscillator of fig8 to normal frequency so that the program machines runs at normal speed during the sixty seconds that the program machine is off air . this is done by using the tally light line 74 to flip the switch 91 to the position not shown so d / a converter 72 is coupled to a fixed number source 78 which number will force the oscillator to the normal ( non - fast ) frequency . now the program machine and the commercial - insert machine are both running at the same speed . ( a tally light line goes high when a particular machine is on the air .) at the end of the commercial , the program machine goes on the air again . as soon as the tally light goes on , the contents of the auxiliary normal duration register 73 are transferred into the normal duration register 60 by switch 80 . one can consider this time at the end of the commercial just as if one were starting another tape whose normal duration is the one just put into the normal duration register 60 . the desired end time hasn &# 39 ; t changed , and is still in the desired end - time register 62 . or gate 82 receives both play and tally signals on lines 75 and 74 , respectively , to actuate the enable calculation switch 68 at the right of fig8 . when tally line 74 goes high , the desired end time in register 62 is again compared with the new time of day , and a new desired duration is calculated by alu 66 . calculator 56 now takes the ratio of the number in desired duration register 70 and the number in normal duration register 60 , and this new ratio is transferred to the master oscillator 74 ( switch 91 being in the position shown ) to make it run slightly faster to compensate for the 60 - second slow - down during the commercial . fig9 shows an embodiment of the invention for use with a helical vtr . it is similar to the embodiment of fig1 for quadruplex machines . the major difference lies in the fact that the tape itself , in a non - segmented machine , can be used as a frame store , simply by running the headwheel at the proper speed , and slowing down or speeding up the capstan . the loss of tracking is compensated for by a vibrating head as known in the art . the resulting video is correct in basic frame rate , since the frame rate is determined by the revolution rate of the headwheel , which is kept locked to house reference . however , since the actual head - to - tape speed in a helical machine is composed of a vector sum of the tip rotational speed and the capstan speed , the various frequencies -- subcarrier , horizontal , fm -- all come out slightly wrong . the fm errors are accommodated by a wide range demodulator ; the synchronization signal frequency errors , though , must be accommodated by time - base corrector 84 , as known in the art . normally , the headwheel servo runs with its tonewheel as the variable ; in some machines and circumstances , tape itself may be used as the reference , for small variations in capstan speed . switch 86 can select between these inputs . | 6 |
with reference to the figures , it will be seen that a sailboard 10 may be equipped with a multiple position footstrap track device 20 of the invention . fig1 - 4 show the aftermarket addition of a track device 20 to an existing sailboard . fig9 shows that the track device 20 may be built into the sailboard 10 during fabrication . track device 20 as shown in fig1 - 4 includes a base 22 which is held tightly to deck 12 of sailboard 10 by means of a pair of spaced screws 24 which are threaded into existing encapsulated blind nuts 14 in the sailboard . nuts 14 are provided for use with standard footstraps 16 such as shown in fig1 . the elongated base 22 defines the track 26 in which a slide member or shuttle 28 may move longitudinally . track 26 is defined by a lower bed 30 , and a pair of upstanding rails 32 , 34 which defines ways 36 , 38 and overhanging lips 40 , 42 which function to keep shuttle 28 within the track 26 . as shown in fig3 lips 40 , 42 include a plurality of notches 46 which may cooperate with keys 50 of shuttle 28 . shuttle 28 includes a sole plate 52 which is slightly more narrow than the track defined between ways 36 , 38 . keys 50 are located above the sole plate as shown in such a way that they may engage with notches 46 when shuttle 28 is raised upwardly . the thickness of sole plate 52 and keys 50 is such that no engagement of keys and notches is possible when sole plate 52 rests on bed 30 . the construction of shuttle or slide member 28 is such that it may freely move longitudinally in track 26 when sole plate 52 is close to bed 30 . slide member 28 further includes a footstrap 54 which is attached to member 28 by rivets 56 or the like . it will be seen that upward pressure by a foot positioned in strap 54 will raise the shuttle 28 such that keys 50 may engage with notches 46 . when so engaged , longitudinal movement of the footstrap is prevented . in order to provide a positive , normal locking between notches 46 and keys 50 , a spring means 60 is provided to urge shuttle upwardly . as shown , spring means 60 is depicted as a leaf spring 62 held in position by tabs 64 , 66 to recesses 68 , 70 . spring 62 normally urges shuttle 28 upwardly into a locking engagement . downward pressure on the shuttle 28 from a foot overcomes the spring releasing the engagement of notches and keys . so long as downward pressure is exerted , the footstrap may be freely moved along the length of the track . a sudden gust which would tend to lift the sailor will lift the foot in the footstrap 54 , which results in immediate locking of the shuttle 28 due to spring means 60 . the spring keeps the footstrap from sliding in the track when changing tack . in those circumstances no foot is positioned in the footstrap . the spring means 60 is shown in the form of a leaf spring . however , any other mechanism which normally urges the shuttle 28 away from bed 30 will function well so long as foot pressure can overcome the normal lifting . roller balls with springs could be used which could compress downwardly in response to foot pressure to enable movement of the footstrap . fig5 and 6 show the normally locked position and unlocked position of the shuttle 28 in the track 26 . in fig5 it will be seen that sole plate 52 can never pass beyond the lips 40 , 42 , thereby keeping the shuttle 28 captive in the track 26 . fig3 a , 7 , 8 and 10 show varying constructions of the keys 50 of shuttle 28 . as shown in fig3 a , there may be as few as one key per side of the shuttle to engage with notches 46 . the keys , as seen in fig7 may be of a different configuration and do not need to present a sawtooth appearance . finally , fig8 shows an alternate key form in which keys 50 are formed from hardened metal which may be threaded into their positions on the shuttle . this would make assembly simpler and allow replacement of damaged keys . the base 22 should preferably present a very low profile which will not cause discomfort to a sailor whose foot is positioned in the footstrap . the lowest profile is possible when track device 20 is built directly into the sailboard by the manufacturer , as shown in fig9 in that figure , the elements of the track device 20 are nearly identical to those shown in the other figures . however , the outside of the base and rails must be configured to fit into the assembly requirements for inserts into sailboards . in operation , a sailor standing on the board positions his or her back foot in strap 54 . the ball of the foot will rest on the surface of the board and the instep of the foot is in contact with the strap 54 . footsteering is accomplished by changing pressure on the board directly and through the strap . when conditions require placement of the back foot closer to the bow or stern , pressure is exerted downwardly on shuttle 28 disengaging keys 50 from notches 50 . the footstrap is then free to move forward or aft to exactly the position needed . as soon as downward pressure is discontinued , the strap 54 is locked into place . this is especially useful during unexpected gusts . during a gust , the sailor needs the footstrap to keep control of the board . in the design of the french patent , a sailor may be forced to do the splits since the locking engagement is not positive . so long as sufficient longitudinal force is exerted , the french strap may move . in the present invention , the foot raises during a gust which re - establishes the positive locking afforded by the inventive construction . while this invention may be embodied in many different forms , there are shown in the drawings and described in detail herein specific preferred embodiments of the invention . the present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated . this completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention . those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto . | 1 |
referring to the drawings , 10 indicates the mailer item which has a printed plain panel 12 extending outwardly from the mailer central fold line 14 . a strip of binding glue 16 holds the rectangular sticker panel , generally indicated at 20 , to panel 12 . the sticker panel section 22 has printing on one side and backing adhesive 24 on the reverse side . two peel - off strips 26 and 28 cover and protect the glue side of the sticker . the perforated line 30 , at the inner fixed periphery of the sticker - sign 20 , provides a means of separating it from the sticker retaining strip 32 which extends between the perforated separating line 30 and the fold like 34 of the mailer 10 . in the modification shown , an additional plain printed panel 36 is disposed beside the sticker section , in addition to the printed panel 12 . the lowermost element of the shown mailer item is a return envelope , generally indicated at 40 . it has an inner short panel 42 folded about the fold line 44 and over panel 48 . the fold line 44 then forms the bottom edge of the envelope . both panels 42 and 48 are held together by parallel end glue strips 46 at each side edge of the envelope , one of which is shown in section in fig3 . lower envelope panel 48 is integral with a flap section 50 which has a long strip of remoistenable glue 51 ( fig3 ) extending across its width and clear of inside panel 42 . immediately adjacent the periphery of the envelope flap 50 is a perforated line 52 which permits the envelope to be separated from an envelope retaining section 54 adjacent the central fold line 14 . one of the advantages of this mailer item is that it can readily be made on high speed printing and folding machinery from a single web . in the manufacture of this mailer , the printing for the several elements of the piece is completed as a first step . subsequently contact glue is applied to the sticker - label reverse side and remoistenable glue 51 applied to the envelope flap section . quick drying contact glue is applied as envelope holding strips for the the two envelope panels . this is done in a continuous operation as each section of the web progresses from the printing to gluing and strip applying section of the in line manufacture machinery . after this operation and prior to folding , the perforated lines 30 and 52 are cut in the web . the web , although not shown , is folded inwardly from each edge at very high speed , and then folded over into the several components of the finished piece . for example , in one arrangement for making the mailer item disclosed in this application , on viewing the web on end , as it approaches from the printing and glue drying apparatus ( with reference to the end view of fig3 ), the righthand edge of the web would include the edge of the envelope panel 42 . it is folded about line 44 so that the basic envelope is formed when panel 42 is folded over panel 48 down so that the glue strips 46 at each end of the envelope section engage and hold the two panels 42 and 48 together . the far left end of the web , including printed panel 36 , is then folded over on top of the performed envelope sections , and this brings the glue strip 16 into contact with the approximately evenly divided web halves to hold them together . the entire web is then folded a second time at about the location of the central fold lines 14 and 34 . this brings the sticker panel section and plain panel 12 over on top of plain printed panel 36 and envelope 40 . the fold line adjacent the outer periphery of panel 12 and sticker panel 20 are then removed by cutting off the edge to open up and free panel 12 from sticker panel 20 . after the folding operation , the successive pieces are cut transversely and separated from the web . while this invention has been described , it will be understood that it is capable of further modification , uses and / or adaptations of the invention following in general , the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains , and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth , as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims . | 1 |
a diamond is a crystal which functions as a prism for dispersing light by means of reflection and refraction . a traditional cut triangular diamond is shown in fig1 a - 1b and possesses three main crown facets and three main pavilion facets with the facets positioned in line with the shape of the diamond . in sharp contrast , the triangular shaped diamond 10 of the present invention is cut , as is shown in fig2 - 8 and more specifically as shown in fig3 , to form six main crown facets identified by the capital letters : a , b , c , d , e and f with each of the six main crown facets having a substantially equal and oppositely positioned main crown facet surrounding a single table facet t and having at least one edge in parallel alignment with a corresponding edge of the oppositely positioned main crown facet . for example , facet a lies opposite facet d with each of the facets a and d having edges 12 and 15 aligned in parallel . moreover , in contrast with tradition , the main crown facets a - f are not polished in line with the shape of the diamond 10 . as shown in fig2 , the triangular shaped diamond 10 of the present invention has six girdle facets a 1 , a 2 , b 1 , b 2 , and c 1 , c 2 respectively . the shape of the diamond 10 is initially formed from a rough diamond having a generally triangular shaped geometry as shown in fig2 using dotted lines to illustrate the rough shape of the diamond . the diamond 10 is initially polished to form three initial girdle facets a ′, b ′ and c ′ which are symmetrically disposed about the body of the rough diamond 10 . the initial girdle facets a ′, b ′ and c ′ are cut at preferably 60 ° from each other . the initial girdle facet a ′, b ′ and c ′ are then polished to divide each initial girdle facet into two girdle facets at preferably 20 ° on each side ( left and right ) from the center of each initial girdle facet such that two girdle facets a 1 , a 2 are formed from the initial girdle facet a ′; two girdle facets b 1 , b 2 are formed from the initial girdle facet b ′ and two girdle facets c 1 , c 2 are formed from the initial girdle facet c ′. this forms six girdle facets a 1 , a 2 , b 1 , b 2 and c 1 , c 2 from the initial three girdle facets a ′, b ′ and c ′ with each of the girdle facets a 1 , a 2 , b 1 , b 2 and c 1 , c 2 being essentially of equal length and give the diamond 10 the triangular shape upon which the crown facets are polished as shown in fig3 . the main crown facets a - f are polished onto the diamond 10 such that each of the six main crown facets will have a substantially equal and oppositely positioned main crown facet . however , the main crown facets are not in alignment with the main girdle facets and are in fact shifted from a corresponding main girdle facet by polishing each main crown facet at a predetermined angle away from the adjacent corresponding girdle facet . each of the three main crown facets a , c and e should preferably be directed 15 ° away from its adjacent corresponding main girdle facet in a first common direction and the main crown facets b , d and f should be directed the same 15 ° away from its adjacent corresponding main girdle facet but in a common second direction opposite the first direction such that each main crown facet has an edge in parallel alignment with an edge of an opposing main crown facet , i . e ., opposing edges 12 and 15 of main crown facets a and d should be in parallel alignment , opposing edges 13 and 16 of main crown facets b and e should be in parallel alignment and opposing edges 14 and 17 of main crown facets c and f should be in parallel alignment respectively . the main crown facets a - f are preferably polished within an angle degree range of 33 . 8 °- 35 . 2 ° and are polished to be substantially of equal size and depth . the pavilion side of the diamond is then polished to provide six main pavilion facets pa , pb , pc , pd , pe and pf , as is shown in fig4 and 5 , with each pavilion facet polished at an angle degree ranging from 40 . 6 °- 41 . 1 ° in alignment corresponding to the six main crown facets a - f and not to the shape of the diamond . the six pavilion facets pa - pf are triangular in shape , meet at the common culet point 20 which is at the center of the diamond 10 and form a star - like pattern . two pavilion half facets are polished about each main pavilion facet to form a total of 12 pavilion half facets ph 1 , ph 2 , ph 3 , ph 4 , ph 5 , ph 6 , ph 7 , ph 8 , ph 9 , ph 10 , ph 11 and ph 12 . all of the pavilion half facets are polished within an angle degree range of 42 . 4 °- 43 . 4 ° and should be substantially of the same height as measured from the culet point 20 but will be of varying depth levels as is evident in fig5 wherein facet ph 1 has a significantly higher depth level than facet ph 2 , facet ph 4 has a significantly higher depth level than ph 3 and ph 5 has a significantly higher depth level than ph 6 etc . nevertheless each of the pavilion facets are substantially identical in height and angle degrees . the crown star and crown half facets are preferably polished after the pavilion side of the diamond has been polished to form six crown star facets s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , s 4 , s 5 and s 6 as is shown in fig6 and 7 surrounding the table facet t and within an angle degree range of 13 . 8 °- 16 . 8 ° but in an arrangement such that three of the crown star facets s 1 , s 3 and s 5 have a substantially common shape which is different from the substantially common shape of the crown star facets s 2 , s 4 and s 6 . this is due to the non - alignment of the main crown facets and the main girdle facets as explained earlier . lastly , the crown half facets h 1 , h 2 , h 3 , h 4 , h 5 , h 6 , h 7 , h 8 , h 9 , h 10 , h 11 and h 12 are polished within an angle degree range of 35 . 4 °- 40 . 6 °. however , because of the anomalies in the alignment of the main crown facets and the girdle facets it is preferred to polish the crown half facets h 1 , h 4 , h 5 , h 8 , h 9 and h 12 within an angle degree that is at least 2 ° higher than the crown half facets h 2 , h 3 , h 6 , h 7 , h 10 and h 11 . the triangular shaped diamond of the present invention will yield a hearts and arrows pattern substantially equivalent to the hearts and arrows pattern of the round cut despite its asymmetrical shape provided it is shaped and cut in accordance with the present invention as hereinabove taught and preferably when cut to satisfy the optimum parameters set forth below in table i : the diamond should be measured repeatedly as to insure the cut parameters are obtained . the angles and dept size should be verified for accuracy using conventional analyzers . | 0 |
fig1 shows , in a schematic view , a navigation apparatus 1 according to the present invention . navigation apparatus 1 includes a detection device 10 , which is equipped with an optical confocal and / or optical coherence tomography device and with a polarization optical sensor system 15 . also provided is a processing device 20 . detection device 10 and processing device 20 are connected to a controller 40 . a suitable optical path may extend from detection device 10 and processing device 20 via scanning mirrors into an optical element 50 , here a multilayered lens . in lens 50 , various inner structures of the optical element are denoted by reference numeral 55 . the inner structure 55 of lens 50 is detected by detection device 10 . this process is assisted by a sensor system 15 , which makes it possible to obtain a three - dimensional image of this inner structure 55 that is even more comprehensive and is also dependent on the stress ratio . preferably , detection device 10 also includes a device for dynamic wavefront diagnosis to measure the range of accommodation of the optical element or eye lens during positive accommodation and negative accommodation , and to measure the speed at which the range of accommodation is traversed . preferably , detection device 10 also detects visual defects , the topography of the cornea and the respective pupil size , as well as illumination parameters of the stimulation target . it is particularly preferred to selectively dynamically analyze the sphere , the cylinder , or any higher - order aberrations . in addition , detection device 10 can also acquire geometric data of the eye , using , for example , devices based on optical coherence tomography or rotating slit scheimpflug cameras , confocal laser scanners , and by ultrasonographs . this information is transferred to controller 40 which calculates target coordinates for processing device 20 using a finite element model . particularly preferably , the data is first transferred to the controller in order for it to calculate preferred cutting geometries which , when applied to the eye , will , for example , increase the accommodative ability . thus , a pattern that is likely to provide the highest increase in the amplitude of accommodation can be determined using , for example , the finite element method . thus , when the simulation is completed , shot parameters are provided which will then by used by the laser to apply these cutting geometries to the optical element and / or eye lens . the controller passes this data on to processing device 20 , from where the lens 50 will be processed in the predetermined manner . the shot pattern and the cutting geometries being applied are oriented relative to inner structure 55 of lens 50 . this makes it possible to make therapeutic cuts which extend along the detected planes , or along geometric structures associated with these planes , and which are produced , for example , by means of bubble fields produced by a processing device 20 in the form of an ultra - short pulsed laser system . thus , the present invention provides the advantage of a diagnostically and therapeutically coupled system for carrying out suitable and minimally invasive therapies in a manner that is adapted in the best possible way to the individual anatomy of a human eye lens . natural slip planes are regenerated by means of the anatomically coupled cutting paths , which ensures high physiological compatibility of the therapy . fig2 shows , in a schematic view , the construction of the human eye . also shown are cutting patterns , which have been applied using the inventive apparatus shown in fig1 . as an optical element 50 , the structure of a human eye is designated by reference numeral 50 . the eye has an individual geometry and anatomically existing discontinuity planes , such as interfaces between the various components of the nucleus . the figure shows embryonic nucleus 55 a , fetal nucleus 55 b , adult nucleus 55 c , and cortex 55 d . the anterior capsule is denoted 55 e . thus , eye 50 contains natural interfaces or boundaries , for example , between embryonic nucleus 55 a and fetal nucleus 55 b and between fetal nucleus 55 b and adult nucleus 55 c , etc . these interfaces are represented in the figure by continuous lines . also plotted are dotted or dashed lines representing cutting patterns 25 . thus , for example , a cutting pattern 25 ′ extends on the side of fetal nucleus 55 b along the interface between fetal nucleus 55 b and adult nucleus 55 c . this cutting pattern 25 ′ extends in a sinusoidal pattern along the interface or inner structure 55 of lens 50 . also shown are cutting patterns 25 a and 25 a ′, which have been created near the interface between adult nucleus 55 c and fetal nucleus 55 b on the side of the adult nucleus in approximately parallel relationship with said interface and at a predetermined distance therefrom . by the application of the cutting patterns 25 , which extend along the detected planes , or along geometric structures associated with these planes , and which are produced by means of bubble fields produced by an ultra - short pulsed laser system , these act as anatomically coupled cutting paths and increase the flexibility of the interface between fetal nucleus 55 b and adult nucleus 55 c . in this manner , the eye can accommodate better and partially loses the limitations caused by age - related hardening of the lens nucleus . particularly preferably , the cutting path used for applying cutting pattern 25 starts at the point within the eye that has the greatest distance from the apex of the cornea in order to ensure the best possible focus quality of the laser spot and to successively produce scattering centers for the parasitic laser radiation of the following laser spots . in this manner , the retinal laser load can be minimized . fig3 shows , in a schematic view , two cutting patterns in the optical element . the figure consists of two subfigures , namely fig3 a and fig3 b , showing different cutting patterns , respectively . fig3 a is a very schematic , simplified view of a lens 50 having an inner structure 55 in the form of a hardened inner nucleus . the dashed lines represent a first possible cutting pattern geometry 25 , which is intended to increase the flexibility and , thus , the accommodative ability of lens 50 . the cuts forming cutting pattern 25 extend radially outward from the center of the lens nucleus and end at geometric discontinuity planes 55 of the lens . due to the cylindrical geometry of the lens , the cuts shown in a cross - sectional view are made on cone segments . in fig3 a , the cuts extend only in the nucleus of the lens , because this is where the rigidity of the lens is greatest and , consequently , where a maximum effect can be achieved to restore the accommodative ability . fig3 b shows a pattern 25 , which is particularly beneficial for patients who are expected to develop a cataract in the nucleus . the radial cuts are only made in the cortex . in addition to the radial cuts , a further cut is made along the discontinuity plane between the nucleus and the cortex . the cutting pattern is preferably produced in a known manner using a scanned , focused , fs laser beam with a pulse width of less than 1 ps ( preferably 300 fs ), with a pulse energy of 0 . 1 to 10 μj , preferably 1 μj , and a focus diameter of about 5 μm . the wavelength of the laser system is preferably in the range between 400 and 1300 nm , particularly preferably between 780 and 1060 nm . preferably , the anatomically coupled cutting paths do not extend across the entire lens diameter , but only in a peripheral area , an optical zone of the eye having a diameter of , for example , 3 mm , preferably 2 to 7 mm , being left untreated , or being treated only in a central pupil area having a diameter of , for example , 7 mm . in that case , a peripheral area remains untreated . when the treatment is performed in the peripheral area , it is preferred to use mirror contact glasses , whereas when the central area is treated , simple contact glasses are used . fig4 shows , in a schematic view , a further embodiment of the present invention , which is used in partial phacoemulsification . similarly to fig2 , fig4 shows a schematic cross - section through the human eye , illustrating the various nuclei and corresponding interfaces . fig4 shows that embryonic nucleus 55 a and fetal nucleus 55 b ( here crisscross hatched ) were emulsified ; i . e ., the nuclei were reduced to fragments having a diameter of less than 1 millimeter . also shown is a cannula 35 , which is laterally inserted into lens 50 and through which the fragmented material can then be removed . after that , a suitable gel filling can then be introduced therethrough . it should be noted that it is particularly preferred to use two cannulas 35 , the second cannula being inserted into the lens from the other side , which is not depicted because only half of the lens is shown here . in this way , it is possible to suction material off through one cannula while introducing irrigation fluid through the other cannula so as to assist or improve the removal process . subsequently , the gel can be introduced in the same manner , and the remaining irrigation fluid , which is displaced by the gel , can be removed through the aspiration cannula . ideally , material is continuously supplied through one cannula while the other cannula is used to continuously suction off material therethrough . in this manner , the inner hard nucleus of the aged human eye lens is cut out by the scanned , short - pulsed laser spots , and is at the same time reduced to small fragments with a diameter of less than 1 mm , which can be suctioned off by a suction / irrigation device . in this case , the inner hard nucleus includes the two segments embryonic nucleus 55 a and fetal nucleus 55 b , but it could also include only one nucleus . this prepared nucleus of the lens is then completely removed using a suction / irrigation device such as is used in the conventional phacoemulsification technique , or by means of a device using a different suction / irrigation principle . in accordance with the present invention , the resulting hollow lens body is now filled with an artificial or natural , biocompatible , flexible , transparent gel material through a cannula , or preferably bimanually ; i . e ., using two cannulas inserted at opposite sides , so as to restore the optical function and accommodative ability of the lens . these cannulas , which have a diameter of about 1 mm , are preferably used to penetrate the eye , including the capsular bag and the lens cortex . the punctures are preferably made angularly during the preparation , so as to make it possible to take advantage of the self - sealing effect after the treatment . in addition , it is particularly preferred to select the consistency of the gel depending on the diameter of the punctures in such a way that the openings will close . particularly preferably , the tips of the cannulas are designed such that when they are inserted , in particular into the lens cortex , they will urge the material sideways and not forward , so that a self - sealing effect will be produced . this preferably short - pulsed laser assisted , partial phacoemulsification prevents the development of a secondary cataract and , in addition , avoids a shortcoming of the currently clinically studied gel fillings of the which are introduced into the capsular bag after a preceding complete phacoemulsification . this shortcoming is that the secondary cataract , which occurs in 50 percent of cases as a result of remaining proliferating cells of the removed lens , which produce an opacity on the posterior membrane of the capsular bag , is treated conventionally by photodisruption using a q - switched nd : yag laser . in this treatment , the opacified posterior membrane of the capsular bag is completely removed from the optical path of the eye . it is then no longer possible to completely fill the capsular bag with gel , because the gel would flow out . by the partial gel filling within the cortex of the natural lens according to the present invention , on the one hand , the secondary cataract rate is significantly reduced and , on the other hand , the gel is additionally encapsulated . in partial phacoemulsification , which is used to partially remove the lens in the form of an inner nucleus , cutting is performed along a complete path along the inner nucleus . in addition , the nucleus to be removed is reduced to fragments using efficient geometric cutting patterns . particularly preferably , the procedure starts at the point within the eye that has the greatest distance from the apex of the cornea in order to ensure the best possible focus quality of the laser spot and to successively produce scattering centers for the parasitic laser radiation of the following laser spots , and to thereby reduce the retinal laser load . particularly preferably , after the filling of the lens body produced by the partial phacoemulsification , the filling material introduced is exposed to electromagnetic radiation , for example uv radiation , which produces a change in the consistency and / or viscosity of the gel . this makes it possible , firstly , to prevent the gel from leaking or escaping from the lens body at a later time . secondly , the refractive power of the new gel - like lens nucleus can subsequently be fine - tuned by means of objective and / or subject assessment by the patient . this makes it possible to produce a refractive index gradient in the regenerated lens , which will be efficient for the dynamic refraction . thus , a human eye is initially examined to fully determine the wavefront dynamics ( does the eye still have an accommodation range of 4 , 3 , 2 or 1 diopters ?). moreover , it is preferred to determine the associated , individual geometric shape for the minimum respective positive and negative accommodation ( curvature of the anterior and posterior sides of the lens and distances of the optical planes , . . . ). from this data , a complete description of this individual optical / geometrical system is generated by a software , for example , based on the finite element method . an additional software can be used to calculate therefrom the optimized cuts to be made in the lens by means of the laser system . thus , an ophthalmo - surgical device system is provided , and instructions for using it , for preparing or removing transparent biological tissue in a gentle and accurate manner , especially in the eye , and more particularly in the human eye lens , during refractive laser surgery or cataract surgery , especially to treat presbyopia by restoring the accommodative ability of the lens body . | 0 |
the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the 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 . like numbers refer to like elements throughout . referring to fig5 a memory cell 300 includes one access transistor 301 and one ferroelectric capacitor 302 . a first drain / source of the access transistor 301 is connected to a bit line bl0 , a gate is connected to a word line wl and a second drain / source is connected to one end of the ferroelectric capacitor 302 . the other end of the ferroelectric capacitor 302 is connected to a bit line bl1 . in this structure , a data signal can be input to or output from a predetermined one of the bitlines bl0 and bl1 . for example , when the data signal is input to or output from the bit line bl0 , the bit line bl1 acts as a plate line . here , the bit line bl1 which accesses other memory cells ( not shown ) is usable as a data line . in fig5 the access transistor consists of an nmos transistor . the ferroelectric capacitor 302 is programmed to a first or second polarization state according to the voltage applied across the ends thereof . in the event the voltage applied across the ends of the ferroelectric capacitor 302 is 0 volts , the original programmed polarization state is maintained . in order to perform a reading operation on the memory cell 300 , the bit line is precharged to 0 volts . then , a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level signal is applied to the word line wl , to thereby electrically connect the bit line bl0 to the ferroelectric capacitor 302 . the plate voltage , for example , 5 volts , is applied to the bit line bl1 which acts as a plate line . a voltage represented in the data line changed by a polarization state of the ferroelectric capacitor 302 is sensed as data . for example , if the bit line bl0 is determined as a data line and the bit line bl1 is determined as a plate line , the plate voltage is applied to the bit line bl1 to thereby sense the voltage represented in the bit line bl0 and read data . in order to perform a writing operation on the memory cell 300 , a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level signal is applied to the word line wl to turn - on an access transistor 301 . the data signal is applied to a predetermined one of the bit lines , and the plate voltage is applied to the other bit line . accordingly , the ferroelectric capacitor 302 is programmed by a voltage difference between the data signal and the plate voltage which are applied across the ends of the capacitor 302 . here , the magnitude of the voltage required for programming the ferroelectric capacitor 302 can be changed by changing the composition ratio of ferroelectric materials constituting the ferroelectric capacitor . for example , a program voltage can be changed by changing the composition ratio of pzt and silicon oxide . fig6 is a circuit diagram showing a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device according to another embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig6 an operation memory cell 310 consists of one access transistor 311 and one ferroelectric capacitor 312 . a first drain / source of the access transistor 311 is connected to the bit line bl0 , a second drain / source is connected to one end of the ferroelectric capacitor 312 and a gate is connected to a word line wl . the other end of the ferroelectric capacitor 312 is connected to the bit line bl1 . fig7 shows another structure of an operation memory cell . referring to fig7 the operation memory cell 315 can consist of one access transistor 313 and one ferroelectric capacitor 314 . a drain / source path of the access transistor 313 is formed between the ferroelectric capacitor 314 and the bit line bl1 , and a gate is connected to the word line wl . in the operation memory cell shown in fig6 and 7 , data is stored in the state of polarization of the ferroelectric capacitor . referring again to fig6 a bit line precharging circuit 320 includes nmos transistors 321 , 322 , 323 and 324 . the drain of the nmos transistor 321 is connected to the bit line bl0 , its source is grounded and a bit line precharge enable signal bln is applied to its gate . the drain of the nmos transistor 322 is connected to the bit line bl1 , its source is grounded and the bit line precharge enable signal bln is applied to its gate . the drain of the nmos transistor 323 is connected to the bit line cbl0 , its source is grounded and a bit line precharge enable signal bln is applied to its gate . the drain of the nmos transistor 324 is connected to the bit line cbl1 , its source is grounded and the bit line precharge enable signal bln is applied to its gate . accordingly , when the bit line precharge enable signal bln becomes a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the nmos transistors 321 , 322 , 323 and 324 are turned on to precharge the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , cbl0 and cbl1 to a ground voltage level ( e . g ., logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;). a reference cell 330 is connected between the bit line cbl0 and the bit line cbl1 , and accessed by a reference word line rwl . that is , when the reference word line rwl becomes active and the plate voltage is applied to the bit line cbl1 , an intermediate value between the voltages of data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is represented in the bit line cbl0 . the preferred construction and operation of a reference cell is described more fully hereinbelow . a sense amplifier 340 is connected between the bitlines bl0 and cbl0 , and amplifies a voltage difference between the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 when a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is active . in fig6 the bit line bl0 acts as a data line , the bit line cbl0 acts as an inversion data line , and the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 act as plate lines . however , the operations of the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , cbl0 and cbl1 can be exchanged with each other . in particular , as described more fully hereinbelow with respect to fig1 , the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 can act as data lines and inversion data lines during a data reading / writing operation on another operation memory cell ( not shown ). fig8 is a circuit diagram showing a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device according to another embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig8 an operation memory cell 310 includes one access transistor 311 and one ferroelectric capacitor 312 . the access transistor 311 consists of an nmos transistor having a first drain / source connected to a bit line bl0 , a second drain / source connected to the ferroelectric capacitor 312 and a gate connected to a word line wl . the ferroelectric capacitor 312 is connected between the second drain / source of the access transistor 311 and the bit line bl1 . the operation memory cell can also be formed as shown in fig7 . a reference cell 350 consists of two reference cell access transistors 351 and 353 and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 . a first drain / source of the reference cell access transistor 351 is connected to the bit line cbl0 and its gate is connected to a reference word line rwl . one end of the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 352 is connected to a second drain / source of the reference cell access transistor 351 and a reference cell data write line 355 , and the other end thereof is connected to a bit line cbl1 &# 39 ;. likewise , a first drain / source of the reference cell access transistor 353 is connected to the bit line cbl0 and its gate is connected to the reference word line rwl . one end of the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 354 is electrically connected to a second drain / source of the reference cell access transistor 353 and a reference cell inversion data write line 356 , and the other end thereof is connected to the bit line cbl1 &# 39 ;. a sense amplifier 340 is connected between the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 , and when a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is active , amplifies a voltage difference between the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 . the sense amplifier 341 connected between the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 is for accessing an another operation memory cell ( see , e . g ., fig1 ). a bit line precharging portion 320 consists of four nmos transistors 321 , 322 , 323 and 324 . each drain of the nmos transistors is connected to the bit line corresponding thereto , each source thereof is grounded and bit line precharge enable signal bln is applied to each gate thereof . accordingly , when the bit line precharge enable signal bln is activated to a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , a voltage of the bit line corresponding thereto is precharged to a ground voltage level . a bit line equalizer circuit 360 can consist of one nmos transistor 361 . a first drain / source of the nmos transistor 361 is connected to the bit line cbl0 , a second drain / source thereof is connected to the bit line cbl1 , and a bit line equalizer enable signal req is applied to its gate . accordingly , in the case that the bit line equalizer enable signal req is a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the nmos transistor 361 is turned on to electrically connect the bit lines cbl0 and cbl1 . an isolation switch 370 connected onto the bit line cbl1 , is turned off in the case that an isolation switch control signal is is inactive . when the isolation switch 370 is turned off , the bit line cbl1 is electrically divided to a portion cbl1 &# 39 ; connected to a reference cell 350 and a portion cbl1 &# 34 ; not connected thereto . as described more fully hereinbelow , the portion cbl1 &# 34 ; can be electrically connected to bit line cbl0 when reading the program state of the operation memory cell 310 . the isolation switch 371 is used for accessing an another operation memory cell ( not shown ). a plurality of isolation switches can be selectively turned on or off according to address information applied externally . the reading operation of the nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device shown in fig8 will now be described with reference to the timing diagram of fig9 . according to a result that addresses applied externally are decoded , a plurality of bit lines are determined as data lines ( and inversion data lines ) and plate lines and then the isolation switches 370 or 371 are turned off . in fig8 the memory cell 310 is accessed by determining the bit line bl0 as a data line , the bit line cbl0 as an inversion data line and the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 as plate lines . the bit line cbl1 is electrically divided into a portion cbl1 &# 39 ; connected to the reference cell 350 and a portion cbl1 &# 34 ; which is electrically connected to the isolation switch 370 and the precharging circuit 320 . as described herein , the bit lines bl1 , cbl 1 &# 39 ; and cbl1 &# 34 ; can be identified as individual segments of a respective bit line . when the bit line precharge enable signal bln becomes a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , cbl0 and cbl1 are precharged to 0 volts . when the bit line precharge enable signal bln then becomes a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , the bit lines are placed in respective floating states . at this time , a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is applied to the word line wl and the reference word line rwl to turn on the access transistor 311 and the reference cell access transistors 351 and 353 . accordingly , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 is electrically connected to the bit line bl0 , and the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 are electrically connected to the bit line cbl0 . in the state that the access transistor and the reference cell access transistors are turned on , when the bit line equalizer enable signal req is active to a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit lines cbl0 and cbl1 &# 34 ; are electrically connected together ( i . e ., &# 34 ; shorted &# 34 ;). accordingly , the bit lines cbl0 and cbl1 &# 34 ; act as the inversion data lines , and the bit line cbl1 &# 39 ; acts as the plate line . here , when the length of the bit line cbl1 &# 39 ; is substantially shorter than that of the bit line cbl1 &# 34 ;, the effective capacitance of the inversion data line increases by about a factor of two . also , assuming that the capacitance of the bit line bl0 equals that of the bit line cbl0 , the capacitance of the bit line bl0 and the net capacitance of the inversion data lines cbl0 and cbl1 &# 34 ; can be represented as c bl and 2c bl , respectively . as illustrated by fig9 a plate voltage , for example , 5 volts , is then applied to the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 &# 39 ; determined as the plate line . when the plate voltage is applied , a voltage level according to a polarization state of the ferroelectric capacitor 312 in the operation memory cell 310 is transferred to the bit line bl0 . in more detail , when data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, i . e ., a state of s4 in fig1 is stored in the ferroelectric capacitor 312 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 is transitioned to the state of s6 in fig1 and a voltage level of the data / bit line bl0 is expressed by formula 3 : ## equ2 ## where data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is stored and c bl represents the capacitance of the bit line bl0 . meanwhile , when data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, i . e ., the state of s1 in fig1 is stored in the ferroelectric capacitor 312 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 is transitioned to the state of s6 in fig1 . however , since the amounts of electric charge stored in the ferroelectric capacitor 312 in each state of s1 and s6 are almost the same , a voltage level of the bit line bl0 can be maintained at the ground level . data opposite to each other are preferably stored in the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 . for example , data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is stored in the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 352 and data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is stored in the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 354 . to reduce fatigue caused by the performance of destructive reference cell read operations , the data stored in the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 can be alternated so that each cell bears only half the fatigue burden . according to another aspect of the invention , linear reference cell capacitors may also be used instead of ferroelectric reference cell capacitors to lessen the likelihood of fatigue parasitics . also , each capacitance of the ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 can be the same as that of the access transistor 311 or 313 of the operation memory cell . here , capacitance of the data line is c bl and the effective bit line capacitance of the inversion data line is 2c bl , so that an intermediate level of the voltage level of the data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and the data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; appears on the inversion data line . in more detail , while the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 352 in the state of s4 of fig1 is transitioned to the state of s6 thereof , the amount of electric charge of 2q r is transferred to the inversion data lines cbl0 and cbl1 &# 34 ;, and while the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 354 in the state of s1 of fig1 is transitioned to the state of s6 thereof , the amount of electric charge close to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is transferred to the inversion data lines cbl0 and cbl1 &# 34 ;. accordingly , the voltage level of the inversion data line can be expressed by formula 4 : ## equ3 ## where 2q r is the total amount of the electric charge transferred to the inversion data line and 2c bl is the effective capacitance of the inversion data lines cbl0 and cbl1 &# 34 ;. subsequently , voltages applied to the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 &# 39 ; are decreased to a ground level . at this time , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 and the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 transition to the state of s1 of fig1 . then , the bit line equalizer enable signal req is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to electrically disconnect the bit lines cbl0 and cbl1 &# 34 ; from each other . also , the reference word line rwl is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to electrically disconnect the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 and the bit line cbl0 from each other . subsequently , a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the sense amplifier 340 amplifies a difference in voltage between the bit line bl0 acting as the data line and the bit line cbl0 acting as the inversion data line . accordingly , when data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is stored in the operation memory cell 310 , the bit line bl0 becomes a logic &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and when data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is stored in the operation memory cell 310 , the bit line bl0 becomes a logic &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . at this time , the bit line bl1 is fixed at a ground level , so that the ferroelectric capacitor 312 storing the data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; becomes set to the state of s3 of fig1 ( i . e ., restored ), and the ferroelectric capacitor 312 storing the data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is maintained in the state s1 of fig1 . each voltage level of the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 amplified by the sense amplifier is output as a data signal and an inversion data signal , respectively . meanwhile , the bit line cbl0 and the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 are electrically disconnected due to the reference word line rwl being set to a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is also applied to the reference cell data line rfdin , and a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level is applied to the inversion reference cell data line rfdinb to initiate reestablishment of the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 with their originally stored data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; levels . as described above , the data restored in the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors may be alternated after ever read operation ( or multiple read operations ). accordingly , if &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; levels are applied to the reference cell data line rfdin and the inversion reference cell data line rfdinb during a restore operation , respectively , then during a subsequent restore operation , &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; levels may be applied to the reference cell data line rfdin and the inversion reference cell data line rfdinb . a plate voltage is then applied to a bit line cbl1 &# 39 ; determined as a plate line . the plate voltage is designed to have a full power source level ( full vcc ). that is , if vcc is 5 volts , the plate voltage is 5 volts , and if vcc is 3 volts , the plate voltage is 3 volts . accordingly , the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 352 transitions to the state of s3 of fig1 when rfdin transitions to a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level while cbl1 &# 39 ; is held at a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , and then the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 354 transitions to the state of s6 when cbl1 &# 39 ; is switched to a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level while rfdinb is held at a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . subsequently , when the bit line cbl1 &# 39 ; becomes reset to ground level and the reference cell data line rfdin and the reference cell inversion data line rfdinb are grounded , the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 352 transitions to the state of s4 of fig1 and the reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 354 transitions to the state of s1 of fig1 . that is , data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; levels are restored to the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352 and 354 . also , the bit line precharge enable signal bln then becomes set to a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and the wordline wl connected to the operation memory cell becomes inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . a writing operation for the nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device shown in fig8 will now be described with reference to fig1 . first , an address is applied and decoded and a plurality of bit lines are determined as data lines ( and inversion data lines ) and plate lines and isolation switches 370 is turned off . the method for determining the bit lines in order to access an operation memory cell 310 of fig8 is the same as that illustrated in fig9 . when a bit line precharge enable signal bln is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , cbl0 and cbl1 are precharged to a ground level . in this state , the bit line precharge enable signal bln is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , to thereby float the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , cbl0 and cbl1 . subsequently , the data signal to be written is applied to the bit line bl0 determined as the data line , and the inversion data signal is applied to the bit line cbl0 determined as the inversion data line . at this time , a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . when the word line wl is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level in order to access the operation memory cell 310 , a ferroelectric capacitor 312 is electrically connected to the bit line bl0 . however , a reference word line rwl is maintained in an inactive state by applying a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level thereto . at this time , when a data signal of a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is applied to the bit line bl0 , a ferroelectric capacitor 312 transitions to the state of s3 of fig1 while the bit / plate line bl1 is maintained at a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . in a state that the word line wl is active and the data signal and the inversion data signal are applied , a plate voltage is applied to the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 &# 39 ; determined as the plate lines . here , in the case that a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level signal is applied to the bit line bl0 determined as a data line , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 in the state of s3 of fig1 transitions to state s4 . however , in the event a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level signal is applied to the bit line bl0 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 transitions to state s6 . then , the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 &# 39 ; ( determined as the plate lines ) are reset to a ground level and the word line wl is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . accordingly , in the event a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level signal is applied to the bit line bl0 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 transitions to state s3 and then to state s4 . however , in the event a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level signal is applied to the bit line bl0 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 transitions to state s6 when bl1 is &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; and then transitions to state s1 when bl1 becomes &# 34 ; low &# 34 ;. fig1 shows an operation memory cell array . in fig1 , each operation memory cell consists of one access transistor and one ferroelectric capacitor . a plurality of operation memory cells are arranged as an array in a matrix format corresponding to a plurality of the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , . . . , bln - 1 and bln and a plurality of word lines wlo -- l , wlo -- r , . . . , wlm -- l and wlm -- r . in the operation memory cell , each ferroelectric capacitor is connected to neighboring bit lines through a drain / source path of an access transistor . in the access transistor 411 of the operation memory cell 410 of fig1 , a first drain / source is connected to the bit line bl0 , and the ferroelectric capacitor 412 is connected between a second drain / source of the access transistor 411 and the bit line bl1 . the gate of the access transistor 411 is connected to the word line wlo -- l . meanwhile , in the operation memory cell 420 , a first drain / source of the access transistor 421 is connected to the bit line bl1 , and the ferroelectric capacitor 422 is connected between a second drain / source of the access transistor 421 and the bit line bl0 . the gate of the access transistor 421 is connected to the word line wlo -- r . that is , the structures of the operation memory cells 410 and 420 are symmetrical . in this state , in order to access the operation memory cell 410 , the word line wlo -- l is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and the bit line bl0 is used as a data line and the bit line bl1 is used as a plate line . meanwhile , in order to access the operation memory cell 420 , the word line wlo -- r is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and the bit line bl1 is used as a data line and the bit line bl0 is used as a plate line . here , the other bit lines can be maintained at a ground level . accordingly , the access transistors of the operation memory cells connected to the same word line are turned on . at this time , the plate voltage is applied to only the ferroelectric capacitor of the accessed operation memory cell , while the plate voltage is not applied . in more detail , in the case of accessing the operation memory cell , the word line wlo -- l is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level and the other word lines are maintained at a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . accordingly , the access transistors 421 , 431 and 441 are maintained in a turned - off state so that one end of each of the ferroelectric capacitors 422 , 432 and 442 is held in a floating state . meanwhile , a data signal is input to and output from the bit line bl0 and the plate voltage is applied to the bit line bl1 , however , the other bit lines are typically maintained at a ground level . accordingly , 0 volts is applied to the ferroelectric capacitors included in the operation memory cells 450 , 460 , 470 and 480 , so that the ferroelectric capacitors which are not accessed are not exposed to an operation cycle . alternatively , bl1 , bl3 , bl5 .. . . , bln can receive the plate line voltages simultaneously so that all cells connected to word line wlo -- l can be read at the same time . fig1 shows a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , an operation memory cell 310l includes an access transistor 311l and a ferroelectric capacitor 312l , and an operation memory cell 310r includes an access transistor 311r and a ferroelectric capacitor 312r . as illustrated , memory cells 310l and 310r are electrically connected in antiparallel . a reference cell 350l includes two reference cell access transistors 351l and 353l and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352l and 354l , and a reference cell 350r includes two reference cell access transistors 351r and 353r and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352r and 354r . the operations for reading and writing data in ferroelectric capacitor 312l are similar to the operations described with reference to fig9 and 10 . in particular , in order to access the operation memory cell 310l , a word line wl0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , a bit line bl0 is determined as a data line , a bit line cbl0 is determined as an inversion data line and the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 are used as plate lines . bit lines bl0 and cbl0 can also be treated as discrete segments of an individual even bit line and bit lines bl1 and cbl1 can similarly be treated as segments of an odd bit line . in the event a reading operation is performed on the operation memory cell 310l , the reference word line rwl0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to thereby access the reference cell 350l , the isolation switch 370 is turned off so that cbl1 &# 39 ; and cbl1 &# 34 ; are disconnected and the isolation switch 371 is turned on so that cbl0 &# 39 ; and cbl0 &# 34 ; are connected to each other . also , the bit line equalizer enable signal req is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to turn - on an nmos transistor 361 . accordingly , during the reading operation for the operation memory cell 310l , a portion cbl1 &# 39 ; connected to the reference cell cbl1 of the bit line acts as a plate line , and cbl1 together with the bit line cbl0 acts as an inversion data line . the data signal and the inversion data signal are amplified by a sense amplifier 340 . also , in order to restore the data in the reference cell 350l after a reading operation , the reference word line rwl0 becomes a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to electrically disconnect the bit line cbl0 from the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352l and 354l . a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is also applied to the reference cell data line rfdinl and a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level is applied to an inversion reference cell data line rfdinbl . now , a reading operation for an operation memory cell 310r will be described . in order to access a memory cell 310r of fig1 , a bit line bl1 is determined as a data line , a bit line cbl1 is determined as an inversion data line and bit lines bl0 and cbl0 are determined as plate lines . an isolation switch 371 is turned off , and an isolation switch 370 is maintained in a turned on state ( see , signal is in fig8 ). accordingly , the bit line cbl0 is electrically divided into a portion cbl0 &# 39 ; connected to the reference cell 350r and a portion cbl0 &# 34 ; connected to the isolation switch 371 . when a bit line precharge enable signal bln becomes a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , cbl0 &# 34 ; and cbl1 are precharged to 0 volts . when the bit line precharge enable signal bln becomes a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , the bit lines are in the floating states . at this time , a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is applied to the word line wl1 and the reference word line rwl1 , to thereby turn on an access transistor 311r and reference cell access transistors 351r and 353r . accordingly , a ferroelectric capacitor 312r becomes electrically connected to the bit line bl1 , and reference cell access transistors 352r and 354r become electrically connected to the bit line cbl1 &# 39 ;. at this time , an access transistor 311l and reference cell access transistors 351l and 353l are maintained in a turned - off state . accordingly , a ferroelectric capacitor 312l and reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352l and 354l have no influence on the operations for reading the operation memory cell 310r . in the state that the access transistor 311r and the reference cell access transistors 351r and 353r are turned on , when a bit line equalizer enable signal req is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit lines cbl1 and cbl0 &# 34 ; are electrically connected . accordingly , the bit lines cbl1 and cbl0 &# 34 ; act as inversion data lines , and the bit line cbl0 &# 39 ; acts as a plate line . accordingly , the capacitance of the bit line bl1 becomes c bl , and the capacitance of the inversion data line consisting of the bit lines cbl1 and cbl0 &# 34 ; becomes 2c bl . a plate voltage , for example , 5 volts , is applied to the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 &# 39 ; determined as the plate lines . when the plate voltage is applied , a voltage level according to a polarization state of the ferroelectric capacitor 312r appears on the bit line bl1 . data contrary to each other is stored in the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352r and 354r . also , the capacitance of the ferroelectric capacitors 352r and 354r can be the same as that of the ferroelectric capacitor 312r of the operation memory cell 310r . here , the capacitance of the data line is c bl and the bit line capacitance of the inversion data line is 2c bl , so that an intermediate level of voltage ( between the voltage levels of data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;) appears on the inversion data line cbl1 . subsequently , a plate voltage applied to the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 &# 39 ; descends to a ground level . then , a bit line equalizer enable signal req is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , to electrically disconnect the bit lines cbl1 and cbl0 &# 34 ;. also , the reference word line rwl1 is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , to electrically disconnect the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352r and 354r from the bit line cbl1 . then , a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the sense amplifier 341 amplifies a difference in voltage between the bit line bl1 acting as the data line and the bit line cbl1 acting as the inversion data line . accordingly , when data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is stored in the operation memory cell 310r , the bit line bl1 becomes a logic &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and when data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is stored in the operation memory cell 310r . the bit line bl1 becomes a logic &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . at this time , the bit line bl0 is set to ground level . voltage levels of the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 amplified by a sense amplifier are output as a data signal and an inversion data signal , respectively . in the state that the reference word line rwl1 becomes a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to electrically disconnect the bit line cbl1 from the reference ferroelectric capacitors 352r and 354r . a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is also applied to the reference cell data line rfdinr and a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level is applied to the inversion reference cell data line rfdinbr . shortly thereafter , a plate voltage is applied to the bit line cbl0 &# 39 ; determined as a plate line . subsequently , when the bit line cbl0 &# 39 ; becomes the ground level and the reference cell data line rfdinr and the reference cell inversion data line rfdinbr are grounded , data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; are restored to the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352r and 354r . also , a bit line precharge enable signal bln becomes a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level and the word line wl1 for the operation memory cell is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . meanwhile , a writing operation for the operation memory cell 310r is as follows . the bit line bl1 is determined as a data line , the - bit line cbl1 is determined as an inversion data line and the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 are determined as plate lines . also , an isolation switch 371 is turned off , and an isolation switch 370 is maintained in a turned - on state . when a bit line precharge enable signal bln is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , cbl0 and cbl1 are precharged to a ground level . in this state , the bit line precharge enable signal bln is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to thereby float the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , cbl0 and cbl1 . subsequently , a data signal to be written is applied to the bit line bl1 determined as the data line , and an inversion data signal is applied to the bit line cbl1 determined as the inversion data line . at this time , a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to enable a sense amplifier 341 to operate . in order to access the operation memory cell 310r , the word line wl1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to electrically connect the ferroelectric capacitor 312r to the bit line bl1 . meanwhile , the reference word line rwl1 is maintained in an inactive state by applying a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level thereto . also , the word line wl0 and the reference word line rwl0 are maintained at a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . in the state that the wordline wl1 is active and the data signal and the inversion data signal are applied , the plate voltage is applied to the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 &# 39 ; determined as the plate line . then , the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 &# 39 ; determined as the plate line are made as a ground level , and the wordline wl1 is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . accordingly , in the event a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is applied to the bit line bl1 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 is programmed to the state of s4 of fig1 and in the event a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level is applied to the bit line bl1 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312 is programmed to the state of s1 of fig1 . in summary , the reading / writing operations for the operation memory cell 310l and that for the operation memory cell 310r are performed in a complementary manner . fig1 through 15 show other structures of an operation memory cell shown in fig1 . in fig1 , access transistors of the operation memory cells 310l and 310r are connected to the bit line bl0 and the ferroelectric capacitors are connected to the bit line bl1 . here , the access transistors are activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level during a reading / writing operation of data , to connect the corresponding ferroelectric capacitor to the bit lines bl0 and bl1 through a drain / source path . accordingly , even in the event the positions of the access transistor and the ferroelectric capacitor are changed relative to fig1 , the reading / writing operations are not substantively changed . referring to fig1 , in the operation memory cells 310l and 310r , each of first drain / sources of the access transistors is connected to the bit line bl1 , and each of the ferroelectric capacitors is connected between the bit line bl0 and a second drain / source of the corresponding access transistor . in fig1 , the access transistor of the operation memory cell 310l is connected to the bit line bl1 and the corresponding ferroelectric capacitor is connected between the access transistor and the bit line bl0 . the access transistor of the operation memory cell 310r is connected to the bit line bl0 , and the corresponding ferroelectric capacitor is connected between the access transistor and the bit line bl1 . in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 310l , the word line wl0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 310r , the word line wl1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . fig1 shows a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device according to another embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , an operation memory cell 310a includes an access transistor 311a and a ferroelectric capacitor 312a , and an operation memory cell 310b includes an access transistor 311b and a ferroelectric capacitor 312b . the first drain / source of the access transistor 311a is connected to the bit line bl0 , the second drain / source thereof is connected to the ferroelectric capacitor 312a , and the gate thereof is connected to a word line wl0 . the ferroelectric capacitor 312a is connected between the second drain / source of the access transistor 311a and the bit line bl1 . the first drain / source of the access transistor 311b is connected to the bit line bl1 , the second drain / source thereof is connected to the ferroelectric capacitor 312b , and the gate thereof is connected to a word line wl1 . the ferroelectric capacitor 311b is connected between the second drain / source of the access transistor 311b and the bit line bl2 . if the access transistors consist of nmos transistors , then a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level voltage can be used to connect bit lines to respective ferroelectric capacitors . a reference cell 350a consists of two reference cell access transistors 351a and 353a and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352a and 354a , and a reference cell 350b consists of two reference cell access transistors 351b and 353b and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352b and 354b . the reference cell access transistors 351a and 353a are connected to the bit line bl0 , and each of the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352a and 354a is connected between a corresponding reference cell access transistor and the bit line bl1 . the reference cell access transistor 351b and 353b are connected to the bit line bl1 , and each of the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352b and 354b is connected between a corresponding reference cell access transistor and the bit line bl2 . in fig1 , a reading operation for the operation memory cell 310a is performed as follows . in order to access an operation memory cell 310a , the bit line bl0 is determined as a data line , the bit line cbl0 is determined as an inversion data line , and bit lines bl1 and cbl1 are determined as plate lines . an isolation switch 370a is turned off , and the other isolation switches ( e . g ., 371 and 370b ) are still turned on . accordingly , the bit line cbl1 is divided into a portion cbl1 &# 39 ; connected to the reference cell 350a and a portion cbl1 &# 34 ; not connected thereto . in the event the bit line precharge enable signal bln is set at a high level , each of the bit lines is precharged by a ground level through nmos transistors 321 , 322 , 323 , 324 , 325 and 326 included in the bit line precharging portion 320 . in this state , when the bit line precharge enable signal bln becomes a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , the bit lines are set to floating states . a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is then applied to the word line wl0 and the reference word line rwl0 , to thereby turn on the access transistor 311a and the reference cell access transistors 351a and 353a . accordingly , the ferroelectric capacitor 312a is electrically connected to the bit line bl0 , and the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352a and 354a are electrically connected to the bit line cbl0 . here , access transistors included in the other operation memory cells and reference cell access transistors included in the other reference cells are in their turned - off states . accordingly , the ferroelectric capacitors included in the other operation memory cells and the reference cells are not unnecessarily exposed to an operation cycle . in the state that the access transistor 311a and the reference cell access transistors 351a and 353a are turned on , when a bit line equalizer enable signal req0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , an nmqs transistor 361a is turned on to electrically connect the bit lines cbl0 and cbl141 . here , the bit lines cbl0 and cbl1 &# 34 ; act as inversion data lines which in combination have approximately twice the capacitance as the bit line bl0 . the bit line cbl1 &# 39 ; also acts as a plate line . also , the other bit line equalizer enable signal req1 is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level so that bit line cbl1 is electrically disconnected from bit line cbl2 . a plate voltage is then applied to the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 &# 39 ; determined as the plate line , so that a voltage corresponding to the data stored in the ferroelectric capacitor 312a appears on the bit line bl0 . because of the plate voltage , an intermediate level voltage signal appears on the inversion data line cbl0 . as described above with respect to fig8 and 12 , the intermediate level voltage signal is obtained by applying the positive plate line voltage to cbl1 &# 39 ; and simultaneously reading the state of reference cell capacitor 352a ( i . e ., data 1 ) and reference cell capacitor 354a ( i . e ., data 0 ). the voltages to be applied to the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 &# 39 ; are then set to a ground level . then , the bit line equalizer enable signal req0 is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to disconnect the bit lines cbl0 and cbl1 &# 34 ;. also , the reference word line rwl0 is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to disconnect the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352a and 354a from the bit line cbl0 . then , a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the sense amplifier 340 amplifies a difference in voltage between the bit line bl0 and the inversion bit line cbl0 . at this time , the bit line bl1 is set to a ground level in order to restore the data of the operation memory cell 310a so that a destructive read operation does not occur . the voltage levels of the bit lines bl0 and cbl0 are amplified by the sense amplifier and output as the data signal and the inversion data signal , respectively . then , the reference word line rwl0 becomes set to a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to disconnect the bit line cbl0 from the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352a and 354a . a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is applied to a reference cell data line rfdino , a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level is applied to an inversion reference cell data line rfdinbo , and a plate voltage ( e . g ., 5 volts ) is applied to the bit line cbl1 &# 39 ; determined as a plate line , to restore the states of the reference cell capacitors . thus , when the bit line cbl1 &# 39 ; becomes a ground level and the reference cell data line rfdino and the reference cell inversion data line rfdinbo are grounded , data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; are restored in the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352a and 354a . after the reading operation , the bit line precharge enable signal bln is set to a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to precharge the bit lines at a ground level , and a word line wl0 for the operation memory cell is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . during a writing operation of the operation memory cell 310a , the bit line bl0 is determined as a data line , the bit line cbl0 is determined as an inversion data line , and the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 &# 39 ; are determined as a plate line . also , an isolation switch 370a is turned off , and the other isolation switches are left on . the bit line precharge enable signal bln is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to turn - off nmos transistors 321 , 322 , 323 , 324 , 325 and 326 . accordingly , the bit lines bl0 , bl1 , bl2 , cbl0 , cbl1 and cbl2 are floated . then , a data signal to be written is applied to the bit line bl0 determined as the data line , and an inversion data signal is applied to the bit line cbl0 determined as the inversion data line . at this time , the sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , to enable the sense amplifier 340 to operate . in order to access the operation memory cell 310a , the word line wl0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to electrically connect the ferroelectric capacitor 312a to the bit lines bl0 and bl1 . meanwhile , the reference word lines rwl are maintained in an inactive state by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . also , the other word lines are continuously maintained in an inactive state by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . when the word line wl0 is active and a data signal and an inversion data signal are applied , a plate voltage is applied to the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 &# 39 ; determined as the plate lines . here , the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 &# 39 ; are set to a ground level . accordingly , if a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is applied to the bit line bl0 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312a is programmed to the state of s4 of fig1 and if a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level is applied to the bit line bl0 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312a is programmed to the state of s1 of fig1 . referring still to fig1 , the reading operation for the operation memory cell 310b will be performed as follows . in order to access the operation memory cell 310b , the bit line bl1 is determined as a data line , the bit line cbl1 is determined as an inversion data line and the bit lines bl2 and cbl2 are determined as plate lines . an isolation switch 370b is turned off , and the other isolation switches are left on . accordingly , bit line cbl2 is electrically divided into a portion cbl2 &# 39 ; connected to a reference cell 350b and a portion cbl2 &# 34 ; not connected thereto . in the event the bit line precharge enable signal &# 34 ; bln &# 34 ; is set at a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , each of the bit lines is precharged into a ground level through nmos transistors 321 , 322 , 323 , 324 , 325 and 326 included in the bit line precharging portion 320 . in this state , when the bit line precharge enable signal bln becomes a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , the bit lines are set to floating states . the word line &# 34 ; wl1 &# 34 ; and the reference word line &# 34 ; rwl1 &# 34 ; are then activated to a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and accordingly the access transistor 311b and the reference cell access transistors 351b and 353b are turned on . accordingly , the ferroelectric capacitor 312b is electrically connected to the bit lines bl1 and bl2 , and the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352b and 354b are electrically connected to the bit line cbl1 &# 39 ;. in the state that the access transistor 311b and the reference cell access transistors 351b and 353b are turned on , when the bit line equalizer enable signal req1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , an nmos transistor 316b is turned on to electrically connect the bit lines cbl1 and cbl2 &# 34 ;. here , the bit lines cbl1 and cbl2 &# 34 ; act as inversion data lines which in combination have approximately twice the capacitance as the bit line bl1 . the bit line cbl2 &# 39 ; also acts as a plate line . also , the other bit line equalizer enable signal req0 is maintained at a low level so that bit line cbl0 is disconnected from bit line cbl1 . a plate voltage is then applied to the bit lines bl2 and cbl2 &# 39 ; determined as the plate lines , so that a voltage level corresponding to the data stored in the ferroelectric capacitor 312b appears on the bit line bl1 . because of the plate voltage , an intermediate level voltage appears on the inversion data line cbl1 . subsequently , the voltage applied to the bit lines bl2 and cbl2 &# 39 ; decreases to a ground level . then , a bit line equalizer enable signal req1 is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to disconnect the bit lines cbl1 and cbl2 &# 34 ;. also , the reference word line rwl1 is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to disconnect the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352b and 354b from the bit line cbl1 . further , a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the sense amplifier 341 amplifies a voltage difference between the bit line bl1 acting as a data line and the bit line cbl1 acting as an inversion data line . at this time , the bit line bl2 is set to a ground level in order to restore the data of the operation memory cell 310b . voltage levels on the bit lines bl1 and cbl1 are amplified by the sense amplifier and output as a data signal and an inversion data signal , respectively . then , the reference word line rwl1 becomes set to a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to disconnect the bit line cbl1 from the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352b and 354b . a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is applied to the reference cell data line rfdin1 , a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level is applied to an inversion reference cell data line rfdinb1 , and then a plate voltage ( e . g ., 5 volts ) is applied to a bit line cbl2 &# 39 ; determined as the plate line , to restore the states of the reference cell capacitors . thus , when the bit line cbl2 &# 39 ; becomes a ground level and the reference cell data line rfdin1 and reference cell inversion data line rfdinb1 are grounded , data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; are restored in the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352b and 354b . after the reading operation , the bit line precharge enable signal bln is set to a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to precharge the bit lines to the ground level , and the word line wl1 for the operation memory cell is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . an operation for writing the operation memory cell 310b with data will now be described . first , the bit line bl1 is determined as a data line , the bit line cbl1 is determined as an inversion data line and the bit lines bl2 and cbl2 are determined as plate lines . also , an isolation switch 370b is turned off , and the other isolation switches are maintained in their turned - on states . the bit line precharge enable signal bln is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level to float bit lines bl0 , bl1 , bl2 , cbl0 , cbl1 and cbl2 . subsequently , a data signal to be written is applied to the bit line bl1 determined as the data line , and an inversion data signal is applied to the bit line cbl1 determined as the inversion data line . at this time , the sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to enable the sense amplifier 341 to operate . for accessing the operation memory cell 310b , the word line wl1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to electrically connect the ferroelectric capacitor 312b to the bit lines bl1 and bl2 . meanwhile , the reference word lines are maintained in an inactive state and the other word lines are maintained in an inactive state . when the word line wl1 is active and a data signal and an inversion data signal are applied , a plate voltage is applied to the bit lines bl2 and cbl2 &# 39 ; determined as the plate lines . here , the bit lines bl2 and cbl2 &# 39 ; become grounded . accordingly , if a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is applied to the bit line bl1 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312b is programmed to the state of s4 of fig1 and if &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level is applied to the bit line bl1 , the ferroelectric capacitor 312b is programmed to the state of s1 in fig1 . in fig1 , in the event the bit line cbl0 acts as the plate line , the isolation switch 371 is turned off . also , in the event the bit line bl2 is determined as the data line , and the bit line cbl2 is determined as the inversion data line , the sense amplifier 342 amplifies a difference in voltage between the bit lines bl2 and cbl2 . here , according to externally applied address information , the data line , the inversion data line and the plate line can be selectively determined , one of a plurality of word lines can be selectively activated , one of the reference word lines can be selectively activated , a plurality of isolation switches can be selectively turned on / off and a plurality of equalizers can be selectively turned on . fig1 through 19 show other structures of the operation memory cells shown in fig1 . in fig1 through 19 , each of access transistors is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level during a reading / writing operation of data such that a corresponding ferroelectric capacitor is connected to bit lines through a drain / source path . accordingly , even if the positions of the access transistor and the ferroelectric capacitor are exchanged with each other , the data reading / writing operation is not changed . referring to fig1 , an access transistor of an operation memory cell 310a is connected to a bit line bl0 , and a ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a bit line bl1 . an access transistor of an operation memory cell 310b is connected to the bit line bl1 , and a ferroelectric capacitor is connected to the bit line bl2 . referring to fig1 , an access transistor of an operation memory cell 310a is connected to a bit line bl1 , and a ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a bit line bl0 . an access transistor of an operation memory cell 310b is connected to a bit line bl2 , and a ferroelectric capacitor is connected to the bit line bl1 . referring to fig1 , an access transistor of an operation memory cell 310a is connected to a bit line bl1 , and a ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a bit line bl0 . an access transistor of an operation memory cell 310b is connected to the bit line bl1 , and a ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a bit line bl2 . in fig1 through 19 , in order to access the operation memory cell 310a , the bit line bl0 is determined as a data line , the bit line bl1 is determined as a plate line , and a word line wl0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . in the case that the operation memory cell 310b is accessed , the word line wl1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit line bl1 is determined as the data line , and the bit line bl2 is determined as the plate line . fig2 shows a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device according to a further embodiment of the present invention . fig2 shows an open bit line structure . this embodiment is similar to the embodiment of fig1 , however the operation memory cells are connected about a common sense amplifier . in fig2 , an operation memory cell 31gtl consists of an access transistor 311tl and a ferroelectric capacitor 312tl , an operation memory cell 310tr consists of an access transistor 311tr and a ferroelectric capacitor 312tr , an operation memory cell 310bl consists of an access transistor 311bl and a ferroelectric capacitor 312bl , and an operation memory cell 310br consists of an access transistor 311br and a ferroelectric capacitor 312br . also , the operation memory cells 310tl , 310tr , 310bl and 310br are connected between the bit lines corresponding thereto , respectively . a reference cell 350tl consists of two reference cell access transistors 351tl and 353tl and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352tl and 354tl . a reference cell 350tr consists of two reference cell access transistors 351tr and 353tr and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352tr and 354tr . a reference cell 350bl consists of two reference cell access transistors 351bl and 353bl and two reference cell ferroelectric transistors 352bl and 354bl . a reference cell 350br consists of two reference cell access transistors 351br and 353br and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors 352br and 354br . in a manner similar to that of fig1 , the reference cell 350bl is for accessing the operation memory cell 310tl , the reference cell 350br is for accessing the operation memory cell 310tr , the reference cell 350tl is for accessing the operation memory cell 310bl , and the reference cell 350tr is for accessing the - operation memory cell 310br . accordingly , in the event an operation for reading the operation memory cell 310tl is to be performed , the reference word line rwlb0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and in the event an operation for reading the operation memory cell 310tr is to be performed , the reference word line rwlb1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . also , in the case of performing a reading operation for the operation memory cell 310bl , the reference word line rwlt0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and in the case of performing a reading operation for the operation memory cell 310br , the reference word line rwlt1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . reference characters rfdintl and rfdinbtl respectively indicate a reference cell data line and an inversion reference cell data line for the reference cell 350tl . reference characters rfdintr and rfdinbtr respectively indicate a reference cell data line and an inversion reference cell data line for the reference cell 350tr . also , reference characters rfdinbl and rfdinbbl respectively indicate a reference cell data line and an inversion reference cell data line for the reference cell 350bl . reference characters rfdinbr and rfdinbbr respectively indicate a reference cell data line and an inversion reference cell data line for the reference cell 350br . data is stored in the state of polarization of the ferroelectric capacitors 312tl , 312tr , 312bl and 312br of the operation memory cells , and the operation memory cells are accessed by selectively activating corresponding wordlines wlt0 , wlt1 , wlb0 and wlb1 . as described more fully hereinbelow , reading and writing data in the operation memory cell 310tl can be performed using operations similar to those described with respect to the reading and writing of data in the operation memory cell 310l in fig1 . in particular , the ferroelectric memory device of fig2 is similar to the device of fig1 , however , the device of fig2 is more highly integrated than the device of fig1 because four memory cells ( i . e ., 310tl , 310tr , 310bl and 310br ) are included for every two sense amplifiers 340 and 341 , whereas in the device of fig1 , only two memory cells ( 310l and 310r ) are included for the two sense amplifiers 340 and 341 . the similarity in operation can also be illustrated by comparing word line wlt0 in fig2 with wl0 in fig1 , memory cell 310tl with 310l , sense amplifier 340 with 340 , signal lines rwlb0 , rfdinbl and rfdinbbl with rwl0 , rfdinl and rfdinbl , reference cell 350bl with 350l , isolation switch 370bl in fig2 with 371 in fig1 , isolation switch 370br in fig2 with 370 in fig1 and bit line equalizer 360b in fig2 with 260 in fig1 . in the case of performing a reading and writing operation for the operation memory cell 310tl , the bit line blt0 acts as a data line , the bit line blb0 acts as an inversion data line , and the bit lines blt1 and blb1 act as plate lines . here , the bit lines blt0 and blb0 can also be considered as a single bit line having segments blt0 &# 34 ;, blt0 &# 39 ;, blb0 &# 39 ; and blb0 &# 34 ; and the bit lines blt1 and blb1 can be considered as a single bit line having segments blt1 &# 34 ;, blt1 &# 39 ;, blb1 &# 39 ; and blb1 &# 34 ;. in particular , in the case of a reading operation , in order to double the bit line capacitance of the inversion data line blb0 , an isolation switch 370br is turned off . accordingly , the bit line blb1 is divided into a portion blb1 &# 34 ; connected to the reference cell 350bl and a portion blb1 &# 34 ; not connected thereto . also , the bit line equalizer enable signal reqb is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level to turn on nmos transistor 361b and electrically connect the bit line blb0 to the bit line blb1 &# 34 ;. accordingly , the bit line blb1 &# 39 ; acts as the plate line , and the bit lines blb1 &# 34 ; and blb0 act as the inversion data lines . in the case of performing a data reading and writing operation for the operation memory cell 310tr , the bit line blt1 acts as a data line , the bit line blb1 acts as an inversion data line , and the bit lines blt0 and blb0 act as plate lines . in the reading operation , an isolation switch 370bl is turned off to divide the bit line blb0 into portions blb0 &# 39 ; and blb0 &# 34 ;. in the case of performing a data reading and writing for the operation memory cell 310bl , the bit line blb0 acts as a data line , the bit line blt0 acts as an inversion data line , and the bit lines blb1 and blt1 act as plate lines . in the reading operation , an isolation switch 370tr is turned off to divide the bit line blt1 into portions blt1 &# 39 ; and blt1 &# 34 ;. in the case of performing a data reading and writing for the operation memory cell 310br , the bit line blb1 acts as a data line , the bit line blt1 acts as an inversion data line , and the bit lines blb0 and blt0 act as plate lines . in the reading operation , an isolation switch 370tl is turned off to divide the bit line blt0 into portions blt0 &# 39 ; and blt0 &# 34 ;. a bit line precharging portion 320 consists of nmos transistors 321 , 322 , 323 and 324 . each nmos transistor has a drain connected to a bit line , a source connected to ground and a gate connected to the precharge enable signal line bln . the bit line precharging portion 320 precharges the bit lines before the data reading and writing operations are performed . a bit line equalizer 360t consists of one nmos transistor 361t , and a bit line equalizer 360b consists of one nmos transistor 361b . in the case of performing the reading operation for the operation memory cells 310bl and 310br , the bit line equalizer 360t is turned on , and in the case of performing the reading operation for the operation memory cells 310tl and 310tr , the bit line equalizer 360b is turned on . that is , in the case of performing the reading operation for the operation memory cells 310bl and 310br , the bit line equalizer enable signal reqt is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and in the case of performing the reading operation for the operation memory cells 310tl and 310tr , the bit line equalizer enable signal reqb is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the isolation switches 370tl , 370tr , 370bl and 370br are selectively turned off , as described above . when the isolation switches are turned off , the corresponding bit line is divided electrically into a portion or segment connected to a reference cell and a portion or segment connected to an operation memory cell . accordingly , a plate voltage applied for operating a reference cell is not applied to another operation memory cell which is not being accessed . finally , in the case that a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is active , sense amplifiers 340 and 341 amplify a difference in voltage between the bit lines connected thereto . fig2 shows a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device according to another embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 , a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device includes a row decoder / control signal generator 500 , data input / output switches 530t and 530b , bit line precharging portion 520t and 520b , operation memory cell arrays 510t and 510b , bit line equalizers 560t and 560b , isolation switches 570t and 570b , reference cell arrays 550t and 550b , plate line selection switch / bit line selection switches 580t and 580b and a column decoder / sense amplifier 540 . in fig2 , the row decoder / control signal generator 500 decodes a row address applied externally to selectively activate one of a plurality of word lines wlt0 , wlt1 , . . . , wltn , wlb0 , wlb1 , wlb2 , . . . , wlbn and selectively activate one of a plurality of reference word lines rwltl , rwltr , rwlbl and rwlbr . also , a plurality of control signals for controlling reading and writing operations are generated in the row decoder and control signal generator 500 . the column decoder / sense amplifier 540 decodes a column address applied externally to amplify a difference in voltage between the bit lines connected to the sense amplifier enable signal lsaen which is active . in the plate line selection switch / bit line selection switches 580t and 580b , a data line , an inversion data line and a plate line are determined during the reading and writing operations . fig2 shows a detailed circuit diagram of a plate line selection switch / bit line selection switch 580t of fig2 , and fig2 shows a detailed circuit diagram of a plate line selection switch / bit line selection switch 580b of fig2 . referring to fig2 , a plate line selection switch 581t consists of a plurality of transmission gates . in the case of corresponding column selection signals which are active , each transmission gate connects a plate voltage line spl to a bit line corresponding thereto . that is , when the column selection signal y0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 581t0 is turned on to electrically connect the plate voltage line spl to the bit line blt1 . when the column selection signal y1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 581t1 is turned on to electrically connect the plate voltage line spl to the bit line blt0 . the other plate voltage lines and bit lines are also switched in the same way . here , only one of the column selection signals y0 , y1 , y2 , y3 , . . . , yn - 1 and yn is selectively activated . accordingly , only one of a plurality of transmission gates included in the plate line selection switch 581t is selectively turned on , and only one of a plurality of bit lines blt0 , blt1 , blt2 , blt3 , . . . , bltn - 1 and bltn is selectively determined as a plate line . alternatively , the plate voltage line spl can be simultaneously coupled to blt1 , blt3 , blt5 , . . . , bltn so that multiple memory cells in the same row can be accessed ( read or written to ) simultaneously . a bit line selection switch 582t consists of a plurality of transmission gates , and each of the transmission gates is activated as a column select signal corresponding thereto is in a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . that is , when the column selection signal y0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 582t0 is turned on to electrically connect a sense amplifier line st0 to the bit line blt0 . at this time , the other transmission gates included in the bit line selection switch 582t are turned off . also , in the case that the column selection signal y1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 582t1 is turned on to electrically connect the sense amplifier line st0 to the bit line blt1 . the other transmission gates included in the bit line selection switch 582t operate in the same manner . thus , the sense amplifier line st0 is selectively connected to one of the bit lines blt0 and blt1 , the sense amplifier line st1 is selectively connected to one of the bit lines blt2 and blt3 , and the sense amplifier line stm is selectively connected to one of the bit lines bltn - 1 and bltn . accordingly , in fig2 , when the column selection signal y0 is active , the bit line blt0 is connected to the sense amplifier line st1 and the bit line blt1 is connected to the plate voltage line spl . that is , the bit line blt0 is determined as a data line or an inversion data line , and the bit line blt1 is determined as a plate line . fig2 shows a detailed circuit diagram of a plate line selection switch / bit line selection switch 580b of fig2 . in fig2 , a plate line selection switch 581b consists of a plurality of transmission gates , and a bit line selection switch 582b also consists of a plurality of transmission gates . when the column selection signal y0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gates 581b0 and 582b0 are turned on to electrically connect the plate voltage line spl to the bit line blb1 and electrically connect the sense amplifier line sb0 to the bit line blb0 . that is , the bit line blb1 is determined as a plate line , and the bit line blb0 is determined as a data line or an inversion data line . when the column selection signal y1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gates 581b1 and 582b1 are turned on to electrically connect the plate voltage line spl to the bit line blb0 and electrically connect the sense amplifier line sb0 to the bit line blb1 . also , when the column selection signal yn is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gates 581bn and 582bn are turned on to electrically connect the plate voltage line spl to the bit line blbn - 1 and electrically connect the sense amplifier line sbm to the bit line blbn . the other transmission gates operate in the same manner . accordingly , as illustrated by fig1 , a preferred embodiment of the present invention may comprise a plurality of data memory cells ( e . g ., 310l , 310r ) which each contain an access transistor ( e . g ., 311l , 311r ) and a ferroelectric capacitor ( e . g ., 312l , 312r ) therein . a plurality of bit lines bl0 - bln are also provided . a first bit line ( e . g ., bl0 & amp ; cbl0 ) is preferably electrically connected to a first access transistor ( e . g ., 311l ) in a first data memory cell ( e . g ., 310l ) and a second bit line ( e . g ., bl1 & amp ; cbl1 ) is preferably electrically connected to a first ferroelectric capacitor ( e . g ., 312l ) in the first data memory cell . the gate of the first access transistor is also electrically connected to a word line ( e . g ., wl0 ). a first reference circuit ( e . g ., 350l ) is also preferably provided . the first reference circuit preferably contains first and second reference memory cells electrically coupled in parallel between the first bit line and the second bit line . in particular , the first reference memory cell may contain an access transistor ( e . g ., 351l ) electrically connected to the first bit line and a ferroelectric capacitor ( e . g ., 352l ) electrically coupled in series between the respective access transistor and the second bit line ( e . g ., bl1 ). the second reference memory cell may contain an access transistor ( e . g ., 353l ) electrically connected to the first bit line and a ferroelectric capacitor ( e . g ., 354l ) electrically coupled in series between the respective access transistor and the second bit line ( e . g ., bl1 ). the first and second bit lines may each contain a plurality of bit line segments . for example , the first bit line ( e . g ., bl0 ) may be formed of at least three segments including an upper segment , an intermediate segment ( e . g ., cbl0 &# 39 ;) and a bottom segment ( e . g ., cbl0 &# 34 ;). first and second sense amplifiers ( e . g ., 340 , 341 ) may also be provided in series between the upper and intermediate segments , respectively , of the first and second bit lines . first and second isolation switches ( e . g ., 371 , 370 ) may also be provided between the intermediate and bottom segments , respectively , of the first and second bit lines . a bit line equalizing circuit ( e . g ., 361 ) may also be provided between the bottom segments ( e . g ., cbl0 &# 34 ;, cbl1 &# 34 ;) of the first and second bit lines . similarly , as illustrated best by fig2 , the first and second bit lines may each contain four segments {( blt0 , blt1 ), ( blt0 &# 39 ;, blt1 &# 39 ;), ( blb0 &# 39 ;, blb1 &# 39 ;), ( blb0 &# 34 ;, blb1 &# 34 ;)}. as illustrated best by fig2 and 23 , a preferred integrated circuit memory device may also comprise means , coupled to a plurality of bit lines , for configuring bit lines as plate lines by selectively electrically coupling first ones of the plurality of bit lines to a sense amplifier and second ones of the plurality of bit lines to a plate line ( e . g ., sbl ), in response to a column select signal ( e . g ., y0 - yn ). a detailed circuit of the reference cell array 550t of fig2 is shown in fig2 , and a detailed circuit of the reference cell array 550b is shown in fig2 . referring to fig2 , a reference cell 551tl which consists of two reference cell access transistors and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors , is connected between the bit lines blt0 and blt1 and accessed in the case of a reference word line rwltl of a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . a reference cell data writing controller 552tl for controlling writing of data for the reference cell 551tl consists of a nand gate 555tl , an inverter 556tl and transmission gates 553tl and 554tl . in the case that the column selection signal y0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level and a reference cell data gate signal rfprst is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the nand gate 555tl outputs a signal of a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . the inverter 556tl inverts the output of the nand gate 555tl . in the case that the output of the nand gate 555tl is a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 553tl is turned on to electrically connect an inversion reference cell data line rfdinb to a ferroelectric capacitor . 558tl , and in the case that the output of the nand gate 555tl is a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 554tl is turned on to electrically connect a reference cell data line rfdin to a ferroelectric capacitor 557tl . a reference cell 551tr which consists of two reference cell access transistors and two reference cell ferroelectric capacitors , is connected between the bit lines blt0 and blt1 and accessed in the case that the reference word line rwltr is a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . a reference cell data writing controller 552tr for controlling writing of data for the reference cell 551tr consists of a nand gate 555tr , an inverter 556tr , and transmission gates 553tr and 554tr . in the case that a column selection signal y1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level and a reference cell data gate signal rfprst is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the nand gate 555tr outputs a signal of a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . the inverter 556tr inverts the output of the nand gate 555tr . in the case that the output of the nand gate 555tr is a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 553tr is turned on to electrically connect an inversion reference cell data line rfdinb to a ferroelectric capacitor 558tr , and in the case that the output of the nand gate 555tr is a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 554tr is turned on to electrically connect a reference cell data line rfdin to a ferroelectric capacitor 557tr . thus , in the event operation memory cells connected between the bit lines blb0 and blb1 are accessed , reference cells 551tl and 551tr are selectively activated . that is , one reference cell is commonly used during reading operations for a plurality of operation memory cells . referring to fig2 , a reference cell 551bl consisting of two reference cell access transistors is connected between bit lines blb0 and blb1 and accessed in the case that a reference word line rwlbl is a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the other reference cells consist of two access transistors and two ferroelectric capacitors and are connected between bit lines corresponding thereto . activated reference cells among a plurality of reference cells are determined according to a column selection signal and reference word lines . a reference cell data writing controller 552bl consists of a nand gate 555bl , an inverter 556bl and transmission gates 553bl and 554bl . in the case that a column selection signal y0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level and a reference cell data gate signal rfprsb is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the nand gate 555bl outputs a signal of a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the inverter 556bl inverts the output of the nand gate 555bl . in the case that the output of the nand gate 555bl is a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 553bl is turned on to electrically connect an inversion reference cell data line rfdinb to a ferroelectric capacitor 558bl , and in the case that the output of the nand gate 555bl is a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gate 554bl is turned on to electrically connect a reference cell data line rfdin to a ferroelectric capacitor 557bl . in fig2 , isolation switches 570t and 570b are located between an operation memory cell array and a reference cell array , respectively . fig2 shows a detailed circuit of an isolation switch 570t of fig2 , and fig2 shows a detailed circuit of an isolation switch 570b of fig2 . in fig2 , an isolation switch 570t consists of a plurality of transmission gates 573t0 , 573t1 , 573t2 , 573t3 , . . . , 573tn - 1 , 573tn and inverters 571t and 572t . the inverters 571t and 572t invert isolation switch control signals istl and istr , respectively . the transmission gate 573t0 is located on a bit line blt0 , and turned on in the case that the isolation switch control signal istl is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the transmission gate 573t1 is located on a bit line blt1 and turned on in the case that isolation switch control signal istr is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . in brief , in the case that the isolation switch control signal istl is active , the transmission gates 573t0 , 573t2 , . . . 573tn - 1 are turned on , and in the case that the isolation switch control signal istr is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gates 573t1 , 573t3 , . . . , 573tn are turned on . that is , the transmission gate constituting the isolation switch , as described in fig1 , is connected to a reference cell and electrically divides a bit line connected to a reference cell and determined as a plate line into two portions . in fig2 , an isolation switch 570b includes inverters 571b and 572b and a plurality of transmission gates 573b0 , 573b1 , 573b2 , 573b3 , . . . , 573bn - 1 , 573bn . in the case that an isolation switch control signal isbl is active , the transmission gates 573b0 , 573b2 , . . . , 573bn - 1 are turned on , and in the case that the isolation switch control signal isbr is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the transmission gates 573b1 , 573b3 , . . . , 573bn are turned on . fig2 shows a detailed circuit of a bit line equalizer 560t shown in fig2 , and fig2 shows a detailed circuit of a bit line equalizer 560b shown in fig2 . in fig2 , a bit line equalizer 560t consists of a plurality of nmos transistors . in the case that a bit line equalizer enable signal reqt is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the nmos transistors 560t0 , 560t1 , . . . , 560tm are turned on , to electrically connect bit lines corresponding thereto . that is , when the bit line equalizer enable signal reqt is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , bit lines blt0 and blt1 are electrically connected , bit lines blt2 and blt3 are electrically connected , and the other pairs of bit lines also are electrically connected in the same way . in fig2 , a bit line equalizer 560b consists of a plurality of nmos transistors 560b0 , 560b1 , . . . , 560bm . in the case that a bit line equalizer enable signal reqb is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the nmos transistors 560b0 , 560b1 , . . . , 560bm are turned on , to electrically connect bit lines corresponding thereto . the bit line equalizer enable signals reqt and reqb of fig2 and 29 are activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level in a reading operation of data . in the reading operation for the operation memory cell included in the operation memory cell array 510b of fig2 , the bit line equalizer enable signal reqt is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level and the bit line equalizer enable signal reqb is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . meanwhile , in the reading operation for the operation memory cell included in the operation memory cell array 510t of fig2 , the bit line equalizer enable signal reqt is maintained by an inactive state and the bit line equalizer enable signal reqb is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . more detailed description is disclosed in the description for the reading operation . in fig3 , each of operation memory cell arrays 510t of fig2 , which consists of one access transistor and one ferroelectric capacitor , is connected between neighboring bit lines . also , the gate of the access transistor is connected to a corresponding word line . in fig3 , the access transistor includes an nmos transistor . in order to access an operation memory cell 511t , a word line wlt0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , a bit line blt0 is determined as a data line and a bit line blt1 is determined as a plate line . meanwhile , in order to access an operation memory cell 512t , a word line wlt1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit line blt1 is determined as a data line and the bit line blt0 is determined as a plate line . in order to access an operation memory cell 513t , a word line wltm - 1 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit line blt2 is determined as a data line and a bit line blt3 is determined as a plate line . access of the other operation memory cells is also performed in a similar manner . to sum up , in the case that the neighboring bit lines gain access to the operation memory cells connected therebetween , one of them acts as a data line and the other acts as a plate line . fig3 is a detailed circuit diagram of an embodiment of an operation memory cell array 510b shown in fig2 . referring to fig3 , each of the operation memory cells consists of one access transistor and one ferroelectric capacitor . also , the access transistor includes an nmos transistor . reference characters blb0 , blb1 , blb2 , blb3 , . . . , blbn - 1 , and blbn indicate word lines . an operation memory cell 511b is connected between bit lines blb0 and blb1 , and the gate of the access transistor is connected to a word line wlb0 . an operation memory cell 512b is connected between bit lines blb2 and blb3 , and the gate of the access transistor is connected to a word line wlb0 . an operation memory cell 513b is connected between the bit lines blb2 and blb3 , and the gate of the access transistor included in the operation memory cell 513b is connected to a word line wlb1 . in fig3 , in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 511b , the bit line blb1 is determined as a data line and the bit line blb0 is determined as a plate line . also , in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 512b , the bit line blb3 is determined as a data line and the bit line blb2 is determined as a plate line . meanwhile , in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 513b , the bit line blb2 is determined as a data line and the bit line blb3 is determined as a plate line . the other plate lines and bit lines are determined in the same way . in fig3 and 31 , one of a plurality of word lines wlt0 , wlt1 , wlt2 , wlt3 , . . . , wltm - 1 , wltm , wlb0 , wlb1 , wlb2 , wlb3 ,. . . , wlbm - 1 , and wlbm is selectively activated . the word line can be selected by a row address applied externally . the detailed circuit of the bit line precharging portion 520t of fig2 is shown in fig3 , and that of the bit line precharging portion 520b is shown in fig3 . in fig3 , the bit line precharging portion 520t consists of a plurality of transistors . each of the nmos transistors includes a gate to which a bit line precharge enable signal bln is applied , a drain connected to a corresponding bit line and a grounded source . accordingly , in the case that the bit line precharge enable signal bln is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit lines blt0 , blt1 , blt2 , blt3 , . . . , bltn - 1 , and bltn are precharged to a ground level . in fig3 , the bit line precharging portion 520b consists of a plurality of nmos transistors . each of the nmos transistors includes a gate to which the bit line precharge enable signal bln is applied , a drain connected to a corresponding bit line and a grounded source . accordingly , in the case that the bit line precharge enable signal bln is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the bit lines blb0 , blb1 , blb2 , blb3 , . . . , blbn - 1 , and blbn are precharged to a ground level . here , before reading and writing operation of data is performed , the bit line precharge enable signal bln is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level so that the data line , the inversion line and the plate line are precharged to a ground level . an embodiment of the circuit of a data input / output switch 530t of fig2 is shown in detail in fig3 , and that of a data input / output switch 530b thereof is shown in detail in fig3 . referring to fig3 , the data input / output switch 530t consists of a plurality of nmos transistors . each of the nmos transistors includes a gate to which a corresponding input / output switch signal is applied , a first drain / source connected to an input / output line dl , and a second drain / source connected to a corresponding bit line . in more detail , an nmos transistor 531t includes a drain and a source connected to data input / output line dl and the bit line blt0 , respectively , and a gate to which the data input / output switch signal ysw0 is applied , and an nmos transistor 532t includes a drain and a source connected to the data input / output line dl and the bit line blt1 , respectively . here , one of a plurality of data input / output switch signals ysw0 , ysw1 , ysw2 , ysw3 , . . . , yswn - 1 and yswn is selectively activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . delayed column select signals y0 , y1 , y2 , y3 , . . . , yn - 1 , yn can be used for the data input / output switch signal , which is selectively activated according to a column address applied externally . that is , a column decoder 540 of fig2 can generate a column select signal and a data input / output switch signal . referring to fig3 , the data input / output switch 530b consists of a plurality of nmos transistors . each of the nmos transistors includes a gate receiving a corresponding data input / output switch signal , a first drain / source connected to a data input / output line cdl and a second drain / source connected to a bit line . in more detail , an nmos transistor 531b includes a drain and a source connected to the data input / output line cdl and the bit line blb0 , respectively and a gate receiving the data input / output switch signal ysw0 , and an nmos transistor 532b includes a drain and a source connected to the data input / output line cdl and the bit line bltn , respectively , and a gate receiving the input / output switch signal yswn . here , one of a plurality of data input / output switch signals ysw0 , ysw1 , ysw2 , ysw3 , . . . , yswn - 1 and yswn is selectively activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , which is the same as that described in fig3 . in fig3 and 35 , in the case that the data signal is input / output through the data input / output line dl , an inversion data signal is input / output through the input / output line cdl , and in the case that the inversion data signal is input / output through the data input / output line dl , the data signal is input / output through the data input / output line cdl . that is , the data input / output lines dl and cdl operate complimentarily . fig3 is a waveform diagram showing the reading operation of the nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device shown in fig2 through 35 . the reading operation will be described as follows with reference to fig3 . first , according to column select signals y0 , y1 , y2 , y3 , . . . , yn - 1 , and yn output from a column decoder , a data line / inversion data line and a plate line are determined . also , according to a row address and a column address which are applied externally , the levels of isolation switch control signals istl , istr , isbl , and isbr are changed . for example , in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 511t of fig3 , the column select signal y0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . accordingly , transmission gates 581t0 and 582t0 of fig2 are turned on , and transmission gates 581b and 582b0 of fig2 are turned on , to determine the bit lines blt0 and blb0 as a data line and an inversion data line , and the bit lines blt1 and blb1 as plate lines . also , isolation switch control signals istl , istr , and isbl are activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and an isolation switch control signal isbr is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . accordingly , the transmission gates 573t0 and 573t1 of fig2 are turned on , the transmission gate 573b0 of fig2 is turned on , and the transmission gate 573b1 is turned off , to thereby electrically divide the bit line blb1 into two parts blb1 &# 39 ; and blb1 &# 34 ;. thus , an isolation switch located on the plate line connected to an accessed operation memory cell is turned on , and an isolation switch located on the plate line connected to a reference cell is turned off . here , the isolation switch control signals can be generated according to the row address and the column address applied externally . for example , in fig2 , assuming that the operation memory cells having an uppermost bit of &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; in the row address are arranged in an upper portion of a sense amplifier , and those having an uppermost bit of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the row address are arranged in a lower portion thereof , and also in the case that a lowermost bit of the column address is zero , the left one of a pair of bit lines is determined as a data line , and the right one thereof is determined as a plate line , the isolation switch control signals istl , istr , isbl , and isbr have levels as shown in table 1 in the reading operation . table 1______________________________________uppermost bit lowermost bitof row of columnaddress address istl istr isbl isbr______________________________________0 0 h h h l0 1 h h l h1 0 h l h h1 1 l h h h______________________________________ in table 1 , a reference character &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; indicates a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , and a reference character &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; indicates a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the bit line precharge enable signal bln of a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level is changed to a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , so that the grounded bit lines are in the floating states . then , one of a plurality of word lines is selectively activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level according to the row address applied externally . also , the reference word line corresponding thereto is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . in the case of accessing the operation memory cell of fig3 , the reference word line rwlbl is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and the other reference word lines rwltl , rwltr , and rwlbr are maintained in an inactive state of a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , respectively . in the above structure , the reference word lines can be selected according to an uppermost bit of the row address applied externally and a lowermost bit of the column address , which will be described in table 2 . table 2______________________________________ lower - upper - mostmost bit ofbit of columnrow ad - address dress rwltl rwltr rwlbl rwlbr______________________________________0 0 l l h l0 1 l l l h1 0 h l l l1 1 l h l l______________________________________ in table 2 , a reference character &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; indicates a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , and a reference character &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; indicates a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . then , one of the bit line equalizer enable signals reqt and reqb is selectively activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 511t of fig3 , the bit line equalizer enable signal reqb is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and the bit line equalizer enable signal reqt is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . accordingly , nmos transistors 560t0 , 560t1 , . . . , and 560tm of fig2 are turned off , and nmos transistors 560b0 , 560b1 ,. . . , and 560bm are turned on . the bit line equalizer enable signals reqt and reqb can be controlled as shown in table 3 in the reading operation . table 3______________________________________uppermost bit ofrow address reqt reqb______________________________________0 l h1 h l______________________________________ in the state that the bit line equalizer enable signal reqb is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , the plate voltage , for example , 5 volts , is applied through a plate voltage line spl . the bit line determined as a data line by a plate voltage pulse has a voltage according to a polarization state of a ferroelectric capacitor of an operation memory cell , and the bit line determined as an inversion data line has a voltage as in formula 5 : ## equ4 ## where reference character c bl indicates capacitance of the bit line . for example , in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 511t of fig3 , the bit line blt0 has a voltage according to a polarization state of a ferroelectric capacitor of the operation memory cell . in more detail , in the case that data &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is stored in the operation memory cell 511t , the ferroelectric capacitor in a s4 state is transferred to a state s1 through a s6 state according to a plate voltage pulse , and a charge amount corresponding to 2q r is supplied onto the bit line blt0 . accordingly , a voltage appears as in the following formula 6 : ## equ5 ## where reference character c blt0 indicates the capacitance of the bit line blt0 . meanwhile , in the case that data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is stored in the operation memory cell 511t of fig3 , a ferroelectric capacitor in a state s1 of fig1 returns the state of s1 through a state of s6 . accordingly , since a charge amount of the bit line blt0 determined as a data line has no change , the bit line blt0 is maintained at a ground level . a difference in voltage of the data line and the inversion data line is amplified by a sense amplifier . in order to activate the sense amplifier , a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . in order to output an amplified signal , one of a plurality of data input / output switch signals ysw0 , ysw1 , ysw2 , ysw3 , . . . , yswn - 1 , and yswn is selectively activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 511t of fig3 , the data input / output switch signal ysw0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and the other data input / output switch signals are maintained in an inactive state by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . accordingly , nmos transistors of fig3 and 35 are turned on , to thereby connect the bit line blt0 to the data input / output line dl and connect the bit line blb0 to the data input / output line cdl . fig3 is an equivalent circuit diagram for illustrating a reading operation of the operation memory cell 511t of fig3 . meanwhile , in order to restore data with respect to the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors ( see , e . g ., reference cell 551bl ), a reference cell data signal of a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level and an inversion reference cell data signal of a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level are applied to the reference cell data line rfdin and the inversion reference cell data line rfdinb . also , the selected reference word line rwlbl is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . then , one of the reference cell data gate signals rfprst and rfprsb is selectively activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the reading operation of the reference cell data gate signals can be controlled as in table 4 . table 4______________________________________uppermost bit ofrow address rfprst rfprsb______________________________________0 l h1 h l______________________________________ that is , in the case of accessing the operation memory cell 511t of fig3 , the reference cell data gate signal rfprsb is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , to accordingly turn on transmission gates 554bl and 553bl of fig2 . accordingly , reference cell data is written in the reference cell 551bl of fig2 . in fig3 , falling edges of a reference cell data signal and a reference cell inversion data signal are generated earlier than that of the reference cell data gate signal rfprsb . accordingly , a difference in voltage between both ends of the reference cell ferroelectric capacitors is precharged by 0 volts . in fig3 , a reference cell data signal is applied to one end of a reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 557bl , and a plate voltage pulse is applied to the other end thereof . an inversion reference cell data signal is applied to one end of a reference cell ferroelectric capacitor 558bl , and a plate voltage pulse is applied to the other end thereof . fig3 is a waveform diagram of a writing operation of the nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device shown in fig2 through 35 . the writing operation will be described as follows . first , a data line , an inversion data line and a plate line are determined by column select signals y0 , y1 , y2 , y3 , . . . , and yn output from a column decoder . meanwhile , according to a row address and a column address applied externally , levels of isolation switch control signals istl , istr , isbl and isbr are changed . a control method thereof is the same as that of the reading operation ( see table 1 ). next , in order to float the bit lines precharged by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , a bit line precharge enable signal bln is inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . also , one of a plurality of data input / output switch signals is selectively activated . in the case of a writing operation of the operation memory cell 511t of fig3 , a data input / output switch signal ysw0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and the other data input / output switch signals are inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . accordingly , a data signal and an inversion data signal which are applied through the data input / output lines dl and cdl are transmitted to bit lines blt0 and blb0 , respectively . then , in order to enable a sense amplifier , a sense amplifier enable signal lsaen is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . subsequently , a selected word line is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . that is , in the writing operation of the operation memory cell 511t of fig3 , a word line wlt0 is activated by a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level , and the other word lines are inactivated . in this state , a plate voltage pulse is applied to a bit line determined as a plate line . that is , a pulse of approximately 5 volts is applied to bit lines blt1 and blb1 &# 39 ;. accordingly , a ferroelectric capacitor included in the operation memory cell 511t is programmed by a polarization state according to a data signal . then , the data input / output switch signal ysw0 is transited to a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , and a bit line precharge enable signal bln is transited to a &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . accordingly , the bit lines blt0 and blb0 are grounded . also , the selected word line wlt0 becomes again a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . as shown in fig3 , during the writing operation , a reference word line rwlbl , a bit line equalizer enable signal reqb , and a reference cell data line / inversion reference cell data line rfdin / rfdinb are inactivated by a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level . also , the reference word lines rwltl , rwltr and rwlbr and a bit line equalizer enable signal reqt , which are in the inactive state during the reading operation , are maintained in an inactive state . that is , all reference cell access transistors are maintained in the turned - off states . accordingly , the reference cells are prevented from being unnecessarily exposed to an operation cycle . fig4 is an equivalent circuit diagram for illustrating the writing operation described in fig3 . as shown in fig4 , an isolation switch control signal isbr becomes a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level , to divide a bit line blb1 into two portions blb1 &# 39 ; and blb1 &# 34 ;. accordingly , a plate voltage pulse is not applied to the operation memory cells connected to the bit line blb1 &# 34 ;, to prevent the operation memory cells from being unnecessarily exposed to the operation cycle . in the drawings and specification , there have been disclosed typical preferred embodiments of the invention and , although specific terms are employed , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation , the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims . | 6 |
the devices called “ gerbs ” ( also known as fountains ) utilize pyrotechnic compositions to vertically propel burning metal sparks and in addition produce a colored flame . typical formulations for gerbs generally include a fast - burning fuel / oxidizer mix that contains metallic filings or powder . the metal filings or powder burn to produce various colored sparks depending on the type of metal used . the metal added to the pyrotechnic composition increases the temperature or light output of the flame and may produce a spark effect . suitable metals include aluminum , magnesium , titanium and iron or their alloys such as magnesium / aluminum or steel . iron powder can be generally substituted with steel powder to avoid rusting from moisture . as shown in fig1 prior art pyrotechnic devices such as gerbs have used an end - burning configuration including a clay nozzle ( 1 ), which is situated at one end of a solid cylinder pyrotechnic configuration ( 3 ). typically the prime ( 2 ) is situated adjacent the clay nozzle ( 1 ) and in contact with an ignition source e . g ., electric match ( 6 ) situated within the nozzle opening ( 4 ). the solid cylinder pyrotechnic configuration ( 3 ) is surrounded by tube housing ( 7 ) and has a clay plug ( 8 ) disposed at an end of the solid cylinder pyrotechnic configuration ( 3 ) opposite the clay nozzle ( 1 ). we have learned , however , that the end - burning configuration does not optimally produce a colored pyrotechnic display . among the disadvantages presented by the prior art are that the clay nozzle ( 1 ) restricts the size of the flame envelope and causes flame discoloration due to hard to remove impurities such as sodium and calcium . one solution has been to use larger amounts of flame colorants , which in turn has the undesirable effect of producing more smoke and ash that may have detrimental environmental effects . yet another disadvantage of the prior art is the frequency of misfiring due to the sensitivity of proper placement of an ignition source ( e . g ., electric match ) in an end - burning configuration . in contrast to the prior art , in the present invention , a pyrotechnic device has been formulated that utilizes an internal surface area configuration . as a representative embodiment , a gerb device using a hollow cylinder ( hollow core grain ) configuration is shown in fig2 . a hollow cylinder configuration ( hollow core grain ) may also include what is generally known as a bates grain and has the property that it burns inside the core as well as at the two ends . bates grain configurations have been previously used in rocket motors . as shown in fig3 in operation , the length ( l ) of the hollow core cylinder ( 1 ) decreases during burning while the inside diameter ( d ) of the hollow core cylinder ( 1 ) increases and the outer diameter ( d ) of the hollow core cylinder remains constant . the overall result is a steady and stable burn that burns faster and provides more propellant force for a given volume of pyrotechnic composition compared to an end - burning configuration . according to the present invention , as shown in fig3 the dimensions of the hollow core cylinder are such that the length ( l ) is greater than or equal to 1 . 5 ( d )+ 0 . 5 ( d ). making the length ( l ) slightly greater ( about 110 %) than 1 . 5 ( d )+ 0 . 5 ( d ) advantageously gives an initially more progressive ( faster ) burn , resulting in prompt ignition and firing of the pyrotechnic device . according to the present invention , a gerb ( fountain ) does not need a nozzle to generate sufficient gas flow to drive the metal sparks upward in an acceptable flame envelope . in operation , the use of an internal surface area configuration according to the present invention , and especially a hollow cylinder configuration , is able to produce a larger colored flame envelope with the use of smaller amounts of flame colorant compared to the prior art end configuration . other geometries providing more pyrotechnic composition burn area and higher thrust compared to end - burning configurations may be used as well . in particular , rod and tube geometries as shown in fig4 ( a ) and 4 ( b ) may be advantageously used . in the rod and tube configuration the pyrotechnic device is formed by positioning a solid cylinder ( 6 ) within a hollow cylinder ( 5 ) to form adjacent burn surfaces together comprising a rod and tube cylindrical pyrotechnic composition ( 1 ). this geometry may include a cylindrical plug ( 3 ) with a plug opening ( 4 ) through which is disposed an electric match ( 5 ) which is surrounded by prime ( 2 ). further , a tube housing ( 7 ) may be used to house the cylindrical pyrotechnic composition ( 1 ). it will be appreciated that the devices according to the present invention are manufactured with the ignition source e . g ., electric match in place rather than requiring the user to install it as in prior art devices . other geometries that may be advantageously used in a pyrotechnic device according to the present invention to achieve variable burn rates , thus adding a degree of control over the visual characteristics of a pyrotechnic display include an internal star configuration , shown in fig5 ( a ) and 5 ( b ), which includes a star shaped opening ( 6 ) extending axially through cylindrical pyrotechnic composition ( 1 ) which has the property of first having a progressive burn rate ( increasing burning surface area and thrust ) followed by a regressive burn rate ( decreasing burning surface area and thrust ), and finally followed by a progressive burn rate . this geometry may likewise include a cylindrical plug ( 3 ) with a plug opening ( 4 ) through which is disposed an electric match ( 5 ) which is surrounded by prime ( 2 ). again , a tube housing ( 7 ) may be used to house the cylindrical pyrotechnic composition ( 1 ). it will be appreciated that the prime ( 2 ) surrounding the electric match ( 5 ) may alternatively be disposed adjacent the internal surface area e . g ., within the opening ( 6 ) of the pyrotechnic device configurations according to the present invention . the moon burn and c - slot configurations are shown respectively in fig6 and 7 and have the property whereby the burn initially proceeds with a progressive burn rate followed by a regressive burn rate . as with other embodiments , as shown in fig6 and 7 an electric match ( 5 ) is disposed through plug opening ( 4 ) in cylindrical plug ( 3 ) adjacent to and surrounded by prime ( 2 ) which is situated adjacent to at least one end of the cylindrical pyrotechnic composition ( 1 ). the moon burn configuration in fig6 ( a ) and ( b ) has a cylindrical opening ( 6 ) offset from the central axis of the cylindrical pyrotechnic composition ( 1 ). the c - slot configuration in fig7 ( a ) and ( b ) has a rectangular opening ( 6 ) offset from the central axis of the cylindrical pyrotechnic composition ( 1 ). again a tube housing ( 7 ) may house the cylindrical pyrotechnic composition ( 1 ). an additional advantage in using an internal surface area configuration is found in the method of firing a pyrotechnic device as explained in relation to the hollow core configuration below . it will be appreciated , however , that the concept may be applied to all of the disclosed configurations . as shown in fig1 in the prior art end burning device , an ignition source e . g ., electric match ( 6 ) is inserted within the nozzle opening ( 4 ) adjacent the prime ( 2 ). in operation , when the electric match ( 6 ) is fired , the prime ( 2 ) ignites and expels the electric match ( 6 ) in an upward direction . many times the electric match ( 6 ) is not completely dislodged and acts to disrupt the flow of sparks at the nozzle exit ( 5 ). another disadvantage of the prior art end burning configuration is that it has only a relatively small area of prime ( 2 ) adjacent to the nozzle opening ( 4 ) and in contact with the electric match ( 6 ) leading to a potential for ignition failure if the electric match ( 6 ) is not properly inserted ( typically accomplished manually ) deep inside the nozzle opening ( 4 ) adjacent the prime ( 2 ). by contrast , in the hollow core grain configuration , as shown in fig2 the electric match ( 4 ) may be disposed at one end of the hollow core ( 1 ) within the prime ( 3 ) thereby allowing more intimate contact with more surface area of the prime ( 3 ). additionally , as shown , prime ( 3 ) and electric match ( 4 ) may be disposed within the internal surface area of the cylindrical grain ( 2 ) ( hollow cylinder composition ) adjacent to and surrounding an electric match ( 4 ) that is disposed through plug opening ( 5 ) of the cylindrical plug ( 6 ). a tube housing ( 7 ) may contain the cylindrical grain ( 2 ). it will be understood that the foregoing descriptions of the preferred embodiments are intended as illustrative . numerous modifications and variations will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept . | 2 |
fig1 is a block diagram of a central telephone switching system 11 connected to a subscriber terminal 21 according to an embodiment of the present invention . central telephone system 11 comprises a time - slot switch ( tss ) 15 , a set of line cards 27 , a set of trunk cards 23 , and a telecommunication cpu 37 having well - known elements of such a cpu , including control software 35 and look - up tables 31 . in the embodiment shown by fig1 for example , a transmission signal originating from a calling party and destined for subscriber terminal 21 , termed the called party , might enter tss 15 through a trunk card 23 . as is well known in the art in state - of - the - art equipment , transmissions that enter a trunk card are digitally encoded , and may contain various data or voice transmissions as well as the destination of each transmission . telecommunication cpu 37 can extract information about the destination of a particular transmission and configure tss 15 to route the transmission to that destination . the destination can be , for example , a line card 27 . line card 27 is connected to tss 15 by interface 26 and to subscriber terminal 21 by interface 28 . once line card 27 receives a transmission , it decodes the transmission by means of coder - decoder device ( codec ) 39 and sends the decoded transmission through a subscriber line interface circuit ( slic ) 41 to subscriber terminal 21 . in the event that a transmission destined for subscriber terminal 21 arrives at tss 15 while another call is already in progress at subscriber terminal 21 , cpu 37 checks look - up tables 31 for subscriber terminals having call waiting service . if subscriber terminal 21 is found in look - up tables 31 , cpu 37 directs tss 15 to connect slic 41 for a brief time to a tone generator on line card 27 . the tone alerts a called party at subscriber terminal 21 that a second call is waiting to be answered . the called party may then switch between the two calls as desired . if subscriber terminal 21 is not found in look - up tables 31 , cpu 37 directs tss 15 to send a busy signal to the calling party . with selective call waiting according to an embodiment of the present invention , one or more signal analyzers 33 are connected to line cards 29 . signal analyzers according to the present invention provide cpu 37 with an ability to monitor and analyze any transmission entering or leaving a tss . there are many different ways a signal analyzer might work . in the event a signal analyzer detects a transmission signal that exhibits data - transmission characteristics , it may produce , for example , a digital non - zero bit at its output terminal . conversely , if a signal generator detects voice - transmission characteristics it may produce , for example , a digital zero bit at its output terminal . it will be apparent to one with skill in the art that there are many possible variations to distinguish between a voice or data - type transmission at an output terminal of a signal analyzer . as is well known in the telecommunication art , transmissions emerging from line cards are analog in nature and are relatively simple to analyze by means of discrete fourier transform ( dft ) or fast fourier transform ( fft ) and the like . furthermore , signal analyzers need not be independent devices . they may take the form of a line card according to the present invention , replacing a conventional line card . all signal analyzers in the embodiment described by fig1 are connected to cpu 37 by means of a communication link 31 , which might take the form , but not is limited to , an rs - 232 , a lan or an ethernet network . those with skill in the art will recognize that the technology of communication networks is old in the art , and that this portion of the present invention may be implemented with little difficulty by those with skill in the art , using well - known equipment and techniques . fig2 is a flow diagram describing a selective call waiting procedure according to the embodiment of fig1 . the procedure starts at step 71 where a subscriber , connected to subscriber terminal 21 ( fig1 ), initiates a transmission by taking a telephone off the hook . the hook switches close , and cause a dc loop current to flow . at step 73 , line card 27 ( fig1 ) senses the current and requests cpu 37 ( fig1 ) for service . this sensing process is well - known to those with skill in the art . at step 75 , cpu 37 directs a tss to route the transmission to its destination and also directs the tss to forward a copy of the transmission to signal analyzer 33 ( fig1 ), or any other signal analyzer that is available at that moment . next , at step 77 , cpu 37 ( fig1 ) directs signal analyzer 33 ( fig1 ) to analyze the transmission . if signal analyzer 33 ( fig1 ) detects a data - type transmission it outputs a signal accordingly . the status of the transmission type is stored at step 79 by setting a status bit 83 . when the analyzed transmission terminates at step 81 , the status of the output of signal - analyzer 33 is cleared . at step 53 in this embodiment , a transmission destined for subscriber terminal 21 ( fig1 ) arrives at trunk card 23 ( fig1 ) at the same time a transmission is in progress at subscriber terminal 21 ( fig1 ). at step 55 this trunk card signals cpu 37 ( fig1 ) via tss 15 for service . cpu 37 responds and extracts at step 57 the destination information for the transmission . next , at step 59 , cpu 37 checks look - up tables 31 to ascertain whether the called party is a selective call waiting subscriber . if the called party has no selective call waiting service , the cpu proceeds at step 63 to check for call waiting service . if no call waiting service is found for the called party , tss 15 sends a busy signal to the calling party at step 67 . if conventional call waiting service is confirmed for the called party , tss 15 sends at step 65 an alert signal to the called party . referring again to step 59 , in the event selective call waiting service is confirmed for the called party , cpu 37 checks at step 61 the previously stored status bit 83 of a transmission analysis of the called party . if the stored status bit indicates data - type transmission , tss 15 ( fig1 ) sends at step 67 a busy signal to the calling party . if the status bit indicates voice - type transmission or no transmission , tss 15 ( fig1 ) proceeds at step 69 to alert subscriber 21 ( fig1 ) respectively with a tone or ring signal . at step 81 at the end of a transmission , stored status bit 83 is cleared . in an alternate embodiment of the present invention , selective call waiting protects an incoming data - type transmission from being interrupted by a tss generated alert signal . this protection can be implemented at the time of the call by having cpu 35 direct tss 15 to connect a signal analyzer to the line card of a called party . a signal analyzer might identify the data - type transmission by waiting for a carrier tone or actual data transmission . if after a certain time no carrier or data is detected , the transmission is assumed to be voice type , and selective call waiting signals are permitted to interrupt a transmission in progress . in still another embodiment of the present invention , signal analyzers might also be connected to trunk cards . since a tss can connect any trunk or line card to any other trunk or line card , a cpu can direct a tss to copy a transmission arriving at a trunk card to any trunk or line card that has a signal analyzer connected . a signal analyzer may also take the form of , but is not limited to , a card that fits in the slot of a trunk or line card . hence , a signal - analyzer card might then replace a trunk or line card . as described above , analyzers may be connected to a cpu by means of a communication link which may take the form , but not is limited to , an rs - 232 , a lan or an ethernet network . in yet another embodiment of the present invention , signal analyzers connected to line cards , may also communicate with a cpu by means of flashing , eliminating the need for rs - 232 , lans or the like . flashing is a well - known term in telecommunication technology , and it refers to a subscriber briefly pressing the telephone hook . a flash may be generated by a signal analyzer by briefly interrupting a dc - loop current , which is well known by those with skill in the art . it will be apparent to those with skill in the art that many alterations may be made in the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . many such alterations have already been described . | 7 |
[ 0044 ] fig1 illustrates an instrumented golf club system 2 comprising an instrumented golf club 10 , an interface mechanism 18 and a computing or data processing means 28 . the instrumented golf club 10 comprises a grip 12 , a shaft 14 , a club head 16 , a first plurality of strain gauges 20 located on the exterior 25 portion of the shaft 14 proximate the butt end 27 , and a second plurality of strain gauges 21 located on the exterior 25 portion of the shaft 14 proximate the tip end 26 , as further described below . data measured by the first plurality of strain gauges 20 and second plurality of strain gauges 21 is transferred from the instrumented golf club 10 to the computing means 28 via the interface mechanism 18 . the interface mechanism 18 comprises a connection plug 18 a and a serial interface device 18 b . the connection plug 18 a has a plurality of pins 19 for connection to a plurality of receptors ( not shown ) within the shaft for electronically communicating data from the instrumented golf club 10 to the data processing means 28 . when connected , the interface mechanism 18 provides external power to the instrumented golf club 10 . the data that is collected by the instrumented golf club 10 is transferred to the computer means via the interface mechanism 18 . the golf club head 16 may be any type of conventional club head since the strain gauges 20 and 21 are located on the shaft 14 . in a preferred embodiment , the club head 16 is composed of composite material such as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 248 , 025 , filed on dec . 29 , 1999 , entitled composite golf club head and method of manufacturing , and which pertinent parts are hereby incorporated by reference . however , those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize that other materials , such as titanium , titanium alloys , stainless steel , amorphous metals , persimmon and the like , may be used for the club head without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention . regardless of the material chosen for the club head , the golf club 10 , when combined with the circuitry and electronic elements , should approximate the weight of a standard golf club . the club head 16 is preferably a driver . however , the club head may be a fairway wood , an iron ( 1 - iron through 9 - iron ), a wedge ( lob , sand , pitching and approach ) or a putter . the shaft 14 may be anywhere from 35 inches for a wedge to 50 inches for a driver , and is preferably composed of a graphite material . however , the shaft may also be composed of steel titanium , or a bi - material . the shaft 14 has a wall 22 that defines a hollow interior 23 . the shaft 14 has an interior surface 24 and an exterior surface 25 . the shaft 14 has a tip end 26 in proximity to the club head 16 and a butt end 27 , opposite the tip end 26 . the shaft 14 also having an opening 31 to the hollow interior 24 located at the butt end 27 . the shaft 14 generally tapers in its diameter from the butt end 27 to the tip end 26 . [ 0049 ] fig2 is a top perspective view of the club head 16 , comprising a top 30 , a heel region 32 , a face 34 , a toe region 36 , a rear region 38 and a ribbon 40 . a right - hand coordinate system is used , and is illustrated by the designation of the x , y and z axes in fig2 . the x axis is oriented vertically ( at address position ) from a soleplate 54 ( as shown in fig3 ) to the top 30 of the club head 16 . the y axis is oriented horizontally ( at address position ) from the toe region 36 to the heel region 32 . the z axis is oriented horizontally ( at address position ) from the face 34 to the rear region 38 . [ 0050 ] fig2 a is an illustration showing a first bending plane 49 , and a second bending plane 51 , wherein , the central axis of the shaft 14 ( not shown ) defines the intersection line of the first bending plane 49 , and the second bending plane 51 . the first bending plane 49 is aligned with the face 34 of the club head 16 , and the second bending plane 51 is at a 90 ° angle , or orthogonal , to the first bending plane 49 . [ 0051 ] fig3 illustrates the golf club shaft 14 of the instrumented golf club system 2 comprising a first plurality of strain gauges 20 consisting of a set of three rosette groups 20 a , 20 b , 20 c ( in phantom ) located on an exterior 25 butt end 27 of the shaft 14 for providing axial and strain measurements during a golf swing . additionally , a second plurality of strain gauges 21 consisting of a set of three rosette groups 21 a , 21 b and 21 c ( not shown ) are shown located on the tip end 26 of the shaft 14 for providing axial and strain measurements during a golf swing . a circuit board 46 is located within the hollow interior 24 of the shaft and is comprised of a memory circuit 48 for storing strain measurements , a power control circuit 50 , a first signal conditioning circuit 52 for the first plurality of strain gauges 20 , a second signal conditioning circuit 54 for the second plurality of strain gauges 21 , and a serial communication circuit 56 . in a preferred embodiment , the circuit board 46 is located approximately 10 ″ down the shaft . however , one skilled in the art would understand that the location of the circuit board 46 is not critical and that placement could be varied to accommodate weight adjustments in different club types . locating the electronics within the shaft helps to further protect the instrumentation from shock loadings that electronics mounted on the club head typically experience upon impact of the golf club with a golf ball . an internal power source 58 is also positioned within the shaft to provide power supply to the circuit board 46 as well as to the first and second plurality of strain gauges 20 and 21 respectively . an led 60 is located on the exterior 25 of the shaft 14 to notify the user that the instrumented golf club system 2 is powered up and to signal upon each successive hit that a triggering event has occurred . [ 0055 ] fig4 is a view of a segment of the instrumented golf club system 2 , as defined by the area iv - iv in fig1 and shows a first plurality of strain gauges 20 . this first plurality of strain gauges are located on the exterior circumference of the shaft at a position proximate the butt end and comprising a set of three rosette groups . the first strain gauge group 20 a , the second strain gauge group 20 b , and the third strain gauge group 20 c ( in phantom ). individual strain gauges are comprised of a triple element having a central axial gauge and right and left crossing shear gauges such that when grouped the nine strain gauges from six wheatstone bridges . a first plurality of wires 62 is used to connect the first plurality of strain gauges 20 to the circuit board 46 . at a triggering event , such as the golfer ” s swing , each strain gauge input receives a signal referred to by a channel numbered ( 0 - 11 ). each channel number references a recorded variable , such as butt bend , butt shear , tip bend and tip shear for each strain gauge . the first plurality of wires 62 connect the individual strain gauge groups 20 a , 20 b and 20 c to the circuit board 46 by first connecting to the circuit board 46 and then running along the interior portion 24 of the golf club shaft 14 , exiting the shaft 14 via an exit hole 100 located below the butt end 26 of the shaft 14 and connecting with the individual sets of strain gauge groups 20 a , 20 b and 20 c located on the exterior 25 butt end 27 of the shaft 14 . the shaft 14 has an opening 64 at the butt end 27 . the shaft 14 has a hollow compartment for placement of a power supply therein , electronic circuitry , sensors , and necessary wiring . a cap 76 is used to cover the hollow compartment of the shaft 14 . in a preferred embodiment , the power supply is a battery tube 78 containing at least a first battery 80 . the battery 80 provides internal power for the instrumented golf club 10 . preferably , a protective casing is located within the shaft 14 for placement of the battery 80 . the shaft electronic circuitry board 46 , which may be one or two boards , includes the internal memory device 134 , a non - volatile buffer memory , a main microprocessor 136 , power control circuitry 120 , signal conditioning circuitry 121 for the strain gauges in the butt end 27 of the shaft 14 , signal conditioning circuitry 122 for the strain gauges in the tip end 26 of the shaft 14 , serial communication circuitry 124 , filter circuitry 126 for the strain gauges , and an analog to digital converter circuitry 128 . the shaft electronic circuitry board 46 is a typical power circuitry board . the placement of all of the electronics in the shaft 14 , as opposed to the club head 16 , allows for the use of multiple club heads 16 in order to analyze a golfer &# 39 ; s swing for different clubs . further , the components in the shaft 14 are modular , and thus are easily replaceable if damaged . such replacement is performed via the opening . a second plurality of strain gauges is also located at the tip end 26 of the golf club shaft 14 . this second plurality of strain gauges 21 are located on the exterior circumference of the tip end of the shaft comprised of a set of three rosette groups being a mirror image of the strain gauges located at the butt end of the shaft . the first strain gauge group 21 a , the second strain gauge group 21 b and the third strain gauge group 21 c . the individual strain gauges are comprised of a triple element having a central axial gauge and right and left crossing shear gauges such that the rosette groups from six wheatstone bridges . a second plurality of wires 63 is used to connect this second plurality of strain gauges 21 to the circuit board 46 . at a triggering event , such as a golfer &# 39 ; s swing , individual strain gauge inputs receive a signal referred to by a channel numbered ( 0 - 11 ). each channel number references a recorded variable , such as butt bend , butt shear , tip bend and tip shear for each strain gauge pair . a second plurality of wires 63 connects the strain gauge groups 21 a , 21 b and 21 c to the circuit board 46 by first connecting to the circuit board 46 and then running along the interior 24 portion of the golf club shaft 14 , exiting the interior 24 of the shaft 14 via a second exit hole ( not shown ) located below the butt end 26 of the shaft 14 and running along the length of the exterior 25 of the shaft 14 to connect with the second plurality of strain gauge sets 21 a , 21 b and 21 c located on the tip end 26 of the shaft . this second plurality of wires 63 connecting the second plurality of strain gauges 21 from the tip end 26 of the golf club shaft 14 are preferably glued to the exterior of the golf club shaft 14 , however , the second plurality of wires 63 may also be affixed to the shaft 14 by any other means including mechanical , that are commonly used in the art . [ 0064 ] fig5 is a view of an individual strain gauge group 20 a as arranged about the circumference of the exterior of the shaft 14 of the instrumented golf club 10 of the present invention . six independent strain gauge elements are needed to make essential measurements in order to calculate the six independent forces and moments . these six individual elements are axial force ( px ), transverse shear forces ( vy ) and ( vz ), bending moments ( my ) and ( mz ) and torsion ( tx ). fig6 is a view of these forces acting upon a typical strain gauge of the present invention . data obtained from the independent forces and moments acting on the shaft at the tip end 26 and butt end 27 are computed from the strain data received via the sets of strain gauges and from the information obtained relative to the shaft stiffness matrix at each location . these stiffness matrices are obtained using experimental or analytical techniques well known in the art . once obtained , the values are entered into the computer program and the data is converted from strains and bends to loads and moments . the relationship between the strain , stiffness and force / moment is illustrated in fig7 . [ 0066 ] fig8 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of operation of the instrumented golf club ( as shown in fig1 ) of the present invention . the entire flow chart is shown in two sections , fig8 a and 8b . prior to initial use it is necessary to load the programming software into the instrumented golf club . first , at step 202 , the computer program is activated at the computer . the club is then connected to the computer via a probe and at step 204 inquiry of the club status is displayed . in the event , as in step 206 , the display indicates that communication between the club and the computer is off - line , the user should verify the connection of the interface mechanism between club and computer . when the status indicates as in step 208 that the communication is on - line , the user should select load round from the club . at step 210 , data is then transferred from the club through the interface to the computer processor . once the data is transferred , at step 212 the engineering menu may be enabled by typing ctr - alt - e . the user will then be asked at step 214 to set the triggering protocol for the club . at step 216 verification of the real time clock is performed and at step 218 , the probe is removed from the club and installation of the battery pack is performed . in fig8 b once the probe has been removed and the battery pack installed , at step 220 an led located on the shaft 14 indicates that the swing analysis program has been activated and that the club has been powered up for use . at step 222 , the led indicates that the program is ready for a triggering . at step 224 , the golfer swings the club . the swinging of the club indicates to the strain gauges that a triggering event has occurred , and at step 226 the led will display the occurrence of this triggering event . at step 228 , the data received by the strain gauges with respect to the bending and shear moments will be stored in a non - volatile rom memory . at step 230 , the user may reconnect the interface mechanism between the instrumented golf club and the computer in order to facilitate the download of information from the club to the computer for processing . at step 232 , data from both the first plurality of strain gauges 20 and the second plurality of strain gauges 21 is downloaded to the processing unit . the processor at step 234 then calculates the six independent forces and moments from the strain gauge measurements . the forces and moments are then used to determine an appropriate shaft flex profile for an individual golfer at step 236 . [ 0074 ] fig9 comprises sample initial data values when the instrumented golf club 10 is in a ready state , before the triggering event of the golf swing and impact with the golf ball has occurred . the top of fig9 indicates the values of the calibration constants at various locations along the shaft used in calculating the values for the data obtained during the collection of the sample data . the first twelve columns indicate the values of the twelve strain gauge channels received from the pairs of strain gauges located either on the tip end or the butt end of the club . the next six columns indicate the calculated values of the six independent forces and moments for the strain gauges located on the butt end of the shaft and the last six columns indicate the calculated values of the six independent forces and moments for the strain gauges located on the tip end of the shaft . [ 0075 ] fig1 and fig1 illustrate sample displays of data collected from a portion of a typical golf swing of the instrumented golf club 10 illustrating the calculated forces and moments both before impact and after impact on the butt end 27 of the shaft 14 ( fig1 ) and tip end 26 of the shaft 14 ( fig1 ). the data is collected from the channels and then converted to values in terms of forces and moments . these forces and moments are displayed in graphical representation and identified as axial force ( px ), bending moments ( mz ) and ( my ), transverse shear forces ( vy ) and ( vz ) and torsion ( tx ). once the raw data is collected , the information can be used to generate information to allow the proper shaft flex to be determined for an individual golfer . it is understood that a person of ordinary skill in the art of computer programming can create a program that will take the raw data , and manipulate the data such that the characteristics of the golf club during the golfer &# 39 ; s swing can be pictorially displayed in a more useful , informative and user friendly manner . this will provide the golfer with useful feedback beyond just the physically measured numerical data . a similar procedure can be used in golf club design , for example , to improve the club head geometry , select materials for the club head or shaft , or help locate weighting material within the club head . furthermore , various tabular , graphical , or other visual formats can be used to display this raw data , including synchronization of the data with a camera for highlighting the golfer &# 39 ; s swing area of maximum club head acceleration , hand rotation and shaft bending stress . in addition , data from an individual golf swing or golf club design can be plotted against golf ball launch data associated with that golf swing or design , so that changes can be suggested to improve distance and accuracy . further , the data may be used to design a golf club that is appropriate for a specific type of golfer , or even for an individual golfer . various shafts may be utilized in the testing to determine which type of shaft may be appropriate for a specific type of golfer . the shafts may vary in length , thickness , flexibility , and the like . one example would have a golfer swing each type of shaft to determine which one was appropriate for that specific type of golfer . various club heads also may be utilized in the testing to determine which type of club head may be appropriate for a specific type of golfer . the club heads may vary in material composition , mass , weight placement ( e . g . center of gravity purposes ), and the like . as above , one example would have a golfer swing each type of club head to determine which one was appropriate for that specific type of golfer . alternatively , the data may be used to determine an appropriate club head for a specific type of golfer . from the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof , and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings , numerous changes , modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims . therefore , the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims . | 0 |
the device of fig1 comprises a group of two spherical mirrors , a first spherical mirror m1 called the main mirror and a second smaller spherical mirror m2 called the secondary mirror , means p forming a circular pupil and field regulating means l . the mirrors face one another , the main mirror being concave and the secondary mirror convex , so as to have a common axis of symmetry z constituting the optical axis of the device . r1 and r2 are the respective radii of mirrors m1 and m2 , said two values being in or substantially in the ratio 2 : 1 , i . e . r1 = 2r2 . a priori the secondary mirror is considered to be axially positioned in such a way that the centres of curvature coincide at c , the axial distance fd between the mirrors being in this case r2 . h1 and h2 designate the respective widths of the mirrors , each being constituted by a sphere portion defined by a plane orthogonal to axis z . hp represents the diameter of the circular pupil formed in a plane orthogonal to axis z and passing through the centre of curvature c . due to symmetry it is centred on point c . in such an optical arrangement the entrance pupil constituted by the aperture of diameter hp also constitutes the exit pupil of the device . an incident ray leaves in a substantially retrodirective direction after three reflections . the ray r1 for example penetrates by the entrance pupil , is reflected once on mirror m1 at a , then a second time on mirror m2 at f1 and then a third time on mirror m1 at b and leaves parallel to the initial direction on abstracting the spherical aberration and on assuming gaussian approximation conditions . mirror m2 represents the focal sphere of m1 , i . e . the locus of the foci and f1 is the focusing focus of an incident beam of direction r1 . the emerging rays are limited to those not occulted by mirror m2 . an incidence direction forms part of the angular field of the device , so that the focusing due to mirror m1 occurs at one point on the sphere portion defining mirror m2 . the field angle θ is defined by the equation sin θ = h2 / 2r2 or sin θ = h2 / r1 . all the aberrations , with the exception of the spherical aberration , are eliminated by the fact that pupil p is located in the plane passing through the centre of curvature c of the mirrors and perpendicular to the optical axis z of the device . the spherical aberration can be greatly reduced by slightly displacing the secondary mirror m2 by translation along axis z so as to bring it closer to the main mirror m1 . the displacement can scarcely exceed the value 0 . 04r2 in order to provide the optical quality of the device suitable for operation centred on the axis . for example for a pupil diameter equal to r2 and an approximation of 0 . 02r2 ( the axial distance fd between the mirrors becomes 0 . 98r2 ), the spherical aberration is negligible for an operation in a field of ∓ 20 ° ( 1 . 5 to 5 mrd instead of 17 to 33 mrd ). in this c represents the centre of curvature of the main mirror , that of the secondary mirror being displaced along the axis z by the considered quantity . thus , the catadioptric device permits a regulation or setting as a result of the relative axial positioning of the mirrors . the catadioptric device also permits a regulation of the field by a regulatable diaphragm l positioned in close proximity in front of mirror m2 , i . e . substantially in the plane orthogonal to axis z and passing through f . point f represents the main focus corresponding to the focusing of rays of zero incidence ( direction of axis z ). the field can be made as small as possible by regulating the diaphragm l . it can also be set very high , for example ± 30 ° to ± 45 ° without significant deterioration in the optical quality . the catadioptric device is formed from a relatively small number of simple members and is strictly achromatic , because the optical elements are only constituted by mirrors . in the simplest form it has two mirrors m1 and m2 and the means forming the pupil m , which can be constituted by a circular opening in a casing containing the system . the mirrors are concentric or non - concentric , as a function of what has been stated hereinbefore with regard to the possible axial regulation of the secondary mirror . this arrangement can have field regulating means l , e . g . an articulated plate diaphragm , which is also called an iris diaphragm . in another construction of the catadioptric device according to the invention it can be provided with shutter means making it possible to modulate the reflected radiation . these means comprise an optoelectric shutter positioned in pupil p , such as for example a ferroelectric material plate . thus , the device can be used as a responder subject to the action of given radiation emitted by an emitter station and it can return a message by modulation of the reflected beam . this type of use can be envisaged in an identification friend or foe system . fig2 shows a simplified diagram of a possible constructional embodiment of the catadioptric device and on it appear the various arrangements referred to hereinbefore . the optical system m1 and m2 is located in a casing 1 having an opening forming the pupil . element 2 symbolizes a peripheral fastening of main mirror 1 to the casing . the secondary mirror m2 is positioned by means of three arms 3 arranged at 120 ° fixed to the casing and such that there is a small occulting surface . diaphragm l is also supported by elements 3 . block 4 represents the means for regulating diaphragm l and which can in part be positioned outside the casing which is e . g . the case with manual control . an optoelectrical shutter 5 , e . g . a plzt plate , is located at the pupil , whilst the corresponding electrical control sc is provided by a control circuit 6 . the actions of mirrors m1 and m2 and shutter 5 are determined as a function of the envisaged operating wave band . the pupil diameter conditions the transmittable flux level and diaphragm l the observation field and discretion of the device . the device is more particularly intended for reflecting light radiation , such as that emitted by a laser ( optical telemeter , optical iff system , etc .). however , it can also be used for microwave , electromagnetic radiation ( radar , ultra - high frequency responder , beacon , etc .). when used in an iff system the device is completed by a receiver part where the radiation received is detected and identified so as to control the modulation via circuit 6 . these elements are not described and can be realised in different ways . reference can be made for example to u . s . pat no . 4 , 134 , 008 which also gives information on the use of a ferroelectric ceramic for modulating the reflected radiation . | 6 |
in the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure , reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure , and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical , structural , functional , and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense . disclosed herein are modified glycosides ( saccharide - bim derivatives ), the composition comprising ( 1 ) a saccharide , aldehyde , carboxyl acid , or alkyl orthoacetate unit , and ( b ) a tagging moiety comprising an aromatic ortho - diamine unit . the tagging moiety comprises an ortho - substituted , diamino - aromatic compound . in different embodiments of the invention the ortho - substituted , diamino - aromatic compound is 1 , 2 - diaminobenzene ( also known as ortho - phenylenediamine ; opd ), 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid or 2 , 3 - diaminopyridine . in a preferred aspect , the tagging moiety comprises 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid peptide ( dab - peptide ) conjugate . the term “ saccharide ” as used herein is used in their broadest sense to refer to saccharides comprising a plurality of repeating units , including , but not limited to saccharides having from 2 to over 2 , 00 repeating units . typically , as accepted in the art and as used herein , the term “ polysaccharide ” refers to a saccharide having from about 10 to about 200 or more repeating units . as accepted in the art and as used herein , the term “ oligosaccharide ” refers to a saccharide having from about 2 to about 10 repeating units . in certain embodiments , the repeating unit is 1 or more monosaccharide molecules . in accordance with the methods of the invention , fragments of polysaccharides or oligosaccharides from differing types and / or strains of bacteria may be chemically joined or synthetically synthesized to form a saccharide - bim comprising multiple epitopes from the multiple types and / or strains of bacteria from which the fragments were originally derived and / or identified ; accordingly , the composition of the repeating unit ( s ) of the polysaccharide or oligosaccharide of the invention need not be constant over the entire saccharide chain . the polysaccharides or oligosaccharides encompassed by the methods of the invention comprise one or more amino sugars . in certain embodiments , said one or more amino sugar is a component of the repeating unit of the polysaccharide or oligosaccharide . in other embodiments , the said one or more amino sugar is not a component of the repeating unit of the polysaccharide or oligosaccharide . the tagging reagent ( ortho - diamine , opd , substituted opds ) can be made by any conventional methods , e . g ., purchased from commercial source . attaching saccharide - bim to solid supporting by n - alkylation at 1h position of saccharide - bim is well known to any one of ordinary skill in the art . for example , a resin , a bead , a planar support , a glass slide , a polycarbonate slide , a nanoparticle , a chromatography medium , a magnetic particle and a metal . the term “ removable ” used herein refers to a tagged saccharide ( saccharide - bim or saccharide - r - bim ), which composed of opd unit and saccharide units can be removed by reduction and hydrolysis to untagged / native saccharide . preferably , each of the tagged saccharide described herein can be reversed back to unconjugated / native saccharide and opd tagging reagent by hydrolysis . this invention for the first time discloses a removable saccharide tag ( e . g . saccharide - bim and saccharide - r 2 - bim tags ) using opd and substituted opds as tagging reagents with saccharides . after application the used saccharide - bim and saccharide - r 2 - bim tags can be treated by reduction and hydrolysis to give native saccharide and opd tagging reagent . the native saccharides can be followed through an hpaed - pad or nmr analysis directly to evaluate the recovery yields of saccharides with no further purification . in addition , using hpaec - pad , a series of saccharides was recovered from saccharide - bims or saccharide - r 2 - bims ( table 1 ) and these saccharides have same retention times , spectrum and mass with original native saccharides . the tagging reagents , opd and substituted opds , described herein can be used as detectable labels and are capable of for labeling saccharides at reducing end to form saccharide - bims , thereby facilitating saccharide purification and analysis . in addition , these saccharide - bims or conjugated saccharide - bims ( saccharide - r 2 - bim ) can increase ionization ability of saccharides , thereby improving sensitivity in ms analyses . the tagged / conjugated saccharide described herein can be reversed back to untagged / unconjugated saccharide and opd by reduction and hydrolysis . tagging of saccharide by tagging reagents , opd or substituted opds , can be achieved by iodine catalytic oxidation condensation of saccharide and opd as shown in fig2 . conjugation of saccharide - bim at 1h - position with r 2 ( solid support , ch 3 , dye , peptide etc .) can be achieved by n - alkylation . the saccharide - bim tags and r 2 - linked saccharide - r 2 - bims can be reversed back to native saccharide by reduction and hydrolysis . in some embodiments , saccharide - bims described herein comprise fucose + opd , n - acetylgalactosamine + opd , glucuronic acid + opd , galacturonic acid + opd , globo h + opd , gd2 + opd , gd3 + opd , gd1a + opd , gq1b + opd , gt1b + opd , gt1a + opd , gb3 + opd , gb5 + opd , ssea oligosaccharides + opd , fucosyl gm1 + opd , gm2 + opd , gm3 + opd , blood group antigens + opd ( a , b , o , h ), forssman antigens + opd , lewis a + opd , lewis b + opd , lewis x + opd , sialyl lewis x + opd , lewis y + opd , lactose based o - glycans + opd , n - acetylglucosamine core structures + opd , sialyllactose + opd , sialylated oligosaccharides + opd , sulphated oligosaccharides + opd , phosphated oligosaccharides + opd , manno - oligosaccharides + opd , cello - oligosaccharides + opd , xylo - oligosaccharides + opd , chito - oligosaccharides + opd , malto - oligosaccharides + opd , polysaccharides + opd , aldehyde + opd , carboxyl acid + opd , or orthoacetate + opd . herein opd composes aromatic ortho - diamine and substituted opds . any of saccharide - bim can be further conjugated with ( attached to ) an acceptor ( dye , peptide ) or immobilized to solid support such as resin , nanoparticle , plate , chip etc . for saccharide analysis , image and other applications by n - alkylation at 1h - position of saccharide - bims . as used herein , “ conjugation ”, “ conjugated ” or “ attached ” means two entities are associated . the association between the two entities can be either direct or via a linker , such as a polymer linker . conjugated or attached can include covalent or noncovalent bonding as well as other forms of association , such as entrapment ( e . g . one entity on or within the other , or of either or both entities on or within a third entity , such as a micelle ). in one example , the saccharide - bims and conjugated saccharide - r - bims are capable to a detectable tag of saccharides , which is a compound that allows recognition , either directly or indirectly , the binding / conjugated to it such that the saccharide can be detected , measured , and / or qualified . examples of such “ detectable labels ” are intended to include , but are not limited to , fluorescent labels , luminescent labels , colorimetric labels , enzymatic digestion , enzymatic markers , radioactive isotopes , and affinity tags such as biotin . such labels can be used to the saccharide chemistry and glycomics , directly or indirectly , by conventional methods . detection of the present labeling saccharide tag ( saccharide - bims or conjugated saccharide - r - bims ) is performed using methods and reagents well known to those skilled in the art . a preferred method of detection of the invention is through the use of fluorescence . fluorescence can be visualized with a variety of imaging techniques , including ordinary light or fluorescence microscopy , confocal laser - scanning microscopy , and flow cytometry . in another example , conjugated saccharide - r - bims comprise saccharide - r 2 - bims ( scheme2 ) and r 2 is a group producing by n - alkylation of saccharide - bims at 1h - position , in term of “ conjugated saccharide - r - bims ”, thereby facilitating separation , purification and analysis of saccharides through wash , filter , centrifuge , ms determination , enzymatic digestion , protein binding , image etc . the conjugated saccharide - r - bims ( saccharide - r 2 - bims ) wherein r 2 is selected from the group consisting of solid support , resin , nanoparticle , plate , chip , dye , alkane , e . g . bodipy dye , cascade blue dye , coumarin , fluorescein ( fitc / fam ), hapten , lissamine rhodamine b dye , oregon green dye , texas red dye , azide , marina blue , pacific blue , rhodamine 6g dye , rhodamine green dye , rhodamine red dye , tetramethylrhodamine , dnp , digoxigenin , biotin , avidin , streptavidin , protein , luciferin , an anti - dye antibody , carboxyfluorescein , 6 -( fluorescein )- 5 -( and 6 )- carboxamido hexanoic acid , fluorescein isothiocyanate , rhodamine , tetramethylrhodamine , cy2 , cy3 , cy5 , amca , percp , r - phycoerythrin ( rpe ) allophycoerythrin ( apc ), texas red , princeton red , green fluorescent protein ( gfp ) coated cdse nanocrystallites , dnp , biotin , digoxiginin , horse radish peroxidase ( hrp ), alkaline phosphatase ( ap ), β - galactosidase ( gal ), glucose - 6 - phosphate dehydrogenase , β - n - acetylglucosamimidase , β - glucuronidase , invertase , xanthine oxidase , firefly luciferase , glucose oxidase , luminol , isoluminol , acridinium esters , 1 , 2 - dioxetanes and pyridopyridazines . in comparison with other saccharide tagging methods , the saccharide - bims and conjugated saccharide - r - bims has a number of advantages in saccharide detection . applications of saccharide - bim tags in glycomics are shown in fig3 . as shown in fig3 , any of the saccharide - bims or conjugated saccharide - r - bims can be further conjugated with ( attached to ) a detectable label or immobilized to solid support such as resin , nanoparticle , plate , chip etc . for saccharide binding assay , imaging and other applications . the present disclosure also provides a rapid method for purification , identification and derivation of saccharides and without destroyed glycans in glycomic studies , even when a tiny amount ( less than 1 μmol ) of saccharide is present in the sample . as used herein , “ conjugation ”, “ conjugated ” or “ attached ” means two entities are associated . the association between the two entities can be either direct or via a linker , such as a polymer linker . conjugated or attached can include covalent or noncovalent bonding as well as other forms of association , such as entrapment , e . g ., of one entity on or within the other , or of either or both entities on or within a third entity , such as a micelle . in one aspect , the peptide in saccharide - bim is attached to a detectable label , which is a compound that allows recognition , either directly or indirectly , the peptide conjugated to it such that the saccharide can be detected , measured , and / or qualified . examples of such “ detectable labels ” are intended to include , but are not limited to , fluorescent labels , chemiluminescent labels , colorimetric labels , enzymatic markers , radioactive isotopes , and affinity tags such as biotin . such labels can be conjugated to the peptide , directly or indirectly , by conventional methods . detection of the present labeling saccharide is performed using methods and reagents well known to those skilled in the art . a preferred method of detection of the invention is through the use of fluorescence . fluorescence can be visualized with a variety of imaging techniques , including ordinary light or fluorescence microscopy , confocal laser - scanning microscopy , and flow cytometry . in one aspect of the invention new saccharide tags , which are aldo - im derivatives for saccharide labeling using synthetic approaches , are disclosed . use of ortho - aromatic diamines as tags for aldoses and sialic acid has been demonstrated to be useful for saccharide analysis . n - methylated aldo - ims ( called aldo - meims ), the structures of which are shown in fig4 below , can be further reduced back to untagged native saccharides . the recovery yield is high in this removable saccharide labeling method . this is a novel example of acidic stable and removable tag using reducing - end labeling technology with high yields and convenience . after reduction of aldo - meims by nabh 4 and hydrolysis of the resulting product , the native saccharides were obtained and followed through an hpaec - pad analysis directly to evaluate the recovery yields of saccharides with no further purification . the chemical preparation of n - methylated aldo - imidazoles ( aldo - meims ) was achieved by using methyl iodide with aldo - im , whereas aldo - ims were prepared by iodine oxidation condensation of aldoses with aromatic ortho - diamines in dmso at room temperature . the methodology of preparation of removable saccharide tags is shown in fig4 . these aldo - ims or aldo - meims are useful in saccharide purification and determination . using other commonly used methods ( see fig5 ), the tagged saccharides cannot be recovered in native form ( ex . reduction amination and aldo - bins ) or are unstable in acidic conditions ( ex . oximes and hydrazones ). in comparison , aldo - ims in accordance with the present invention are stable in both acidic and alkaline conditions and its aldo - meim derivatives can be reduced back to native saccharides . therefore , saccharides , which are novel and tiny from biological sources , can be recovered for bio - assays after chemical labeling . therefore , through the use of the present invention , one may avoid the use of tagged saccharides , which might have different meanings than the native saccharides . here , aldo - ims and aldo - meims were developed as removable and stable tags in glycan chemistry . in addition , the aldo - meims in accordance with the present invention are newly synthetic compounds for saccharide - tagging and have advantages on chromatographic analysis ( such as hplc , ce and ms ) with their mother compound aldo - ims . after reduction and hydrolysis of aldo - meims in stepwise one - pot process , the native saccharides such as n -/ o - glycans were obtained and the recovery yields can be analyzed by hpaec - pad or nmr directly with no further purification . for example , using hpaec - pad , a series of aldoses was recovered from aldo - meims in high yield ( table 2 ) and these compounds have the same retention times and mass with original native aldoses ( free aldose as standard ). this removable saccharide tagging method is useful for biological investigation in comparison with other saccharide tagging methods as shown in fig5 . for advanced applications , aldo - ims can be linked to peptides and other solid supports , such as resins , nano particles , plates , and chips , to enrich released glycans or to fish the proteins , which have interaction with aldo - ims linked glycans . the glycans can be recovered from these materials . however , other glycan conjugated methods , such as reduction amination and c - glycosidation , do not recover native glycans from supports . therefore , the method in accordance with the present invention provides a new tool in saccharide labeling . the aldo - im derivatives in accordance with the present invention can be applied as bioprobes and microarray to catch specific proteins and as removable tags for saccharides in glycomic studies . ( fig6 ). using these saccharide - tagging methods , some uv or fluorescence detectable labeled aldoses are first synthesized for saccharides analysis . these saccharide derivatized aldo - ims or aldo - meims can be distinguished easily by chromatography and mass determination . after reduction and hydrolysis of aldo - meims , the novel native saccharides can be recovered . this is a new method for the conversion of unprotected and unmodified aldoses to aldo - meims in carbohydrate chemistry . aldoses , including those containing carboxyl and acetamido groups , undergo condensation reaction with aromatic vicinal diamines and through n - methylation to give the corresponding aldo - meims in high yields . the advantages of this invention are described in fig6 below . the combined use of this invention and chromatographic analysis thus provides a rapid method for purification , identification , and derivation of saccharides without destroyed glycans in glycomic studies , even when a tiny amount ( less than 1 μmol ) of saccharide is present in the sample . in comparison with the commonly used reductive amination , these condensation reactions are easier to prepare and operate . therefore , these aldo - ims and aldo - meims are useful reagents on saccharide labeling chemistry . accordingly , in one aspect the present disclosure relates to modified glycosides having the formula y - x wherein y represents a monosaccharide , oligosaccharide or polysaccharide subunits , in which the subunit is linked in a linear or branch chain by glycosidic linkages , and wherein x represents a tagging moiety comprising an ortho - diaminobenzoic ( dab )- peptide . disclosed herein are 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic ( dab )- peptide and the 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic ( dab )- peptide conjugated function molecules used as taggers to tag a saccharide at a reducing end of the saccharide to comprise a benzimidazole unit ( saccharide - bim - peptide or saccharide - bim - peptide conjugated function molecules ). tagged saccharide can be generated by coupling an ortho - diaminobenzoic ( dab )- peptide tagging agent . disclosed herein are modified glycosides , the composition comprising ( 1 ) a monosaccharide , oligosaccharide or polysaccharide subunit , the subunit is linked in a linear or branch chain by glycosidic linkages , and ( 2 ) a tagging moiety . the tagging moiety comprises an ortho - substituted , diamino - aromatic compound . in different embodiments of the invention the ortho - substituted , diamino - aromatic compound is 1 , 2 - diaminobenzene ( also known as ortho - phenylenediamine ; opd ), 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid or 2 , 3 - diaminopyridine . in a preferred aspect , the tagging moiety comprises 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid peptide ( dab - peptide ) conjugate . in some embodiments , the ortho - diaminobenzoic - peptide tagging agent is selected from the group consisting of dab - 6his , dab - 3his , dab - lys ( biotin ), dab - lys ( fitc ), dab - lys - resin . in some embodiments , the dab - peptide is generated by condensing a peptide or a functional label - conjugated peptide with n - boc - diaminobenzoic acid by solid phase peptide synthesis or other chemical process . the tagging moiety can be made by any conventional methods , e . g ., standard methods of solid phase peptide synthesis or chemical synthesis well known to any one of ordinary skill in the art . for example , histidine , lysine , and functional molecule - conjugated peptides ( e . g . biotin , fluorescent dyes , proteins etc .) can be condensed with n - boc - 2 , 3 - diaminobenzoic acid ( dab ) though amide bond formation by peptide synthesis . the term “ peptide ” used herein refers to a polymer composed of one or more amino acid monomers and is shorter than a protein . preferably , each of the cancer - targeting peptides described herein includes up to 50 ( e . g ., up to 10 or 20 ) amino acids . in some examples , the cancer - targeting peptides each contain 4 - 20 amino acid residues ( e . g ., 4 - 10 , 6 - 10 , 6 - 15 , or 6 - 20 amino acid residues ). these peptides can contain naturally - occurring amino acid residues , or modified amino acids . in one example , either the n - terminus or the c - terminus of a cancer - targeting peptide is modified , e . g ., containing an — nh 2 group at the c - terminus . the peptides may be synthesized by solid phase chemistry techniques following the procedures described by steward et al . in solid phase peptide synthesis , 2nd ed ., pierce chemical company , rockford , ill ., ( 1984 ) using a rainin pti symphony synthesizer . for solid phase peptide synthesis , techniques may be found in stewart et al . in “ solid phase peptide synthesis ”, w . h . freeman co . ( san francisco ), 1963 and meienhofer , hormonal proteins and peptides , 1973 . for classical solution synthesis , see for example schroder et al . in “ the peptides ”, volume 1 , acacemic press ( new york ). in general , such methods comprise the sequential addition of one or more amino acids or suitably protected amino acids to a growing peptide chain on a polymer . normally , either the amino or carboxyl group of the first amino acid is protected by a suitable protecting group . the protected and / or derivatized amino acid is then either attached to an inert solid support or utilized in solution by adding the next amino acid in the sequence having the complimentary ( amino or carboxyl ) group suitably protected and under conditions suitable for forming the amide linkage . the protecting group is then removed from this newly added amino acid residue and the next amino acid ( suitably protected ) is added , and so forth . the tagging agents , dab - peptides , described herein can be used as detectable labels and are capable of for labeling saccharides at reducing end to form saccharide - dab - peptides , thereby facilitating saccharide purification and analysis . in addition , dab - peptides conjugated saccharides can increase ionization ability of saccharides , thereby improving sensitivity in ms analyses . in some aspects the 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid ( dab ) itself can be converted to a detectable moiety when it is enzymatically oxidized by horse radish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide or urea peroxide to yield a fluorophore . conjugation of saccharide to tagging agents , dab - peptides and dab - peptide - rs , can be achieved by iodine catalytic oxidation condensation of saccharide and dab - peptides or dab - peptide - rs as shown in fig7 . in some embodiments , saccharide - dab - peptides described herein comprise saccharide - dab - 6his , saccharide - dab - 6his - resin , saccharide - dab - 3his , saccharide - dab - 3his - resin , saccharide - dab - lys - biotin , saccharide - dab - lys - fitc , saccharide - dab - 6his , saccharide - dab - 3his , saccharide - dab - lys - biotin , saccharide - dab - lys - resin . in another example , saccharide - dab - peptides comprise saccharide - dab -( his ) 6 and saccharide - dab -( his ) 3 bound to ni column , thereby facilitating separation and purification of saccharides through immobilized metal affinity chromatography ( imac ). in addition , saccharide - dab - peptide - resin comprise saccharide - dab -( his )- 6 - resin and saccharide - dab -( his ) 3 - resin thereby facilitating separation and purification of saccharides washed , filtered or centrifuged . preparation of dab - peptide tagging reagents and dab - peptide conjugated resin or other bio - molecules tagging reagents for saccharide tagging is shown in fig8 . comparison with other saccharide tagging methods , the saccharide - dab - peptides have a number of advantages in saccharide detection . applications of saccharide - dab - peptides in glycomics are shown in fig9 . the present disclosure also provides a rapid method for purification , identification and derivation of saccharides and without destroyed glycans function in glycomic studies , even when a tiny amount ( less than 1 μmol ) of saccharide is present in the sample . the terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art , within the context of the invention , and in the specific context where each term is used . certain terms that are used to describe the invention are discussed below , or elsewhere in the specification , to provide additional guidance to the practitioner regarding the description of the invention . for convenience , certain terms may be highlighted , for example using italics and / or quotation marks . the use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaning of a term ; the scope and meaning of a term is the same , in the same context , whether or not it is highlighted . it will be appreciated that same thing can be said in more than one way . consequently , alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein , nor is any special significance to be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussed herein . synonyms for certain terms are provided . a recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms . the use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms discussed herein is illustrative only , and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the invention or of any exemplified term . likewise , the invention is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains . in the case of conflict , the present document , including definitions will control . without intent to limit the scope of the invention , exemplary instruments , apparatus , methods and their related results according to the embodiments of the present invention are given below . note that titles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of a reader , which in no way should limit the scope of the invention . moreover , certain theories are proposed and disclosed herein ; however , in no way they , whether they are right or wrong , should limit the scope of the invention so long as the invention is practiced according to the invention without regard for any particular theory or scheme of action . n - boc ( n - tert - butoxy carbonyl ) protected 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid precursor ( 3 , 4 - dab ) was prepared by reacting 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid ( 1 . 52 g , 10 mmol ) and di - tert - butoxy dicarbonate (( t - boc ) 2 o , 6 . 55 g , 30 mmol ) with triethylamine ( net 3 ; 7 . 0 ml , 60 mmol ) in chloroform ( chcl 3 , 200 ml ) at room temperature ( 25 ° c .) stirring for overnight ( 24 h ). the resulting solution was extracted with water , dried with na 2 so 4 to give n - boc - 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid ( 2 . 0 g , 79 %) as a brown powder . 1 h nmr ( 600 mhz , d - meoh ) δ 7 . 96 ( s , 1h , arh ), 7 . 75 ( dd , 1h , j = 8 . 4 , 1 . 9 hz , arh ), 7 . 60 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 4 , 1 . 9 hz , arh ), 4 . 80 ( brs , 2h , nh ), 1 . 52 ( s , 18h , ch 3 ). 13 c nmr ( 150 mhz , d - meoh ) δ 173 . 2 , 156 . 4 , 155 . 5 , 135 . 7 , 133 . 6 , 130 . 3 , 127 . 9 , 127 . 8 , 123 . 6 , 81 . 7 , 81 . 6 , 28 . 8 , 28 . 7 . mass of n - boc - dab ( c 17 h 24 n 2 o 6 ; 352 . 4 da ) was measured . the n - boc ( n - tert - butoxy carbonyl ) protected 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic precursor ( n - boc - dab ), which was obtained by block amino group on dab using di - tert - butyl dicarbonate ( t - boc 2 o ), was added 3 histidine units by solid phase peptide synthesis ( abi 433a peptide synthesizer ) and followed hydrolysis to give 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic -( his ) 3 tagger ( dab - his - his - his ). the ms of 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic -( his ) 3 tagger ( c 25 h 29 n 11 o 5 ; 564 . 0 da ) was measured by maldi - tof ms as shown in fig1 . the n - boc ( n - tert - butoxy carbonyl ) protected 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic precursor ( n - boc - dab ), which was obtained by block amino group on dab using di - tert - butyl dicarbonate ( t - boc ), was added 3 histidine units by solid phase peptide synthesis with tentagal resin to give 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic -( his ) 3 - resin tagger ( dab - his - his - his - resin ). the n - boc ( n - tert - butoxy carbonyl ) protected 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic precursor ( n - boc - dab ), which was obtained by block amino group on dab using di - tert - butyl dicarbonate ( t - boc ), was added 6 histidine units by solid phase peptide synthesis ( abi 433a peptide synthesizer ) and followed hydrolysis to give 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic -( his ) 6 tagger ( dab - his - his - his - his - his - his ). the ms of 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic -( his ) 6 tagger ( c 43 h 50 n 20 o 8 ; 975 . 2 da ) was measured by maldi - tof ms as shown in fig1 . the n - boc ( n - tert - butoxy carbonyl ) protected 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic precursor ( n - boc - dab ), which was obtained by block amino group on dab using di - tert - butyl dicarbonate ( t - boc ), was added 6 histidine units by solid phase peptide synthesis with tentagal resin to give 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic -( his ) 6 - resin tagger ( dab - his - his - his - his - his - his - resin ). the n - boc ( n - tert - butoxy carbonyl ) protected 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic precursor ( n - boc - dab ), which was obtained by block amino group on dab using di - tert - butyl dicarbonate ( t - boc ), was added lysine -( biotin ) unit by solid phase peptide synthesis ( abi 433a peptide synthesizer ) and followed hydrolysis to give 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic - lysine -( biotin ) tagger ( dab - lys -( biotin ). the ms of 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic - lysine -( biotin ) tagger ( 506 . 3 da ) was measured by maldi - tof ms . the native maltohexose ( 6h or g6 ; 1 . 0 mg ) was tagged with 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid ( dab ; 1 . 0 mg ) in presence of catalytic amount of iodine at acetic acid solution to form the maltohexose - dab product . the molecular weight of condensed maltohexose - dab was obtained ( c 43 h 66 n 2 o 32 na ; 1145 . 3 da ) by maldi - tof ms as shown in fig1 . the native maltotetraose ( g4 ; 1 . 0 mg ) was tagged with 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic -( his ) 6 ( dab -( his ) 6 ; 1 . 0 mg ) in presence of catalytic amount of iodine at acetic acid solution to form the maltotetraose - dab -( his ) 6 product . the molecular weight of condensed maltotetraose - dab -( his ) 6 was obtained ( c 67 h 88 n 20 o 28 ; 1613 . 1 da ) by maldi - tof ms as shown in fig1 . the native maltohexose ( g6 ; 1 . 0 mg ) was tagged with 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic -( his ) 3 ( dab -( his ) 3 ; 1 . 0 mg ) in presence of catalytic amount of iodine at acetic acid solution to form the maltohexose - dab -( his ) 3 product . the molecular weight of condensed maltohexose - dab -( his ) 3 was obtained ( c 61 h 87 n1 1 o 35 na ; 1556 . 1 da ) by maldi - tof ms as shown in fig1 . the native maltohexose ( g6 ; 1 . 0 mg ) was tagged with 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic -( his ) 6 ( dab -( his ) 6 ; 1 . 0 mg ) in presence of catalytic amount of iodine at acetic acid solution to form the maltohexose - dab -( his ) 6 product . the molecular weight of condensed maltohexose - dab -( his ) 6 was obtained ( c 79 h 108 n 20 o 38 ; 1945 . 3 da ) by maldi - tof ms as shown in fig1 . although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims . while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof , the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the scope of the appended claims . other aspects , advantages , and modifications are within the scope of the appended claims . the patent and scientific literature referred to herein establishes the knowledge that is available to those with skill in the art . all united states patents and published or unpublished united states patent applications cited herein are incorporated by reference . all published foreign patents and patent applications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference . all other published references , documents , manuscripts and scientific literature cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference . | 8 |
the inclination adjustment fitting 1 illustrated in fig1 has a driving hub 2 . driving hub 2 is made of metal and may be manufactured as a forged or cast part . driving hub 2 includes a cylindrical center section 2 . 1 . on one end of cylindrical center section 2 . 1 there is a collar 2 . 2 of cylindrical shape , and on the other end of cylindrical center section 2 . 1 there is a flange 2 . 3 . collar 2 . 2 has a greater outer diameter than cylindrical center section 2 . 1 . flange 2 . 3 has an out - of - round outer contour and is suited , together with driving disk 10 , to transmit and / or support a torque by a shaft - hub connection . the out - of - round outer contour of flange 2 . 3 may extend in sections in a radial direction maximally to the outer surface of cylindrical center section 2 . 1 . in the exemplary embodiment of an inclination adjustment fitting 1 illustrated in fig1 , flange 2 . 3 is constructed in the shape of a spline shaft . any other kinds of shaft - hub connections ( additional form - locking , friction - locking , integral connections , etc .) are possible as well . driving hub 2 has in its inner region an out - of - round recess or opening 2 . 4 extending in the longitudinal direction , which , like flange 2 . 3 , is a component of a shaft - hub connection and is suited to transmit and / or support a torque . the inclination adjustment fitting includes an intermediate disk 3 . intermediate disk 3 may be slid over cylindrical center section 2 . 1 of driving hub 2 up to the stop , e . g ., up to the inner circumferential surface of collar 2 . 2 . intermediate disk 3 may be made of metal . inclination adjustment fitting 1 includes , e . g ., a conventional , fitting part 4 . fitting part 4 is attached to the seat back of a motor vehicle seat via a receiving section 4 . 4 constructed , e . g ., in a generally conventional manner . the motor vehicle seat with the seat part and the seat back of the motor vehicle seat that is adjustable in its inclination are now shown in fig1 . fitting part 4 may be made from metal ( e . g ., sheet steel ) and may be constructed as a stamped part in the context of a deep drawing process . fitting part 4 has a through hole 4 . 1 . through hole 4 . 1 has a shape that is similar to cylindrical center section 2 . 1 of driving hub 2 , e . g ., a circular shape . circular through hole 4 . 1 and cylindrical center section 2 . 1 of driving hub 2 are manufactured having an appropriate fit . in other words , in the assembled state of inclination adjustment fitting 1 , cylindrical center section 2 . 1 of driving hub 2 extends along a region of circular through hole 4 . 1 or of the corresponding rim hole 4 . 3 of fitting part 4 that forms circular through hole 4 . 1 . fitting part 4 , which is fixed on the seat back , has a stamped inner toothing 4 . 2 . inner toothing 4 . 2 is situated concentrically with respect to through hole 4 . 1 or rim hole 4 . 3 . a ring bearing or an inner bearing sleeve 5 , which may be slid onto rim hole 4 . 3 of fitting part 4 , is used for bearing and supporting an eccentric ring 8 , which will be described in more detail below . inner bearing sleeve 5 may be made from metal , which has a lower modulus of elasticity than the materials for fitting part 4 or eccentric ring 8 . inclination adjustment fitting 1 illustrated in fig1 furthermore has , e . g ., a conventional , fitting part 6 , which is attached to the seat part of the motor vehicle seat . fitting part 6 may be made from metal ( e . g ., sheet steel ) and may be constructed as a stamped part in the context of a deep drawing process . fitting part 6 , which is fixed on the seat part , includes a circular through hole 6 . 1 and a stamped outer toothing 6 . 2 situated concentrically with respect to circular through hole 6 . 1 ( see , e . g ., fig2 ). stamped outer toothing 6 . 2 of fitting part 6 that is fixed on the seat part has a number of teeth that is less by at least one tooth than stamped inner toothing 4 . 2 of fitting part 4 fixed on the seat back . in the assembled state of inclination adjustment fitting 1 , teeth of outer toothing 6 . 2 are engaged with teeth of inner toothing 4 . 2 . in this state , fitting part 4 and fitting part 6 abut . the teeth of outer toothing 6 . 2 and the teeth of inner toothing 4 . 2 may have the same modulus . just as fitting part 4 , which is attached to the seat back of a motor vehicle seat , fitting part 6 also has a corresponding receiving section 6 . 3 for fastening fitting part 6 on the seat part of a motor vehicle seat . as illustrated in fig1 , a ring bearing or an outer bearing sleeve 7 of cylindrical shape is used among other things for accommodating and supporting an eccentric 9 , which will be described in more detail below . as already mentioned , in the installed or assembled state of inclination adjustment fitting 1 , eccentric ring 8 is slid onto the outer surface of inner bearing sleeve 5 . eccentric ring 8 has an eccentric ring outer surface 8 . 1 and an eccentric ring inner surface 8 . 2 . eccentric ring inner surface 8 . 2 is out - of - round with respect to the outer surface of inner bearing sleeve 5 . this provides for not only one point of contact between the outer surface of inner bearing sleeve 5 and eccentric ring inner surface 8 . 2 of eccentric ring 8 , which consequently would result in fitting part 4 of the seat back wobbling on fitting part 6 of the seat part . in the inclination adjustment fitting 1 , eccentric 9 includes two quarter circle wedge segments 9 situated in mirror image . wedge segments 9 are set apart from each other and in regions cover the circumference , e . g ., eccentric ring outer surface 8 . 1 of eccentric ring 8 , in the region of outer surfaces 8 . 11 . in the installed state , outer surfaces 9 . 1 of wedge segments 9 are supported by the inner surface of outer bearing sleeve 7 . beginning at the place where a u - shaped contact cam 8 . 4 is located , in the region of the two outer surfaces 8 . 11 , which are at least partially covered by inner surfaces 9 . 2 ( see , e . g ., fig2 ) of wedge segments 9 , the thickness of the wall of eccentric ring 8 increases continuously , e . g ., in a wedge - shaped manner , over the circumference of eccentric ring 8 . on the two ends , situated in mirror image , of maximally increased wall thickness in the radial direction on eccentric ring 8 , edges 8 . 12 and surfaces oriented radially outward are formed by a return of the material to a smaller diameter , which are used as eccentric ring stop faces 8 . 13 for corresponding surfaces on wedge segments 9 . for this reason , eccentric ring stop faces 8 . 13 are associated with wedge segment stop faces 9 . 21 on wedge segments 9 . wedge segment stop faces 9 . 21 , which represent a region of inner surfaces 9 . 2 , are a component of noses 9 . 3 on wedge segments 9 . each narrow end of a wedge segment 9 has a nose 9 . 3 pointing radially inward . the respective edges may also be rounded off and the transitions of the individual surface sections may be smooth . outer surfaces 9 . 1 of wedge segments 9 have the same curvature as inner surface of bearing sleeve 7 . thus they lie against the inner surface of outer bearing sleeve 7 . in the non - driven state , there is a space between eccentric ring stop faces 8 . 13 and wedge segment stop faces 9 . 21 . because outer surfaces 8 . 11 of eccentric ring 8 extend correspondingly in a wedge shaped manner and because due to the configuration of wedge segments 9 inner surfaces 9 . 2 touch these outer surfaces 8 . 11 in the opposite direction , an optimal configuration of the wedge angle of wedge segments 9 is possible . eccentric ring 8 furthermore has a stop cam 8 . 3 having two radially oriented stop cam stop faces 8 . 31 . stop cam 8 . 3 is located on the periphery of eccentric ring 8 in a symmetric position with respect to edges 8 . 12 and eccentric ring stop faces 8 . 13 of eccentric ring 8 in a region that does not have wedge segments 9 superposed on it . the installation of eccentric ring 8 and wedge segments 9 over and in bearing sleeves 5 and 7 and thus between the two fitting parts 4 and 6 has the consequence of there being an eccentricity . the eccentricity lies between the longitudinal axis , e . g ., swivel axis of inclination adjustment fitting 1 ( center axis of fitting part 4 attached to the seat back ) and the center axis of circular through hole 6 . 1 of fitting part 6 fixed to the seat part . the eccentricity provides that outer toothing 6 . 2 will partially engage with inner toothing 4 . 2 in the direction of the eccentricity . the inclination adjustment fitting 1 includes a driving disk 10 . driving disk 10 may be made of metal and may be produced as a stamped part . driving disk 10 has a profile 10 . 1 , corresponding to flange 2 . 3 . for forming a shaft - hub connection . in the installed state , driving disk 10 is slid onto flange 2 . 3 so that it is unable to rotate . in the installed state , driving disk 10 is axially secured on driving hub 2 , for example , by the extrusion of material of flange 2 . 3 toward driving disk 10 . driving disk 10 furthermore has two driving components 10 . 2 ( see , e . g ., fig2 ) revolving about a certain region . driving components 10 . 2 may be manufactured in a deep drawing or press process . driving disk 10 additionally has a driving recess 10 . 3 , which accommodates a spring device 11 , the construction and installation of which is described in more detail below . inclination adjustment fitting 1 illustrated in fig1 has a spring device , e . g ., a spring 11 , which may be manufactured from a metal wire . spring 11 has a shape corresponding to that of a butterfly . spring 11 includes two bow - shaped side clips 11 . 1 . each of the two bow - shaped side clips 11 . 1 has a spring stud 11 . 2 projecting perpendicularly to its plane . between the two bow - shaped side clips 11 . 1 , there is an angularly bent wire transition section 11 . 3 . wire transition section 11 . 3 of spring 11 is used for fastening or hanging and supporting spring 11 on contact cam 8 . 4 on eccentric ring 8 . in fig1 , reference numeral 12 additionally represents or indicates , e . g ., a conventional , protective cover . protective cover 12 is used in the first instance for covering spring 11 and driving disk 10 . mainly , however , it is used to protect the hinge and toothed wheel regions of inclination adjustment fitting 1 against dirt , e . g ., against the intrusion of foreign bodies . in order to provide an engagement of inner toothing 4 . 2 and outer toothing 6 . 2 and the bearing of fitting parts 4 and 6 to be free from play , wedge segments 9 are acted upon by a spring 11 . in the installed state , wire transition section 11 . 3 of spring 11 is supported within , e . g ., on the inner side walls of contact cam 8 . 4 in eccentric ring 8 . spring studs 11 . 2 press on the end faces , e . g ., spring end faces 9 . 4 of wedge segments 9 and effect an initial stress ( see , e . g ., fig3 ). contact cam 8 . 4 , which , as already mentioned , has a u - shape , is located on eccentric ring 8 across from stop cam 8 . 3 and between outer surfaces 8 . 11 , which receive wedge segments 9 . spring 11 is thus supported on eccentric ring 8 such that wedge segments 9 always have a defined position relative to eccentric ring 8 . in this connection , wedge segments 9 are spring loaded with respect to eccentric ring 8 . in the installed state of inclination adjustment fitting 1 , driving elements 10 . 2 engage into a space between eccentric ring 8 and outer bearing sleeve 7 . fig2 is another perspective exploded view illustrating the components of the inclination adjustment fitting 1 illustrated in fig1 , outer toothing 6 . 2 of fitting part 6 and pressed driving elements 10 . 2 of driving disk 10 being easily visible in this instance . the side of protective cover 12 facing fitting parts 4 and 6 is also illustrated . fig3 is a top view of an inclination adjustment fitting 1 in the assembled state without protective cover 12 . spring 11 in the shape of a butterfly is in this case supported on the one hand via wire transition section 11 . 3 by contact cam 8 . 4 and with the aid of spring studs 11 . 2 presses wedge segments 9 apart . since wedge segments 9 together with spring 11 pressing them apart do not form a relatively movable system with respect to eccentric ring 8 , an increase of the eccentricity is achieved above all and play is avoided both in the bearing as well as in the toothing since there is no displacement of wedge segments 9 having spring 11 . | 1 |
referring now to fig1 , a prior art evaporatively cooled coil product 10 which could be a closed circuit cooling tower or an evaporative condenser . both of these products are well known and can operate wet in the evaporative mode or can operate dry , with the spray pump 12 turned off when ambient conditions or lower loads permit . pump 12 receives the coldest cooled evaporatively sprayed fluid , usually water , from cold water sump 11 and pumps it to spray water header 19 where the water comes out of nozzles or orifices 17 to distribute water over indirect coil 14 . spray water header 19 and nozzles 17 serve to evenly distribute the water over the top of the coil ( s ) 14 . as the coldest water is distributed over the top of coil 14 , motor 21 spins fan 22 which induces or pulls ambient air in through inlet louvers 13 , up through coil 14 , then through drift eliminators 20 which serve to prevent drift from leaving the unit , and then the warmed air is blown to the environment . the air is generally flowing in a counterflow direction to the falling spray water . although fig1 and all following figures are shown with axial fan 22 inducing or pulling air through the unit , the actual fan system may be any style fan system that moves air through the unit including but not limited to induced and forced draft . additionally , motor 21 may be belt drive as shown , gear drive or directly connected to the fan . it should be understood that in all the embodiments presented , there are many circuits in parallel with tube runs but only the outside circuit is shown for clarity . indirect coil 14 is shown with an inlet header 15 and outlet header 16 which connects to all the serpentine tubes having normal height return bend sections 18 . it should be further understood that the number of circuits or number of return bends within a serpentine coil is not a limitation to embodiments presented . referring now to fig2 , prior art coil 30 has inlet and outlet headers 37 and 31 respectively , is supported by coil clips 32 and 38 with center support 41 . there are two circuits coming out of the inlet header shown as generally horizontal tube runs 39 and 40 . coil 30 is built with short radius or normal return bends 36 with a small slope to allow for proper drainage . in some prior art coils , this slope of the generally horizontal tube runs can vary with the last set of tube runs on the bottom having more slope . the spacing 35 between tube runs on the left side can be seen as nearly zero and accordingly allows very little interaction between the falling spray water and generally counter flowing air before the spray water hits the next set of tube runs . similarly , the space 33 and 34 between generally horizontal tube runs is seen as a little larger but still there is insufficient interaction between the falling spray water and generally counter flowing air before the spray water hits the next set of tube runs compared to the embodiments presented within . in addition , there is not enough room in gaps 33 , 34 or 35 to install a direct heat exchange section such as counterflow fill to further increase the spray water cooling such as the embodiments presented within . referring now to fig3 , a cooling tower in accordance with a first embodiment is shown at 610 . in this embodiment , air enters through air inlet louvers 613 , passes generally upwards through the indirect and heat exchanger 616 and also passes through optional direct heat exchanger 615 then passes through drift eliminators 622 then through fan 624 driven by fan motor 623 . at the same time , when wet evaporative operation is desired , water is pumped from cold water sump 611 by pump 612 to spray header 621 and out of nozzles 620 to spray onto the top of the indirect heat exchange surface 616 . operation of the spray pump may be omitted during dry operation . optionally , spray pump 612 may operate without fan motor 623 operating when desired , or with fan motor 623 operating between 0 to 100 % speed , as known in the art . indirect section inlet header connection 619 and outlet header connection 625 are piped to the indirect section process fluid accordingly . in this embodiment of fig3 , all of the indirect heat exchanger tubes in coil 616 are separated by a large vertical distance such that 627 , the distance between the tubes and room for the direct surface 615 , is at least 2 ″ in height . note that the large distance between tubes of indirect surface 627 of at least 2 ″ forms a large spray water cooling zone 614 in coil 616 . in this embodiment , direct section 615 may be omitted or may contain one or greater number of direct heat exchange sections 615 . further , direct sections 615 may be removed for cleaning or replacement as required . direct heat exchange section 615 can be counterflow fill which is installed inside the large spray water cooling zone 614 . direct section 615 increases the efficiency of the cooling of the spray water within the large spray water cooling section 614 . in this embodiment , there are repeating sets of indirect tube runs or passes with large radius bends 626 . alternatively , the vertical separation between tube runs may be formed with two 90 degree bends 618 separated by vertical run 617 . the large separation between tube runs 627 form three large spray water cooling zones 614 to exist within the confines of the coil . in this case , up to three direct sections 615 can be used if desired as shown . the efficiency gained in further cooling the spray water between the tubes in cooling zones 614 far exceeds the loss of airflow from the added direct sections or fill decks 615 to apparatus 610 . the type of direct section can be counterflow fill , contaminated water fill or any substrate that increases the surface area of the spray water within the large spray water cooling zone 614 . it should be noted that the tube runs in coil 616 are shown as horizontal for clarity but can be sloped or slanted as known in the art . it should be noted that the number of tube runs between large spray water cooling zones , the number of large spray water cooling zones , number of total tube runs , the height of large spray water cooling zone can all be varied to optimize performance and unit height . referring now to fig4 , a cooling tower in accordance with a second embodiment is shown at 710 . in this embodiment , air enters through air inlet louvers 713 , passes generally upwards through the indirect and heat exchanger 714 and also optional direct heat exchanger 715 then passes through drift eliminators 722 then through fan 724 driven by fan motor 723 . at the same time , when desired , water is pumped from sump cold water 711 by pump 712 to spray header 721 and out of nozzles 720 to spray onto the top of the indirect heat exchange surface 714 . operation of the spray pump may be omitted during “ dry operation ”. optionally , spray pump 712 may operate without fan motor 723 operating , or with fan motor 723 operating between 0 to 100 % speed , when desired as known in the art . indirect section inlet header connection 719 and outlet header connection 725 are piped to the indirect section process fluid accordingly . in the embodiment of fig4 , all of the top and bottom indirect heat exchanger tubes have multiple short return radius bends 718 followed by at least one extraordinarily long radius return bend 729 which allows 727 , the distance between the tubes and room for the direct surface 715 , to be at least 2 ″ in height . alternatively , the large separation between tube runs may be formed with two 90 degree bends 716 separated by vertical run 717 . note that the large distance between tubes of indirect surface 727 forms a large spray water cooling zone 728 in coil 714 . in this embodiment , direct section 715 may be omitted or may contain one or greater number of direct heat exchange sections 715 . further , direct sections 715 may be removed for cleaning or replacement as required . direct heat exchange section 715 can be counterflow fill which is installed inside the large spray water cooling zone 728 . direct section 715 increases the efficiency of the cooling of the spray water within the large spray water cooling section 728 . the efficiency gained in further cooling the spray water between the tubes 727 far exceeds the loss of airflow from the added direct sections or fill decks 715 to apparatus 710 . the type of direct section can be counterflow fill , contaminated water fill or any substrate that increases the surface area of the spray water within the large spray water cooling zone . it should be noted that the tube runs in coil 714 are shown as horizontal for clarity but can be sloped or slanted as known in the art . it should be noted that the number of tube runs between large spray water cooling zones 728 , the number of large spray water cooling zones , number of total tube runs , number of circuit feeds , the height of large spray water cooling zone can all be varied to optimize performance and unit height . the embodiment in fig4 allows for a central location for the direct section or sections for ease of manufacturing and for ease of serviceability . the embodiment also uses the vertical tube runs 717 to connect the top short radius bend indirect heat exchanger to the bottom short radius return bend indirect heat exchange . referring now to fig5 , a cooling tower in accordance with a third embodiment is shown at 810 . in this embodiment , air enters through air inlet louvers 813 , passes generally upwards through the indirect heat exchanger 818 and also optional direct heat exchanger 815 then passes through drift eliminators 822 then through fan 824 driven by fan motor 823 . at the same time , when desired , water is pumped from cold water sump 811 by pump 812 to spray header 821 and out of nozzles 820 to spray onto the top of the indirect heat exchange surface 830 . operation of the spray pump may be omitted during “ dry operation ”. optionally , spray pump 812 may operate without fan motor 823 operating , or with fan motor 823 operating between 0 to 100 % speed , when desired as known in the art . indirect section inlet header connection 819 and outlet header connection 825 are piped to the indirect section process fluid accordingly . in the embodiment of fig5 , the indirect heat exchanger tubes have a combination of at least two consecutive short return bends 830 with at least two consecutive long return bends which allows 827 , the distance between the tubes and room for the direct surface 815 , to be at least 2 ″ in height . alternatively , the large separation between tube runs may be formed with two 90 degree bends 816 separated by vertical tube run 831 . note that the large distance between tubes of indirect surface 827 forms a large spray water cooling zone 814 in coil 818 . in this embodiment , direct section 815 may be omitted or may contain one or greater number of direct heat exchange sections 815 . further , direct sections 815 may be removed for cleaning or replacement as required . direct heat exchange section 815 can be counterflow fill which is installed inside the large spray water cooling zone 814 . direct section 815 increases the efficiency of the cooling of the spray water within the large spray water cooling section 814 . the efficiency gained in further cooling the spray water in direct section 815 far exceeds the loss of airflow from the added direct sections or fill decks 815 to apparatus 810 . the type of direct section can be counterflow fill , contaminated water fill or any substrate that increases the surface area of the spray water within the large spray water cooling zone . it should be noted that the tube runs in coil 818 are shown as horizontal for clarity but can be sloped or slanted as known in the art . it should be noted that the number of tube runs between large spray water cooling zones 827 , the number of large spray water cooling zones , number of total tube runs , the height of large spray water cooling zone can all be varied to optimize performance and unit height . referring now to fig6 , the method of mounting the direct heat exchange section within the indirect tube runs of the three embodiments presented is discussed . in fig6 a , direct section 93 rests on and is supported by indirect surface 90 such that there is no space between 90 and 93 while space 97 is sufficient to allow direct heat exchange surface 93 to be installed and removed for service or replacement . it should be noted that height 91 between indirect tubes 90 and 92 is at least 2 ″ inches in height for all embodiments . in fig6 b , direct section 93 rests on and is supported by support means 94 and does not directly touch indirect surface 90 or 92 forming spacing 95 and 96 such that direct surface 93 can be installed and removed for service or replacement . it should be noted that height 91 between support means 94 and indirect tube 92 is at least 2 ″ inches in height for all embodiments . referring now to fig7 , the height and shape of the direct heat exchange surface is discussed relative to the indirect heat exchange design . in fig7 a , heat exchange section 110 with indirect inlet and outlet pipes 114 and 115 , consists of multiple indirect serpentine tubes with at least one short radius return bend 111 and at least one longer return bend 112 such that 113 , the distance between the indirect tubes on the longer return bends is at least 2 ″ in height . this allows generally rectangular shaped direct heat exchange section 117 to be at least 2 ″ in height . in fig7 b , heat exchange section 120 with indirect inlet and outlet pipes 124 and 125 , consists of multiple indirect serpentine tubes 126 with at least one short return bend 121 which is less than 180 degrees allowing the tubes to be sloped such that 123 , the highest distance between the indirect tubes is at least 2 ″ in height . this allows generally triangular shaped direct heat exchange section 127 to be at least 2 ″ in height at the base . in fig7 c , heat exchange section 160 with indirect inlet and outlet pipes 164 and 165 , consists of multiple indirect heat exchange plates 161 such that 163 , the distance between indirect plates 161 and 166 is at least 2 ″ in height . this allows generally rectangular shaped direct heat exchange section 167 to be at least 2 ″ in height . it should be noted that the desired minimum height of each direct heat exchange section in all the embodiments is at least 2 ″ ( 5 . 08 cm ) in height , usually not more than 60 inches (( 152 . 4 cm ) in height with the preferred height being 12 inches ( 30 . 48 cm ). fig8 is a perspective view of a cooling tower 280 in accordance with all the embodiments . more specifically , the cutaway views show that direct sections 285 may be easily removed for cleaning and replacement by opening or removing panels 284 . removal of panels allows access to clean indirect heat exchanger 283 as well . in embodiment 280 , indirect coil 283 is shown with panels 284 removed for clarity where the large spray water cooling zones is located . a means for supporting the direct sections within the large spray water cooling zones in indirect coil 283 can be the direct section 285 resting on the indirect section , or sitting on small rods or other support means that are installed on top of indirect section 283 or any means to hang the direct section without it touching the indirect section if desired . the means to install the direct section within the large spray cooling zone is not a limitation . spray water inlet 287 serves to distribute the spray water uniformly to the top of coil 283 . air inlet 282 is shown without the inlet louvers installed so the inside of cold water basin 281 can be seen . coil inlet and outlet 289 are shown for connection for the incoming fluid to be cooled or condensed . fan shaft 288 , is connected to the fan and motor ( not shown ) and the fan system pulls air though the air inlet 282 through indirect coil 283 and direct sections 285 through the drift eliminators ( not shown ) and then generally upwards to the environment . fig9 is a chart showing data from the prior art unit shown in fig1 and the improved heat exchanger in the fourth embodiment employing indirect and direct sections . specifically , the process fluid is represented in both prior art and the fourth embodiment by the top solid line ( curve pf temptest ) showing the closed circuit cooling tower cooled the internal indirect coil fluid , in this case water , from 100 f to 88 f . it should be noted that in the prior art coil test , the top dotted line shows the spray water temperature at the top and bottom of the coil to be approximately 86 f while the maximum spray water temperature reached is approximately 91 f . however , note that with forth embodiment test data of the spray water temperature represented by the squiggly solid line , the spray water temperature at the top and bottom of the indirect coil section was 84 f and the maximum spray water temperature was 93 f . the improvement of the large spray water cooling zones can be seen as the spray water temperatures are both cooler displaying the ability to absorb more heat from the indirect tube runs yet overall the spray temperature was cooler as noted by the squiggly lines . the bottom two lines are the entering and leaving wet bulb temperatures . the bottom dotted line is from the prior art coil test showing the wet bulb entered at 78 f and left the unit at 89 f . the bottom solid line shows the wet bulb entering and leaving temperatures from test data from the fourth embodiment . note that again the wet bulb entering temperature was 78 f yet the leaving wet bulb is higher than the prior art data leaving at 94 f . this increase in leaving wet bulb temperature shows the increased performance at identical operating test unit power draw ( motors from both tests were both at 30 hp ). in the fourth embodiment test data , because the spray water temperature profile is pushed up and the air wet bulb line ( wb coil & amp ; fill ) is also pushed up , this allows air to have a larger enthalpy increase . so by adding direct sections to a prior art indirect coil only product , the efficiency gain from having large spray water cooling zones between the tube runs can be seen to be much more beneficial than a slight loss in airflow caused by adding the direct sections . with fill decks sandwiched between coil tubes , the efficiency of heat rejection is increased as the spray water picks up more sensible heat and transfers it to air in both latent and sensible fashions . | 5 |
the figures of the drawings depict various preferred embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein . an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in accordance with the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a diagram showing the principle of the object display method according to the present invention . referring to fig1 reference numerals a , b and c are objects to be displayed , and these objects a , b and c are lined up in the display position d , along the direction of eyesight , as shown by an arrow l . that is to say , the objects a , b and c are lined up in the direction seen by the eyes . the objects a , b and c are entities , and as shown in fig2 they are placed , respectively , on lifting devices as the appearance / disappearance means , and movable between a position where they appear in the display position d and a position where they are hidden from the display position d . in fig2 ( a ), only the object a appears on the display position d , and objects b and c are both located in a lowered hidden position . moreover , in fig2 ( b ), only the object b appears on the display position d , and objects a and c are hidden , and in fig2 ( c ), only the object c appears on the display position d , and objects a and b are hidden . the object c located on the rearmost part in the direction of eyesight , as shown in fig3 may be hidden by a screen 2 as the appearance / disappearance means . that is to say , the construction may be such that the object c itself is in a fixed position , and the screen 2 is movable between a position where the object is hidden by the screen 2 and a position where the object is displayed . furthermore , in fig3 the screen is moved upward to display the object c , however , the moving direction may be downward or the horizontal direction . with the display apparatus constituted as described above , in a state that only the object a appears on the display position d , for example , as shown in fig2 ( a ), when a signal for changing the object to be displayed is generated by a proper method , the object a mover , to a hidden position , and either one of the object b as shown in fig2 ( b ), or the object c as shown in fig2 ( c ) appears in the display position . if this changeover action of these objects a , b and c is performed quickly and simultaneously , a phenomenon that an object is suddenly transformed can be easily displayed . as described above , by changing over the object to be displayed , for example , by changing the color , even if the objects a , b and c are the same object , a phenomenon that an object suddenly changes the color can be displayed . furthermore , even if the objects a , b and c are the same object , the shape or look may be different , or the objects a , b and c may not be the same object , and the object can be optionally transformed by a combination of objects . fig4 is a diagram showing other embodiment of the object display apparatus , and this apparatus has an object to be displayed e comprising an entity disposed in the display position d and an object to be displayed f provided so that an image f ′ is displayed in the display position d via a half mirror 4 . the object e is movable between a display position and a hidden position , by the appearance / disappearance means constituted as a lift device 1 e , and with regard to the object f , an image f ′ in the display position d appears by changing over a screen 2 ′ as the appearance / disappearance means , which is movable between a position where it hides the object and a position where the object is displayed . since the object display apparatus can overlap the position of the image p on the object e , it can be so set that positional discrepancy of objects to be displayed is almost removed , thereby it is possible to transform and display the object having reality , compared to the apparatus of the above - mentioned embodiment . in this embodiment , at the back of the display position d , there is , for example , a background board 3 which shows the background . a background board 3 ′ is also provided beneath the object f . in this case , the screen 2 ′ and the background board 3 ′ have the same color , however , it is more advantageous that the background board 3 ′ has a darker color than the background board 3 . thus , by making the color of the screen 2 ′ and the background board 3 ′ which have the same color , darker than that of the background board 3 , there is an advantage in that the background board 3 ′ is overcome by the background board 3 and becomes inconspicuous , and movement of the screen 2 ′ is hardly noticed . as described above , the object display apparatus according to the present invention can transform the object to be displayed with a simple construction . an amusement apparatus using the above - mentioned object display apparatus will now be described . fig5 is a schematic diagram showing one example of a shooting game , and reference numeral 10 denotes a ray gun which rays a ray beam , for example , a xenon ray . a player ( not shown ) aims a target disposed in the amusement apparatus 11 with the ray gun 10 , and the above - mentioned object display apparatus is used as this target apparatus . in the amusement apparatus body 11 , an opening 12 is provided on a plane opposite to the player , and a half mirror 13 tilted obliquely downward is provided in this opening , and the target 14 is in a form before bursting , and its image 14 ′ is reflected by the half mirror 13 and can be seen by the player . therefore , from the player it seems as if the target 14 is located in the display position d as shown in the chain line . this target 14 is provided with a light - receiving sensor 15 for detecting the xenon ray , and it is so constituted that when the light - receiving sensor 15 detects the xenon ray , a hitting signal is generated . on the above - mentioned target 14 , a screen device 16 is provided as the appearance / disappearance means for displaying an image 14 ′ in the display position d . this screen device 16 has a screen 17 and a supporting portion 18 for supporting the screen 17 , and the supporting portion 18 is attached rotatably around a pin 19 . to one end of the supporting portion 18 , a spring 20 is latched together , whereby rotation force around the pin 19 in the counterclockwise direction in the figure is always applied to the supporting portion 18 . the other end of the supporting portion 18 is coupled to a plunger 22 of a solenoid 21 via a lever 23 , and when the solenoid 21 is in an off state , the supporting portion 18 is held in a state that the plunger 22 of the solenoid 21 is extended to the longest level . with this state , the screen 17 does not block between the half mirror 13 and the target 14 , as shown in a solid line in fig6 hence the image 14 ′ of the target 14 appears in the display position . at the display position d of the amusement apparatus body 11 , there is provided a hitting device 30 . the hitting device of this embodiment has a hitting piston 31 as a hitting member , and a solenoid 32 as a hitting driving portion for hitting the hitting piston 31 upward . the hitting piston 31 is vertically movably fitted to a cylinder portion 33 provided in the amusement apparatus body 11 . in this case , a flange portion 31 a is formed at a lower part of , the hitting piston 31 , and the flange portion 31 a is fitted to a guide groove 34 extending in a vertical direction which is provided in the cylinder portion 33 , thereby the movable width of the hitting piston 31 is controlled . on the piston 31 of the hitting device 30 constituted as described above , a plurality of fragmentary targets 35 are placed as the objects to be displayed which show a form of the target 14 at the time of bursting . the fragmentary targets 35 may be made by simulating the fragments of the target 14 , or for example , when the target 14 is composed of a cup such as a chinaware , the fragmentary targets 35 may be made by actually smashing a cup of the same type and the same color as the cup . thus , if actually smashed fragments are used as the fragmentary targets 35 , since they have the same feeling and color , reality can be enhanced . as shown in fig5 and 6 , a closed space 38 is formed by respective frames 36 on the upper side , right and left sides , and both sides of the amusement apparatus 11 and a transparent plate 37 , and as shown in the drawing , this closed space 38 is so formed that the depth direction thereof is gradually enlarged as going upward , as seen from a player . the bottom of the closed space 38 is so formed that it is in a shape of a funnel in the horizontal direction and inclined so that the center is in the lowermost position , and at the lowermost position the hitting piston 31 is located . therefore , when the fragmentary targets 35 lifted by the operation of the hitting device 30 fall down , they automatically return onto the hitting piston 31 due to the shape of funnel , thereby it is not required to recover the scattered fragmentary targets 35 . if a player can see the fragmentary targets 35 falling down along the shape of funnel , the player will lose interest in the game by half . accordingly , a hiding member 39 is provided in the transparent plate 37 or in the vicinity thereof , as shown in a dotted line in fig6 . when the fragmentary targets 35 are lifted , it is preferred that they scatter on all sides rather than most of them are biased to one direction , to represent a powerful burst . in particular , it can be said that it is preferred to lift the fragmentary targets 35 so that they scatter in the horizontal direction , as seen from the player . accordingly , the upper shape of the hitting piston 31 is formed in a hill - shaped protrusion 40 , as seen from the player . if the hill - shaped protrusion 40 is provided on the hitting piston 31 , the fragmentary targets 35 are lifted so that they scatter in the horizontal direction , thus a powerful burst can be displayed . in addition , the protrusion 40 may be triangular , semicylindrical , or trapeziform . furthermore , in this embodiment , at a portion where the side inner face 41 of the side frame 36 which is the back side of the display position d is seen from the player as a background , the bottom inner face 42 of the bottom frame beneath the target 14 is also seen as the background . therefore , when the screen 17 hides the target 14 , the color of the plane opposite to the half mirror 13 is made the same color as that of the bottom inner face 42 . moreover , the color of the screen 17 and the bottom inner face 42 , which are the same color , are made slightly darker than that of the side inner face 41 . thus , the color of the screen 17 and the bottom inner face 42 is overcome by the color of the side inner face 41 and becomes inconspicuous , thus there is an advantage in that the movement of the screen 17 is hardly noticed . the operation of the amusement apparatus constituted as described above will now be described . in fig5 and fig6 this amusement apparatus is in a state that the play has just been started , and in this state , the screen 17 is in a position where the image 14 ′ of the target 14 shown in fig5 appears in the display position d . here , the player fires the gun 10 , aiming at the image 14 ′ of the target 14 . when the xenon ray irradiated by the gun 10 hits the light - receiving sensor 15 , the solenoid 21 of the screen device 16 and the solenoid 32 of the hitting device 30 are turned on simultaneously . when the solenoid 21 of the screen device 16 is turned on , as shown in fig7 the plunger 22 is dragged to the left in the figure , and the supporting portion 18 is rotated in the clockwise direction around the pin 19 , against the action of the spring 20 , and the screen 17 moves to a position between the target 14 and the half mirror 13 , to hide the target 14 . therefore , the image 14 ′ which has been displayed in the display position d is extinguished . on the other hand , when the solenoid 32 of the hitting device 30 is turned on , as shown in fig7 and fig8 the hitting piston 31 is guided by the cylinder 33 and moves upward in the winking of an eye , and lifts the fragmentary targets 35 upward . the lifted fragmentary targets 35 are scattered in the horizontal direction on an average in the closed space 38 by the hill - shaped protrusion 40 of the hitting piston 31 , and the player can see the situation through the transparent plate 37 in the closed space 38 . as shown in fig9 the lifted fragmentary targets 35 are returned on the hitting piston 31 along the shape of funnel , and this returning motion cannot be seen by the player , because a hiding member 39 is provided . as described above , with the amusement apparatus , when the target 14 is hit , fragmentary targets 35 which are actual objects are scattered upward instead of the image 14 ′, thereby a burst having reality and punch can be displayed . furthermore , since the fragmentary targets 35 are returned onto the hitting piston 31 immediately after lifting , the subsequent play can be prepared in a short period of time . fig1 shows another embodiment of the amusement apparatus according to the present invention , and in this embodiment , the target 14 is disposed in front of the hitting device 30 which lifts the fragmentary targets 35 as seen from the player . that is to say , the target 14 and the fragmentary targets 35 are disposed in parallel in the display position d in the direction of eyesight . the target 14 is fixed on the lifting body 52 which is moved vertically by a solenoid 51 , and moved between a position where it appears in the display position d and a position where it is hidden by switching on / off of the solenoid 51 . the amusement apparatus constituted as described above can display a burst without using a half mirror , and when a hitting signal is generated , the target 14 is hidden and the fragmentary targets 35 are scattered upward , hence a burst can be displayed having reality and punch . fig1 is a variation of the embodiment shown in fig1 , and in this embodiment , the target 14 is disposed at the back of the hitting device 30 which lifts the fragmentary targets 35 , as seen from the player . in this case , both side plates forming the closed space 38 are composed of transparent plates 37 , so that the target 14 at the back thereof can be seen from the player . the target 14 is fixed on the lifting body 52 which is moved vertically by the solenoid 51 , and moved between a position where it appears in the display position d and a position where it is hidden , by turning on / off of the solenoid 51 . in the amusement apparatus constituted as described above , since the fragmentary targets 35 which are actual entities are scattered upward instead of the target 14 by the hitting signal , a burst can be displayed having reality and punch . preferred embodiments of the present invention have been heretofore described , however the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above , and can be variously modified . for example , in the above amusement apparatus , the hiding device and the lifting device are moved by using a solenoid , but they may be moved by using a cam or the like . moreover , realistic and powerful burst display can be obtained , not only in the shooting game using a gun , but also in a game in which a target is aimed , for example , with a simulated artillery . in this case , it is more effective if a model of a combat car , a ship or the like is used as a target instead of a cup . furthermore , the burst display used in the amusement apparatus of the present invention is also effective to a burst display in a game in which a pre - set bomb , for example , a time bomb or a land mine is exploded . with the object display method or apparatus according to claims 1 to 10 , replacement of objects to be displayed can be displayed with a simple construction , and the objects to be displayed can be transformed in the winking of an eye . with the amusement apparatus according to claims 11 to 22 , a burst display having reality and punch can be obtained , and players are given an incentive to play the game . the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary methods and embodiments of the present invention . as will be understood by those familiar with the art , the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . accordingly , the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative , but not limiting , of the scope of the invention , which is set forth in the following claims . | 0 |
in embodiment 1 , a configuration of an electromagnetic wave detection apparatus provided with a configuration for visualizing electromagnetic waves will be described with reference to fig1 to fig1 . fig1 is a view showing a configuration of an electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to the present embodiment . fig2 shows a two - dimensional luneburg lens of an direction of arrival separation section of the electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to the present embodiment . fig3 is a view showing the thickness of a dielectric of the luneburg lens according to the present embodiment . fig4 shows an example of electromagnetic field analysis of radio wave propagation characteristics of the luneburg lens according to the present embodiment . fig5 shows an example of an ideal configuration of an electric field sensor according to the present embodiment . fig6 shows a partial overhead view of the electric field sensor according to the present embodiment . fig7 shows a partial sectional view of the electric field sensor according to the present embodiment . fig8 shows an ideal equivalent circuit of the electric field sensor according to the present embodiment . fig9 shows an example of a configuration of a substrate end portion of the electric field sensor according to the present embodiment . fig1 shows an equivalent circuit of the substrate end portion of the electric field sensor according to the present embodiment . fig1 is a view showing reflection characteristics of the electric field sensor according to the present embodiment . fig1 shows an example of analysis results of propagation characteristics of electromagnetic waves when the planar luneburg lens is combined with the electric field sensor according to the present embodiment . fig1 shows an example of visualization of the direction of arrival of electromagnetic waves when the planar luneburg lens is combined with the electric field sensor according to the present embodiment . as shown in fig1 , in the present embodiment , an electromagnetic wave detection apparatus includes planar luneburg lens 1 which is an emission direction separation section having a function of separating multiple incident electromagnetic waves with different direction of arrivals , and is provided with waveguide 12 covering one surface of the lens 1 . electric field sensor 2 , which is provided with a plurality of sensors each inducing a voltage according to the energy of electromagnetic waves , is connected to one end of waveguide 12 so as to cover one side surface of plane luneburg lens 1 . electric field sensor 2 has a plurality of metal pieces 201 on dielectric 204 , and metal pieces 201 adjacent to each other are connected to each other by resistor 202 and capacitor 203 . further , via 205 is provided at the central portion of metal piece 201 . the detail configuration of the sensor will be further described below . signal detection section 3 , which detects a signal from electric field sensor 2 , is connected to electric field sensor 2 , and signal processing / display section 4 is connected to signal detection section 3 via transmission line 210 . further , in the electromagnetic wave detection apparatus , camera 7 for capturing an image of an object is provided to be connected to signal processing / display section 4 . signal processing / display section 4 includes a signal processing section which processes image information from camera 7 and a detection signal , and a display section which displays processing results and the like . here , the signal processing section and the display section are described as an integrated configuration , but may also be configured to be independent from each other . fig2 shows a configuration of planar luneburg lens 1 which is an emission direction separation section . in planar luneburg lens 1 , metal waveguides 12 are provided on each of up and down sides of the lens . for example , when dielectric 11 , whose thickness is changed as shown in fig3 , is provided between metal waveguides 12 , the effective dielectric constant can be changed , so that , similarly to the spherical luneburg lens , the energy of electromagnetic waves can be converged at each different position depending on each direction of arrival of electromagnetic waves . in the thickness of the lens in which the relative dielectric constant is set as ∈ r , and the radius is set as radius , and in which the distance from the center of the lens is set as r , and the height of the metal parallel plate of the lens is set as d , effective dielectric constant ∈ s and thickness t of the dielectric constant at distance r are respectively expressed by [ math . 1 ] and [ math . 2 ]. fig4 shows propagation characteristics of radio waves when the electromagnetic waves are irradiated front the front upper direction of the lens in the configuration . the energy of the electromagnetic waves incident from the upper direction is gradually bent in the inside of the planar lens , so that the energy is converged to the central portion of the opposite side of the lens . electric field sensor 2 is provided with a plurality of sensors , each of which detects the energy of electromagnetic waves emitted from planar luneburg lens 1 and outputs an intensity detection signal corresponding to the amount of the detected energy . therefore , the sensor , located at the position corresponding to the convergence position ( focal point ) of the electromagnetic waves incident on the lens , outputs a detection signal , such as a voltage or electric power . that is , the sensor , which outputs a detection signal , is different according to the convergence position of electromagnetic waves incident on the lens . further , the result of the electromagnetic wave direction of arrival , estimated based on the detection signal of electric field sensor 2 , is superimposed on the image captured by camera 7 , and thereby visualization of the electromagnetic wave direction of arrival is realized . here , the electromagnetic wave measurement principle on which each of the sensors of electric field sensors 2 of the present embodiment bases is described below . the electric field sensor of the present embodiment is realized , for example , by a structure formed by periodically arranging metal pieces each formed in a mushroom - shape . the structure , formed by periodically arranging metal pieces each formed in a mushroom - shape , is widely used , because electric capacitor and electric inductance , which realize low reflection , can be controlled by the size of the mushroom - shape . as shown in fig5 and fig6 , metal pieces 201 are periodically arranged on the first layer that is the surface of plate - shaped dielectric 204 . more precisely , a plurality of metal pieces 201 are arranged in the row direction ( lateral direction ) and the column direction ( vertical direction ) to form a grid pattern . each pair of adjacent metal pieces 201 are connected to each other by resistor 202 and capacitor 203 . further , via 205 described below is provided at the center of each of metal pieces 201 . each of metal pieces 201 has a size sufficiently smaller than the wavelength λ of electromagnetic waves to be measured , and the length of one side of metal piece 201 is set to ( 1 / 10 ) λ or less . for example , when the frequency of electromagnetic waves to be measured is 2 . 4 ghz , the length d of one side of metal piece 201 , as shown in fig6 , is equal to or less than 12 . 5 mm . in the present embodiment , metal piece 201 is a square metal plate , but the shape of metal piece 201 is not limited to the square shape . fig7 is a sectional view taken along line a in fig6 . ground ( gnd ) 206 , which is a conductor that is a second layer facing the first layer , and which has a surface substantially equal in size to the surface of dielectric 204 , is provided on the lower surface of dielectric 204 . gnd 206 is connected to each of metal pieces 201 by via 205 , which is a conductor extending through dielectric 204 . further , voltage detection via 225 , which detects a voltage induced between both ends of resistor 203 , is connected to a detection circuit . the voltage detection circuit , which is signal detection section 3 shown in fig1 , is configured , for example , by an amplifier , an ad converter , a voltage measuring instrument , and the like . when electromagnetic waves are irradiated onto one of metal pieces 201 configuring a low - reflection electromagnetic sheet , a voltage is induced only by resistor 202 connected to metal pieces 201 onto which the electromagnetic waves are irradiated . therefore , the direction of arrival of the electromagnetic waves can be known from the voltage detection position of the voltage detection circuit connected to resistor 202 . at this time , when the impedance of resistor 202 is set to 377ω equal to the wave impedance , the space impedance and the impedance of electric field sensor 2 match with each other , so that , since the electromagnetic waves are not reflected , the energy of the electromagnetic waves is absorbed by electric field sensor 2 . at this time , it may also be configured such that , without providing resistor 202 for impedance matching , a matching circuit matching with the wave impedance of 377ω is provided on the side of the voltage detection circuit . the impedance matching is further described . when , in two - cells of metal pieces 201 described in fig6 , the width of metal piece 201 is set as d , the distance between the metal pieces is set as w , and the height between the metal piece and the gnd layer is set as h , two - cells of metal piece 201 can be expressed by an equivalent circuit shown in fig8 . here , parasitic capacitor c and parasitic inductances l can be respectively obtained by [ math . 3 ] and [ math . 4 ]. [ expression 3 ] c = d ɛ 0 ( ɛ r + 1 ) π cosh - 1 ( d + w w ) [ math . 3 ] [ expression 4 ] l = μ 0 h [ math . 4 ] here , z air in fig8 represents the wave impedance of air , and r 2 represents the input resistor of the voltage detection circuit . in addition to the fixed capacitor , a variable capacitor may be used as capacitor 203 . the capacitance value of the variable capacitor is changed by a bias voltage value applied between both ends of the capacitor element . in order that the electric field sensor is in a non - reflective state , inductance l and capacitor ( c + c add ) may be in parallel resonance at a desired frequency , resistor r may be set to 377ω equal to wave impedance z air . the resonance frequency at this time can be obtained by [ math . 5 ]. in order to satisfy the conditions at the desired frequency , electric constant c add of capacitor 203 may be determined . further , when the frequency is required to be made variable , the capacitance value may be changed by applying a voltage to the variable capacitor . however , as shown in fig2 , it is necessary that a metal waveguide is provided at each of up and down portions of the two - dimensional luneburg lens . for this reason , it is necessary to use an ebg type electric field sensor having a structure which is suitable for a luneburg lens having metallic waveguides . a structure of the present embodiment considering these will be described with reference to fig9 to fig1 . fig9 is a detail view of a waveguide type ebg electric field sensor which is used for the present embodiment , and which is configured by metal pieces 201 periodically arranged on dielectric 204 , resistor 202 and capacitor 203 each connected between each pair of adjacent metal pieces 201 , and via 205 connected between each of metal pieces 201 and second layer gnd . similarly to fig7 , voltage detection via 225 is provided to each of both ends of resistor 202 , and voltage detection via 225 is not connected to second layer gnd but is connected to the third layer . as shown in fig9 , the electric field sensor is configured such that metal waveguide 12 of the luneburg lens is positioned at the center of the metal pieces forming the periodic structure . this structure acts as if there are electrically folded periodic structures due to electric image . fig1 shows the equivalent circuit of the portion which is represented by dotted lines b and which includes the electric image of the portion in contact with waveguide 12 . when end portion resistor 212 and end portion capacitor 213 are respectively set as r ′ and c add ′, it seems , by the electric image , such that each of a pair of end portion resistors 212 of r ′ and a pair of end portion capacitors 213 of c add ′ are arranged side by side . for this reason , when r ′ is set as r ′= 2 × 377ω , and c add ′ is set as c add ′= c add / 2 , the equivalent circuit of fig1 is equivalent to the equivalent circuit of fig8 . fig1 shows electromagnetic wave reflection characteristics of this structure . in fig1 , the reflection characteristic of each of electric field sensors , in which two to four cells of the metal pieces are respectively arranged side by side between the metal waveguides , are compared with the reflection characteristic of an electric field sensor having an infinite periodic structure formed of the metal pieces . the number of the cells of metal pieces , each of which is in contact with the metal waveguide and has half size , is counted as ½ . from fig1 , it can be seen that , the low reflection characteristics similar to the low reflection characteristic of the electric field sensor having the infinite periodic structure are obtained . fig1 and fig1 respectively show examples in each of which the direction of arrival of electromagnetic waves is estimated in the configuration of the present embodiment . fig1 is a view showing propagation characteristics of electromagnetic waves when the planar luneburg lens is combined with the waveguide type electric field sensor , and when the incident angle of electromagnetic waves incident from the front direction of the lens is changed from 0 degree to 10 degrees . the waveguide type electric field sensor having three cells of metal pieces is provided on the plane perpendicular to the incident angle of 0 degree of the lens . the state , in which electromagnetic waves incident from each of the angles are absorbed by the electric field sensor , can be seen . fig1 shows the induced voltages in the electric field sensor . the horizontal axis represents the angle , and the vertical axis represents the cell position in the vertical axis direction . it can be seen that the sensor detects accurately in the range from 0 degree to 10 degrees , and that the direction of arrival of electromagnetic waves can be visualized . in the present embodiment , the lens formed of the dielectric whose thickness is gradually changed is used as the planar luneburg lens . however , other types of planer luneburg lenses , such as a lens in which the effectual dielectric constant is changed by forming holes in a dielectric with a fixed thickness , or a lens in which the effectual dielectric constant is changed by providing a metal periodic structure on the surface of a dielectric . as described above , with the present embodiment , the direction of arrival of electromagnetic waves , and the intensity of the electromagnetic waves can be detected by using the planar lens , and hence , it is possible to realize an electromagnetic wave detection apparatus which is smaller than the electromagnetic wave detection apparatus using a spherical lens or an aspheric lens . further , it is possible to suppress the sensitivity in receiving electromagnetic waves from being reduced , and hence the arriving electromagnetic waves can be accurately detected . fig1 shows a second embodiment of the present invention . in the first embodiment , the waveguide type electric field sensor is provided on the plane perpendicular to the incident angle of 0 degree of the lens , but in the present embodiment , an electric field sensor is provided along the shape of the lens . in the present embodiment , the sensor is provided along the shape of the lens shape so as to cover the half peripheral surface of the lens . in embodiment 1 , it is estimated that the energy of electromagnetic waves detected by the sensor arranged at a position separated from the lens surface is reduced as compared with the energy of electromagnetic waves detected by the sensor arranged on the lens surface . however , when the sensor is arranged at each of the focal points of the lens , the sensor can receive the greatest energy of electromagnetic waves , and hence the detection sensitivity can be improved . the lateral length of the sensor may be arbitrarily set . a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to fig1 . fig1 shows a waveguide type electric field sensor according to the third embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is an overhead view of the waveguide type electric field sensor , which is configured such that metal waveguide 12 of the plane luneburg lens is positioned at the center between the metal pieces arranged in the periodic structure . the periodic structure metal pieces act as if there are electrically folded periodic structures due to electric image . fig1 shows the equivalent circuit of the portion represented by dotted lines c and including the electric image of the portion in contact with waveguide 12 . when end portion resistor 212 and end portion capacitor 213 are respectively set as r ″ and c add ″, it can be seem , by the electric image , such that each of a pair of portion resistors 212 of r ″ and a pair of portion capacitors 213 of c add ″ are arranged in series . for this reason , when r ″ is set as r ″= 377 / 2ω , and c add ″ is set as c add ″= 2 × c add , the equivalent circuit of fig1 is equivalent to the equivalent circuit of fig8 . fig1 shows electromagnetic wave reflection characteristics of this structure . the reflection characteristic of each of electric field sensors , each having two to four cells of metal pieces arranged side by side between the metal waveguides , is compared with the reflection characteristic of an electric field sensor having an infinite periodic structure of the metal pieces . from fig1 , it can be seen that the characteristics similar to the characteristic of the electric field sensor having the infinite periodic structure are obtained . when the number of cells is small , the resonance frequency is slightly changed from the design value , but the design is performed in consideration of the variation at the time of design . it should be noted that the configuration of the electric field sensor of the present embodiment can be applied to each of the forms in which the electric field sensor is attached to the planar luneburg lens described in embodiment 1 and embodiment 2 . a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to fig2 . fig1 shows a waveguide type electric field sensor according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is an overhead view of the waveguide type electric field sensor , which is configured such that metal waveguide 12 of a luneburg lens is positioned at the center between metal pieces arranged in a periodic structure . by electric imaging , it is seen that the periodic structure of metal pieces 201 is electrically folded . fig1 shows the equivalent circuit of the portion represented by dotted lines d and including the electric image of the portion in contact with waveguide 12 . since it is seen that resistor 202 and capacitor 203 are not provided in the portion represented by dotted lines d , the equivalent circuit of the portion represented by dotted lines d is different from the equivalent circuit of the other periodic structure as shown in fig8 , and is configured , as shown in fig1 , such that only parasitic capacitor c and parasitic inductances l are in parallel resonance . when reflection characteristics are compared with each other , it can be seen that , as shown in fig2 , when the number of cells is small , the influence of the number of cells is large , and deviation of frequency and deterioration of reflection characteristics are caused . when the waveguide type ebg electric field sensor having the present structure is used , the number of cells can be determined in consideration of the deviation of frequency and the degradation of reflection characteristics , and according to the reception sensitivity . thereby , it is possible to provide an electromagnetic wave detection apparatus which is small and can suppress the degradation of reception sensitivity . it should be noted that the configuration of the electric field sensor of the present embodiment can be applied to any of the attachment forms of the electric field sensor used for the planar luneburg lens described in embodiment 1 and embodiment 2 . fig2 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention . in visualization of the direction of arrival of electromagnetic waves using the planar luneburg lens and the electric field sensor , the direction of arrival of the azimuth angle can be separated , but the direction of arrival in the elevation direction θ cannot be separated . therefore , the electromagnetic wave detection apparatus of each of the first to fourth embodiments is provided with rotating section 6 which can be rotated in the elevation direction . rotating section 6 is provided with , for example , a rotation control mechanism , and a rotation degree detection sensor . information from the sensor is transmitted to signal processing / display section 4 via transmission line 211 , so that information on the elevation angle direction θ is obtained . the results of visualization of electromagnetic waves at an azimuth angle , information of the elevation angle θ , and an image acquired by camera 7 are combined in signal processing / display section 4 , and thereby the direction of arrival of electromagnetic waves can be two - dimensionally estimated . fig2 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention . embodiment 5 is configured to mechanically realize an elevation direction separation function , but the elevation direction separation is electrically realized in the present embodiment . as shown in fig2 , leaky - wave antenna 8 as a beam scanning section is provided in front of the planar lens . as shown in fig2 , leaky - wave antenna 8 is an antenna designed to control the phase of electromagnetic waves , for example , by a periodic structure of metal patches 92 provided on dielectric 94 , to thereby have a strong directivity in a specific direction . an antenna with strong directivity can be realized in such a manner that the reactance determined by the periodic structure of metal patches is set as an average reactance value , and such that the metal periodic structure is designed to have the reactance modulated by a sine wave as shown in fig2 . when the wavelength is represented by λ , and one period of modulation of the periodic structure is represented by d , and when the air wave impedance is represented by and the incident angle is represented by θ , the relational expression representing the average reactance is given by [ math . 6 ]. further , the reactance at each position ρ on the substrate is given by [ math . 7 ] when the modulation degree is represented by m . in order to make directional angle θ variable in [ math . 6 ], it is necessary to change the reactance . in the state where it is assumed that the structure of fig2 is infinitely spread , when the width of the metal piece is represented by d , and the interval between the metal pieces is represented by w , and when the height of the metal piece from gnd is represented by h , and the relative dielectric constant is represented by [ expression 8 ], that is , when the reactance is changed , the structure needs to be changed . however , it is very difficult to dynamically change the structure . therefore , as shown in fig2 and fig2 , a variable capacitor is provided between the metal patches , and the reactance of the capacitor is controlled . variable capacitor 95 is an element whose capacitance value is changed as shown in fig2 when a voltage is applied between both ends of the element . the reactance of the periodic structure is changed by the variable capacitor , and thereby angle θ can be changed . the leaky - wave antenna section 8 is attached to the front surface of the lens as shown in fig2 , and thereby electromagnetic waves in the elevation direction can be separated . in practice , the direction of arrival estimation of electromagnetic waves can be two - dimensionally performed in such a manner that a table representing the relationship between the voltage applied to variable capacitor 95 and elevation angle θ is provided , such that , while the voltage is controlled by voltage control section 5 , the voltage is given to the variable capacitor , and such that information of elevation angle θ related with the voltage value , and the image of camera 7 are combined in signal processing / display section 4 . from the above , it is possible to realize an electromagnetic wave detection apparatus which is smaller than the electromagnetic wave detection apparatus using a spherical lens or an aspheric lens . further , it is possible to suppress the sensitivity in receiving electromagnetic waves from being reduced , and hence arrival of electromagnetic waves can be accurately detected . | 6 |
turning now to fig1 to 3 , a projection system is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 10 . in this embodiment , projection system 10 is similar to that disclosed in above - incorporated u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 420 , 146 to morrison et al . as can be seen , projection system 10 includes a projector 12 receiving an input video data stream from a processing device such as for example , a personal computer ( pc ) 14 . projector 12 in response to the input video data stream projects an image i onto a projection screen 16 as shown in fig3 and by the dotted lines 12 a in fig1 and 2 . projection screen 16 in this embodiment is an interactive touch board or panel of the type manufactured by smart technologies , inc . of calgary , alberta , canada and sold under model no . sb 680 . a pair of low resolution video cameras 18 is positioned adjacent the projector 12 . the cameras 18 are horizontally spaced , with each camera being fixed in position on either side of the projector 12 . each camera 18 has a field of view ( fov ) encompassing the projection screen 16 as shown in fig3 and by the dotted lines 18 a in fig1 . in this manner , the cameras 18 capture images including the entire projection screen 16 and the image i displayed thereon as well as any objects , such as a presenter p , positioned in front of the projection screen 16 . the cameras 18 are coupled to the personal computer 14 via universal serial bus ( usb ) connections 20 . to avoid a presenter p from being blinded by light projected by the projector 12 when the presenter is positioned in front of the projection screen 16 , the projection system 10 makes use of image analysis to mask the input video data stream provided to the projector 12 so that pixels corresponding to a region generally encompassing the presenter &# 39 ; s head are set to black or near black ( i . e . dimmed ). in this manner , the presenter p is able to stand in front of the projection screen 16 and look back at the projector 12 without being blinded by projected light . during set up of the projection system 10 , it is desired to determine the maximum spacing between the projector 12 and the cameras 18 so that the projection system 10 can be installed in a manner that ensures desired operation . referring now to fig9 , the horizontal geometry of the projection system 10 is shown assuming that the optical axis of the projector 12 is orthogonal to the plane of the projection screen 16 . as can be seen , the width of the projection screen 16 is designated by reference character w . the horizontal distance between the left camera 18 and the projector 12 is designated by reference character dcp . the distance between the projection screen 16 and the left camera 18 is designated by reference character dsb . the distance between the projection screen 16 and the presenter p is designated by reference character d . the distance between the presenter p and the projector 12 can therefore be expressed as dsb − d . as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art , although not illustrated the vertical geometry of the projection system 10 is very similar to that shown in fig9 with two exceptions . when examining the vertical geometry of the projection system 10 , the projection screen width w is replaced with the projection screen height h and the horizontal camera to projector spacing dcp is replaced with the vertical camera to projector spacing dcp . based on the above , the extreme viewing angle θ of the left camera 18 at which the entire planar surface of the projection screen 16 as well as a presenter p in front of the projection screen can still be seen , can be expressed as : from equation ( 2 ), it can be seen that the maximum camera to projector spacing dcp increases linearly with the distance between the camera 18 and the projection screen 16 . the maximum camera to projector spacing dcp however decreases as the distance d between the presenter p and the projection screen 16 increases . using the minimum and maximum projection screen to camera distances dsb and the minimum and maximum projection screen to presenter distances d , from equation ( 2 ), the maximum camera to projector spacing can be calculated for different projection system configurations allowing the cameras 18 and projector 12 to be quickly and effectively oriented while ensuring that the presenter p in front of the projection screen 16 remains within the fields of view of the cameras 18 so that the position of the presenter p can be properly tracked . for example , assume that the projection screen 16 has a diagonal length equal to 1 . 1956 m ( 77 inches ) and an aspect ratio of 4 : 3 and that the minimum and maximum projection screen to camera distances dsb are 1 . 524 m ( 5 feet ) and 4 . 267 m ( 14 feet ) respectively . also assume that the presenter p will typically stand at distances d in front of the projection screen 16 in the range of from about 0 . 31 m to 0 . 61 m ( 1 to 2 feet ). based on the above assumptions and solving for equation ( 2 ), fig1 a is a table showing the maximum horizontal camera to projector spacing dcp assuming the projection screen to presenter distance d is equal to 0 . 31 m at each of the minimum and maximum projection screen to camera distances dsb as well as the maximum camera to projector spacing dcp assuming the projection screen to presenter distance d is equal to 0 . 61 m at each of the minimum and maximum projection screen to camera distances dsb . fig1 b is a table showing the maximum vertical camera to projector spacing dcp assuming the projection screen to presenter distance d is equal to 0 . 31 m at each of the minimum and maximum projection screen to camera distances dsb as well as the maximum camera to projector spacing dcp assuming the projection screen to presenter distance d is equal to 0 . 61 m at each of the minimum and maximum projection screen to camera distances dsb . as will be appreciated from the above , at a minimum projection screen to camera distance dsb equal to 5 feet , the maximum camera to projector spacing dcp is about 3 to 4 feet . fig1 c is a table showing the maximum horizontal and vertical camera to projector spacing dcp assuming the projection screen to presenter distance d is equal to 0 . 61 m and that the width and height of the projection screen 16 have been decreased by 5 % at each of the minimum and maximum projection screen to camera distances dsb . in this case , the width of the projection screen 16 is equal to 1 . 1485 m and the height of the projection screen 16 is equal to 1 . 115 m . as can be seen , as the size of the projection screen 16 decreases , the camera to projector spacing dcp decreases . prior to general use of the projection system 10 once the cameras 18 and projector 12 have been properly oriented with respect to the projection screen 16 , the projection system 10 is calibrated in the manner described in above - incorporated u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 420 , 146 to morrison et al . accordingly , specifics of the calibration will not be discussed further herein . calibration of the projection system 10 matches the views of the cameras 18 through an image transformation with respect to the surface of the projection screen 16 such that image superposition creates one image of the viewed scene . foreground objects such as the presenter p are separated from the plane of the projection screen 16 due to the effect of planar parallax and show up as two images of finite separation related to the stereo camera positions . the calibration is fully automated without requiring intervention from the presenter or requiring projecting of special images that are visible during calibration . once calibrated , in use the personal computer 14 outputs a video data stream that is received by the projector 12 . in response to the input video data stream , the projector 12 in turn projects an image i onto the projection screen 16 . the cameras 18 , which see the projection screen 16 , the displayed image i and the presenter p , if the presenter exists in their fields of view , capture images and convey the captured images to the personal computer 14 over the usb connections 20 . thus , the computer 14 receives pairs of images from the cameras 18 . upon receipt of each pair of images from the cameras 18 , the computer 14 processes the images to detect whether a presenter is positioned in front of the projection screen 16 and if so , to determine the location of the presenter &# 39 ; s head so that the video data stream input to the projector 12 can be masked to inhibit the presenter from being blinded by projected light . in particular as shown in fig4 , when the computer 14 receives the images from the cameras 18 ( step 100 ), the computer 14 applies a homography transformation matrix calculated during calibration to the right camera image to transform the right camera image to the coordinate system of the left camera image ( step 102 ). with the right and left camera images in the same coordinate system , a statistical cross - correlation between the images is performed to generate a disparity image ( step 104 ). the disparity image is then examined to determine if a presenter exists in the disparity image ( step 106 ). if the existence of a presenter is not detected , the camera images are discarded and the process reverts back to step 100 to await receipt of the next pair of camera images . if the existence of a presenter is detected at step 106 , the disparity image is further processed to detect the center of the presenter &# 39 ; s head ( step 108 ). with the center of the presenter &# 39 ; s head detected , the presenter &# 39 ; s head is tracked ( step 110 ) and the average center position and velocity of the presenter &# 39 ; s head over successive image pairs is used to mask the video data stream so that pixels corresponding to a circular region encompassing the presenter &# 39 ; s head are set to black or near black ( step 112 ). as a result , when the video data stream is output to the projector 12 , projected light is inhibited from being directed at the presenter &# 39 ; s eyes as a circular area of darkness 24 encompasses the presenter &# 39 ; s head as shown in fig5 . as the cameras 18 continually capture images of the projection screen 16 and displayed image i , movement of the presenter p is tracked allowing the area of darkness 24 to be moved to follow the presenter . at step 104 , during generation of the disparity image , images a , b and c are initially calculated ( see step 150 in fig6 ) according to : i lc is the image captured by the left camera ; and i trc is the transformed image captured by the right camera . a box filter of the appropriate kernel size is then applied to each image a , b and c ( step 152 ). the statistical cross - correlation is then calculated to generate the disparity image p ( step 154 ) according to : the equation used to generate the disparity image is subject to a divide by zero ( or close to zero ) exception during tracking of dark objects in the captured images . hardware and / or software interrupts are therefore employed to replace such divide by zero exceptions with numbers that are in a range that will yield a reasonable result . overexposing the cameras 18 such that dark objects do not appear as absolute black and have some minimal level of illumination can also be performed to avoid the divide by zero exceptions . alternatively , the disparity image may be found by filtering a difference image based on the captured left and transformed right captured images or by generating a gaussian weighted difference image based on the captured left and transformed right captured images . as will be appreciated , in these instances , the complexity of calculating a square root and performing a divide operation are avoided . during step 108 , in order to detect the location of the presenter &# 39 ; s head , the disparity image is initially preprocessed . during preprocessing as shown in fig7 a , the disparity image is firstly converted to greyscale so that the pixel values are in the range of 0 to 255 ( step 200 ). the greyscale image is then thresholded ( step 202 ). during thresholding , pixels having values above 245 and below 220 are set to black and pixels having values in the range of 220 to 245 representing a disparity ( i . e . an object in front of the projection screen 16 ) are set to white . a region of interest ( roi ) within the thresholded image that encompasses the majority of the white pixels is then selected ( step 204 ). a morphological open operation is then performed on the thresholded image to remove noise ( step 208 ) and a flood fill operation is performed ( step 208 ) to remove white pixel clusters that are smaller than a threshold size , in this example smaller than 2 % of the projection screen area in the captured images . in this manner , the remaining white pixel clusters representing the presenter are isolated . the center ( x , y ) of the presenter is calculated based on the white pixel clusters in the region of interest ( roi ). a principle component analysis is then performed on the white pixel clusters in the roi ( step 210 ) to detect the major axis of the presenter , the minor axis of the presenter and the orientation of the major axis with respect to the vertical . with the disparity image preprocessing completed , the principle component analysis results are used to calculate the centerline of the presenter &# 39 ; s head and top of the presenter along the center line ( step 214 in fig7 b ). the top outline of the presenter &# 39 ; s head is then calculated and possible head positions are determined ( step 216 ). following this , the right and left side outlines of the presenter are calculated and the actual head position is determined ( step 218 ). with the head position determined , the center of the presenter &# 39 ; s head is calculated ( step 220 ). during processing of the outlines , to enhance detection of the presenter &# 39 ; s head , one or two mathematical profiles referred to as rotational profiles may be fitted to the outline to locate the presenter &# 39 ; s head . at step 110 , during tracking , after the center position of the presenter &# 39 ; s head has been calculated at step 220 , the center position is stored in memory ( step 300 in fig8 ). a check is then made to determine if a threshold number of center positions are stored in the memory ( step 302 ). if not , the process reverts back to step 300 awaiting the next calculated head center position . if a threshold number of center positions exist , a historical center position data group and a historical velocity data group are formed ( steps 304 and 306 ). a median filter is then applied to the historical center position data group ( step 308 ) and an average center position ( x ay , y ax ) is calculated ( step 310 ) a median filter is also applied to the historical velocity data group ( step 312 ) and an average velocity ( v ax , v ay ) is calculated ( step 314 ). the average center position and average velocity is then used to predict a position ( p x , p y ) representing the center of the presenter &# 39 ; s head ( step 316 ) according to : this center position ( p x , p y ) is used to calculate a circular mask encompassing the presenter &# 39 ; s head ( step 312 ). the pixels of the video data stream falling within the circular mask are then dimmed as described above so that when the video data stream is input to the projector 12 and a resultant image is projected on the projection screen 16 , the area of darkness 24 encompasses the presenter &# 39 ; s head inhibiting the presenter from being blinded by projected light . as will be appreciated , the projection system 10 tracks a presenter p moving in front of the projection screen 16 and masks the video data stream input to the projector 12 to inhibit the presenter from being blinded . depending on the projection system setup , the cameras 18 may or may not be located close to the projector 12 . if the cameras 18 are not close to the projector 12 , the viewpoints of the cameras 18 as compared to the projector 12 may be significantly different . in order to ensure that the masked region of the video data stream accurately tracks the presenter &# 39 ; s head and does not extend appreciably beyond the intended region to be darkened , a correction to compensate for this difference in viewpoints is desired . for example , fig1 and 12 show an alternative projection system geometry in the horizontal direction . in this geometry , the left camera 18 is spaced further from the projection screen 16 than the projector 12 . from fig1 , it can be seen that the following relationship exists : solving equation ( 3 ) for the projection screen to projector distance yields : the angle ø of the left camera &# 39 ; s field of view can be expressed as : the offsets s and t of the camera 12 with respect to the projector 12 can be measured . the camera to projection screen distance dsb is known from the projection system set up . because the cameras 18 are located at a distance from the projector 12 , the projected size of the presenter &# 39 ; s head is different from the viewpoints of the cameras 18 and projector 12 . simply projecting the presenter &# 39 ; s head as seen by the cameras 18 onto the reference frame of the projector 12 may result in inaccuracies . let w ′ denote the projected size of the presenter &# 39 ; s head at the cameras 18 and w ′ denote the projected size of the presenter &# 39 ; s head at the projector 12 . the projected size of the presenter &# 39 ; s head at the cameras 18 is expressed by the perspective projection as : f is the focal length of the left camera 18 ; and a similar expression exists for the projector . the projected size w ′ of the presenter &# 39 ; s head at the projector 12 is related to the projected size w of the presenter &# 39 ; s head at the camera 18 by : the angle ø is computed on the basis of the measured offsets s and t . with the angle ø computed , the projected size of the presenter &# 39 ; s head as seen by the cameras 18 can be converted into a corresponding projected size as seen by the projector 12 . in other words , the projected size of the presenter &# 39 ; s head is converted to a size as would be seen by the cameras if the cameras were positioned at the projector 12 . the converted projected size of the presenter &# 39 ; s head as seen by the projector 12 is then scaled to take into account the different resolutions of the cameras 18 and projector 12 . the position of the presenter &# 39 ; s head can then be accurately mapped from the reference frame of the left camera 18 to the reference frame of the projector 12 by computing the homography relating the camera and projector focal planes assuming that the keystone correction of the projector 12 orients the optical axis of the projector such that it is orthogonal to the plane of the projection screen 16 . in this manner , the size of the circular mask that is used to dim pixels of the video data stream can be properly selected so that the area of darkness encompasses at least the presenter &# 39 ; s eyes but does not extend appreciably beyond the presenter &# 39 ; s head irrespective of the orientation of the cameras 18 with respect to the projector 12 . if desired , the distance d of the presenter p from the projection screen 16 can be determined from the captured right and left camera images . in order to calculate the projection screen to presenter distance d , the computer 14 selects a rectangular sample region or search template , in this embodiment a 24 × 12 pixel region , from the right camera image that is positioned on the presenter &# 39 ; s face . the search template is then scanned horizontally across the left camera image until a matching region in the left camera image is determined . during comparing of the search template to pixel regions of the left camera image , matching of horizontal edges is emphasized . once the matching region in the left camera image is determined , the difference between the coordinates of the search template in the right camera image and the matching region in the left camera image is calculated . with the coordinate differences known , based on the stereo disparity geometry shown in fig1 , the disparity can be calculated according to : with the disparity calculated , the projection screen to presenter distance or depth d can be calculated according to : baseline is the distance between the focal points of the cameras 18 . knowing the distance or depth d of the presenter p from the projection screen 16 allows the size of the video data stream mask to be accurately determined . although the above embodiment describes the cameras 18 as being fixed in position on opposite sides of the projector 12 , if desired , the cameras 18 can be mounted on rails or tracks and moveable manually or by drive mechanisms along the tracks to allow the camera to projector spacings to be adjusted . in this latter case , calculation of the projection screen to presenter distance d can be used as feedback for the drive mechanisms so that the drive mechanisms can be operated to adjust the camera to projector spacing dcp as the presenter p moves towards and away from the projection screen 16 . in this manner , the cameras 18 can be positioned to ensure presenter p remains in the fields of view of the cameras . although embodiments have been described with particular reference to the drawings , those of skill in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
the present invention is a process which utilizes a species of fungi to ferment a wide variety of sugar hydrolysates of both cellulose and hemicellulose . while previously known processes have shown capabilities of fermenting one or perhaps two of such sugar compositions , the essence and significant aspect of the present invention is that this process produces high yields of ethanol from a wide variety of both five - carbon and six carbon sugars derived from cellulose and hemicellulose . more particularly , the present invention ferments disaccharides such as sucrose maltose , lactose and cellobiose ( but excluding melibiose and trehalose ) polysaccharides such as starch pentoses such as xylose , ribose and arabinose , and hexoses such as glucose , fructose sorbose , mannose and galactose . thus , high yields of ethanol can be produced from the bulk of the derivative by - products of cellulose and hemicellulose , thereby providing a highly economic process for producing ethanol . specifically , the present invention is a process using the fungus paecilomyces sp . nf1 to produce ethanol by fermentation . the solution to be fermented may include a mixture of the cellulose hydrolysates d - cellobiose and d - glucose sugar solutions of d - xylose l - arabinose d - ribose , mannose and d - galactose derived from hemicellulose , as well as starch . it is envisioned that any combinations of the above as well as other related sugars may be fermented using the process of the present invention . a species of the genus paecilomyces was isolated from a soil sample and maintained on a potato dextrose agar plate . this specific fungal strain was biologically pure and is indentified as paecilomyces sp . nf1 . a sample of this strain as deposited on aug . 6 , 1985 with the culture collection of american type culture collection , and is available to the public under atcc no . 20766 . the culture medium used for fermentation in the present process can be any known culturing composition with suitable nitrogen sources mineral supplements vitamins , and carbon sources . these carbon sources may include pentoses ( d - xyiose , l - arabinose , and d - ribose ), hexoses ( d - glucose , d - galactose , and mannose ), disaccharides ( d - cellobiose ), and polysaccharides ( starch ). samples of the culture medium were inoculated with the paecilomyces sp . nf1 and allowed to ferment to produce ethanol . the ethanol was measured using standard gas chromatography techniques . more specifically the inocula were prepared by transferring a loopful of the subject microorganism from the agar plate to 300 ml . erlenmeyer flasks each containing 100 ml . of the culture medium . the specific composition of the culture medium used in the examples provided below included 1 . 5 g . yeast extract ( difco or sigma ), 1 . 0 g . kh 2 po 4 , 1 . 5 g of kno 3 , 0 . 5 g . nacl , 0 . 5 g . mgso 4 . 7h 2 o , 0 . 1 g . cacl 2 , and 1 . 5 of the fermentable carbon substrate material . the initial inocula for the ethanol production can be performed by either light or heavy cell density , i . e ., less or greater than 6 g / l dry mycelial weight . the fungal cells can be mobilized in an alginate gel or any other desired form of stationary media . it should also be noted that any size and type ( batch or continuous ) of fermentation technique that is well know in the art may be utilized , and the present invention is not to be limited to the small flask , batch fermentation technique illustrated above . the oxygen tension for the fermentation process may also vary widely . the oxygen tension can be either microaerophilic for batch fermentation , or the inoculated substrate may be sparged with a small amount of air in continuous fermentation techniques . moreover , anaerobic fermentation may also be used . the technique will depend on the initial cell density , the substrate concentration , and the incubation condition of the inoculum . the ph of the fermentation media can range from a ph of 2 . 2 to a ph of 7 . 0 . table i illustrates the effect of ph on ethanol production by paecilomyces sp . nf1 . these particular fermentations were carried out in anaerobic tubes at 30 ° c . and contained 20 g / l of xylose as the carbon source . table 1______________________________________initial ph ethanol g / l______________________________________1 . 5 02 . 2 7 . 584 - 8 . 2013 . 0 7 . 971 - 8 . 3604 . 0 7 . 510 - 7 . 7255 . 0 7 . 683 - 8 . 1036 . 0 7 . 740 - 8 . 0107 . 0 7 . 140 - 7 . 823______________________________________ the temperature of the fermentation process of the present invention can also vary considerably from about 20 ° c . to about 42 ° c . however , the preferred range is about 30 ° c . to 37 ° c . as indicated above , the fungal species paecilomyces sp . nf1 of the present invention has been found capable of fermenting a wide variety of sugars . table ii outlines quantitative ethanol production by the paecilomyces sp . nf1 fungal species utilizing a variety of different sugars as the carbon source in the above - described culture medium . table ii______________________________________sugar ethanol g / l______________________________________ d - galactose 7 . 692d - glucose 7 . 223cellobiose 7 . 760l - arabinose 4 . 433lactose 4 . 255fructose 6 . 827mannose 6 . 186maltose 6 . 316starch 6 . 152d - xylose 5 . 910______________________________________ as table ii shows , xylose , cellabiose , and glucose are all readily fermentable to substantial amounts of ethanol . moreover , other sugars found in smaller amounts as hydrolysate by - products of cellulose and hemicellulose are also readily fermentable to ethanol . to assist in further characterizing the paecilomyces sp . nf1 organism , table iii outlines the general fermentability of various carbon compounds by this microorganism with ethanol as the main fermentation product . table iii______________________________________ d - glucose + melibiose - d - galactose + trehalose - fructose + lactose + l - sorbose + starch + mannose + d - xylose + salicin + l - arabinose + α - methyl d - glucose - xylitol - sucrose + d - ribose + maltose + d - cellobiose + ______________________________________ examples of more specific fermentations using the process of the present invention are illustrated in the examples provided below . hemicellulose hydrolysates consist mainly of pentoses and hexoses , and especially xylose . to date , no yeast and only very few fungi have been found which are capable of fermenting d - ribose and l - arabinose to ethanol directly , and the fungi which have been found produce only low yields . however , it was found that paecilomyces sp . nf1 was able to ferment approximately 50 g / l l - arabinose and 20 g / l of d - ribose to produce , respectively , about 12 . 6 g / l and 4 . 0 g / l ethanol . fig1 illustrates these particular fermentations as well as the fermentation of various amounts of d - xylose ranging from 100 - 200 g / l . as can be seen from fig1 in 13 days , 200 g / l of d - xylose can be fermented to yield about 74 g / l ethanol . moreover , a mixture containing about 150 g / l d - xylose , 30 g / l l - arabinose , and 20 g / l d - ribose produced about 68 g / l of ethanol in 13 - 14 days . in these particular runs and in all the runs of examples i - vii , the initial cell density was 6 g / l of the paecilomyces sp . nf1 in the specific culture medium previously described , and the ph was about 5 . 0 with the fermentation being performed using anaerobic tubes at 30 ° c . and 150 rpm agitation . two minor hydrolysate components of hemicellulose include the hexoses mannose and d - galactose . referring to fig2 it was found that the paecilomyces sp . nf1 of the present invention fermented 200 g / l of each of these sugars to about 66 and 69 g / l , respectively , of ethanol . thus , examples i and ii show that the major hydrolysate by - product constituents of hemicellulose are all readily convertible in high yields to ethanol by use of the process of the present invention . this is particularly true in the fermentation of xylose , which is very important , since xylose is by far the largest constituent of hemicellulose and , as previously indicated , has been one of the most difficult to ferment to ethanol on an economic basis . as previously indicated , the major hydrolysate by - product components when cellulose is hydrolyzed consist of cellobiose and glucose . thus , d - glucose and d - cellobiose , along with d - xylose from hemicellulose , comprise the three most important and abundant renewable hydrolysates of any plant biomass . d - glucose can be readily fermented by virtually any type of fermenting microorganism . the fungus paecilomyces sp . nf1 can readily ferment 100 g / l of d - glucose to produce about 40 g / l or more ethanol . cellobiose fermentation , however , has proven difficult in the past especially when xylose fermentation is also desired . in the previously discussed prior art xylose fermenting yeasts , only the yeast kluveromyces cellobiovorus of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 472 , 501 can also ferment d - cellobiose in addition to the xylose . however , when the d - cellobiose substrate amounts to more than about 50 g / l , ethanol production is inhibited . another prior art xylose fermenting fungus , fusarium oxysporum , is also able to produce ethanol from d - cellobiose . however , the ethanol production from cellobiose is only about half the amount produced by the paecilomyces sp . nf1 of the present invention . this is more clearly illustrated in fig3 wherein cellobiose is fermented by both the paecilomyces sp . nf1 and by fusarium oxysporum anl 372181 . if a microorganism can ferment both d - cellobiose and d - xylose , it will reduce the end - product inhibition of cellulase during enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and thus enhance ethanol production . in this example , two different mixtures were fermented using the process of the present invention . one of the mixtures contained 50 g / l of d - glucose , 50 g / l of d - cellobiose , and 100 g / l of d - xylose as the carbon source . the other mixture contained 100 g / l of both d - cellobiose and d - xylose as the carbon source . as previously indicated under example i , the initial cell density of the paecilomyces sp . nf1 was 6 g / l , the ph was about 5 . 0 , and fermentation was performed using anaerobic tubes at 30 ° c . and 150 rpm agitation . fig4 illustrates the results of this example . as can be seen from fig4 about 68 g / l ethanol was produced by the first mixture and 69 g / l ethanol was produced by the second mixture . in contrast with prior art processes , ethanol production was substantially greater . for example , the kluveromyces cellobiovorus can produce only about 12 g / l of ethanol from a solution containing 20 g / l d - glucose , 5 g / l d - cellobiose and 16 g / l d - xylose . in addition to cellulose and hemicellulose and the sugar hydrolysate by - products thereof , starch is a substantial storage product which is abundant in some plants . thus , starch can be present in considerable amounts in plant biomass materials and in the hydrolysis by - products thereof . fig5 illustrates the fermentation of starch using the process and fungus of the present invention . as can be seen from fig5 starch can be readily fermented directly to ethanol utilizing the process of the present invention . moreover , this can be done in conjunction with xylose fermentation as well as cellobiose fermentation . to date there is no other known yeast or fungi which is capable of fermenting all three of these substances , let alone fermenting them with the yields achievable by the present invention . hemicellulose hydrolysates were prepared by acid hydrolysis of wheat straw and wood chips . the hydrolysates had about 3 percent total sugars containing mostly 2 . 1 % d - xylose , 0 . 46 % d - glucose , 0 . 3 % d - arabinose , and 0 . 16 % d - galactose . they also contained about 0 . 22 % acidic acid and 0 . 45 % furfural . these hemicellulose hydrolysates were then subjected to the fermentation process of the present invention using paecilomyces sp . nf1 and produced about 12 . 5 g / l ethanol . the paecilomyces sp . nf1 of the present invention was used in the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of cellulose using 10 % cellulose and the enzyme cellulase for enzymatic hydrolysis . the cellulose was sigma cell type 50 and solka - flock cbw 200 nf , and the cellulase was novo sp 122 . this mixture of cellulose and cellulase was subjected to the fermentation process of the present invention and produced about 40 g / l ethanol . as can be seen from the above , the fermentation process of the present invention utilizing the fungus paecilomyces sp . nf1 is capable of fermenting a wide variety of sugar compositions to ethanol . most importantly , the major 5 - carbon and 6 carbon sugar components of cellulose and hemicellulose , those being xylose , cellobiose , and glucose , are all readily fermentable to produce large yields of ethanol . moreover , other sugar components such as hexoses and pentoses which are present in more minor amounts in plant biomass , are also readily convertible to ethanol using the process of the present invention . thus , the vast majority of the material in plant biomass is directly fermentable to ethanol using the process of the present invention . as a result of the above , this process is capable of providing large amounts of ethanol economically and from an almost unlimited supply of source material . the present invention thus provides a highly economic and useful process for fuel production . in addition , the hemicellulose components of plant biomass do not need to be separated prior to hydrolysis and fermentation of the by - products thereof . thus , the fungus of the present invention can be used to ferment any sort of sugar mixture to produce ethanol thereby providing a much more economic process in terms of yield , the amount of time required to produce the ethanol , and the substrate materials which may be utilized . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow . | 8 |
the invention ( s ) now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings . the invention ( s ) 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 ( s ) to a person of ordinary skill in the art . a person of ordinary skill in the art may be able to use the various embodiments of the invention ( s ). turning to fig1 , a power line communication ( plc ) system is depicted according to some embodiments . medium voltage ( mv ) power lines 103 from substation 101 typically carry voltage in the tens of kilovolts range . transformer 104 steps the mv power down to low voltage ( lv ) power on lv lines 105 , carrying voltage in the range of 100 - 240 vac . transformer 104 is typically designed to operate at very low frequencies in the range of 50 - 60 hz . transformer 104 does not typically allow high frequencies , such as signals greater than 100 khz , to pass between lv lines 105 and mv lines 103 . lv lines 105 feed power to customers via meters 106 a - n , which are typically mounted on the outside of residences 102 a - n . ( although referred to as “ residences ,” premises 102 a - n may include any type of building , facility or location where electric power is received and / or consumed .) a breaker panel , such as panel 107 , provides an interface between meter 106 n and electrical wires 108 within residence 102 n . electrical wires 108 deliver power to outlets 110 , switches 111 and other electric devices within residence 102 n . the power line topology illustrated in fig1 may be used to deliver high - speed communications to residences 102 a - n . in some implementations , power line communications modems or gateways 112 a - n may be coupled to lv power lines 105 at meter 106 a - n . plc modems / gateways 112 a - n may be used to transmit and receive data signals over mv / lv lines 103 / 105 . such data signals may be used to support metering and power delivery applications ( e . g ., smart grid applications ), communication systems , high speed internet , telephony , video conferencing , and video delivery , to name a few . by transporting telecommunications and / or data signals over a power transmission network , there is no need to install new cabling to each subscriber 102 a - n . thus , by using existing electricity distribution systems to carry data signals , significant cost savings are possible . an illustrative method for transmitting data over power lines may use a carrier signal having a frequency different from that of the power signal . the carrier signal may be modulated by the data , for example , using an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing ( ofdm ) scheme or the like . plc modems or gateways 112 a - n at residences 102 a - n use the mv / lv power grid to carry data signals to and from plc data concentrator or router 114 without requiring additional wiring . concentrator 114 may be coupled to either mv line 103 or lv line 105 . modems or gateways 112 a - n may support applications such as high - speed broadband internet links , narrowband control applications , low bandwidth data collection applications , or the like . in a home environment , for example , modems or gateways 112 a - n may further enable home and building automation in heat and air conditioning , lighting , and security . also , plc modems or gateways 112 a - n may enable ac or dc charging of electric vehicles and other appliances . an example of an ac or dc charger is illustrated as plc device 113 . outside the premises , power line communication networks may provide street lighting control and remote power meter data collection . one or more plc data concentrators or routers 114 may be coupled to control center 130 ( e . g ., a utility company ) via network 120 . network 120 may include , for example , an ip - based network , the internet , a cellular network , a wifi network , a wimax network , or the like . as such , control center 130 may be configured to collect power consumption and other types of relevant information from gateway ( s ) 112 and / or device ( s ) 113 through concentrator ( s ) 114 . additionally or alternatively , control center 130 may be configured to implement smart grid policies and other regulatory or commercial rules by communicating such rules to each gateway ( s ) 112 and / or device ( s ) 113 through concentrator ( s ) 114 . fig2 is a block diagram of plc device 113 according to some embodiments . as illustrated , ac interface 201 may be coupled to electrical wires 108 a and 108 b inside of premises 112 n in a manner that allows plc device 113 to switch the connection between wires 108 a and 108 b off using a switching circuit or the like . in other embodiments , however , ac interface 201 may be connected to a single wire 108 ( i . e ., without breaking wire 108 into wires 108 a and 108 b ) and without providing such switching capabilities . in operation , ac interface 201 may allow plc engine 202 to receive and transmit plc signals over wires 108 a - b . in some cases , plc device 113 may be a plc modem . additionally or alternatively , plc device 113 may be a part of a smart grid device ( e . g ., an ac or dc charger , a meter , etc . ), an appliance , or a control module for other electrical elements located inside or outside of premises 112 n ( e . g ., street lighting , etc .). plc engine 202 may be configured to transmit and / or receive plc signals over wires 108 a and / or 108 b via ac interface 201 using a particular frequency band . in some embodiments , plc engine 202 may be configured to transmit ofdm signals , although other types of modulation schemes may be used . as such , plc engine 202 may include or otherwise be configured to communicate with metrology or monitoring circuits ( not shown ) that are in turn configured to measure power consumption characteristics of certain devices or appliances via wires 108 , 108 a , and / or 108 b . plc engine 202 may receive such power consumption information , encode it as one or more plc signals , and transmit it over wires 108 , 108 a , and / or 108 b to higher - level plc devices ( e . g ., plc gateways 112 n , data aggregators 114 , etc .) for further processing . conversely , plc engine 202 may receive instructions and / or other information from such higher - level plc devices encoded in plc signals , for example , to allow plc engine 202 to select a particular frequency band in which to operate . fig3 is a block diagram of plc gateway 112 according to some embodiments . as illustrated in this example , gateway engine 301 is coupled to meter interface 302 , local communication interface 304 , and frequency band usage database 304 . meter interface 302 is coupled to meter 106 , and local communication interface 304 is coupled to one or more of a variety of plc devices such as , for example , plc device 113 . local communication interface 304 may provide a variety of communication protocols such as , for example , zigbee , bluetooth , wi - fi , wi - max , ethernet , etc ., which may enable gateway 112 to communicate with a wide variety of different devices and appliances . in operation , gateway engine 301 may be configured to collect communications from plc device 113 and / or other devices , as well as meter 106 , and serve as an interface between these various devices and plc data concentrator 114 . gateway engine 301 may also be configured to allocate frequency bands to specific devices and / or to provide information to such devices that enable them to self - assign their own operating frequencies . in some embodiments , plc gateway 112 may be disposed within or near premises 102 n and serve as a gateway to all plc communications to and / or from premises 102 n . in other embodiments , however , plc gateway 112 may be absent and plc devices 113 ( as well as meter 106 n and / or other appliances ) may communicate directly with plc data concentrator 114 . when plc gateway 112 is present , it may include database 304 with records of frequency bands currently used , for example , by various plc devices 113 within premises 102 n . an example of such a record may include , for instance , device identification information ( e . g ., serial number , device id , etc . ), application profile , device class , and / or currently allocated frequency band . as such , gateway engine 301 may use database 304 in assigning , allocating , or otherwise managing frequency bands assigned to its various plc devices . fig4 is a block diagram of plc data concentrator or router 114 according to some embodiments . gateway interface 401 is coupled to data concentrator engine 402 and may be configured to communicate with one or more plc gateways 112 a - n . network interface 403 is also coupled to data concentrator engine 402 and may be configured to communicate with network 120 . in operation , data concentrator engine 402 may be used to collect information and data from multiple gateways 112 a - n before forwarding the data to control center 130 . in cases where plc gateways 112 a - n are absent , gateway interface 401 may be replaced with a meter and / or device interface ( now shown ) configured to communicate directly with meters 116 a - n , plc devices 113 , and / or other appliances . further , if plc gateways 112 a - n are absent , frequency usage database 404 may be configured to store records similar to those described above with respect to database 304 . fig5 is a diagram of plc mesh network 500 according to some embodiments . for ease of explanation , network 500 is described below as an ipv6 over low power wireless personal area network ( 6lowpan ) using the terminology employed in the internet engineering task force &# 39 ; s ( ietf ) rfc 4944 specification . it should be understood , however , that other types of networks may be used in other alternative embodiments . as illustrated , several full - function devices ( ffds ) may be deployed within network 500 , including lowpan bootstrapping devices ( lbds ), lowpan bootstrapping agents ( lbas ), and a lowpan bootstrapping server ( lbs ). an lbd such as , for example , new plc device 501 , may be assumed to have little or no information about network 500 prior to joining the network . an lba such as , for example , plc device 502 , is an ffd that has already joined in network 500 , and therefore is one of its members . plc device 502 is also a neighbor of a new plc device 501 , and thus it may be configured to aid in new plc device 501 &# 39 ; s bootstrapping processe ( s ) by receiving protocol messages from plc device 501 and forwarding them to an lbs , such as , for example , plc data concentrator or router 503 . a typical procedure for routing messages in a network such as network 500 may use the 6lowpan ad hoc on - demand distance vector routing ( load ) protocol , which is a simplified on - demand routing protocol based on the ad hoc on demand distance vector ( aodv ) routing algorithm . however , as the inventors hereof have recognized , the load protocol has a number of shortcomings . for example , each route discovery operation requires network wide broadcast traffic . if multiple nodes initiate route discovery at the same time , it may result in excessive broadcast traffic . also , the number of routing table entries in any node ( e . g ., any lbd or lba ) depends on its location in the mesh topology . nodes closer to the plc data concentrator ( e . g ., 503 ) typically need to maintain a larger number of routing table entries compared to nodes at the edge of network 500 ( e . g ., 501 ). further , routes are not automatically setup . route setup is triggered by traffic , which generally results in higher latency for the first packet for which there is no existing route . if a node / link goes down , neighboring nodes do not initiate automatic route discovery for routes that traverse the broken node / link . route repair is , again , on demand , and it is triggered by data traffic . also , because route discovery involve broadcast operations , optimal routes may not be discovered due to collisions or the like . to address these and other issues , the inventors hereof have developed a routing protocol that , in various implementations , may address one or more of the foregoing problems associated with the load protocol . in some embodiments , the techniques discussed herein may applicable to the plc g3 standards ; although other standards may also be used . generally speaking , it may be assumed that there is no inter meter traffic , and that all traffic is between plc concentrator 503 and meters ( i . e ., other plc devices such as lbas and lbds ). it may also be assumed that the plc devices or meters are always powered up , and that the meters are not mobile . in other embodiments , however , one or more of these assumptions are not necessary . as discussed in more detail below , in some embodiments , each node ( i . e ., each of lbds and lbas ) may maintain a single entry in the routing table for route to plc data concentrator 503 ( i . e ., the lbs ). plc data concentrator 503 may use source routing when sending packets to any service node . if “ n ” is the maximum number of hops allowed , then the worst case source routing overhead is “ 2n + 1 ” bytes . in some cases , one byte may be used for the number of short addresses included in the source routing header ( 4 bits ) and the hop index ( 4 bits ) followed by “ n ” short addresses . with respect to route setup , an explicit route discovery operation may not be necessary , and route setup may happen as part of the bootstrapping procedure . further , as to route maintenance , plc data concentrator 503 may maintain complete routing table for whole network and may update its routing table status through frequent link state request ( lsr ). plc data concentrator 503 may also issue next hop change ( nhc ) command if a “ dead route ” is detected , and it may own the algorithm for maintenance . as such , in some embodiments , each plc device may have to maintain only a single entry in its routing table — i . e ., the default route to plc data concentrator 503 . this feature can result in memory savings compared to , for example , protocols with routing tables that would otherwise have to reserve “ n ” routing entries in a pan with “ n ” nodes . also , there may not be network - wide broadcasts , which may result in considerable improvement in the throughput of application traffic . in some implementations , plc data concentrator 503 may have information on the complete topology of the network . therefore , plc data concentrator 503 may be in a position to compute the most optimal routes to and from each device in the network . further , there may not be traffic - triggered route discovery . routes may be setup when a plc device joins the network , which means that traffic does not have to buffer while it waits for a route to be setup first . in the event that a particular node or a set of nodes is unreachable , plc data concentrator 503 may use network topology information to compute new route ( s ) to the unreachable nodes if the new route ( s ) are available . fig6 is a flowchart of a bootstrapping procedure or method 600 according to some embodiments . as previously noted , in some embodiments , there may not be an explicit route discovery operation and route setup may happen during the bootstrapping procedure . at block 601 , an lbd may send a 1 - hop broadcast beacon . request frame . any ffds in the neighborhood may reply by sending a beacon frame with its network identification , short address , path cost to the lbs , and / or other capabilities . at block 602 , the lbd may receive the responses from the various fdds . at block 603 , the lbd may select the beacon sender with the least path cost to the lbs , and the selected fdd may assume the role of an lba . then , at block 604 , the lbd may send a join frame or message to the lba . in some implementations , the join message may include a field that carries the lbd &# 39 ; s extended unique identifier ( eui )- 64 address . at block 605 , when received by the lba , this frame may be relayed by the lba to the lbs . once the new node has joined the pan successfully , the lbs may record the lba as the penultimate hop towards the joining node ( the lbd ) at block 606 . at block 607 , the newly joined node may set the address of the lba as the next hop towards the lbs . once the lbd ( i . e ., a plc device ) has jointed the mesh network , it may receive communications from the lbs ( i . e ., a plc data concentrator or router ) using source routing . fig7 is a diagram of a source routing header according to some embodiments . as shown , a source routing header may include a header type block or field ( esc hdr type ), followed by a unique command identification block or field ( cmd id “ 0 × 80 ”) and by a source routing information block or field ( src routing info ). the source routing information block may in turn include a number of hop counts ( e . g ., 4 bits ), a hop index ( e . g ., 4 bits ), and a plurality of addresses ( e . g ., 2 bytes each ). for example , hop counts may indicate how many hops are necessary for a messages to leave the plc data concentrator and reach a plc device , the hop index may be incremented at each intermediate hop as the message traverses the network , and the addresses that follow may identify each plc device in the given route . as a plc device interacts with the network , the plc data concentrator may perform certain route maintenance procedures . as noted above , in some implementations , the plc data concentrator may maintain a map of the entire network . as such , the plc data concentrator may request link state information from individual nodes or plc devices , and it may use this information to update its map . such a map may allow the concentrator to select the best ( or better ) routes towards a particular plc device and vice - versa . fig8 is a diagram of a link state request according to some embodiments . as shown , the link state request may be transmitted by a plc data concentrator to a plc device as part of a control message ( e . g ., with or without a payload ). the request may include , for example , a header type block or field ( esc hdr type ) followed by a unique command identification block or field ( cmd id “ 0 × 81 ”). fig9 is a diagram of a link state response according to some embodiments . such a response may be transmitted , for example , from a plc device to a plc data concentrator , and it may also be a part of a control message . as illustrated , the response may include a header type block or field ( esc hdr type ) followed by a unique command identification block or field ( cmd id “ 0 × 82 ”) and a link state response information block or field . the link state response information block may include a link count ( e . g ., 1 byte ) followed by one or more sets of address blocks or fields ( e . g ., 2 bytes ) and link cost blocks or fields ( e . g ., 1 byte ). the link count may identify a number of links in the response message , whereas each address / link cost pair may provide additional information about link states , including those of neighboring plc devices . if the plc data concentrator does not get any response from a plc device for some time , it may look up the topology map for alternate routes . if the topology indicates that there is another route to the plc device , the plc data concentrator may send a “ change next hop ” request through the alternate route to the plc device . fig1 is a diagram of a next hop change request according to some embodiments . again , the next hop change request may be transmitted as a control message or the like . as illustrated , the next hop change message may include a header type block or field ( esc hdr type ) followed by a unique command identification block or field ( cmd id “ 0 × 83 ”) and a new next hop block or field ( e . g ., 2 bytes ). for example , the new next hop block may indicate to the plc device which alternative lba device to use in subsequent communications . in some embodiments , if the plc data concentrator cannot identify an alternate route , it may designate the plc device as “ unreachable ” in its map and / or routing table . also during operation , plc devices may receive periodic “ keep - alives ” from the plc data concentrator . in some cases , keep - alive requests / responses may piggyback on normal data traffic exchanged between the plc data concentrator and plc devices . fig1 and 12 are diagrams of a keep - alive request and response , according to some embodiments . as shown , the keep - alive request may include a header type block or field ( esc hdr type ) followed by a unique command identification block or field ( cmd id “ 0 × 84 ”), and the keep alive response may similarly include a header type block or field ( esc hdr type ) followed by a unique command identification block or field ( cmd id “ 0 × 85 ”). in some embodiments , if a plc device does not receive keep - alives within a defined interval , it may try to rejoin the network , for example , using the bootstrapping procedure outlined above . moreover , in some implementations , the “ plc device unreachable ” timeout used by the plc data concentrator may be configured to be smaller than the “ plc data concentrator unreachable ” used by a plc device . as such , the plc data concentrator may periodically send out beacon requests waiting for an existing or new plc device to respond . when a plc device is responding to a message from the concentrator , it may either use the default route ( to the concentrator ) to route the response or it may use the received source routing information to source route the response all the way back to the data concentrator . fig1 is a block diagram of an integrated circuit according to some embodiments . in some cases , one or more of the devices and / or apparatuses shown in fig1 - 4 may be implemented as shown in fig1 . in some embodiments , integrated circuit 1302 may be a digital signal processor ( dsp ), an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), a system - on - chip ( soc ) circuit , a field - programmable gate array ( fpga ), a microprocessor , a microcontroller , or the like . integrated circuit 1302 is coupled to one or more peripherals 1304 and external memory 1303 . in some cases , external memory 1303 may be used to store and / or maintain databases 304 and / or 404 shown in fig3 and 4 . further , integrated circuit 1302 may include a driver for communicating signals to external memory 1303 and another driver for communicating signals to peripherals 1304 . power supply 1301 is also provided which supplies the supply voltages to integrated circuit 1302 as well as one or more supply voltages to memory 1303 and / or peripherals 1304 . in some embodiments , more than one instance of integrated circuit 1302 may be included ( and more than one external memory 1303 may be included as well ). peripherals 1304 may include any desired circuitry , depending on the type of plc system . for example , in an embodiment , peripherals 1304 may implement local communication interface 303 and include devices for various types of wireless communication , such as wi - fi , zigbee , bluetooth , cellular , global positioning system , etc . peripherals 1304 may also include additional storage , including ram storage , solid - state storage , or disk storage . in some cases , peripherals 1304 may include user interface devices such as a display screen , including touch display screens or multi - touch display screens , keyboard or other input devices , microphones , speakers , etc . external memory 1303 may include any type of memory . for example , external memory 1303 may include sram , nonvolatile ram ( nvram , such as “ flash ” memory ), and / or dynamic ram ( dram ) such as synchronous dram ( sdram ), double data rate ( ddr , ddr2 , ddr3 , etc .) sdram , dram , etc . external memory 1303 may include one or more memory modules to which the memory devices are mounted , such as single inline memory modules ( simms ), dual inline memory modules ( dimms ), etc . it will be understood that various operations discussed with respect to fig5 - 12 may be executed simultaneously and / or sequentially . it will be further understood that each operation may be performed in any order and may be performed once or repetitiously . in various embodiments , the modules shown in fig2 - 4 may represent sets of software routines , logic functions , and / or data structures that are configured to perform specified operations . although these modules are shown as distinct logical blocks , in other embodiments at least some of the operations performed by these modules may be combined in to fewer blocks . conversely , any given one of the modules shown in fig2 - 4 may be implemented such that its operations are divided among two or more logical blocks . moreover , although shown with a particular configuration , in other embodiments these various modules may be rearranged in other suitable ways . many of the operations described herein may be implemented in hardware , software , and / or firmware , and / or any combination thereof . when implemented in software , code segments perform the necessary tasks or operations . the program or code segments may be stored in a processor - readable , computer - readable , or machine - readable medium . the processor - readable , computer - readable , or machine - readable medium may include any device or medium that can store or transfer information . examples of such a processor - readable medium include an electronic circuit , a semiconductor memory device , a flash memory , a rom , an erasable rom ( erom ), a floppy diskette , a compact disk , an optical disk , a hard disk , a fiber optic medium , etc . software code segments may be stored in any volatile or non - volatile storage device , such as a hard drive , flash memory , solid state memory , optical disk , cd , dvd , computer program product , or other memory device , that provides tangible computer - readable or machine - readable storage for a processor or a middleware container service . in other embodiments , the memory may be a virtualization of several physical storage devices , wherein the physical storage devices are of the same or different kinds . the code segments may be downloaded or transferred from storage to a processor or container via an internal bus , another computer network , such as the internet or an intranet , or via other wired or wireless networks . many modifications and other embodiments of the invention ( s ) will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the invention ( s ) pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions , and the associated drawings . therefore , it is to be understood that the invention ( s ) are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed . although specific terms are employed herein , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation . | 7 |
the details of fcis based - lemcs 111 , which is constructed as one embodiment , which is used to measure the averaged pulse energy of a pulsed type laser source 500 and to calibrate a commercial laser energy meter 999 with the reference and averaged pulse energy generated by chopped type laser source 600 in the structure of fcis based - lemcs 111 , which is traceable to primary level standards , are presented herein . fcis based - lemcs 111 which is the subject of the invention is completely shown in fig2 . the structural body of fcis based - lemcs 111 consists of the configuration of fcis 100 detailed in fig4 , internal steel hemisphere assembled with zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of a first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 detailed in fig5 , nine separate choppers 901 - 909 detailed in fig6 a and fig6 b , which are mountable to dc motor 599 , an electrometer 119 , a time interval counter 135 , an oscilloscope 130 , a mechanical attenuator 170 , an alignment combination 162 and a second mm optical fiber path cord 160 shown in fig1 and fig2 . even though the electrometer 119 , the time interval counter 135 , the oscilloscope 130 , the mechanical attenuator 170 , the alignment combination 162 , the first mm optical fiber path cord 150 and the second mm optical fiber path card 160 , which are general purpose measurement instruments and apparatus , are excluded from the invention individually , they are included in the invention for both the measurement procedure of the averaged pulse energies 840 of pulsed type laser source 500 , and the calibration of commercial laser energy meters 999 to be performed by using the reference and averaged pulse energies 845 of chopped type laser source 600 of fcis based - lemcs 111 , all of which are traceable to primary level standards demonstrated in fig7 . in addition to traceable measurements of the averaged pulse energy 840 of pulsed type laser source 500 by fcis based - lemcs 111 , the traceable calibration of commercial laser energy meters 999 , which measure the averaged pulse energy , are carried out by the reference and averaged pulse energies 845 generated by means of chopped type laser source 600 , which is a part of fcis based - lemcs 111 . the method of traceable calibration of commercial laser energy meters 999 via fcis based - lemcs 111 is included in the invention . the invention is summarized at the following three items ; 1 -) the averaged pulse energy measurement section of fcis based - lemcs 111 designed for measuring the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 of pulsed type laser source 500 shown in fig1 , consists of an al - integrating sphere having a diameter of 150 mm , called as fcis 100 in the invention , an internal steel hemisphere 110 assembled with zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of a first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 , which is mounted inside fcis 100 , the details of which are given in fig4 , the electrometer 119 able to measure the photocurrent i av 300 generated by the first photodiode 120 mounted on port_ 2 102 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 , the second photodiode 129 mounted on port_ 3 103 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 through the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 having zr ferrule 140 , which is to be used in time and frequency measurements together with time interval counter 135 and the oscilloscope 130 in fig1 . 2 -) the composition of fcis based - lemcs 111 , which is a series of separate choppers 901 - 909 to construct a chopped type laser source 600 generating the reference and averaged pulse energy 845 for the calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 together with all of the equipments , all of the parts , all of the configurations stated in item “ 1 -)” just above . the whole of fcis based - lemcs is shown in fig2 . the combination of a dc motor 599 with a series of separate choppers of fcis based - lemcs 111 , each of which has individual duty cycle shown in fig6 a and fig6 b , is used in establish chopped type laser source 600 generating an infinite pulse train from cw laser sources 800 in fig2 and fig3 in order to calibrate commercial laser energy meters against fcis based - lemcs 111 , traceable to primary level standards . in brief , chopped type laser source 600 of fcis based - lemcs 111 generates the reference and averaged pulse energy 845 to calibrate commercial laser energy meters 999 . 3 -) the measurement method of the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 of the pulsed type laser source 500 with fcis based - lemcs 111 , and the calibration method of a commercial laser energy meter 999 against chopped type laser source 600 of fcis based - lemcs 111 , both of which are traceable to primary level standards . due to the fact that the fcis based - lemcs 111 is one embodiment the variation in the properties and the number of the choppers generating different duty cycles doesn &# 39 ; t disturb the philosophy of the invention . additionally , fcis based - lemcs 111 described herein is one embodiment , the upper cutoff frequencies of the first photodiode 120 and the second photodiode 129 don &# 39 ; t disturb the philosophy of the invention described herein and so the photodiodes , the cutoff frequencies of which are higher than 1 mhz and 6 ghz , really and undoubtedly get better . additionally , both the first photodiode and the second photodiode specified herein can be exchanged with different types of semiconductor detector depending on the spectral power distribution of the laser to be engaged in the application . the fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 has three ports : these are laser entrance port 101 ( port_ 1 ), average optical power measurement port 102 ( port_ 2 ), and time / frequency related measurement port 103 ( port_ 3 ). these ports dwell on the same equator line of the fcis shown as in fig4 . the diameter of port_ 1 101 is 8 mm . the diameter of 8 mm of port_ 1 enables pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped gaussian laser beam 601 of chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 , sequentially shown in fig1 , fig2 , and fig8 , to enter in fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 without any contact by considering the beam waits and total beam diameters in the measurement of the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 of pulsed type laser source 500 of fig1 , in the measurement of the reference and averaged pulse energy 845 of chopped type laser source 600 of fig2 and in the determination of spectral responsivity 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 with the cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 of fig8 . the distance and beam divergence correlations among the point z = 0 and port_ 1 101 and the center of the internal steel hemisphere 110 in fig1 , fig2 , and fig8 should provide the contactless passing of the pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 , chopped gaussian laser beam 601 , and cw gaussian laser beam 799 . the following calculations related to beam waist and beam divergences to be carried out for cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 , which are used to construct chopped type laser source 600 of fcis based - lemcs 111 in fig2 by means of a series of choppers 901 - 909 shown in fig6 a , and fig6 b , which generates the reference and averaged pulse energy 845 to be used in the calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 against fcis based - lemcs 111 are also taken into account for the measurement of the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 of pulsed type laser source 500 . the four distributed feedback ( dfb ) laser diodes , each of which is called as cw laser source 800 in fcis based - lemcs 111 constructed as one embodiment in the invention , each of which individually radiates at 980 . 0 nm , 1064 . 0 nm , 1309 . 0 nm , and 1549 . 0 nm , and all the four of which have individual single mode ( sm ) optical fiber patch cards 876 assembled with the individual collimators , are used in the determination the spectral responsivity of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 in fig8 and in the traceable calibration of commercial laser energy meters 999 in fig2 obtained by means of the nine different choppers 901 - 909 shown in fig6 a and fig6 b . single mode propagation inside the optical fiber patch cords of the four laser diodes means the field distribution of quasi transverse electric mode ( lp 01 ) he 11 , no higher order modes . the width ( beam waist w ( z ), 1 / e 2 ( 13 . 53 %) points of the irradiance level ) change of the irradiance distribution at the output of the single mode optical fiber , corresponding to gaussian beam profile , is the function of the numerical aperture of the relevant single mode optical fiber of the patch cord [ 5 ] and these beam waists of the irradiance distributions diverge , depending on the distance z from the end of fiber , the wavelength and the spectral band width which is relatively narrow for dfb lasers . beam divergence of a gaussian beam is described as θ = arctan ( w ( z )/ z ) in ( rad ) or ( deg ), where w ( z ) is the beam waist at any distance z ( mm ) on the propagation way of the laser beam emerging from the output of the single mode ( sm ) optical fiber patch cord with collimator 876 of each cw laser sources 800 . the total beam divergence is equal to 2θ . for a distance of 300 mm between the output of the single mode ( sm ) optical fiber patch cord with collimator 876 and the center of the internal steel hemisphere 110 , the beam divergence calculations are performed . the distance of 300 mm means a distance extending from z = 0 to the center of internal steel hemisphere 110 where a pin hole 109 with a diameter of 0 . 1 mm is drilled and zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch card 150 is located in the center position of the internal steel hemisphere 110 and 0 . 2 mm back from the center surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 at rest position shown in fig4 and fig5 . in this case the total beam waists with the relevant divergences for the distance of 300 mm at the center of internal steel hemisphere 110 are calculated as follows : the total beam divergence 2θ = 0 . 72 mm and the total beam waist is 2 . 72 mm for 980 . 0 nm cw laser source 800 , the total beam divergence 2θ = 0 . 90 mm and the total beam waist is 3 . 30 mm for 1064 . 0 nm cw laser source 800 , the total beam divergence 2θ = 0 . 90 mm and the total beam waist is 3 . 60 mm for 1309 . 0 nm cw laser source 800 , the total beam divergence 2θ = 0 . 92 mm and the total beam waist is 3 . 72 mm for 1549 . 0 nm cw laser source 800 . port_ 2 102 is an aperture , the diameter of which is 2 mm , as shown in fig4 . the first photodiode 120 is located in port_ 2 102 . the average photocurrent measurements 300 , and 842 , which are related to the average optical power p av 301 of either pulse type laser source 500 or chopped type laser source 600 as in fig3 respectively , are carried out by means of the first photodiode 120 connected to the electrometer 119 able to measure the levels of sub - femto amperes in high accuracy mode . in addition to the averaged photocurrents labeled as 300 , and 842 , the first photodiode 120 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 generates the photocurrent i resp 200 during the traceable spectral responsivity calibration of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 , shown in fig8 . this photocurrent i resp 200 of the first photodiode is used for deriving the spectral responsivity of fcis 100 by dividing i resp 200 with p cw _ resp ( λ ) 201 , which is obtained from optical power transfer standard 809 directly . the first photodiode 120 mounted to port_ 2 102 generates the photocurrents proportional to the irradiance levels of pulsed gaussian laser beams , chopped gaussian laser beams , and cw gaussian laser beams entering from port_ 1 without saturation up to an average optical power of ˜ 158 w by considering its saturation level of 7 mw . the photocurrent produced by the first photodiode 120 is converted into voltage and averaged by the electrometer 119 . the first photodiode 120 at port_ 2 102 can operate up to a repetition rate of 1 mhz , which is the cutoff limit of the first photodiode 120 . the details about the pulse and the modulation frequency response characteristics of the first photodiode 120 are introduced in the sections “ background ” and “ summary ”. in the invented fcis based - lemcs , the first photodiode 120 located in port_ 2 102 is used for only measuring the average photocurrent 300 , and 842 resulted from the average optical powers p av 301 of pulsed type laser source 500 / chopped type laser source 600 in eq . ( 16 ) only . in measuring the time / frequency related parameters of pulsed type laser source 500 and chopped laser source 600 , the first photodiode 120 at port_ 2 102 has not any responsibility , the main and the single mission of the first photodiode 120 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 is only to measure the average photocurrents proportional to the averaged optical power levels p av 301 of pulsed type laser source / chopped type laser source as shown in fig3 . furthermore , according to eq . ( 16 ), the spectral responsivity 320 of fcis of fcis based - lemcs needed to calculate the averaged pulse energy 840 of pulsed type laser source 500 and the reference and averaged pulse energy 845 of chopped type laser source 600 , corresponding to spectral responsivity of the first photodiode 120 mounted to port_ 2 102 , is performed by its direct comparison to optical power transfer standard , calibrated against cr 803 [ 1 ] and , the first photodiode 120 produces an averaged photocurrent i resp 200 in the determination process of the spectral responsivity 320 . all the average photocurrents and i resp 200 generated produced by the first photodiode 120 mounted to port_ 2 102 are collected and averaged by the electrometer 119 , which is traceable to quantum flail resistance standard and dc josephson voltage standard through reference resistance bridge as shown in fig7 . the traceability chain for and ( a / w 320 is also demonstrated in fig7 . the aims of the use of the second photodiode 129 linked to port_ 3 103 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 through mechanical attenuator and the first mm optical fiber patch cord as in fig1 and fig2 and are i -) to perform the time / frequency related measurements of pulsed type laser source 500 chopped type laser source 600 without the effect of time constant of fcis 100 and without the effect of the relatively lower cutoff frequency of the first photodiode 120 and ii -) to coincide the optical axis 398 of fcis based - lemcs 111 with the those of the pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 highly repetitively so as to obtain high measurement reproducibility . in addition to time / frequency related measurements of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 during pe av 840 and 845 measurements , the second photodiode 129 is also used for highly repetitively coinciding the optical axis 398 of fcis based - lemcs 111 with the optical axes 398 of the pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 entering from port_ 1 inside fcis in fig1 , fig2 , and fig8 during the measurements of the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 of pulsed type laser source 500 , the determination of the averaged and reference pulse energy 845 of chopped type laser source for the calibration of commercial laser energy meters 999 , and the determination of ( a / w ) 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 against optical power transfer standard 809 . thanks to coinciding the optical axis 398 of fcis 100 with those of the pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 entering from port_ 1 inside fcis 100 by means of the inclination of 25 ° of internal steel hemisphere 110 settled inside fcis 100 in the invention , extraordinary reproducibility and repeatability in the determination of , and the measurements of pe av 840 and 845 are observed . the fc / pc connector side of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is joined to input of mechanical attenuator 180 and then the output of mechanical attenuator 180 is combined to the second photodiode 129 through the first mm optical fiber patch cord 160 . the photocurrent generated by the second photodiode 129 is transformed into voltage by a current to voltage converter 127 zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is mounted inner center surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 , which directly sees port_ 1101 , and which is settled on the equator line inside fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 with an angle , i . e . 25 ° in the invention , which is shown in fig4 . with this inclination of internal steel hemisphere 110 inside fcis 100 , the first photodiode 120 used in measuring i av 840 , 845 , and i resp 200 is protected from first reflections of pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 , and chopped gaussian laser beam 601 of chopped type laser source 600 entering in port_ 1 101 . the same approach is also valid for cw gaussian laser beam of cw laser sources used in the determination of spectral responsivity 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 against optical power transfer standard 809 , and the sufficiently diffusely reflected beams 148 depicted as in fig4 fall on the active area of the first photodiode 120 mounted to the port_ 2 102 having a diameter of 2 mm . the first reflection 149 takes place towards the wall opposite the first photodiode 120 and onto the same section of the inner surface wall of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 with the inclination of 25 ° of internal steel hemisphere 110 settled inside fcis 100 , coated with baso 4 105 , reflects the beam , which is reflected first from the center of the polished / mirrored inner surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 , interior surface of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 diffusely . the orientation of the first reflection 149 with the special inclination of 25 ° of internal steel hemisphere 110 onto the same inner surface wall of fcis 100 provides highly reproducible measurements . this placement and the inclination of internal steel hemisphere 110 on port 3 103 of fcis 100 is one of the most important properties of the invention . additionally , whenever pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 or chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 or cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 entering in fcis 100 through port_ 1 101 collides on the center of internal steel hemisphere 110 inclined , i . e . 25 ° in the invention , it is specularly reflected , called as a first reflection 149 in fig4 , to the wall opposite the first photodiode 120 settling on the same equatorial line . the pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 or chopped gaussian laser beams 601 or cw gaussian laser beam 799 colliding on the center of internal steel hemisphere 110 begins to distort and their beam waists start to expand after colliding the center of internal steel hemisphere 110 due to the inner curvature of internal steel hemisphere 110 and the presence of pin hole 109 at the center of internal steel hemisphere 110 . the distortion and the expansion of the first reflection beam 149 forms relatively very larger area on the wall coated with baso 4 105 . this type positioning and use of internal steel hemisphere 110 inside fcis 100 is very practical for not damaging baso 4 coated wall 105 of fcis 100 and moreover , a sufficient diffuse reflection interior fcis 100 in the invention occurs , increasing the measurement reproducibility in the invention . port_ 3 103 is so drilled with an angle that zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 , the length of which is 10 mm , and the outer diameter of which is 2 . 5 mm , extends to the position 0 . 2 mm back from the inner surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 as in fig4 in detail . the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 has a sio 2 core , the diameter of which is 62 . 5 μm . the crest of pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 or the crest of chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 or the crest of cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 entering in fcis 100 through port _ 1 101 is continuously fallen onto the tip of zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 shown as in fig1 , fig2 , and fig8 by means of alignment combination 162 . then the optical axis 398 of fcis 100 and the optical axes of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 shown in fig1 , fig2 , and fig8 are coincided by means of alignment combination 162 by on line tracking and maximizing the voltage amplitude at the output of a current to voltage converter 127 joined to the second photodiode 129 on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 . the relative maximum signal amplitude means that the crest of pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 or the crest of chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 or the crest of cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 directly collides / falls on zr ferrule 140 placed on the center of internal steel hemisphere 110 . this process and the configurations in the invention considerably increase the measurement reproducibility and repeatability . in order to coincide the optical axes of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 entering from port_ 1 101 with the optical axis 398 settling on the core of zr ferrule 140 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 on port_ 3 103 during the measurements of i av 300 , 842 , and i resp 200 is difficult . in order to overcome the difficulty , in the invention , an internal steel hemisphere 110 assembled with the combination of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 , mechanical attenuator 170 , the first mm optical fiber patch card 129 , and a current to voltage converter 127 is designed and is mounted inside a conventional integrating sphere which is equipped with the internal steel hemisphere 110 assembled with the zr ferrule 140 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 illustrated as in fig4 and fig5 , called fiber coupled integrating sphere 100 ( fcis ) in the invention . the internal steel hemisphere 110 having an enclosed circular area of a sh = 133 mm 2 520 in fig4 behaves as a target having a wide circular target area 520 of 133 mm 2 . even though inner surface of the internal steel hemisphere 110 is chemically and mechanically polished / mirrored , some portion of the intensive pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 , and cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 colliding inner surface of the internal steel hemisphere 110 is launched into the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 through its zr ferrule 140 , thanks to a relatively high numerical aperture of optical fiber of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 , the remaining diffuse reflectance characteristic and the inner surface curvature of internal steel hemisphere 110 , all of which provide a structural advantage for launching of some portion of pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 , chopped gaussian laser beams 601 , and cw gaussian laser beam 799 into the core of zr ferrule of the first mm optical fiber patch cord . if the intensity of the launched portion of pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 or chopped gaussian laser beams 601 or cw gaussian laser beam 799 , which is detected by the second photodiode 129 , is insufficient , the coinciding process is performed by means of alignment combination 162 between the optical axis of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 and the optical axis 398 extending the center of the inner surface of the internal steel hemisphere on port_ 3 103 . by this alignment process , the crests of pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 , chopped gaussian laser beams 601 , and cw gaussian laser beam 799 entering from port_ 1 through the pin hole 109 of 0 . 1 mm diameter at the center of the internal steel hemisphere on port_ 3 are coincided on the same optical axis 398 and the maximizing process continues until the maximum intensity to be detected by the second photodiode 129 is available and is seen on the oscilloscope 130 screen . as soon as the maximum intensity is obtained , and it is decided that the crests of pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 , chopped gaussian laser beams 601 , and cw gaussian laser beam 799 entering from port_ 1 101 directly collides to the center of the inner surface of the internal steel hemisphere 110 on which a pin hole 109 of 0 . 1 mm diameter is drilled . in this case , when i av 300 , 842 , and i resp 200 measurements are performed by the combination of the first photodiode 120 with the electrometer 119 , the time / frequency related measurements of pulsed type laser source 500 , and chopped type laser source 600 are carried out by the combination of the second photodiode 129 , current to voltage converter 127 , and time interval counter 135 of fcis based - lemcs 111 . with this type of the configuration of the first mm fiber patch cord 150 and the second mm fiber patch cord 160 assembled with internal steel hemisphere 110 through mechanical attenuator 170 , the measurement reproducibility of photocurrent parameters i av 300 , 842 , and i resp 200 , which are necessary for calculations of pe av 840 , 845 , and 320 , is relatively enhanced for any relevant gaussian type laser source , depending on the application in fcis based - lemcs such as , pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 , and cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 , because the same optical axis 398 is achieved by maximizing the photocurrent of the second photodiode 129 on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 . the maximum photocurrent from the second photodiode 129 is obtained by adjusting alignment combination 162 in fig1 , fig2 , and fig8 as soon as the peak irradiance position ( crest ) of the pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 , the chopped gaussian laser beam 601 of chopped type laser source 600 , and the cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 entering from port_ 1 101 in fcis 100 is matched with 62 . 5 μm core of zr ferrule 140 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 extending to the inner surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 . the tip of zr ferrule 140 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is located back from the inner surface of the internal steel hemisphere 110 as 0 . 2 mm and that is , zr ferrule 140 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is rest backward the center of the internal steel hemisphere 110 . in order to launch the gaussian laser beams 501 , 601 , 799 into the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 , a pin hole 109 , which is shown in fig4 and which has a diameter of 0 . 1 mm , is so drilled that the core of zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is centered with this pin hole 109 and the pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 , and cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 is first oriented to this pin hole 109 during pe av 840 , 845 , and 320 measurements by means of alignment combination 162 by directly observing the relative output signal level of the second photodiode 129 linked to current to voltage converter 127 on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 . the maximum signal on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 is p 0 ′ 401 in fig3 during pe av 840 , and 845 measurements of pulsed type laser source 500 , and chopped type laser source 600 , and the maximum signal on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 is 198 for cw laser source 800 as in fig8 during the determination of 320 . in the invention , because chopped type laser source 600 is generated from cw laser sources 800 by using a series of choppers 901 - 909 , the optical axes coinciding process can be made directly by using cw laser source 800 without chopping cw laser gaussian beams 799 just before measuring 842 and resultantly . this point is clarified in the section “ c -) calibration of a commercial laser energy meter by using chopped type laser source ”. the gaussian laser beams 501 , 601 , 799 of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 reflected from the inner surface of the internal steel hemisphere 110 are repetitively reflected towards nearly same region of fcis 100 , labeled as the first reflection 149 in fig4 , and this provides us with higher repeatability and reproducibility of optical axis alignment processes in measurements of i av 300 , 842 , and i resp 200 yielding the results of pe av 840 , 845 , and 320 together with the time / frequency related measurements t av 330 , f av 331 , 844 , and 843 to be performed by the second photodiode 129 . t av 330 , f av 331 are related parameters to pe av 840 , which is the averaged pulse energy of pulsed type laser source 500 . 844 , and 843 are related parameters to 845 , which is the reference and averaged pulse energy of chopped type laser source to be used in the calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 . for cw laser source 800 in fig8 , which has identical beam waist and divergence properties those stated in this invention , typically , an optic power of p cw _ resp ≅ 4 mw 201 of cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 entering from port_ 1 101 of fcis 100 , and falling on the center of the internal steel hemisphere 110 , the launched optical power 198 in the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 through pin hole 109 having a diameter of 0 . 1 mm stimulates a maximum dc voltage of 10 mv at the output of current to voltage converter 127 joined to the second photodiode 129 as in fig8 , which is tracked on the screen of oscilloscope 130 in real time and during all the measurements in the invention . this also corresponds to a pulse peak power p 0 ′ of 10 mv 401 for pulsed type laser source 500 , and chopped type laser source 600 . it is said that a maximum dc voltage ˜ 10 mv on the oscilloscope 130 screen matching an optical power of p cw _ resp ≅ 4 mw 201 corresponds typically to the best condition of the optical alignment between the optical axis of cw laser source 800 and the optical axis 398 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 for the port_ 1 101 , which is a circular aperture of 8 mm diameter in the invention . these typical values are given for how to operate the optical alignment procedure of fcis based - lemcs 111 in the invention . internal steel hemisphere 110 , in the center of which zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is placed , is inclined , i . e . 25 °, towards the opposite wall of the first photodiode 120 in order to prevent the first photodiode 120 from the first reflections of pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 and chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 falling onto the first photodiode 120 as shown in fig4 . the diameter of the internal steel hemisphere 110 is 13 mm and the circular target area of the internal steel hemisphere 110 is a sh = π ( 13 / 2 ) 2 = 133 mm 2 520 . due to the fact that the internal steel hemisphere 110 is inclined as i . e . 25 ° towards the opposite wall of the first photodiode 120 , the gaussian laser beams 501 , 601 , 799 entering from port_ 1 101 doesn &# 39 ; t see an enclosed circular area of a sh = 133 mm 2 520 . instead of 133 mm 2 , port_ 1 101 sees an effective circular area of 133 mm 2 × cos ( 25 °)= 120 . 54 mm 2 . the inner surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 is mechanically and chemically polished / mirrored . the increasing of the reflectivity of the inner surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 with the polishing processes prevents the inner surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 from the temperature increase , to be caused by pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 of the pulsed type laser source 500 and chopped gaussian laser beam 601 of chopped type laser source 600 , interior surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 . the penetration dept of the electromagnetic energy the interior polished surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 is infinitesimal small and the electric fields of pulsed type laser source 500 and chopped type laser source 600 induces the surface electric charges an the infinitesimal small surface depth on the polished / mirrored surface of the internal steel hemisphere 110 . this directly corresponds to no electrical charge inside the internal steel hemisphere 110 and secondary electromagnetic waves are induced by the surface charges vibrating with an optical frequency identical to that of pulsed type laser source 500 and chopped type laser source 600 . the secondary wave propagation of the pulsed type laser source 500 and chopped type laser source 600 reflected from the interface air / internal steel hemisphere 110 inner surface and zr ferrule 140 , the melting point of which is 1855 ° c ., gives rise to a scattering wave and so is reflected to the opposite wall of the first photodiode 120 inside fcis 100 with the inclination of internal steel hemisphere 110 , i . e . 25 ° in the invention . the absorption of electromagnetic wave in a metal takes places in consistent with paul drude &# 39 ; s model , based on the idea that free electrons first accelerated with electrical field of electromagnetic wave in the metal are damped with phonon collisions together with other lattice imperfections , and is strong functions of polarization of electromagnetic wave , incidence angle of beam , surface properties such as roughness , frequency of electromagnetic wave , electrical conductivity of the metal , and the temperature of the metal . in fig5 , the penetration depth is demonstrated by dark gray such as an evanescent wave penetration inside stainless steel . in three dimensional spaces , the absorbing volume of stainless steel can be regarded as a cone for the estimation of energy transferred into stainless steel body via way of heat conduction and the temperature increases inside stainless steel body of internal steel hemisphere 110 . in addition to paul drude &# 39 ; s model , fresnel formulas , which are written for wavelength dependent p - and s - polarization states in terms of optical constant of the mentioned metal , also work for absorption properties of the mentioned metal surface . for visible and ir electromagnetic fields , the penetration depth of electromagnetic wave in the metal is approximately a few tenths of nanometer . however , the typical penetration depth , in which the electromagnetic energy is strongly absorbed , is assumed as the order of a few hundreds of nanometers by considering the surface roughness , the impurities , the oxide content , the surface temperature and the possible surface defects of the inner polished surface of internal steel hemisphere , all of which cause the incoming light beam of pulsed type laser source to be trapped inside metal body , giving rise to temperature increase inside the stainless steel body . therefore the calculations in the invention , it can be assumed that the relevant laser energy is confined and absorbed within a few hundred nanometers of the inner surface of internal steel hemisphere taking the surface roughness and other affecting parameters mentioned above into account . for an ir laser of 980 nm , the penetration depth of 500 nm together with the surface roughness , the impurities , the oxide content , the surface temperature and the surface defects , which strongly affect the absorbance of the electromagnetic energy in the metal is a realistic approach , which is seen in the data obtained from atomic force microscope inspections and monte carlo simulation results [ 6 ]. the “ penetration depth ” term stated in this part should be regarded as a confined volume of inner polished surface of internal steel hemisphere , in which any pulsed gaussian laser beam is strongly absorbed and is directly converted into temperature increase inside internal steel hemisphere . one of the critical point in this invention is to calculate the temperature increase in the confined volume of the internal steel hemisphere 110 which is enclosed by the beam size of the pulsed type laser source on the target point of the internal steel hemisphere and the penetration depth of 500 nm with some degree of surface roughness . the beam sizes of pulsed type laser source 500 and chopped type laser source 600 on the target of the internal steel hemisphere 110 corresponds to the base diameter of cone and it is calculated as 2 . 72 mm for 980 nm at the worst case . by assuming that the enclosed volume in body of internal steel hemisphere 110 is a cone volume , not a cylinder , the following calculations are carried out for the worst case and scenario . the maximum single pulse energy which corresponds to the maximum value of the pulse energy of pulsed type laser source 500 , is 100 mj , the typical total ( specular plus diffuse ) reflectance of inner surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 , which is chemically and mechanically mirrored / polished , is 95 % for near ir region of the electromagnetic spectrum . the melting point of stainless steel , the material of the internal steel hemisphere , is 1510 ° c . the specific gravity of stainless steel , from which the internal steel hemisphere 110 is manufactured , is 7850 kg / m 3 . the specific heat of stainless steel is 490 j /( kg k ) and the thermal conductivity , a function of electron mobility inside metal , is 23 w /( m k ). the volume and the mass of the cone , in which electromagnetic field of pulsed type laser source 500 penetrates , is calculated as follows ; for a single pulse of 100 mj , the temperature increment is calculated by the reflection of the mirrored surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 is ˜ 95 %. in this case the absorbed energy by stainless steel for of 100 mj is around 5 mj . the temperature increment resulted from a absorbed energy of 5 mj inside the enclosed cone volume of stainless steel is , when the temperature increment of 1398 k caused by a of 100 mj inside the enclosed cone volume in the body of the internal steel hemisphere 110 , this temperature increment is dissipated inside all steel body of the internal steel hemisphere 110 , the total mass of the internal steel hemisphere 110 13 g , and it has a surface area of 3 . 9 cm 2 ( 2 . 1 cm × 1 . 85 cm and its thickness is 3 mm ) behaving as a heat sink for the enclosed cone volume of the internal steel hemisphere 110 . the heat transfer from hotter region to the surrounding and cooler region inside the stainless steel body behaving as a heat sink for the enclosed cone volume of the internal steel hemisphere 110 takes places with electron mobility and so the average electron velocity is a determinative parameter for thermal conductivity . if the heat transfer rate by heat conduction process inside stainless steel of the internal steel hemisphere 110 is known , it is possible to calculate the time elapsed for decreasing the temperature increment of 1398 k to any reasonable temperature level not damaging the material and surface conditions of the internal steel hemisphere 110 . when the pulsed gaussian beam of pulsed type laser source having a maximum pulse energy of 100 mj collides on the stainless steel with a beam diameter of 2 . 72 mm of 980 nm laser by assuming the temperature of the internal steel hemisphere 110 is in thermal equilibrium for the room temperature of 25 ° c . equal to 298k , the temperature on the target diameter of 2 . 72 mm of the stainless steel reaches 298 k + 1398k = 1696 k , corresponding to 1423 ° c . the energy transfer rate with conduction in ( j / s ) is where k is thermal conductivity of stainless steel and equal to 23 w /( m k ). a is surface area of internal steel hemisphere 110 behaving as a heat sink , and equal to 3 . 9 cm 2 and x is the thickness of the stainless steel constituting the internal steel hemisphere and equal to 3 mm . is the temperature difference of stainless steel before and after heat dissipation . now the instant temperature value on the target diameter of 2 . 72 mm of the stainless steel , once maximum single laser pulse energy of 100 mj of pulsed type laser source falls , is 1423 ° c . a temperature difference of = 1000 k can be reasonable value for not damaging the inner surface of the internal steel hemisphere 110 . from eq . ( 18 ), the energy transfer rate with conduction inside the steel body of the internal steel hemisphere is = 2990 j / s , and finally the energy of 5 mj absorbed by stainless steel is dissipated within ( 5 ( mj )/ 2990 ( j / s )= 1 . 7 μs ) in body of the internal steel hemisphere 110 . the whole mass of the internal steel hemisphere 110 is 13 g and the temperature increase inside whole body of the internal steel hemisphere 110 can be estimated as in eq . ( 19 ) by assuming that the temperature gradient is uniformly distributed inside the volume of the internal steel hemisphere 110 , the volume of the stainless steel behaving as a heat sink is equal to multiplication of the surface area of 3 . 9 cm 2 ( 2 . 1 cm × 1 . 85 cm ) with the thickness of 3 mm , yielding 1 . 17 cm 3 . the mass behaving as a heat sink is obtained by multiplying 1 . 17 cm 3 with stainless steel specific gravity , 7850 kg / m 3 , yielding = 9 . 1845 g . it should be remembered that 5 mj is directly corresponds to a pulse energy of 100 mj because of the averaged reflectivity of 95 % of the mirrored inner surface of internal steel hemisphere 110 . resultantly , temperature increase is for each laser pulse , of which is 100 mj . the result inferred from these calculations the internal steel hemisphere easily withstand the laser pulse train composed of the maximum single laser pulse energies up to = 100 mj without any degradation , if the dead time dt 312 is wider than 1 . 7 μs between two adjacent laser pulses , of which is 100 mj . if the dead time dt 312 between two adjacent pulses in fig3 , each of which has a of 100 mj , is narrower than 1 . 7 μ , this doesn &# 39 ; t allow the single pulse energy inside the body of internal steel hemisphere 110 behaving as a heat sink to dissipate sufficiently . in other words , to apply any pulse train having the dead time dt 312 , which is narrower than 1 . 7 μs , between two adjacent pulses , each of which has a of 100 mj , increases the instant temperature of the body of the internal steel hemisphere 110 , as a function of repetition frequency of pulsed type laser source 500 . on the other hand , if it is assumed that pulsed type laser source has a repetition frequency of 1 mhz and it has a of 100 mj , which matches a peak power p 0 400 of 200 kw for pw 310 = 0 . 5 μs , this is equal to 500 , 000 pulses per 1 sec ( five hundred thousand pulses ), in this case of dead time ( dt 312 )= 0 . 5 μs & lt ; 1 . 7 μs , the temperature increases quickly inside the volume of the stainless steel behaving as a heat sink and approaches to 500 , 000 ×= 550 k for pulse application of 1 s , which is the worst case . when the pulse energy increases , it is necessary to make dt 312 between two adjacent laser pulses be larger than 1 . 7 μs so as to obtain sufficient heat dissipation . however it should be remembered that the maximum average power , which corresponds to the maximum value of the averaged optical power p av 301 in fig3 , which enters from the port_ 1 101 of fcis 100 , and which corresponds to the saturation power for the first photodiode 120 of 7 mw , should be ≅ 158 w , which is a value from the ration of the active area of the first photodiode 120 to the inner surface area of 4πr 2 of fcis 100 . in this case in order to measure to the peak power p 0 400 of 200 kw via fcis without saturation of the first photodiode , the pulse width ( pw 310 ) of the peak power p 0 400 of 200 kw should be 1 . 35 ns and the dead time ( dt 312 ) should be any value wider than 1 . 7 μs for sufficient heat dissipation inside stainless steel body . however , it is seen from eq . ( 9 ), and eq . ( 10 ), the rise time of the first photodiode is 1 mhz and as a consequence , 1 . 35 ns pulse having a peak power p 0 = 200 kw 400 cannot be detected by the first photodiode 120 owing to the pulse response limit of 0 . 736 μs of the first photodiode 120 in eq . ( 9 ). note : the above calculations regarding time duration ,— which is pulse dead time ( dt ) of infinite laser pulse train ,— necessary for the sufficient dissipation of the absorbed heat resulted from the temperature increase , which is caused by the maximum pulse energy of pulsed gaussian laser beam of pulsed type laser source , inside the body of internal steel hemisphere used as a target in the invention are to give an exact method for the question of how to calculate time duration ( dead time - dt ) between two adjacent pulses , each of which has a maximum single pulse energy of 100 mj , during the application of maximum single pulse energy of 100 mj , without damage on the inner surface of internal steel hemisphere . reflectance , penetration depth , surface roughness , temperature of metal surface , specific heat of metal may change within very wide range , as well as electromagnetic wave properties such as wavelength , incident angle and its state of polarization . any change in the numerical values of these parameters that strongly affect the above calculations doesn &# 39 ; t disturb the philosophy of the invention , the correctness of the above calculations and the presented method now here we can construct the correct limit conditions for the fcis based - lemcs 111 for the parameters belonging to pulsed type laser source . the parameter here are averaged values : which is the minimum value of pw av 342 ; which is the maximum value of pw av 342 ; , which is the minimum value of dt av 340 ; which is the minimum value of t av 330 ; which is the saturation value of p av 301 for the first photodiode 120 ; and which is the maximum value of p 0 400 of the maximum peak power of either pulsed type laser source in fig3 : according to the assessments given just below eq . ( 9 ), should be equal to or larger than 736 ns for time response of the first photodiode , should be equal to or larger than 1 . 7 μs for sufficient heat dissipation at the maximum pulse energy of 100 mj from the above evaluations together with those in fig . ( 4 ). finally , the maximum averaged saturation power , which can be measured by fcis based - lemcs 111 without saturation of the first photodiode 120 is calculated as 158 w from the surface ratios of fcis 100 interior surface area and active area of the first photodiode 120 . resultantly , by using eq . ( 4 ) for an infinite laser pulse train having a period of = 0 . 736 μs + 1 . 7 μs = 2 . 436 μs and we can calculate the maximum peak power to be measured through fcis based - lemcs 111 for an infinite laser pulse train having an averaged duty cycle av 299 as in eq . ( 5 ), an infinite laser pulse train having a maximum peak power = 522 w calculated from eq . ( 21 ), the of which is 0 . 736 μs and the of which is 1 . 7 μs creates an averaged pulse energy pe av 840 of ˜ 384 μj on fcis based - lemcs 111 and it can be measured without damage on internal steel hemisphere surface and without saturation of the first photodiode . for the maximum averaged pulse energy of 100 mj of fcis based - lemcs 111 , the maximum pulse width for the maximum peak power of 522 w of pulsed type laser source , which can be detected by the first photodiode 120 without saturation , is calculated by dividing 100 mj with = 522 w and the result is 1 . 9 × 10 − 4 s . in brief , the ultimate limit parameters for measuring the averaged pulse energy of pulsed type laser source 500 , which fcis based - lemcs 111 in the invention can measure , are summarized as minimum averaged pulse width , ≅ 0 . 736 μs , averaged minimum dead time , ≅ 1 . 7 μs , producing a minimum repetition period of ≅ 2 . 436 μs , corresponding to an averaged repetition frequency of 410509 hz and the maximum pulse width , ≅ 1 . 9 × 10 − 4 40 s for a maximum peak power ≅ 522 w , which can be detected by the first photodiode without saturation and the averaged saturation power for the first photodiode 120 is . mechanical attenuator 170 , which is joined to the ceramic ferrule of fc / pc connector of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 120 , is used to attenuate the some portion of the pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 launched into zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 assembled with internal steel hemisphere 110 . in this invention , although the limited numerical aperture of 0 . 25 rad of the optical fiber core of zr ferrule 140 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 inherently protects the second photodiode 129 , a mechanical attenuator 170 is also engaged for an additional protection of the second photodiode 129 against high level of optical power exposure during time and frequency measurements of the pulse type laser sources 500 having a relatively high peak power . due to the fact that the second photodiode 129 is only used for time / frequency related measurements , mechanical attenuator 170 is kept on high attenuation position . high attenuation position of mechanical attenuator 170 is reduced to low attenuation position by observing the voltage on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 , pe av ( f av ) 840 value of which is to be measured , until the pulse levels of pulsed type laser source 500 are seen on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 . when the sufficient pulse level is seen on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 , the averaged repetition period t av 330 and the averaged repetition frequency f av 331 of pulsed type laser source in eq . ( 16 ) are measured directly by the combination of the second photodiode 129 , current to voltage converter 127 , and time interval counter 135 in fig1 , which is calibrated traceable to 133 cs ( or 87 rb ) atomic frequency standard 804 , in average mode . the second photodiode 129 is used for the time measurements , cutoff limit is 6 ghz and the cutoff limit of the successive current to voltage converter 127 is 10 ghz . because fcis based - lemcs 111 described in this invention is one embodiment , the upper cutoff frequencies are acceptable and better than 1 mhz and 6 ghz for both photodiodes designated as the first photodiode 120 and the second photodiode 129 . additionally , both photodiodes called as the first photodiode 120 and the second photodiode 129 herein can be exchanged with different types of semiconductor detector depending on the spectral power distribution of the laser in the application . types of cw laser sources 800 which are used for constructing chopped type laser sources 600 , generating the reference and averaged pulse energy 845 , in fcis based - lemcs 111 , which is to be engaged in the traceable calibration of commercial laser energy meters 999 , are not included in the invention . however , the compatibilities and the dimensional relationships of the following parameters in terms of their sizes , and their locations together with the measurement and the calibration methods to be explained in section “ 3 . measurement method of pulse energy of pulsed type laser source and calibration of commercial laser energy meter by fcis based - lemcs ” are included in the invention . the compatibilities and the dimensional correlations to be included in the invention , which are the additions to the three main ideas / items given at the end of “ description ” section , are ; a -) the geometrical dimension of port_ 1 101 with respect to full sizes of beam of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 entering from port_ 1 101 , and their beam waists , b -) beam divergences of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 starting from z = 0 , depending on the distance on the optical axis 398 with respect to size and location of the internal steel hemisphere 110 , c -) the size of internal steel hemisphere 110 with respect to the size and dimension of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 , its angular inclination and its position with respect to port_ 2 102 , d -) the position of zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch card 150 assembled with the internal steel hemisphere 110 at port_ 3 with respect to position of port_ 1 101 for pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 , chopped gaussian laser beam 601 . and cw gaussian laser beam 799 beam entering from port_ 1 101 and having the calculated beam divergences . a series of the choppers 901 - 909 of fcis based - lemcs 111 invented are used for constructing chopped type laser source 600 generating the reference and averaged pulse energies 845 for the calibration of commercial laser energy meters 999 traceable to primary level standards by chopping the cw gaussian laser beams 799 of cw laser sources 800 in fig2 . which are called the first cw laser_ 1 , the second cw laser_ 2 , the third cw laser_ 3 , and the fourth cw laser_ 4 . these cw laser sources 800 , at same time , are operated in the determination of the spectral responsivity 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 in cw regime / mode , shown in fig8 . with the choppers 901 - 909 used in this invention , the cw gaussian laser beams 799 of the first cw laser_ 1 , the second cw laser_ 2 , the third cw laser_ 3 , and the fourth cw laser_ 4 are chopped with variable duty cycles 322 . the duty cycles changing from 0 . 17 to 0 . 84 via dc motor 599 having high quality rare earth doped magnet are obtained for the repetition frequencies 321 ( f = 1 / t ), from 5 hz to 2 khz in the calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 against fcis based - lemcs 111 in fig2 . the adjustment of duty cycle continues up to 2 khz via a dc motor 599 . modulation frequency depends on the angular rate generated by the dc motor and the duty cycle 322 at any modulation frequency generated via dc motor 599 relies on the angular slit of any chopper joined to dc motor 599 . the combination of the explained choppers 901 - 909 , cw laser sources 800 and dc motor 599 having high quality rare earth doped magnet in fcis based - lemcs 111 forms the infinite laser pulses having stable pulse energies stated as the reference and averaged pulse energy 845 for calibrating commercial laser energy meters 999 in fig2 and n is equal to 1 for the infinite laser pulses in time domain . in this invention , the different repetition periods t ( s ) 320 of the chopped gaussian laser beams having an duty cycles 299 varying 0 . 17 to 0 . 84 are generated , these repetition periods t ( s ) 320 are precisely measured by removing the negative effects of time constant of fcis 100 and the relatively lower cutoff frequency of the first photodiode 120 by means of new placement type of the second photodiode 129 mounted to the fcis 100 . finally a new method and a new configuration of integrating sphere , called fcis in this invention , are put into progress to calibrate the pulse energy pe clem ( j ) scales of the commercial laser energy meters 999 . the chopper 901 - 909 details used in fcis based - lemcs 111 are given in the drawings separately , from fig6 a to fig6 b . the metal coppers 901 - 909 used in this invention are made from stainless steel and engraved by means of a computer controlled - laser cutting machine with high precision . the choppers 901 - 909 are so designed that they have 15 periods in one complete turn and each period is 24 °. the full diameter of each chopper 901 - 909 is 106 mm , the thickness of each chopper 901 - 909 is 1 mm . the closed section of the chopper 901 - 909 generating a duty cycle 322 of 0 . 83 in fig6 a is so designed and engraved that the cw gaussian laser beam 799 , which has a beam waist of 2 . 8 mm at z = 0 , corresponding to the widest beam waist used herein , is completely blocked . the averaged duty cycle is duty cycle av 299 measured as an averaged value by time interval counter 130 and it is considered as time / frequency related measurements in the invention . the open section of the chopper 901 - 909 generating a duty cycle 322 of 0 . 17 in fig6 b is so designed and engraved that the cw gaussian laser beam 799 , which has a beam waist of 2 . 8 mm at z = 0 , is completely passed . with this mechanical chopping process , the zero level of chopped gaussian laser beam , the 845 of which is to be measured , is exactly generated and as a result , the leakage ( background ) current in 842 caused by exactly not zeroing the optical power to be entered in fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 is prevented and the undesired contribution at the leakage ( background ) current in 842 , which electronic modulation may cause this type error because of the insufficient reversed bias , is removed for each duty cycle 322 at any averaged repetition frequency 843 and this uncertainty source is disregarded with mechanical chopping processes , generated by the choppers detailed in drawings referred as fig6 a and fig6 b . if an electronic modulator is used for applying pulse modulation to any laser operating in cw regime / mode , the zero level of the pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 should be considered and subtracted in the calculation as a background ( leakage current ). if this background ( leakage ) current level due to not zeroing the output of modulated gaussian laser beams with the electronic modulation is not considered , it causes wrong pulse energy calculations and it increases the measurement uncertainty in the calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 . however , the use of a series of the chopper 901 - 909 in producing the chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 in this invention prevents the problematic and the undesired condition and reduces the measurement uncertainty caused by not getting zero level . jitter of the dc motor 599 , to which the choppers 901 - 909 is mounted as in fig2 , and which has a rare earth doped magnet , has an rms value of 0 . 2 ° at 1 khz . this value is obtained , comparing a reference frequency of 1 khz with the chopped gaussian laser beams 601 coming from the chopper having 0 . 5 duty cycle 322 , by time interval counter 130 . for the constant peak power p 0 400 of the chopped gaussian laser beam 601 as in fig3 , the maximum and minimum pulse energy to be generated by means of the chopper configuration , depending on the repetition frequency f ( hz ) 321 , the repetition period t ( s ) 320 , dead time dt ( s ) 312 , pulse width pw ( s ) 310 , and duty cycle 322 in the invention are given at the following . the repetition frequency f ( hz ) 321 range , over which commercial laser energy meters 999 are calibrated in fcis based - lemcs 111 in this invention extends from 5 hz to 2 khz by means of the nine separate choppers for the duty cycle 322 ranges 0 . 17 to 0 . 83 shown in fig6 a . and fig6 b . in this case the maximum energy via these choppers 901 - 909 to be engaged in the calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 in fcis based - lemcs is calculated as follows . superscript “ _clem ” shows the relevant parameter in the calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 . for the repetition frequencies f ( hz ) 321 which corresponds to the averaged repetition frequency f av 331 , in eq . ( 16 ); in order to produce the maximum energy for the constant peak power p 0 400 by means of the combination of one of the choppers 901 - 909 and dc motor 599 in the invention , the maximum pulse width pw ref _ clem _ max corresponding to the minimum repetition frequency at maximum duty cycle duty cycle ref _ clem _ max should be adjusted and in the case of maximum pulse width pw ref _ clem _ max , 842 is obtained as the maximum photocurrent in the first photodiode 120 of fcis 100 . according to cw laser source 800 used in this invention which corresponds to the minimum value of 320 , is equal to the spectral responsivity of fcis 100 at 980 nm , which is changeable value from application to application . in this invention the minimum repetition frequency hz , corresponding the maximum repetition period = 200 ms and duty cycle ref _ clem _ max = 0 . 83 for the chopper 901 given in fig6 a , the corresponding the maximum pulse width . the final equation for eq . ( 22 ) is minimum energy for these choppers 901 - 909 to be engaged in the calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 in fcis based - lemcs 111 is calculated as follows ; for the averaged repetition frequencies f ( hz ) 321 , which corresponds to the averaged repetition frequency f av 331 , in eq . ( 16 ); in order to produce the minimum energy for the constant peak power p 0 400 by means of the combination of one of the choppers 901 - 909 and dc motor 599 in the invention , the minimum pulse width pw ref _ clem _ min corresponding to the maximum repetition frequency at the minimum duty cycle should be adjusted and in the case of the minimum pulse width pw ref _ clem _ min , 842 is obtained as the minimum in the first photodiode 120 of fcis 100 . according to cw laser source 800 used in this invention , which corresponds to the maximum value of 320 , is equal to the spectral responsivity of fcis 100 at 1549 nm , which is changeable value from application to application . in this invention the maximum repetition frequency khz , corresponding minimum repetition period = 0 . 5 ms and duty cycle ref _ clem _ min = 0 . 17 for the chopper 909 given in fig6 b , the corresponding the minimum pulse width . the final equation for eq . ( 25 ) is , in order to protect the operator from the laser beam reflected the closed section of the relevant chopper 901 - 909 , the suitable protection equipments for both body and eye safety should be used . the changing of these values presented here doesn &# 39 ; t disturb the philosophy of this invention because fcis based - lemcs 111 together with the methods to be described in the below section 3 against fcis based - lemcs 111 traceable to primary level standards constitutes one embodiment . 3 . measurement method of pulse energy of pulsed type laser source and calibration of commercial laser energy meter by fcis based - lemcs the section “ determination of the spectral responsivity of fcis based - lemcs ” describes the method of determining the spectral responsivity 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs with respect to the optical power transfer standard 809 calibrated against cryogenic radiometer 803 in near ir region by using cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 in fig8 . the section “ method of measuring the averaged pulse energy pe av of a pulsed type laser source by means of fcis based - lems ” describes the method of measuring the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 with pulsed gaussian laser beams of a pulsed type laser source 500 emitting in near ir region covering the spectral range in the invention , in which the spectral responsivity 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 is determined , in fig1 . due to the fact that the fcis based - lemcs 111 is constructed as one embodiment , the changing in the spectral region specified as near ir above doesn &# 39 ; t change the philosophy of the invention . the section “ calibration of a commercial laser energy meter by using chopped type laser source in fcis based - lems ” describes how to calibrate any commercial laser energy meter against the chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 generated by means of the combination of cw laser with the nine separate choppers as an infinite wave train , the averaged pulse energy 845 of which was measured by fcis based - lemcs , generating a calibration factor called γ 945 as in fig2 . these methods described in this section are included in this invention . in this invention , in order to determine the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 of pulsed type laser source 500 and to determine the averaged pulse energy 845 of chopped type laser source 600 , the configurations of fcis based - lemcsm illustrated in fig1 and fig2 are used for directly measuring the average photocurrents i av 300 and 842 related to the averaged pulse energies 840 and 845 emerging from the pulsed type laser source 500 and chopped type laser source 600 by means of the first photodiode 120 in turn , and are used for directly measuring the average repetition periods t av 330 and 844 and the average repetition frequencies f av 331 and 843 of pulsed type laser source 500 , and chopped type laser source 600 by means of the second photodiode 129 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 . in order to calculate the pulse energies of pulsed type laser source 500 , and chopped type laser source 600 , the spectral responsivity 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 assembled with the first photodiode 120 is required . for a continuous type laser designated as cw laser source 800 herein , meaning not modulated in time domain and so not containing no additional frequency component related to the modulation in time domain , the average optical power is the same as its peak power and the same case is valid for the average photocurrent and the peak photocurrent as well . after this brief and repeated evaluation , the determination of spectral responsivity 320 of the first photodiode 120 of fcis based - lemcs is accomplished with the configuration in fig7 . superscript “ resp ” shows the relevant parameter in the determination of spectral responsivity 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs . in determination of the setup of fcis based - lemcs shown in fig8 is configured . the cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 is not chopped , and the optical power of cw laser source p cw _ resp 201 directly is fallen in fcis 100 in the continuous regime ( cw ). in this condition , fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs works as a conventional integrating sphere , except for internal steel hemisphere assembled with the second photodiode designed in the invention . the first photodiode 120 produces the photocurrent i resp ( a ) 200 proportional to the optical power of cw laser source p cw _ resp ( w ) 201 , which is measured by means of optical power transfer standard 809 . i resp ( a ) 200 measured by the first photodiode 120 is traceable to dc josephson voltage system 801 and quantum flail resistance system 802 through electrometer 119 shown as in fig7 and fig8 . the same cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 is fallen onto optical power transfer standard 809 shown in fig8 and fig7 , and then ( w ) is obtained as a traceable to cryogenic radiometer 803 in fig7 . resultantly , the derived spectral responsivity of fcis based - lemcs 320 is fully traceable to primary level standards . 320 is the spectral response of the first photodiode 120 in fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 . the second photodiode 129 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 , which is mainly used for measuring the time related measurements , and which sees port_ 1 101 in directly opposite position , is also used for coinciding the input laser beams on the same optical axis with respect to the pin hole 109 at the center of internal steel hemisphere 110 settled on port_ 3 103 axis in different measurements . with this type of configuration of the second photodiode 129 in the invention , in addition to time related measurements in the calculations of and , the highly repetitive measurements in the determination of spectral responsivity 320 , and the average photocurrents i av 300 and 842 related to the averaged pulse energies 840 and 845 are obtained because the input laser beams are collided on the pin hole 109 at the center of internal steel hemisphere 110 by tracking and maximizing the signal of the second photodiode on the oscilloscope 130 screen for gaussian laser beams 501 / 601 of pulsed type laser source 500 , chopped type laser source 600 , and cw laser source 800 . the second photodiode 129 in the determination of the spectral responsivity 320 of fcis based - lemcs is only engaged for identical optical alignment of cw laser source 800 towards inside of fcis on the same optical beam path as in fig8 . the details of determining the spectral responsivity 320 of fcis based - lemcs are given in the following in item by item manner for easy understanding the process . in the numbering showing the steps to be applied , “ a ” shows that this measurement series belongs to “ a -) determination of the spectral responsivity of fos based - lemcs ” and numbers as 1 , 2 , and etc . shows the sequence number of the steps being applied . a - 1 ) first , cw laser source 800 lasing at wavelength λ ( nm ) given in fig8 is run with a rated power of 10 mw and the cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 is oriented to port_ 1 of fcis of fcis based - lemcs . the output powers of cw laser sources 800 are reduced to a few mw level by using neutral density filters to guarantee eye safety together with eye protection equipments in optical alignment , the optical densities of which extends to 2 . 5 , which are located in front of the collimators at z = 0 . a - 2 ) by using an ir viewer card having a compatible spectral range with that of cw laser source 800 , the cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 is centered on port_ 1 . the compatibilities and the relationships among the beam waists , the size of port_ 1 101 , and the size of internal steel hemisphere , emphasized in “ details of fcis ” subsection of “ description ” section , is taken into account in this step . a - 3 ) the centered cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 at port_ 1 101 is fallen onto the internal steel hemisphere on port_ 3 by adjusting the alignment combination in fig8 . a - 4 ) as soon as the cw gaussian laser beam 799 entering from port_ 1 101 is fallen on the internal steel hemisphere 110 , the inner diameter of which is 13 mm shown as in fig3 , the second photodiode 129 assembled with the internal steel hemisphere 110 on port_ 3 103 starts to detect the optical flux launched into the core of zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 through pin hole 109 due to inner curvature structure of internal steel hemisphere 110 . a - 5 ) the hemisphere structure of the internal steel hemisphere 110 in the invention enables the cw gaussian laser beam 799 being captured by a 0 . 25 rad numerical aperture of the core of zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 . a - 6 ) the photocurrent generated by the second photodiode 129 , transformed into voltage by means of current to voltage converter 127 in fig8 and the output voltage of current to voltage converter 127 is maximized in real time by adjusting the alignment combination in fig8 . the maximum output voltage is obtained when the maximum irradiance level of cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 is coincided with pin hole 109 of 0 . 1 mm detailed in fig4 . a - 7 ) with this process described in this invention , the measurement reproducibility for the different measurements is enhanced because the crest corresponding to the maximum irradiance level of cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 entering from port_ 1 is targeted on the same point defined by the pin hole 109 of 0 . 1 mm , back of which 62 . 5 with diameter core the core of zr ferrule 140 of hms type connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch card 150 is rest i placed , by maximizing the output voltage of current to voltage converter 127 combined to the second photodiode 129 on port_ 3 on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 in real time . a - 8 ) in the condition of the maximum output voltage of current to voltage converter 127 , which corresponds to the second photodiode 129 detects the crest of the cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 , the photocurrent i resp ( a ) 200 generated by the first photodiode 120 is read out proportional to the power p cw _ resp ( λ ) 201 of cw laser source 800 lasing at wavelength λ ( nm ) by means of electrometer 119 . a - 9 ) after obtaining the photocurrent i resp ( a ) 200 generated by the first photodiode , the same cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 is applied to optical power transfer standard 809 by substituting optical power transfer standard 809 for fcis based - lemcs . with this application , the optical power p cw _ resp ( λ ) 201 of cw laser source 800 for wavelength λ ( nm ) is obtained from optical power transfer standard 809 , traceable to cr 803 , in w . a - 10 ) these steps are repeated for the remaining of cw laser source 800 and the spectral responsivities of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs are calculated by proportioning i resp ( a ) 200 to p cw _ resp ( w ) 201 as ( a / w ) 320 to be used in the calculations of pe av 840 and 845 in according to eq . ( 16 ). in this invention , four cw laser sources 800 are used , but any change in the number , wavelength , spectral bandwidth , and similar characteristics of lasers used in the invention doesn &# 39 ; t change the philosophy of the invention . different lasers can be used . a - 11 ) the results of spectral responsivity ( a / w ) 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 described in this invention together with the related partial uncertainties are given below ; any change in these results introduced here doesn &# 39 ; t change the philosophy of the invention because the fcis based - lemcs together with the methods described in the section 3 is one embodiment . these spectral responsivities ( a / w ) 320 are used in the calculations of the averaged pulse energies pe av 840 and 845 of pulsed type laser source , and chopped type laser source , generating infinite pulse train in time domain , the wavelengths of which are conform to these wavelengths 980 . 0 nm , 1064 . 0 mu , 1309 . 0 nm , and 1549 . 0 nm , according to eq . ( 16 ). typical relative standard ( combined ) uncertainty is calculated as 0 . 80 % ( k = 1 ) from the measurement series related to the determination of the spectral responsivity ( a / w ) 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 , which includes the all the uncertainty components coming from the calibrations of the transfer standards calibrated against these primary level standards in fig7 as well as the individual uncertainties of the primary level standards in fig7 . b -) method of measuring the averaged pulse energy pe av of a pulsed type laser source by means of fcis based - lemcs ; after completion of determination the spectral responsivities ( a / w ) 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 performed according to the sequential steps specified in the above section of “ determination of the spectral responsivity of fcis based - lemcs ”, the main configuration depicted in fig1 is considered , which is the main configuration of this invention to measure the averaged pulse energy of a pulsed type laser source 500 as a function of the repetition frequency f av 331 . in order to measure the averaged pulse energy of pulsed type laser source by using fcis based - lemcs , pulsed type laser source 500 instead of chopped type laser source 600 depicted in fig2 is placed opposite port_ 1 101 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 . according to eq . ( 16 ), the pulse energy related parameters of 320 , t av 330 , f av 331 and i av 300 should be measured . 320 is determined by the sequential steps given in the section of “ determination of the spectral responsivity of fcis based - lemcs ”. the remaining parameters of the averaged pulse energy pe av ( j ) 840 in eq . ( 16 ), which are i av 300 , f av 331 , f av 331 , i av 300 , are directly measured by fcis based - lemcs designed in this invention and the operation steps to measure these parameters of the pulsed type laser source are introduced as the sequential operation steps at the following . in the measurement of the averaged pulse energy pe av ( j ) 840 of pulsed type laser source 500 : if the spectra of pulsed type laser source 500 , the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 of which is to be measured by fcis based - lemcs 111 , is different from 320 determined by the steps stated in the section of “ determination of the spectral responsivity of fcis based - lemcs ”, a suitable fitting programs to make interpolation is engaged by taking the spectral responsivity 320 of the first photodiode 120 mounted to fcis 100 into account . the first photodiode 120 mounted on port_ 2 102 of fcis based - lemcs 111 is used for measuring i av 300 , corresponding to p av 301 of the pulsed type laser source . the second photodiode 129 assembled with internal steel hemisphere 110 and mounted on port_ 3 103 of fcis based - lemcs 111 is used for measuring the averaged repetition period t av 330 , the averaged repetition frequency f av 331 , and number of pulses n of pulsed type laser source 500 , which is considered in a burst type laser source , and it is n = 1 for infinite pulse train having constant repetition period t ( s ) 320 . in this invention n = 1 for pulsed type laser source 500 producing infinite laser pulse train in time domain . the second photodiode 129 assembled with internal steel hemisphere 110 and mounted on port_ 3 103 of fcis of fcis based - lemcs , in addition to time / frequency related measurements , is also used for alignment of pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 entering from port_ 1 101 is targeted on the same point defined by the pin hole 109 of 0 . 1 mm , back of which 62 . 5 μm diameter core of zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is located , by maximizing the output voltage of current to voltage converter 127 combined to the second photodiode 129 on port_ 3 103 on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 in real time . in the numbering showing the steps to be applied , “ b ” shows that this measurement series belongs to the section of “ b -) method of measuring the averaged pulse energy pe av of a pulsed type laser source by means of fcis based - lemcs ” and numbers as 1 , 2 , and etc . shows the sequence number of the steps being applied . b - 1 ) first , chopped type laser source 600 , which is a part of fcis based - lemcs invented , is removed from fcis based - lemcs illustrated in fig2 and pulsed type laser source 500 , the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 of which is to be measured according to eq . ( 16 ), is placed opposite port_ 1 101 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 as in fig1 b - 2 ) pulsed type laser source 500 lasing at wavelength λ ( nm ) given in fig1 is run and the pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 is oriented to port_ 1 101 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 as in fig1 . b - 3 ) the output peak power levels p 0 400 of pulsed type laser source 500 are reduced to a few mw level in order to guarantee eye safety together with eye protection equipments by using one of the suitable one of the neutral density filters , the optical densities of which extends to 2 . 5 , which are located in front of the collimators at z = 0 . b - 4 ) by using an ir viewer card having a compatible spectral range with that of pulsed type laser source , the peak power levels p 0 400 of the pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 is reduced by a suitable neutral density filter , and the pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 are centered on port_ 1 by means of alignment combination 162 in fig1 . the compatibilities and the relationships among the beam waists , the size of port_ 1 , and the size of internal steel hemisphere , emphasized in “ details of fcis ” subsection of “ description ” section , should be taken into account in this step . b - 5 ) as soon as the pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 entering from port_ 1 101 is fallen on the internal steel hemisphere 110 , the inner diameter of which is 13 mm shown as in fig4 , the second photodiode 129 assembled with the internal steel hemisphere 110 on port_ 3 103 starts detecting the optical flux entering from port_ 1 101 . b - 6 ) the maximization of the voltage output of current to voltage converter 127 combined to the second photodiode 129 assembled with the internal steel hemisphere 110 on port_ 3 which starts to detect the pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 entering from port_ 1 101 is performed by means of alignment combination 162 and by tracking the screen of the oscilloscope 130 in real time . with this process in the invention , the measurement reproducibility for individual and independent pulse energy measurements is enhanced because the crest corresponding to the maximum irradiance level ( crest ) of pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 entering from port_ 1 101 is targeted on the same point defined by the pin hole 109 having a diameter of 0 . 1 mm , back of which 62 . 5 μm diameter core of zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is rest / located . the amplitude of the maximization voltage on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 is not important . what is important at this point is to obtain maximum voltage and maximum voltage is obtained when the crest of the maximum irradiance level of the pulsed gaussian laser beam 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 entering from port_ 1 101 collides on the center of the pin hole 109 having a diameter of 0 . 1 mm , back of which 62 . 5 μm diameter core of zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is rest / located . b - 7 ) after completion of the maximization process , the output pulse power p 0 400 of pulsed type laser source 500 is adjusted to its normal operation power level to be measured and the second photodiode 129 assembled with internal steel hemisphere 110 on port_ 3 103 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 starts to be directly used for time / frequency related measurements , which are the averaged repetition frequency f av ( hz ) 331 , the averaged repetition period t av ( s ) 330 , the averaged pulse width pw av ( s ) 342 , the averaged dead time dt av ( s ) 340 , and the averaged duty cycle av 299 which is normalized to 1 . b - 8 ) the pulsed voltage signal at the output of current to voltage converter 127 connecting to the second photodiode 129 through mechanical attenuator 170 on port_ 3 103 , caused by pulsed type laser source 500 operating in its normal operation power level , is observed on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 . b - 9 ) the time / frequency related parameters of the pulsed gaussian laser beams 501 of pulsed type laser source 500 , the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 in eq . ( 16 ) of which is aimed to be measured , are directly measured and averaged in real time without the effect of time constant τ of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 and the effect of of the pulse response of the first photodiode 120 by time interval counter 135 in fig1 , which is traceable to 133 cs ( or 87 rb ) atomic frequency standard in fig7 , to which current to voltage converter 127 and the second photodiode 129 , are consecutively connected in this invention . the averaged repetition period t av ( s ) 330 , and the averaged repetition frequency f av ( hz ) 331 obtained from this measurement are the same parameters as those in eq . ( 16 ). b - 10 ) during the measurement of the averaged repetition frequency f av ( hz ) 331 and the averaged repetition period t av ( s ) 330 of pulsed type laser source 500 , the first photodiode 120 measures the average photocurrent i av ( a ) 300 in fig1 and fig3 , proportional to the average optical power p av ( w ) 301 in fig3 , simultaneously as an advantage of this invention . b - 11 ) the resultant and averaged pulse energy pe av ( f av ) 840 in eq . ( 16 ), as a function of the averaged repetition frequency f av 331 , is calculated with the data series , i av ( a ) 300 obtained from “ b - 11 ”, the repetition period t av ( s ) 330 obtained from “ b - 10 ”, by considering = 1 /( 2πr eq c eq )= 995222 hz from the equivalent circuit 171 of the first photodiode 120 in fig3 and 320 obtained from the section of “ a -) determination of the spectral responsivity of fcis based - lemcs ”. b - 12 ) the maximum pw , ≦ 1 . 9 × 10 − 4 s corresponding to = 100 mj pulse energy for a maximum peak power = 522 w , which matches the peak power level p 0 400 of pulsed type laser source 500 in fig2 which can be detected by the first photodiode 120 without saturation . the ultimate limit parameters of pulsed type laser source 500 to be measured by fcis based - lemcs 111 for the maximum peak laser power of = 522 w in the invention are , minimum pulse width , ≅ 0 . 736 μs , corresponding to pe av 840 of 384 μj obtained from the pulse response characteristic of the first photodiode 120 , and minimum dead time , ≅ 1 . 7 μs from the necessary time of sufficient heat dissipation inside the internal steel hemisphere 110 as a target , which produces the minimum averaged repetition period of of 2 . 436 μs , corresponding to a maximum averaged repetition frequency of 410509 hz . in the measurement of the averaged pulse energy of pulsed type laser source 500 lasing properly to the infinite pulse wave train given in fig3 by means of fcis based - lemcs 111 , the compatibility of the beam sizes with port_ 1 101 and port_ 3 103 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 , and the permissible maximum energy level to be applied to fcis based - lemcs 111 should be taken into account and the calculations and approaches given in this invention should be regarded . pulse energies of pulsed type laser source 500 operating in burst mode can be measured by fcis based - lemcs 111 by applying the suitable integrating / averaging time settings of electrometer 119 in fig1 . in this section a brief uncertainty evaluation for fcis based - lemcs in this invention are introduced . this uncertainty analysis covers a pulse energy pe av 840 of 40 μj and pulse energy pe av 840 of 100 mj for a pulsed type laser source 500 lasing at 1549 . 0 nm ( f av = 500 hz , duty cyde = 0 . 5 ) and 1064 . 0 nm ( f av 5 hz , duty cycle = 0 . 83 ) respectively . for both averaged repetition frequencies 331 are very very smaller than = 995222 hz and the frequency response term of eq . ( 16 ), yields 1 , so this term is not included in the uncertainty model function . the partial uncertainties of the uncertainty budgets given in fig9 a and fig9 b are u ( i av ) 351 , u ( f av ) 352 , u ( r fcis ) 353 . these partial uncertainties includes the standard ( combined ) uncertainties coming from the traceable calibrations of electrometer 119 , time interval counter 135 to primary level standards shown in fig7 , and the spectral responsivity determination 320 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 against optical power transfer standard 809 shown in fig7 and fig8 . the inclusion of these standard uncertainties coining from the individual calibration of electrometer 119 , time interval counter 135 , and 320 in the individual and relevant partial uncertainty value , designated as u ( i av ) 351 , u ( f av ) 352 , u ( r fcis ) 353 , is executed as root of summing of the squared values of the standards uncertainties . the largest uncertainty portion in both u ( i av ) 351 , and u ( f av ) 352 is composed of the standard deviations during the measurement of the average photocurrent i av 300 generated by the first photodiode 120 in eq . ( 16 ), and the measurement of the averaged repetition frequency f av ( hz ) 331 ( or repetition period t av ( s ) 330 ), which have normal type distribution functions ( multiplier = 1 ). because u ( r fcis ) 353 is a predefined value obtained from the determination of described in the section of “ a -) determination of the spectral responsivity of fcis based - lemcs ”, it is included in both of the uncertainty budgets as rectangular type distribution function ( multiplier =). regarding u ( σ repro ) 354 , which is named as the partial uncertainty in the error σ repro 329 in the measurement reproducibility of the averaged pulse energy of the pulsed type laser source ; the error σ repro 329 in the measurement reproducibility is zero for perfect reproducibility in the uncertainty calculation . the partial uncertainty u ( σ repro ) 354 in the error σ repro 329 of the measurement reproducibility of the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 is calculated by using the standard deviations of the averaged pulse energy pe av 840 values obtained from the successive positioning processes of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 opposed to the collimator of the pulsed type laser source at z = 0 . c -) calibration of a commercial laser energy meter by using chopped type laser source in fcis based - lems ; in the numbering showing the steps to be applied , “ c ” shows that this measurement series belongs to the section of “ c -) calibration of a commercial laser energy meter by using chopped type laser source in fcis based - lems ” and numbers as 1 , 2 , and etc . shows the sequence number steps being applied . superscript “ _clem ” shows the relevant parameter in the calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 . c - 1 ) the complete setup demonstrated in fig2 , called as fcis based - lemcs 111 , is configured for traceable calibration of commercial laser energy meter 999 by using chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 , which are generated by means of the combination of dc motor 599 with a series chopper 901 - 909 from cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 , called four dfb lasers . c - 2 ) depending on the measurement range of commercial laser energy meter 999 , the selections of the relevant chopper having a individual duty cycle 322 , repetition frequency f ( hz ) 322 , and the peak power p 0 400 of chopped type laser source 600 according to the eq . ( 16 ). c - 3 ) cw laser source 800 lasing at wavelength λ ( nm ) given in fig2 is run and the cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser source 800 is oriented to port_ 1 101 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 when dc motor 599 is not activated and so the chopper 901 - 909 doesn &# 39 ; t rotate . c - 4 ) the output powers of cw gaussian laser beam 799 of cw laser sources 800 in fig2 is reduced to a few mw level in order to guarantee eye safety together with eye protection equipments by using one of the suitable one of the neutral density filters , the optical densities of which extends to 2 . 5 , which are located in front of the collimators of single mode optical fiber patch cord 876 at z = 0 . c - 5 ) by using an ir viewer card having a compatible spectral range with that of cw laser source 800 , the cw gaussian laser beam 799 still at the output of the chopper 901 - 909 in continuous regime , the power of which is reduced by means of a suitable neutral density filter , is centered on port_ 1 101 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 by means of alignment combination 162 in fig2 the compatibilities and the relationships among the beam waists , the size of port_ 1 101 , and the size of internal steel hemisphere 110 , emphasized in “ details of fcis ” subsection of “ description ” section , is taken into account in this step . c - 6 ) as soon as the cw gaussian laser beam 799 entering from the center point of port_ 1 101 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 is fallen on the internal steel hemisphere 110 , the circular diameter of which is 13 mm shown as in fig4 , the second photodiode 129 assembled with the internal steel hemisphere 110 on port_ 3 103 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 starts detecting the optical flux entering from port_ 1 101 . at this step , dc motor 599 is not activated and the chopper 901 - 909 doesn &# 39 ; t rotate yet . c - 7 ) when the chopper 901 - 909 doesn &# 39 ; t rotate yet , and the maximization of the voltage output of current to voltage converter 127 combined to the second photodiode 129 assembled with the internal steel hemisphere 110 on port_ 3 103 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 starting to detect the cw gaussian laser beam 799 entering from port_ 1 101 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 is performed by means alignment combination 162 and by tracking the screen of the oscilloscope 130 in real time . with this process in the invention , the measurement reproducibility for individual and independent pulse energy measurement is enhanced because the crest of cw gaussian laser beam 799 corresponding to the maximum irradiance level entering from port_ 1 101 is targeted on the same point defined by the pin hole 110 of 0 . 1 mm , back of which 62 . 5 μm diameter core of zr ferrule 140 of hms connector 132 of the first mm optical fiber patch cord 150 is rest / located . the amplitude of the maximization voltage on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 is not important . what is important at this point is to obtain maximum voltage and maximum voltage is obtained when the crest of the maximum irradiance level of the cw gaussian laser beam 799 entering from port_ 1 101 collides on the center of pin hole 109 of 0 . 1 mm , detailed in fig5 . c - 8 ) after completion of the maximization process , dc motor 599 in fig2 is activated and the chopper 901 - 909 begins to rotate , and chopped type laser source 600 of fcis based - lemcm 111 and chopped gaussian laser beams 601 are available now . with beginning the rotation of the chopper 901 - 909 , the second photodiode 129 assembled with internal steel hemisphere 110 on port_ 3 103 of fcis based - lemcs 111 starts to be directly used for time / frequency related measurements , the averaged repetition frequency ( hz ) 843 , the averaged repetition period ( s ) 844 , and the duty cycle , normalized to 1 . the combination of cw laser source 800 with the chopper 901 - 909 in the invention provides the nine different duty cycles varying from 0 . 17 to 0 . 83 at any repetition frequency f ( hz ) 321 extending from 5 hz to 2 khz in the calibration processes of commercial laser energy meters 999 by means of fcis based - lemcs 111 , traceable to primary level standards given in fig7 . c - 9 ) the voltage signal generated by the second photodiode 129 assembled with the internal steel hemisphere 110 on port_ 3 103 of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 is chopped instead of cw gaussian . laser beam 799 and chopped gaussian laser beams 601 generated by chopped type laser source 600 of fcis based - lemcm 111 are observed on the screen of the oscilloscope 130 . c - 10 ) the time / frequency related parameters of chopped gaussian laser beams 601 of chopped type laser source 600 , the reference and averaged pulse energy 845 of which is aimed to be measured , are directly measured and averaged , in real time , without the effect of time constant τ of fcis 100 of fcis based - lemcs 111 and the effect of the pulse response of the first photodiode 120 by time interval counter 135 in fig2 , which is traceably calibrated to 133 cs ( or 87 rb ) atomic frequency standard 804 in fig7 , to which current to voltage converter and the second photodiode 129 is consecutively connected in the invention . the repetition period ( s ) 844 , and the repetition frequency ( hz ) 843 obtained from this measurement are the same parameters as those in eq . ( 16 ). c - 11 ) during the measurement of the averaged repetition frequency ( hz ) 843 and the averaged repetition period ( s ) 844 of the chopped gaussian laser beams , the first photodiode 120 measures the average photocurrent ( a ) 842 in fig2 , proportional to the average and reference pulse energy 845 in fig2 . the pulse energy is called as “ the reference ” because it will be measured by fcis based - lemcs 111 and then the same pulse energy level 845 will be applied to commercial laser energy meter 999 by substitution . c - 12 ) the resultant and the averaged and reference pulse energy ( ) 845 in eq . ( 28 ), as a function of the averaged repetition frequency ( hz ) 843 , is calculated with the data series , ( a ) 842 obtained from “ c - 11 ”, the averaged repetition period ( s ) obtained from “ c - 10 ”, by considering = 1 /( 2πr eq c eq )= 995222 hz from the equivalent circuit 171 of the first photodiode 120 in fig3 and 320 obtained from the section of “ a -) determination of the spectral responsivity of fcis based - lemcs ”. eq . ( 28 ), which is written for chopped type laser source 600 , is the same as eq . ( 16 ), which is written for the calculation of the averaged pulse energy of pulsed type laser source . the calculated pulse energy ( f av ) 845 by means of fcis based - lemcs 111 in unit of ( j ) will be the reference pulse energy 845 for commercial laser energy meters 999 to be calibrated , which is determined fully traceably to primary level standards demonstrated in fig7 . c - 13 ) the sensitive surface of commercial laser energy meter 999 shown as in fig2 , which is input port 839 , is directly and perpendicularly placed against the propagation way of the chopped gaussian laser beam 601 , the averaged and reference pulse energy 845 of which is determined from the steps specified from “ c - 1 ” to “ c - 12 ”, which is called the reference averaged pulse energy . the readout of commercial laser energy meter 999 is recorded as pe clem 841 in unit of j . c - 14 ) the linear calibration factor is calculated as , which is traceable to primary standards , in units of w , a , and s . 945 is the linear calibration factor for commercial laser energy meter 999 . fcis based - lemcs 111 together with the calculations , the determination of spectral responsivity method , the calibration method of commercial laser energy meter 999 and the averaged pulse energy measurement method , all of which are given in the section 3 and traceable to primary level standards shown in fig7 herein , is one embodiment , | 6 |
referring now to fig1 of the drawings , a driving shaft passes as guided through a housing 2 which is only partially illustrated in the drawing . a thin - wall hollow shaft 3 is clamped and secured with a tensioning device 4 upon the driving shaft 1 . the hollow shaft 8 is clamped upon the driving shaft 1 at both ends with respectively a tensioning device 4 . in fig1 there is illustrated only one tensioning device . the other non - illustrated tensioning device is constructed identically , yet being arranged in a mirror - symmetrical manner . the hollow shaft 3 carries and supports inside the housing 2 for example a gear or toothed wheel 5 . it engages against a shoulder 6 of the hollow shaft 3 and is secured axially in the other axial direction via a spacer or distance - sleeve or bushing 7 . the shoulder 6 is an end or face side of a collar or band 8 , which is constructed advantageously integrally and unitary with the hollow shaft 3 . the collar or band 8 serves simultaneously as an axial securing safety device for a bearing 9 , with which the hollow shaft 3 is rotatably journalled in the housing 2 . the bearing is secured axially additionally by a securing ring 10 , which is installed and accommodated in an inner wall of a hub part 11 of the housing 2 . the housing 2 has a further hub part 12 , in which likewise a securing ring 13 is journalled , which serves for axial securing of a further bearing 14 , with which the hollow shaft 3 likewise is rotatably journalled in the housing 2 . in the other axial direction this bearing 14 is secured by a spacer or distance sleeve or bushing 7 as well as by a shoulder 15 in the outer mantle surface of the hollow shaft 3 . the two bearings 9 , 14 , which advantageously are roller bearings , are installed and accommodated in the hub parts 11 and 12 of the housing 2 . upon the side of the securing ring 10 remote and away from the bearing 9 there are two sealing rings 16 and 17 arranged in the hub part 11 , which sealing rings seal - off the housing 2 relative to the hollow shaft 3 . in the other hub part 12 of the housing 2 there are provided likewise such sealing rings which however are not illustrated in fig1 of the drawings . the hollow shaft 3 at both ends projects axially beyond the housing 2 . since in fig1 only one hollow shaft end is illustrated , in the following description also only the tensioning device 4 provided at this end is described in detail . upon the shaft end 18 projecting axially over and beyond the housing 2 there is seated a counter - holding ring 19 , which over its periphery and scope provides threaded bores 20 for tensioning screws 21 arranged evenly and uniformly distributed therewith which lie parallel to the axis of the drive shaft 1 . the threaded bores 20 are advantageously through - bores , which pass axially through the counter - holding ring 19 . the threaded bores 20 however also can be constructed as blind - hole or dead - end bores ( fig2 ). the counter - holding ring 19 engages with its side remote and away from the housing 2 against a securing ring 22 which is fastened close to the free end upon the shaft end 18 . the tensioning position illustrated in fig1 has the counter - holding ring 19 spaced from the hub part 11 of the housing 2 . in the region of the counter - holding ring 19 , the shaft end 18 is provided internally with a ring - shaped recess or depression 23 , which extends as far as to a free end of the hollow shaft 3 . the depression 23 serves as a receiving space or chamber for two tensioning cones 24 and 25 , which are components of the tensioning device 4 . the one tensioning cone 24 is supported and engages against a radial bottom 26 of the depression 23 . the tensioning - cone surface 27 of the tensioning cone 24 opens from the bottom 26 of the depression 23 extending in a direction toward the free end of the hollow shaft 3 . as shown in fig1 this tensioning cone 24 has approximately and substantially the same identical axial length as the counter - holding ring 19 . the radially extending bottom 26 of the depression 23 lies in a level or height of the shoulder 28 against which the counter - holding ring 19 engages . the other tensioning cone 25 projects axially from the depression 23 and is provided at its end located externally of the shaft end 18 having provided therewith a radially outwardly directed flange 29 . the tensioning cone 25 with its cylindrical inner surface 30 lies and engages upon the driving shaft 1 . with a spacing from the flange 29 , the tensioning cone 25 upon its outer side has a tensioning - cone surface 31 , with which it engages in the tensioning position against the tensioning - cone surface 27 of the other tensioning cone 24 . in a region between the tensioning - cone surface 31 and the flange 29 , the tensioning cone 25 on an outer side thereof has a cylinder surface 32 . upon a side of the counter - holding ring 19 remote and away from the housing 2 there is located a tensioning ring 33 , which is connected with the counter - holding ring 19 via the tensioning screws 21 . the tensioning ring 33 at an end thereof remote and away from the counter - holding ring 19 has a radially inwardly directed flange 34 , with which tensioning ring 33 encroaches or grips over the radially outwardly directed flange 29 of the tensioning cones 25 . the inner diameter of the flange 34 of the tensioning ring 33 is nominally larger that the outer diameter of the driving shaft 1 , so that the tensioning ring 33 with the still to be described tensioning procedure can be shifted easily in a direction toward the counter - holding ring 19 . internally the tensioning ring 33 is provided with a securing ring 35 with which the flange 29 of the tensioning cone 25 is secured axially upon a side away and remote from the flange 34 . the securing ring 35 engages against a radially extending shoulder surface 36 of the tensioning ring 33 . in this position , the securing ring 35 is secured axially by a further securing ring 37 , which is arranged in an annular groove in a cylindrical surface 38 of the tensioning ring 33 adjoining the radial shoulder surface 36 . the diameter of the cylindrical surface 38 is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft end 18 of the hollow shaft 3 . the cylindrical surface 38 has a transition via a radially outwardly extending shoulder surface 39 into a further cylinder surface 40 , which extends as far as to the end or face side of the tensioning ring 33 toward a counter - holding ring 19 . the diameter of the cylindrical surface 40 is larger and greater than the outer diameter of the securing ring 22 , with which the counter - holding ring 19 is secured axially upon the shaft end 18 . thereby the tensioning ring 33 can be shifted axially sufficiently far in a direction toward the counter - holding ring 19 , since the tensioning ring 33 with its cylindrical surface 40 can be shifted over the securing ring 22 . the tensioning ring 33 over its peripheral circumference provides through - passage openings 41 for the tensioning screws 21 arranged uniformly and evenly distributed over the periphery or circumferential scope thereof . advantageously the through - passage openings 41 are threaded bores , which have a larger and greater diameter than the screw shafts of the tensioning screws 21 . the two tensioning cones 24 , 25 are constructed slotted over the axial length thereof so that they can be installed and employed for driving shafts 1 differing in diameter . with the tensioning devices it is possible to connect the hollow shaft 3 with the prescribed inner diameter with driving shafts 1 which have greater tolerances . respectively , according to the tolerance of the driving shaft 1 , the tensioning cones 24 , 25 in a tensioning condition are expanded and widened radially to a differing extent . for radial tensioning and clamping of the thin - wall hollow shaft 3 upon the driving shaft 1 , the tensioning screws 21 are inserted through the through - passage openings 41 of the tensioning ring 33 and are screwed into the threaded bores 20 of the counter - holding ring 19 . the tensioning screws 21 are supported and engage with a head 42 thereof against an end or face side 43 of the tensioning ring 33 remote and away from the counter - holding ring 19 . by tightening of the tensioning screws 21 , the tensioning ring 33 is shifted in a direction toward the counter - holding ring 19 . whereby the tensioning cone 25 is taken axially along therewith via the radially inwardly directed flange 34 of the tensioning ring 33 , whereby the two tensioning cones 24 and 25 via the tensioning cone surfaces 27 and 32 thereof cooperating with each other exert a radially effective tensioning force upon the hollow shaft 3 . thereby the hollow shaft 3 is tensioned and clamped radially upon the driving shaft 1 . the tensioning cone 24 is supported and engages whereby with its cylindrical outer mantle surface 44 against the cylindrical side wall 45 of the depression 23 of the hollow shaft 3 . the counter - holding ring 19 is constructed so thick that it can take up the radially effective tensioning forces . thereby the thin - wall hollow shaft 3 , which in a region of the depression 23 is reduced still further in wall thickness , is optimally supported via the counter - holding ring 19 , so that a secure and safe radial clamping and tensioning of the hollow shaft 3 upon the driving shaft 1 is attained . since the counter - holding ring 19 in an axial direction has approximately and substantially equal length as does the tensioning cone 24 , the radial force arising and encountered during the tensioning procedure is taken up over the entire length of the tensioning cone . the tensioning cone 24 itself is supported and engages against the bottom 26 of the depression 23 during the tensioning procedure , so that during shifting of the other tensioning cone 25 there is assured and guaranteed a satisfactory tensioning and clamping therewith . during tightening of the tensioning screws 21 , the counter - holding ring 19 is reliably supported and engaged via the securing ring 22 against axial shifting , so that only the tensioning ring 33 is shifted axially in a direction upon and toward the counter - holding ring 19 . the cone angle of the two tensioning cones 24 , 25 lie in the self - impeding , obstructive and hindering range . if the hollow shaft 3 is installed sequentially upon driving shafts 1 differing due to coarser tolerances in diameter , the tensioning cones 24 , 25 then can be installed and employed as a consequence of the radial expanding or widening capability thereof for these coarsely toleranced driving shafts . with different basic diameters of the driving shaft 1 , correspondingly thicker tensioning cones 25 can be installed and employed . since the two tensioning cones 24 , 25 are supported and engaged in axial direction , a satisfactorily tensioning of the hollow shaft 3 upon the driving shaft 1 can be attained . since the through - passage openings 41 of the tensioning ring 33 have a greater and larger diameter than the screw shaft , the tensioning screws 21 during the tensioning procedure are not effective together with the through - passage openings 41 . the through - passage openings 41 constructed advantageously as threaded bores however are then relied upon when the tensioning device 4 is to be loosened or released ( fig2 ). in this case , the tensioning screws 21 are first and initially screwed out . the radial tensioning is maintained and kept hereby initially because the cone angle of the tensioning cones 24 , 25 lies in the self - hindering or binding range . now the press - off screws 100 in the screw - passage openings 41 are screwed so far that they come into engagement against the end or face side 46 of the counter - holding ring 19 . advantageously the tensioning ring 33 is turned and rotated nominally with respect to the counter - holding ring 19 , so that the press - off screws 100 do not come into the range of the threaded bores 20 of the counter - holding ring 19 . since the radially inwardly directed flange 34 of the tensioning ring 33 has nominal or small spacing from the driving shaft 1 , the tensioning ring 33 can be easily turned and rotated . during further screwing - in of the press - off screws , the tensioning ring 33 is pressed away from the counter - holding ring 19 . hereby via the securing ring 35 and the radially outwardly directed flange 29 , the tensioning cone 25 is pushed or shifted axially back whereby the tensioning effect is canceled and released . since the tensioning ring 33 has been rotated relative to the counter - holding ring 19 before the pressing - off procedure , the press - off screws come into engagement against the counter - holding ring 19 in a region between the threaded bores 20 . the threaded bores 20 of the counter - holding ring 19 are thereby preserved and protected so that the entry region of these threaded bores 20 is not damaged during the pressing - off procedure . in the described manner the tensioning device 4 can be disassembled without any effort and without any strain in an easy , effortless manner . in fig2 in the upper half there is still shown the tensioning screw 21 in the tensioning position , while in the lower half there is shown the press - off screw 100 employed for loosening or release of the tensioning device 4 . with the embodiment according to fig3 in addition to the through - passage openings 41 there are provided at least two threaded bores 101 in the tensioning ring 33 which are adapted , coordinated and harmonized as to the tensioning screws 21 and passing axially through the tensioning ring 33 . then the tensioning screws 21 can be relied upon and utilized for pressing - off of the tensioning ring 33 . the tensioning screws 21 are screwed into the threaded bores 101 of the tensioning ring 33 , until they come into engagement ( lower half of fig3 ) against the face side 46 of the counter - holding ring 19 . the screw head of the tensioning screws 21 then still has spacing from the tensioning ring 33 . during further screwing - in of the tensioning screws 21 , then the tensioning ring 33 and the tensioning cone 25 are removed away from the counter - holding ring 19 . in this manner , the tensioning device 4 is likewise easily loosened or released . in fig3 furthermore in the upper half there is shown the tensioning screw 21 in the tensioning position thereof , while in the lower half of the tensioning screw 21 is shown in a position , in which the tensioning screw 21 with its free end just comes into engagement against the face side 46 of the counter - holding ring 19 . since with this embodiment the tensioning screws 21 are not employed to produce or generate any tensioning forced but rather are employed for loosening or release of the tensioning device 4 , which tensioning screws 21 are screwed into the threaded bores 101 , the through - passage openings 41 require no threads , in contrast to the embodiment according to fig1 and 2 . the threaded bores 101 in the tensioning ring 33 are provided so that a threaded bore 20 in the counter - holding ring 19 does not lie in a location opposite thereto . thereby there is assured that the tensioning screws 21 during the loosening or release procedure can engage with support against the face side 46 of the counter - holding ring 19 . one tensioning cone 24 can also be rigidly connected with the hollow shaft 3 , for example being welded thereto , adhered or pin - connected therewith . also the tensioning cone 24 can be constructed unitary and integrally with the hollow shaft 3 . in summary , the present invention provides that at least one force - receiving or taking - up part 19 is arranged upon one of the parts 1 , 3 , particularly 3 to be tensioned and clamped , which force - receiving or taking - apart 19 takes up the radial forces arising and encountered during the tensioning procedure and being effectively connected with the tensioning element 33 . the force receiving or taking - up part 19 is connected with the tensioning element 33 by tensioning screws 21 , which are screwable into the force - receiving or take - up part 19 . the tensioning screws 21 pass free of play through the tensioning element 33 and engage with a head 42 thereof against a side 43 of the tensioning element 33 away and remote from the force - receiving or taking - up part 19 . the tensioning screws 21 are located and lie parallel to the axis of the driving shaft 1 . the force - receiving or taking - up part 19 is a ring which is axially secured and seated upon a part 3 to be clamped and tensioned in place . the tensioning element 33 is a ring which is arranged with axial spacing from the force - receiving - take - up part 19 . one tensioning cone 25 has at least one flange 29 serving as a take - along means , with which a tensioning cone is connected axially rigid and fixed with the tensioning element 33 . the flange or take - along means 29 is structurally a radially outwardly flange of the tensioning cone 25 . the tensioning element 33 provides threaded bores 41 for the passage of the tensioning screws 21 therethrough . the threaded through - passage bores 41 have a larger and greater diameter than that of the screw shafts of the tensioning screws 21 . one tensioning cone 24 is received and accommodated in an internal depression 23 of one part 3 to be tensioned and clamped . the inner diameter of one part 3 to be tensioned and clamped is larger and greater than that of the basic diameter of the driving shaft 1 . the tensioning element 33 is rotatable with respect to the force - take - up or receiving part 19 . the tensioning cone 24 , 25 is expandable and widenable radially elastically . one tensioning cone 24 is rigidly connected with a part 3 to be clamped and tensioned , preferably being constructed unitary and integrally therewith . the present invention is , of course , in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings , but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims . | 5 |
referring more specifically to the drawings , the air cleaner in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 6 . as illustrated in the drawings , the air cleaner 6 is shown in association with a conventional air cleaner 7 of a tractor engine and which has a rigid inlet pipe or tube 8 extending upwardly therefrom through the hood 9 . the air cleaner 7 also has an outlet conduit or hose 10 which connects with the air intake of the engine carburetor or turbocharger , not shown . the air cleaner 6 includes a rigid tube 11 having a plurality of relatively large openings 12 formed therein and therearound , substantially from end to end thereof . a collar 13 of rubber or similar elastic material has an upper end which is stretched over and suitably secured around the lower end of the tube 11 . a lower end of the collar 13 engages around the upper end of the inlet tube 8 , above the engine hood 9 , and is detachably secured thereto by conventional clamp 14 . a sheet of mesh wire fabric 15 is wrapped around the tube 11 , and a sheet of porous filter paper 16 is wrapped around the mesh wire fabric cylinder 15 and is secured in place by a plurality of elastic bands 17 . a cap or cover 18 is secured over the upper end of the filter cylinder 16 by an additional band 17 for closing the upper end of the tube 11 . a thick elastic bushing 19 , preferably formed of rubber , is disposed around the lower end of the filter cylinder 16 . the parts 11 , 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 combine to form a first or inner filter unit 26 . the air cleaner 6 includes a second or outer filter unit 27 composed of a substantially rigid tube 20 of a somewhat larger diameter than the tube 11 and having a multiplicity of openings 21 which may be larger than the openings 12 . the tube 20 is covered by a cylinder 22 of mesh wire fabric around which is disposed a cylinder 23 of porous filter paper . elastic bands 24 retain the cylinders 22 and 23 around the tube 20 . a cap or closure 25 , of substantially the same construction as the closure 18 , closes the upper end of the tube 20 and is retained in position by an additional band 24 . the tube 20 of said filter unit 27 fits over the filter unit 26 and is held against casual movement relative thereto by the gasket 19 which engages the bore of the tube 20 and is compressed thereby to frictionally grip said tube for steadying the filter unit 27 on the filter unit 26 . a collar 28 , which may be formed of wood , engages around the inlet tube 8 directly beneath the collar 13 and rests on a part of the engine hood 9 . the collar 28 has an outer diameter greater than the maximum diameter of the filter unit 27 . a protective pipe 29 , preferably of sheet metal , fits over the outer filter unit 27 with its open lower end engaging snugly around the ring 28 for retaining said pipe around and spaced from the exterior of the unit 27 , as seen in fig3 and 4 . a weather shield or cap 31 is supported above and spaced from the open upper end 32 of the pipe 29 by support members 33 which are welded or otherwise secured in a conventional manner to the pipe 29 and cap 31 . the pipe 29 also has a series of circumferentially spaced openings 34 near its lower end and located above and adjacent the collar 28 . from the foregoing , it will be readily apparent that when an internal combustion engine 35 , as seen in fig2 is in operation , air will be drawn into the pipe 29 through the openings 34 but primarily through the open upper end 32 of said pipe . the air will be drawn inwardly through the outer filter cylinder 23 and then through the parts of the screen 32 covering the openings 21 and through said openings . substantially all of the dust , dirt and grit carried by the air will be removed by the filter 23 . the air will then pass through the inner filter cylinder 16 and the screen covered openings 12 , after which the twice cleaned air will be drawn downwardly through the collar 13 and inlet pipe 8 into the conventional tractor air filter 7 , where the air will again be filtered before passing through the conduit 10 to the carburetor , or turbo - charger of the engine 35 . when the engine 35 is shut off so that there is no longer any suction in the pipe 29 , most of the dust , dirt and other foreign matter , which has been separated from the incoming air by the filter cylinder 23 , will fall by gravity from the exterior of said cylinder onto the upper surface of the ring 28 and out of said pipe 29 through the openings 34 , so that the air cleaner 6 will be at least partially self cleaning . it will be readily apparent that the air cleaner 6 can be utilized in the same manner with either a gasoline or a diesel engine . likewise , the air filter 6 can be utilized with either a gasoline or diesel engine as the sole filter for air with the conventional air filter 7 , or its equivalent , omitted . in this case , the collar 13 would be connected to the upright inlet end of a conduit leading to the intake of a carburetor or the intake of a turbo - charger . further , the outer filter unit 27 can be omitted and the single filter unit 26 employed with the pipe 29 . with such an installation , the bushing 19 would also be omitted . the pipes 11 and 20 may be formed on any lightweight substantially rigid material , such as plastic or aluminum . the screen cylinders 15 and 22 may be of a coarse mesh since the purpose of the cylinders is to support the parts of the filter paper cylinders which are disposed over the tube openings , to prevent such said portions from collapsing into the openings . various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to , without departing from the function or scope of the invention . | 5 |
referring now to fig1 a , the present invention comprises a method for external object sensing for automotive vehicular applications . in one embodiment , the present invention comprises a single , multi - function , all - weather sensor 10 for an automotive vehicle a . in general , the automotive vehicle a has a main body and a first protrusion defining a front bumper region which generally extends forward from the main body of the vehicle ( not shown ). the automotive vehicle a may also include a second protrusion defining a rear bumper region which generally extends rearward from the main body of the vehicle ( not shown ). the sensor 10 is preferably attached along the front bumper region of the automotive vehicle a , but may also be attached along the rear bumper region or on the main body of the automotive vehicle a . the sensor 10 is capable of supporting vehicle operational criteria and vehicle operational safety features that require varying degrees of object detection , as will be described in further detail below . for object detection , the sensor 10 has a predetermined coverage “ field - of - view ” or sensor coverage area 12 . the sensor coverage area 12 is a composite of multiple sensor beams arraying outward in a generally symmetrical , fan - like pattern from an origination point . sensors which are suitable for the purposes of the present invention may include radar , lidar and vision based sensors , including active and passive infrared sensors . in one embodiment of the present invention , the sensor 10 has a sensor coverage area 12 for full front - looking functionality and partial side - looking functionality . preferably , the sensor beam coverage area should be 180 degrees from an origination point . a front - looking coverage area can be generally defined as the area between two longitudinal axes running along the side periphery of the automotive vehicle and forward of a horizontal axis running along the front periphery of the vehicle . a partial side - looking coverage area can be generally defined as the area forward of the horizontal axis running along the front periphery of the vehicle and outside of the predefined two longitudinal axes . in an alternative preferred embodiment , the present invention comprises dual sensors consistent with the types of sensors described above . fig1 b illustrates a typical dual sensor coverage field of view for supporting the various vehicle operational safety features of the present invention . the dual sensors , 14 and 16 respectively , have a sensor coverage area 18 for full front - looking and full side - looking functionality and are generally attached at the corners , or “ headlamp areas ”, of the front bumper region of the automotive vehicle a . preferably , the sensor coverage area 18 should be 270 degrees from two origination points . the sensor 10 comprises a housing 200 as illustrated in fig2 a . the housing 200 may consist of a material suitable for protection from weather and other environmental conditions including projectiles , gravel and other debris and / or should be packaged within or behind other protective components of the vehicle . the housing will allow transmission and / or reception of signal energy for the purposes of detecting objects . the housing 200 encloses an emitter 202 and a controller 204 that is electronically communicative with the emitter 202 . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the controller 204 may be in a separate housing from the emitter 202 . the controller 204 is an electronic circuit for controlling the operation of the emitter 202 . the controller 204 preferably comprises a microprocessor component 206 that is electronically coupled to memory 208 and timer 210 components that may be separate components or integrated into the microprocessor component 206 . the memory component 208 may comprise various types of memory including read only memory , random access memory , electronically erasable programmable read only memory , and keep alive memory . the timer component 210 may be a clock timer for the microprocessor component . the timer component 210 is capable of timing the duration of various events as well as counting up or counting down . alternatively , fig2 b depicts a dual sensor for the dual sensor field of view configuration shown in fig1 b . the dual sensor system comprises first and second emitters , 212 and 214 respectively , that are electronically communicative with the controller 204 . preferably , the first and second emitters , 212 and 214 , are located at the corners of the front periphery of the automotive vehicle a . fig3 illustrates a vehicle operational safety feature criteria chart according to embodiments of the present invention . the chart 300 lists the supported vehicle operational safety features 302 . as illustrated , the vehicle operational safety features 302 supported by the present invention include adaptive cruise control , urban traffic adaptive cruise control , a front parking aid , front fast / slow pre - crash warning and side fast / slow pre - crash warning . fast / slow refer to the host vehicle speed and potentially different operational feature functionality based on that speed . additional vehicle operational safety features 302 that may be supported by the present invention include front collision mitigation by braking , side collision mitigation by braking with passenger compartment avoidance , side collision avoidance by braking , pedestrian protection , traffic situation awareness , vehicle - to - vehicle compatibility , pyrotechnic front airbag pre - arming , pyrotechnic side airbag pre - arming , pyrotechnic seatbelt pre - arming , reversible electric retractor seatbelt operation , reversible knee bolster operation and reversible seat position operation . the vehicle operational safety features 302 may either be automatically or manually activated when the vehicle operational criteria 304 for their operation is met . for manual activation , the feature must be selected by a user . each additional vehicle operational safety feature 302 has associated vehicle operational criteria 304 and sensor coverage areas 306 . the vehicle operational criteria 304 may include relative vehicle speed , gear selection or other criteria . the sensor coverage area 306 may comprise near , far , narrow , wide , frontal and side relative sensor coverage from an origination point . fig4 is a flowchart representation 400 of embodiments of the present invention . in operation , the controller 24 establishes a vehicle operational criteria 304 associated with a vehicle operational safety feature 302 as determined from the chart 300 in step 402 . in step 404 , the controller 24 determines a sensor beam coverage area 306 for the vehicle operational criteria 304 or the vehicle operational safety feature 302 . after the controller 24 receives a status parameter representing the operational status of the vehicle in step 406 , the controller 24 activates the sensor 10 for scanning the sensor beam coverage area 306 when the status parameter meets the vehicle operational criteria 304 in step 408 . for example , for the adaptive cruise control ( acc ) vehicle operational feature mode 308 , the acc vehicle operational criteria 310 are predetermined to comprise medium to high speed forward motion . next , the controller 24 determines the sensor coverage area 312 for the acc vehicle operational criteria 310 or the acc operational feature mode 308 when the feature is automatically selected . the sensor coverage area 312 for the vehicle operational criteria 310 or the acc operational feature mode 308 is determined to comprise near , far , narrow and frontal relative sensor coverage ; these ranges being defined relative to predetermined factors including sensor and vehicle specifications . the controller 24 then receives a status parameter representing the operational status of the vehicle . the operational status of the vehicle includes the vehicle gear selection and speed . the thresholds for low , medium or high speed are predetermined for particular applications of the present invention . finally , the controller 24 activates the sensor 10 for acc scanning in the near , far , narrow and frontal sensor beam coverage areas if the status parameter meets the acc vehicle operational criteria 310 , namely medium or high forward speed . if acc is commanded by the operator , the acc system is activated . the vehicle operational safety features 302 of the present invention may be grouped according to shared vehicle operational criteria 304 . as shown in fig5 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes both an associated front vehicle operational safety feature and a side vehicle operational safety feature for a corresponding vehicle operational criterion . as such , the front and side vehicle operational safety features 302 may operate simultaneously when the status parameter meets the vehicle operational criteria 304 for a plurality of safety features . for example , the front pre - crash and side fast pre - crash features both share a medium speed vehicle operational criterion . therefore , when the status parameter indicates a medium speed operational status , both front and side features may be simultaneously activated . in one embodiment , these shared sensor mode features may operate on a “ time - interleaved ” basis . time - interleaving for the purposes of the present invention is generally defined as sharing the overall scanning resources of the system by operating two or more vehicle operational safety modes simultaneously . various time - interleaving techniques are well known to those skilled in the art . the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments , which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive . alternate embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope . accordingly , the scope of the present invention is described by the appended claims and supported by the foregoing description . | 6 |
referring to the drawings , preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail . in the first embodiment , the present invention is applied to a serial type ink jet printer device . a serial type ink jet printer device 1 , abbreviated to a printer device 1 , has a cylindrically - shaped drum 2 , on the outer periphery of which a paper sheet pressing controller 3 is mounted in position parallel to the drum 2 , as shown in fig2 . the printer device 1 clamps a printing paper sheet 4 , as a printing support , by the drum 2 and the paper sheet pressing controller 3 , for stationarily pressing the printing paper sheet 4 to the drum 2 . at a small separation from the outer periphery of the drum 2 of the printer device 1 is mounted a feed screw 5 parallel to the drum 2 . on this feed screw 5 is mounted an ink jet print head 7 via a supporting member 6 meshing with the feed screw 5 . by rotation of the feed screw 5 , the ink jet print head 7 is moved along the axis of the drum 2 indicated by arrow a in fig2 along with the supporting member 6 meshing with the feed screw 5 . the drum 2 is operatively linked with a motor 11 via a first pulley 8 , a belt 9 and a second pulley 10 so as to be rotated in a direction of arrow b in fig2 by rotation of the motor 11 . the printer device 1 is controlled by a controller 20 , as shown in fig3 . the controller 11 is made up of a signal processing control circuit 21 , a driver 22 , a memory 23 , a driving controller 24 and a correction circuit 25 . the signal processing control circuit 21 is comprised of a central processing unit ( cpu ) or a digital signal processor ( dsp ) and , on reception from outside of letter printing data , signals of an operating unit and external control signals , as an input signal s 1 , sorts the letter printing data in the letter printing sequence and sends out the sorted letter printing data along with an emission signal via driver 22 to the ink jet print head 7 for driving - controlling the ink jet print head 7 . in this case , the letter printing sequence differs with difference in structure of the ink jet print head 7 and the letter printing section and , moreover , needs to be considered in connection with the inputting sequence of the letter printing data . therefore , the letter printing sequence is transiently stored in a memory 23 comprised of a buffer memory or a frame memory for later reading . the signal processing control circuit 21 is designed to process the input signal s 1 by software and sends out processed signals as control signals to a driving controller 24 . on reception of the control signals sent from the signal processing control circuit 21 , the driving controller 24 controls the driving or synchronization of the motor adapted for rotationally driving the motor 11 and the feed screw 5 , while also controlling the cleaning of the ink jet print head 7 and supply or ejection of the printing paper sheet 4 . if the printer device 1 is of a multiple - head construction , the signal processing control circuit 21 performs γ - correction , color correction in case of color printing and correction of variations of the ink jet print heads 7 by a correction circuit 25 . in this correction circuit 25 , pre - set correction data are stored in the form of a rom ( read - only memory ) map , so as to be read out by the signal processing control circuit 21 depending on external conditions , such as ink emission hole number , temperature or input signals . if the printer device 1 is of a multiple head structure , such that there are a large number of ink emission holes , an ic ( integrated circuit ) is mounted on the ink jet print head 7 for reducing the number of interconnections to the ink jet print head 7 . in the above - described printer device 1 , the motor is run in rotation by the driving controller 24 responsive to the control signals sent from the signal processing control circuit 21 for rotating the feed screw 5 . on rotation of the feed screw 5 , the ink jet print head 7 of the printer device 1 is moved axially of the drum 2 , along with the supporting member 6 , as the ink is emitted , for printing letters or the like on the printing paper sheet 4 pressed to the drum 2 . the printing direction in which the ink jet print head 7 effects printing on the printing paper sheet 4 as it is moved axially of the drum 2 may be the same direction or the reciprocating direction . in the printer device 1 , when the ink jet print head 7 is moved axially of the drum 2 to print letters of one row on the printing paper sheet 4 , the motor 11 is run in rotation under control by the driving controller 24 to rotate the drum 2 by one row in a direction of arrow b in fig2 in readiness for printing of the next row of letters . in the ink jet print head 7 , shown in fig4 a vibrating plate 32 is bonded to a major surface 31 a of a plate - shaped ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 , whilst a plate - shape orifice plate 33 is bonded to the opposite side major surface 31 b of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . in the ink jet print head 7 , a piezoelectric device 35 is bonded via an electrically conductive adhesive 34 to the major surface 32 a of the vibrating plate 32 of the double - layered structure . around a portion of the orifice plate 33 in which is opened an ink emission hole 33 a as later explained is formed a liquid repellant film 42 . the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 is constituted by a metal plate of e . g ., stainless steel , with a thickness of approximately 0 . 1 mm . this ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 is formed with an ink pressurizing chamber 31 c for pressurizing the ink charged therein at a pre - set pressure , an ink flow duct 31 d communicating with one end of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c for supplying ink into the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c , an ink inlet duct 31 e formed at the opposite end of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c for operating as a through - hole via which to conduct ink charged into the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c to the ink emission hole 33 a , an ink buffer tank 31 f for delivery of the ink to the ink flow duct 31 d and a connection hole 31 g for conducting the ink supplied from an ink supply duct 36 into the ink buffer tank 31 f . the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c is formed for extending from a mid portion in the direction of thickness of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 towards the major surface 31 a of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . the ink inlet duct 31 e is formed on the opposite end of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c for extending from the mid portion in the direction of thickness of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 towards the opposite side major surface 31 b of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . similarly to the ink inlet duct 31 e , the ink flow duct 31 d is formed for extending from the mid portion in the direction of thickness of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 towards its opposite side major surface 31 b . this ink flow duct 31 d is separated from the ink inlet duct 31 e via a first member 31 h as later explained . also , the ink flow duct 31 d is formed so that a portion of the first member 31 h communicates with one end of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c . similarly to the ink inlet duct 31 e and the ink flow duct 31 d , the ink buffer tank 31 f is formed for extending from the mid portion in the direction of thickness of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 towards its opposite side major surface 31 b . it is noted that the ink buffer tank 31 f is a sole straight - shaped piping communicating with plural ink flow ducts 31 d , as shown in fig5 and performs the role of distributing the ink to the various ink flow ducts 31 d . the connection hole 31 g is formed from a mid portion along the thickness of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 to the major surface 31 a of the member 31 for communication with the ink buffer tank 31 f . the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 is made up of a first member 31 h , a second member 31 i , a third member 31 j and a fourth member 31 k . the first member 31 h , constituting the bottom surface of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and a portion of the opposite side major surface 31 b of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 , is contacted with a lateral side of the ink inlet duct 31 e and with a lateral surface of the ink flow duct 31 d to separate the ink inlet duct 31 e from the ink flow duct 31 d . the second member 31 i is contacted with one lateral surface of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and with one lateral surface of the connection hole 31 g to separate the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c from the connection hole 31 g . the third member 31 j is contacted with the opposite side lateral surface of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and the opposite side lateral surface of the ink inlet duct 31 e and constitutes the major surface 31 a and a portion of the major surface 31 b of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . the fourth member 31 k is contacted with the lateral surface of the ink buffer tank 31 f and the opposite side lateral surface of the connection hole 31 g and constitutes the major surface 31 a and a portion of the major surface 31 b of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . the spacing areas or voids delimited by these first to fourth members 31 h to 31 k are constituted as the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c , ink inlet duct 31 e , ink flow duct 31 d , ink buffer tank 31 f and as the connection hole 31 g . on the opposite side major surface 31 b of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 is bonded an orifice plate 33 , by thermal pressure bonding , for covering the ink inlet duct 31 e , ink flow duct 31 d and the ink buffer tank 31 f . the orifice plate 33 is formed of neoflex ( manufactured by mitsui toatsu kagaku kogyo kk ) excellent in thermal resistance and in resistance against chemicals and having a thickness of approximately 50 μm and a glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . this orifice plate 33 is formed with an ink emission hole 33 a having a cross - sectional shape of a column of , for example , a preset diameter . the ink emission hole 33 a communicates with the ink inlet duct 31 e for emitting the ink supplied from the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c via the ink inlet duct 31 e . by having the orifice plate 33 formed with the ink emission hole 33 a , it is possible to assure chemical stability against the ink . the piezoelectric device 35 is formed to a shape in meeting with the shape of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c , as shown in fig5 . the separation from the neighboring piezoelectric device 35 is set to not larger than 100 μm . the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c is designed so that its width c 2 at the site of the ink inlet duct 31 e is smaller than the main width c 1 of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and is larger than the opening diameter a 1 towards the ink inlet duct 31 e of the ink emission hole 33 a . more specifically , if the main width c 1 of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c is set to 0 . 4 mm to 0 . 6 mm , the width c 2 at the site of the ink inlet duct 31 e of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c is of the order of 0 . 2 mm equal to approximately twice the plate thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . the width c 2 at the site of the ink inlet duct 31 e of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c is preferably not more than 2 . 5 times the plate thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . the ink emission hole 33 a is formed for communicating with approximately the mid portion of the ink inlet duct 31 e . the ink emission hole 33 a is tapered in the direction of ink emission . in the present embodiment , the opening end of the ink emission hole 33 a has a circular cross - sectional shape approximately 5 μm in diameter , whilst the cross - sectional shape thereof towards the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 is circular with the diameter approximately 80 μm . thus , the width c 2 at the site of the ink inlet duct 31 e of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c is smaller than the main width c 1 of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and larger than the opening diameter a 1 towards the ink inlet duct 31 e of the ink emission hole 33 a . on the major surface 31 a of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 is bonded a double - layered vibrating plate 32 , via an adhesive , for closing the opening portion of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c . the opening portion of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c means an area of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 opening in the major surface 31 a . the vibrating plate 32 is of a double - layered structure comprised of a first vibrating plate 32 x positioned towards the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c for closing all opening portions of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and a second vibrating plate 32 y shaped in meeting with the piezoelectric device 35 formed on the vibrating plate 32 . this vibrating plate 32 is formed with a through - hole 32 b in register with the connection hole 31 g of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . in this through - hole 32 b is fitted an ink supply duct 36 connected to an ink tank , not shown . therefore , the ink introduced from the ink tank is supplied via the ink supply duct 36 and the ink buffer tank 31 f into the ink flow duct 31 d and thence into the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c . in the double - layered vibrating plate 32 , the first vibrating plate 32 x is formed of neoflex ( manufactured by mitsui toatsu kagaku kogyo kk ) having excellent thermal resistance and resistance against chemicals , a thickness of approximately 50 μm and a glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . the second vibrating plate 32 y is a copper plate having a thickness of approximately 15 μm . on the major surface of the second vibrating plate 32 y is bonded the piezoelectric device 35 via an electrically conductive adhesive 34 . although the vibrating plate 32 in the present embodiment is of a double - layered structure comprised of the first vibrating plate 32 x and the second vibrating plate 32 y , the vibrating plate 32 may be of a single - layered structure , or of a multi - layered structure comprised of three or more layers . when a driving voltage is applied across the piezoelectric device 35 , in a state shown in fig6 a , it is displaced in a direction indicated by arrow a in fig6 b to warp the vibrating plate 32 to decrease the volume of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c to raise the pressure in the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c . in the stand - by state , the ink charged into the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c is in a stabilized state , by equilibrium with surface tension , with a meniscus being formed in the vicinity of the distal end of the ink emission hole 33 a , as shown in fig6 a . for ink emission , the driving voltage is applied across the piezoelectric device 35 for thereby displacing the device 35 in a direction indicated by arrow a in fig6 b . this displacement of the vibrating plate 32 decreases the volume of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c to raise the pressure therein to emit the ink via the ink emission hole 33 a . it is noted that time changes of the driving voltage applied to the piezoelectric device 35 are set so that a desired amount of the ink will be emitted via the ink emission hole 33 a . the manufacturing method of the ink jet print head 7 will be explained with reference to fig7 to 10 . first , in fig7 a , a resist , such as a photosensitive dry film or a liquid resist material , is coated on the major surface 38 a of the metal member 38 of , for example stainless steel , approximately 0 . 1 mm thick . then , pattern light exposure is effected , using a mask patterned in meeting with the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and the connection hole 31 g , and a resist such as a photosensitive dry film or a liquid resist material is coated on the opposite major surface 38 b of the metal member 38 . then , pattern light exposure is carried out using a mask patterned in meeting with the ink inlet duct 31 e , ink flow duct 31 d and the ink buffer tank 31 f . then , as shown in fig7 b , the metal member 38 is etched by immersion for a pre - set time in an etching solution composed of an aqueous solution of ferric chloride , using , as a mask , a resist 39 patterned in meeting with the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and the connection hole 31 g and a resist 40 patterned in meeting with the ink inlet duct 31 e , ink flow duct 31 d and the ink buffer tank 31 f , for forming the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and the connection hole 31 g on the major surface 38 a of the metal member 38 , while forming the ink inlet duct 31 e , ink flow duct 31 d and the ink buffer tank 31 f on the opposite side major surface of the metal member 38 . this completes the above - mentioned ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . the amounts of etching from the major surface 38 a and the opposite side major surface 38 b of the metal member 38 are set so as to be slightly larger than approximately one - half the thickness of the metal member 38 . since the thickness of the metal member 38 in the present embodiment is set to approximately 0 . 1 mm , the etching amount from each side of the metal member 38 is set to approximately 0 . 055 mm . by setting the etching amount in this manner , the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c , ink inlet duct 31 e , ink flow duct 31 d and the ink buffer tank 31 f is improved in dimensional accuracy and may be formed in stability . moreover , the etching amount from the major surface 38 a of the metal member 38 is the same as that of from the opposite side major surface 38 b , the etching condition used at the time of forming the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and the connection hole 31 g on the major surface 38 a of the metal member 38 may be substantially equated to that used for forming the ink inlet duct 31 e , ink flow duct 31 d and the ink buffer tank 31 f on the opposite side major surface 38 b of the metal member 38 , thus enabling the etching process to be completed easily in a shorter time . it is noted that the width of the ink inlet duct 31 e is set so as to be larger than the diameter than the diameter of the ink emission hole 33 a , so that pressure rise in the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c is not affected by pressure applied across the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c . moreover , the width of the ink inlet duct 31 e is set so as to be approximately equal to the width at the forming position of the ink inlet duct 31 e of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c but smaller than the main width of the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c . the width of the ink inlet duct 31 e is preferably not larger than 2 . 5 times the plate thickness . the width of the ink inlet duct 31 e approximately equal to the plate thickness tends to produce shape errors during the fabrication process . in the present embodiment , the width of the ink inlet duct 31 e is of the order of 0 . 2 mm which is approximately twice the plate thickness . then , the resists 39 , 40 are removed , as shown in fig7 c . if , in this case , dry resist films are used as the resists 39 , 40 , an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide with a concentration of not higher than 5 % of sodium hydroxide is used as a removing agent . if liquid resist films are used as the resists 39 , 40 , a dedicated alkaline solution is used as a remover . after removing the resists 39 , 40 , a resin material 41 of , for example neoflex ( manufactured by mitsui toatsu kagaku kogyo kk ) having a thickness of approximately 50 μm and a glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . is bonded by thermal pressure bonding to the opposite side major surface 31 b of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . this thermal pressure bonding is effected by applying a pressure of the order of 20 to 30 kgf / cm 2 at a press - working temperature of 230 ° c . by setting the condition for thermal pressure bonding in this manner , the bonding strength between the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 and the resin material 41 can be increased , while these can be bonded together efficiently . also , since the ink emission hole 33 a is not formed in this case in the resin material 41 , the bonding step in the process of bonding the resin material 41 to the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 can be performed easily to the extent that highly accurate position matching is not required . moreover , since the resin material 41 is bonded to the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 without using an adhesive , there is raised no problem of the adhesive stopping up the ink flow duct 31 d . the liquid repellant film 42 is then formed on the surface of the resin material 41 facing the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . the liquid repellant film 42 is preferably formed of a material which repels the ink and which produces no ink remaining affixed in the vicinity of the ink emission hole while producing no burrs without causing ink film delamination in case the ink emission hole 33 a is formed by excimer laser . such material may be typified by the fluorine resin dispersed in a polyimide material ( such as modified eep material sold under the trade name of 958 - 207 by dupont ; a polyimide based material having a hygroscopicity of 0 . 4 % or less , such as polyimide based overcoat ink sold under the trade name of epicoat fs - 100l and fp - 100 by ube kosan ; and liquid - repellant polybenzoimidazole , such as coating type polybenzoimidazole material sold under the trade name of npbi by hoechist ag . the resin material 41 is then irradiated perpendicularly with an excimer laser beam , from the side of the major surface 31 a of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 , via the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and the ink inlet duct 31 e , for forming the ink emission hole 33 a in the resin material 41 and in the liquid repellant film 42 , as shown in fig7 e . this gives the above - mentioned orifice plate 33 . since the orifice plate 33 is formed of the resin material 41 , the ink emission hole 33 a can be formed easily . the liquid repellant film 42 is formed of a material having excellent excimer laser working characteristics , the ink emission hole 33 a can be formed easily . moreover , since the ink inlet duct 31 e is larger in diameter than the ink emission hole 33 a , position matching between the resin material 41 and the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 during laser working need not be strict , while it becomes possible to evade the risk of the light beam being shielded during laser working by the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . then , a piezoelectric material 43 is bonded to the major surface of the second vibrating plate 32 y of the double - layered vibrating plate 32 to a thickness of approximately 30 μm via an electrically conductive adhesive 34 , as shown in fig8 a . in this case , a pressure of the order of 20 to 30 kgf / cm 2 is preferably used for bonding in order to reduce the thickness of the electrically conductive adhesive to as small a value as possible . this stabilizes the electrical resistance of the junction portion between the piezoelectric material 43 and the vibrating plate 32 while assuring stable adhesion in view of strength . on both sides of the piezoelectric material 43 is formed an electrically conductive film of , for example copper - nickel alloys , approximately 0 . 2 μm thick , for assuring electrical connection , by a thin - film forming method , such as sputtering . as the electrically conductive adhesive 34 , an epoxy - based adhesive cured at room temperature , admixed with electrically conductive materials , such as carbon particles , for example , is used . a resist material 201 , shaped similarly to the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c , is formed on the piezoelectric material 43 , as shown in fig8 b . as this resist material 201 , a resist for sandblasting , such as bf - 405 or bf - 403 ( trade names ) sold by tokyo oka or a powder beam etching resist may be used . by using these resist materials , the resolution of the order of 50 μm in terms of the minimum line width may be realized . then , using a sand - blasting device or a powder beam etching device , a solid - gaseous two - phase jet stream containing diamond particles 5 to 30 μm in size is sprayed onto the piezoelectric material 43 carrying the resist material 201 for processing the piezoelectric material 43 to a shape corresponding to that of the resist material 201 to produce a piezoelectric device 35 , as shown in fig8 c . by using fine diamond particles of the order of 5 to 30 μm , a value of 8 to 9 can be realized as the value of processing speed ratio of the piezoelectric material 43 which later becomes the piezoelectric device 35 to the copper material making up the second vibrating plate 32 y . that is , the processing speed for the piezoelectric material is 8 to 9 times faster than that for the copper material . the result is that , in the processing process of the piezoelectric device 35 shown in fig8 c , the processing area can be limited to the copper material making up the second vibrating plate 32 y . the vibrating plate 32 , carrying the piezoelectric device 35 , is immersed in a ferric chloride solution , or a shower of the ferric chloride solution is sprayed onto the vibrating plate 32 carrying the piezoelectric device 35 , for removing the portion of the second vibrating plate 32 y not carrying the piezoelectric device 35 . since the first vibrating plate 32 x is formed of a polyimide or titanium material , and hence is not attacked during the removal process by the aqueous solution of ferric chloride as the etching solution for the second vibrating plate 32 y , only the second vibrating plate 32 y is removed , as shown in fig8 d . the resist material 201 , left on the piezoelectric device 35 , is then removed , using a dedicated removing solution , as shown in fig8 e . although the above explanation has been made of removing the second vibrating plate 32 y , using , as a mask , the resist material 201 used for forming the piezoelectric device 35 , it is also possible to remove the resist 201 before the step of removing the second vibrating plate 32 y , as shown in fig9 a , and to remove the second vibrating plate subsequently , using the piezoelectric device 35 as a mask , as shown in fig9 b . if the second vibrating plate 32 y is removed using the resist material 201 as a mask , the electrode material formed on each side of the piezoelectric device 35 can be protected more reliably , whereas , if the second vibrating plate 32 y is removed after removal of the resist material 201 , using the piezoelectric device 35 as a mask , the etching can be improved in precision because the aqueous solution of ferric chloride as the etching solution for the second vibrating plate 32 y can penetrate into the inside of a narrow groove more promptly . although the foregoing description has been made of using the double layer structure for the vibrating plate 32 comprised of the first and second vibrating plates 32 x and 32 y and removing the second vibrating plate 32 y , at least one layer towards the piezoelectric device 35 is etched off if the vibrating plate 32 is the multi - layered structure composed of three or more layers . next , the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 carrying the orifice plate 33 is bonded to the vibrating plate 32 carrying the piezoelectric device 35 , as shown in fig1 a . an epoxy - based adhesive may be used as an adhesive . if the polyimide material of neoflex is used as the material for the first vibrating plate 32 x , bonding may be achieved , without using the adhesive , by using a hot - press working process at a temperature of 220 to 230 ° c . under a pressure of 20 to 30 kgf / cm 2 , by exploiting the adhesive properties of the polyimide material , thereby improving resistance against chemicals . if a titanium material is used for the first vibrating plate 32 x , which is used as an actuator for the printer , its resonance frequency can be raised for increasing the ink emission speed . an ink supply duct 36 is then bonded to the site of the through - hole 32 b of the vibrating plate 32 , using , for example , an epoxy - based adhesive . this completes an ink jet printer head 15 . the above - described manufacture of the ink jet printer head 15 makes it possible to form the piezoelectric device 35 to an optional shape inclusive of a linear shape , in contradistinction from the conventional practice in which the shape of the piezoelectric device 35 is necessarily linear . the separation between neighboring piezoelectric devices 35 can be set easily to 100 μm or less . this renders it possible to reduce the nozzle pitch in the printer device . moreover , in the conventional manufacturing method , abrasion to the tool needs to be taken into account in designing . in the manufacturing method of the present embodiment , there is no necessity of taking the abrasion of the blade into account , thus realizing a designing which places more emphasis on the ink emission performance . also , in the manufacturing method of the printer device of the present embodiment , substantially the entire surface of the piezoelectric material 43 bonded to the vibrating plate 32 can be split simultaneously , thus significantly reducing the processing time . in the present embodiment , the present invention is applied to a serial type ‘ carrier jet ’ printer . a serial type ‘ carrier jet ’ printer 50 ( abbreviated to printer device 50 ) includes a cylindrically - shaped drum 51 , and a paper sheet pressing controller 52 provided at a pre - set position on the outer peripheral surface thereof parallel to the drum 51 . with the present printer device 50 , a printing paper sheet 53 , as a printing support , is sandwiched between the drum 51 and the paper sheet pressing controller 52 for pressing the printing paper sheet 53 in position against the drum 51 . at a small separation from the outer periphery of the drum 51 of the printer device is mounted a feed screw 54 parallel to the drum 51 . on this feed screw 54 is mounted a ‘ carrier jet ’ printer head 54 via a supporting member 55 meshing with the feed screw 54 . by rotating the feed screw 54 , this ‘ carrier jet ’ printer head 56 is adapted for being moved along with the supporting member 55 meshing with the feed screw 54 axially of the drum 51 as shown by arrow a in fig1 . the drum 51 is coordinated to a motor 60 via a first pulley 57 , a belt 58 and a second pulley 59 , and hence is rotated in a direction indicated by arrow b in fig1 with rotation of the motor 60 . the printer device 50 is controlled by a controller 61 , as shown in fig1 . in the controller , the signal processing control circuit 21 , memory 23 , driving controller 24 and the correction circuit 25 are the same as the signal processing control circuit 21 , memory 23 , driving controller 24 and the correction circuit 25 and hence are not explained in detail . the controller 61 of the printer device 50 of the present embodiment includes a first driver 62 for emitting the ink and a second driver 63 for emitting the dilution liquid . in actuality , plural first drivers 62 corresponding to the number of the ink emission holes and plural second drivers 63 corresponding to the number of the dilution liquid emission holes are provided , respectively . the first driver 62 and the second driver 63 are used for driving controlling the first piezoelectric device ( quantitation side ) provided for emitting the ink via the ink emission holes and for driving controlling the second piezoelectric device ( emission side ) provided for emitting the dilution liquid via the dilution liquid emission holes , respectively . the first and second drivers 62 , 63 driving - control the associated first and second piezoelectric devices , respectively , under control by a serial / parallel conversion circuit 64 and a timing control circuit 65 , provided in the signal processing control circuit 21 , as shown in fig1 . specifically , the serial / parallel conversion circuit 64 sends digital half - tone data d 1 to the first driver 62 and to the second gsdriver 63 . on reception of a letter - printing trigger signal t 1 , the timing control circuit 65 sends out timing signals to the first and second drivers 62 , 63 at pre - set timing . this letter - printing trigger signal t 1 is sent at a letter printing timing to the timing control circuit 65 . the first and second drivers 62 , 63 send to associated first and second piezoelectric devices driving signals ( driving voltage signals ) corresponding to the timing signals from the timing control circuit 65 . the timing control circuit 65 sends the timing signals to the first and second drivers 62 , 63 so that the driving voltage signals applied to the first and second piezoelectric devices will be of the timing as shown for example in fig1 . it is noted that the first and second piezoelectric devices are associated with paired ink emission holes and dilution liquid emission holes , respectively . in the present embodiment , the emission period is 1 msec ( frequency of 1 khz ). the ink quantitation and mixing and emission of liquid droplets take place during this time period . there takes place no ink quantisation and mixing if the digital half - tone data d 1 from the serial / parallel conversion circuit 64 is lower than a pre - set threshold value . referring to fig1 , the ‘ carrier jet ’ printer head 56 includes a plate - shaped pressurizing chamber forming member 71 on one major surface 71 a and on the opposite side major surface 71 b of which a vibrating plate 72 and a plate - shaped orifice plate 73 are bonded , respectively . in the ‘ carrier jet ’ printer head 56 , a first piezoelectric device 76 ( corresponding to the above - mentioned first piezoelectric device ) and a second piezoelectric device 77 ( corresponding to the above - mentioned second piezoelectric device ) are bonded to one 72 a of the major surfaces of the vibrating plate 72 . there is formed a liquid repellant film 67 around the portions of the orifice plate 73 in which are opened an ink emission hole 73 a and a dilution liquid emission hole 73 b as later explained . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is formed by a metal plate of stainless steel with a thickness of approximately 0 . 1 mm . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is formed with an ink pressurizing chamber 71 c for pressurizing the ink charged therein to a pre - set pressure , and an ink flow duct 71 d communicating with one end of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and adapted for serving as a conduit for supplying the ink to the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is also formed with an ink inlet hole 71 e at the opposite end of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and adapted for serving as a through - hole for conducting the ink charged into the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c to the ink emission hole 73 a . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is also formed with an ink buffer tank 71 f for supplying the ink to the ink flow duct 71 d , and a first connection hole 71 g for sending the ink supplied from an ink supply duct 78 into the ink buffer tank 71 f . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is also formed with a dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h for pressurizing the dilution liquid charged therein to a pre - set pressure , and a dilution liquid flow duct 71 i communicating with one end of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and adapted for serving as a conduit for supplying the dilution liquid to the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is also formed with a dilution liquid inlet hole 71 j at the opposite end of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and adapted for serving as a through - hole for conducting the dilution liquid charged into the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h to the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is also formed with a dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k for supplying the dilution liquid to the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i , and a first connection hole 71 l for sending the dilution liquid supplied from an dilution liquid supply duct 79 into the dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k . the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c is formed for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 to the major surface 71 a of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the ink inlet duct 71 e is formed at the opposite end of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 to the opposite major surface 71 b of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . similarly to the ink inlet hole 71 e , the ink flow duct 71 d is formed for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 to the opposite major surface 71 b of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the ink flow duct 71 d is separated by a first member 71 m from the ink inlet hole 71 e . the ink flow duct 71 d is formed so that a portion thereof on the side of the first member 71 m communicates with an end of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c . similarly to the ink inlet hole 71 e and the ink flow duct 71 d , the ink buffer tank 71 f is formed for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 to the opposite major surface 71 b of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the ink buffer tank 71 f is a linear sole piping communicating with plural ink flow ducts 71 d and has the function of supplying the ink to the ink flow ducts 71 d , as shown in fig1 . the first connection hole 71 g is formed for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 to the major surface 71 a thereof for communicating with the ink buffer tank 71 f . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 includes a first member 71 m , a second member 71 n and a third member 71 o . the first member 71 m forms the bottom surface of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and a portion of the opposite side major surface 71 b of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 and is contacted with a lateral surface of the ink inlet hole 71 e and a lateral surface of the ink flow duct 71 d for separating the ink inlet hole 71 e from the ink flow duct 71 d . the second member 71 n forms the top surface of the ink flow duct 71 d and a portion of the major surface 71 a of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 and is contacted with a lateral surface of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and a lateral surface of the first connection hole 71 g for separating the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c from the first connection hole 71 g . the third member 71 o is contacted with the lateral surface of the ink buffer tank 71 f and the opposite lateral surface of the first connection hole 71 g and constitutes the major surface 71 a and a portion of the opposite side major surface 71 b of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the voids delimited by the first to third members 71 m , 71 n and 71 o and a seventh member 71 s as later explained correspond to the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c , ink inlet hole 71 e , ink flow duct 71 d , ink buffer tank 71 f and the first connection hole 71 g , respectively . the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h is formed for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 towards the major surface 71 a thereof . the dilution liquid flow duct 71 j is formed at the opposite end of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and is formed for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 towards the opposite side major surface 71 b thereof . similarly to the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j , the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i is formed for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 towards the opposite side major surface 71 b thereof . the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i is separated from the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j by a fourth member 71 p which will be explained subsequently . the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i is formed so that part thereof towards the fourth member 71 p communicates with one end of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h . similarly to the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j and the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i , a dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k is formed for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 towards the opposite side major surface 71 b thereof . similarly to the ink buffer tank 71 f , the dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k is a sole linear piping communicating with plural dilution liquid flow ducts 71 i , as shown in fig1 , and performs the function of supplying the ink to the dilution liquid flow ducts 71 i . a second connection hole 71 l is formed for extending from a mid portion along the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 towards the major surface 71 a of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is formed with a fourth member 71 p , a fifth member 71 q and a sixth member 71 r . the fourth member 71 p forms the bottom surface of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and a portion of the opposite side major surface 71 b of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 and is contacted with a lateral surface of the dilution liquid inlet hole 71 j and a lateral surface of the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i for separating the dilution liquid inlet hole 71 j from the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i . the fifth member 71 q forms the top surface of the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i and a portion of the major surface 71 a of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 and is contacted with a lateral surface of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and a lateral surface of the second connection hole 71 l for separating the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h from the second connection hole 71 g . the third member 71 r is contacted with the lateral surface of the dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k and with the opposite lateral surface of the second connection hole 71 l and constitutes the major surface 71 a and a portion of the opposite side major surface 71 b of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is also formed with a seventh member 71 s surrounded by the opposite lateral surface of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c , opposite lateral surface of the ink inlet hole 71 e , opposite lateral surface of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and by the opposite lateral surface of the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j for forming one major surface 71 a and a portion of the opposite side major surface 71 b of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the voids delimited by the fourth to seventh members 71 p , 71 q , 71 r and 71 s correspond to the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h , dilution liquid inlet hole 71 i , dilution liquid flow duct 71 j , dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k and the first connection hole 71 l , respectively . on the opposite side major surface 71 b of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is bonded , by thermal pressure bonding , the ink inlet hole 71 e , ink flow duct 71 d , ink buffer tank 71 f , dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j , dilution liquid flow duct 71 i and the dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k . this orifice plate 73 is formed of , for example , neoflex ( manufactured by mitsui toatsu kagaku kogyo kk ) having a thickness of approximately 50 μm and a glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . in this orifice plate 73 is obliquely formed the ink emission hole 73 a of a pre - set diameter so as to be directed to a dilution liquid emission hole 73 b as later explained . the ink emission hole 73 a communicates with the ink inlet hole 71 e and is adapted for emitting the ink supplied from the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c via the ink inlet hole 71 e . in the orifice plate 73 is also formed a dilution liquid emission hole 73 b of a columnar cross - section of a pre - set diameter . the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b communicates with the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j and is adapted for emitting the dilution liquid supplied from the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h via the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j . by having the orifice plate 73 formed with the ink emission hole 73 a and with the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b in this manner , chemical stability can be assured for the ink and the dilution liquid . the above - mentioned first and second piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 are shaped similarly to the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h , as shown in fig1 . the separation between the neighboring first and second piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 is set to not larger than 100 μm . the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c is designed so that the width c 4 at the site of the ink inlet hole 71 e is smaller than the main width c 3 of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and larger than the opening diameter a 2 towards the ink inlet hole 71 e of the ink emission hole 73 a . specifically , with the main width c 3 of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c of 0 . 4 to 0 . 6 mm , the width c 4 at the site of the ink inlet hole 71 e of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c is of the order of 0 . 2 mm which is approximately twice the plate thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . on the other hand , the width h 2 at the site of the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h is set so as to be smaller than the main width h 1 of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 and larger than the opening diameter b 1 towards the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j of the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b . specifically , with the main width h 1 of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h of 0 . 4 to 0 . 6 mm , the width h 2 at the site of the dilution liquid inlet hole 71 j of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h is of the order of 0 . 2 mm which is approximately twice the plate thickness of the pressurizing chamber are forming member 71 . the width c 4 at the site of the ink inlet hole 71 e of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and the width h 2 at the site of the dilution liquid inlet hole 71 j of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h are preferably set so as to be not larger than 2 . 5 times the thickness of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . in the present embodiment , the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b is formed such as to communicate with the mid portion of the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j . similarly to the ink emission hole 33 a of the first embodiment , the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b is tapered along the direction of emission of the dilution liquid . the cross - sectional shape at an opening area of the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b is circular with a diameter of approximately 35 μm , while its cross - sectional shape towards the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is circular with a diameter of approximately 80 μm . thus , the width h 2 at the site of the dilution liquid inlet hole 71 j of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h is smaller than the main width h 1 of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h but larger than the opening diameter b 1 of the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b towards the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j . moreover , since the ink emission hole 73 a is formed obliquely , it is of an elliptical cross - section . in the present embodiment , the cross - sectional shape of the ink emission hole 73 a towards the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is of a diameter along the short axis of approximately 80 μm . therefore , the width c 4 at the site of the ink inlet hole 71 e of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c is smaller than the main width c 3 of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c but larger than the opening diameter a 2 towards the ink inlet hole 71 e of the ink emission hole 73 a . on the major surface 71 a of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 is bonded , by an adhesive , a double - layered vibrating plate 72 for closing the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and the opening of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h . the opening of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and that of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h mean the opening portions of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h in the major surface 71 a of the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the vibrating plate 72 is of a double - layered structure formed by a first vibrating plate 72 x and a second vibrating plate 72 y . the first vibrating plate 72 x is positioned towards the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and a dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and is adapted for closing all openings of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h , whilst the second vibrating plate 72 y is shaped similarly to a piezoelectric device 75 formed on the vibrating plate 72 . in this vibrating plate 72 are formed a first through - hole 72 b and a second through - hole 72 c in register with the first connection hole 71 g and a second connection hole 71 l , respectively . in these first and second through - holes 72 b , 72 c are mounted an ink supply duct 78 and a dilution liquid supply duct 79 , respectively , connected to an ink tank and a dilution liquid tank , not shown , respectively . thus , the ink supplied from the ink tank is supplied via ink supply duct 78 and ink buffer tank 71 f to an ink flow duct 71 d and thence to the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c . the dilution liquid supplied form the dilution liquid tank is supplied via a dilution liquid supply duct 79 and a dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k to a dilution liquid flow duct 71 i so as to be charged into the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h . for the first vibrating plate 72 x of the double - layered vibrating plate 72 , neoflex ( manufactured by mitsui toatsu kagaku kogyo kk ) having a thickness of approximately 50 μm and a glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . is used , as in the case of the orifice plate 73 . as the first vibrating plate 72 x of the double - layered vibrating plate 72 , a copper plate approximately 15 μm thick , for example , is used . on the major surface of the second vibrating plate 72 y are bonded a first piezoelectric device 76 and a second piezoelectric device 77 via an electrically conductive adhesive 74 . although the vibrating plate 72 of the present embodiment is a double - layered structure comprised of the first and second vibrating plates 72 x , 72 y , the vibrating plate 72 may also be formed as a sole - layer structure or a multi - layered structure of three or more layers . if a driving voltage is applied across the first piezoelectric device 76 in a state shown in fig1 a , the first piezoelectric device 76 is displaced in a direction indicated by arrow a in fig1 b for warping the vibrating plate 72 to decrease the volume of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c to raise the pressure therein . if a driving voltage is applied across the second piezoelectric device 77 in a state shown in fig1 b , the second piezoelectric device 77 is displaced in a direction indicated by arrow b in fig1 c for warping the vibrating plate 72 to decrease the volume of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h to raise the pressure therein . the operation of the ‘ carrier jet ’ printer head 56 is now explained . in the stand - by state , the ink and the dilution liquid , charged into the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and in the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h , respectively , produce meniscuses in a stabilized state in the vicinity of the ink emission hole 73 a and the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b , by equilibrium with surface tension , as shown in fig1 a . during ink quantitation , a driving voltage is applied across the first piezoelectric device 76 for displacing the first piezoelectric device in a direction indicated by arrow a in fig1 b . with this displacement of the first piezoelectric device 76 , the vibrating plate 72 is displaced in a direction indicated by arrow a in fig1 b . by this displacement of the vibrating plate 72 , the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c is decreased in pressure so that the pressure therein is increased . since time changes of the driving voltage applied across the first piezoelectric device 76 are moderately set to prevent the ink from flying from the ink emission hole 73 a , the ink is simply extruded without flying from the ink emission hole 73 a . since the driving voltage applied across the first piezoelectric device 76 is set to a value in meeting with the gradation of the picture data , the amount of the ink emitted from the distal end of the ink emission hole 73 a corresponds to picture data . the ink extruded from the ink emission hole 73 a is contacted and mixed with the dilution liquid forming the meniscus in the vicinity of the distal end of the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b . during ink emission , a driving voltage is applied across the second piezoelectric device 77 for displacing the first piezoelectric device in a direction indicated by arrow b in fig1 c . with this displacement of the first piezoelectric device 76 , the vibrating plate 72 is displaced in a direction indicated by arrow b in fig1 c . by this displacement of the vibrating plate 72 , the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h is decreased in pressure so that the pressure therein is increased . this emits the mixed solution having an ink concentration in meeting with the picture data from the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b . it is noted that time changes of the driving voltage applied across the second piezoelectric device 77 are set to permit the mixed solution to be emitted via the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b . referring to fig1 to 21 , the manufacturing method for the ‘ carrier jet ’ printer head 56 is hereinafter explained . referring first to fig1 a , a resist 83 of , for example , a photosensitive dry film or a liquid resist , is coated on one of the major surfaces 82 a of a metal member 82 of , for example , stainless steel , approximately 0 . 1 mm thick . then , pattern light exposure is carried out using a mask having a pattern corresponding to the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c , first connection hole 71 g , dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and to the second connection hole 71 l , at the same time as a resist 84 such as a photosensitive dry film or a liquid resist material , is coated on the opposite side major surface 82 b of the metal member 82 . then , pattern light exposure is carried out using a mask having a pattern corresponding to the ink inlet hole 71 e , ink buffer tank 71 f , dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j , dilution liquid flow duct 71 i and the dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k . then , as shown in fig1 b , the metal member 82 is etched by dipping for a pre - set time in an etching solution composed of , for example , an aqueous solution of ferric chloride , using , as masks , a resist 83 patterned in meeting with the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c , first connection hole 71 g , dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and the second connection hole 71 l , and a resist 84 patterned in meeting with the ink inlet hole 71 e , ink flow duct 71 d , ink buffer tank 71 f , dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j , dilution liquid flow duct 71 i and to the dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k , for forming the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c , first connection hole 71 g , dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and the second connection hole 71 l on the major surface 82 a of the metal member 82 . on the opposite side major surface 82 are formed the ink inlet hole 71 e , ink flow duct 71 d , ink buffer tank 71 f , dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j , dilution liquid flow duct 71 i and the dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k . this completes the above - mentioned pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the amounts of etching from the major surface 82 a and the opposite side major surface 82 b of the metal member 82 are both set so as to be slightly larger than approximately one - half the thickness of the metal member 82 . since the thickness of the metal member 82 is set in the present embodiment to 0 . 1 mm , the etching amount from a side of the metal member 82 is set to approximately 0 . 0055 mm . by setting the etching amount to this value , the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c , first connection hole 71 g , ink inlet hole 71 e , ink flow duct 71 d , ink buffer tank 71 f , dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h , second connection hole 71 l , dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j , dilution liquid flow duct 71 i and the dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k can e improved in dimensional accuracy and can be manufactured in stability . moreover , the etching amount from the major surface 82 a of the metal member 82 is the same as that from the opposite side major surface 82 b , the etching condition used for forming the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c , the connection hole 71 g , dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and the second connection hole 71 l on the major surface 82 a of the metal member 82 may be substantially equated to that used for forming the ink inlet duct 71 e , ink flow duct 71 d , ink buffer tank 71 f , dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j , dilution liquid flow duct 71 i and the dilution liquid buffer tank 71 k on the opposite side major surface 82 b of the metal member 82 , thus enabling the etching process to be completed easily in a shorter time . it is noted that the widths of the ink inlet duct 71 e and the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j are set so as to be larger than the diameter of the ink emission hole 73 a and the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b so that pressure rise in the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and in the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h is not affected by pressure applied across the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h . moreover , the width of the ink inlet duct 71 e is set so as to be approximately equal to the width at the forming position of the ink inlet duct 71 e of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c but smaller than the main width of the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c , while the width of the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j is set so as to be approximately equal to the width at the forming position of the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h but smaller than the main width of the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h . the widths of the ink inlet duct 71 e and the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j are preferably not larger than 2 . 5 times the plate thickness . if the widths of the ink inlet hole 71 e and the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j are of the same order as the plate thickness , shape errors tend to be produced during manufacturing processes . therefore , the widths are preferably not less than the plate thickness from the viewpoint of the manufacturing processes . in the present embodiment , the widths of the ink inlet hole 71 e and the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j are of the order of 0 . 2 mm which is approximately twice the plate thickness . then , the resists 83 , 84 are removed , as shown in fig1 c . if , in this case , dry resist films are used as the resists 83 , 84 , an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide with a concentration of not higher than 5 % of sodium hydroxide is used as a removing agent . if liquid resist films are used as the resists 83 , 84 , a dedicated alkaline solution is used as a remover . after removing the resists 83 , 84 , a resin material 85 of , for example neoflex ( manufactured by mitsui toatsu kagaku kogyo kk ) having a thickness of approximately 50 μm and a glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . is bonded by thermal pressure bonding to the opposite side major surface 71 b of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . this thermal pressure bonding is effected by applying a pressure of the order of 20 to 30 kgf / cm 2 at a press - working temperature of 230 ° c . by setting the condition for thermal pressure bonding in this manner , the bonding strength between the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 and the resin material 85 can be increased , while these can be bonded together efficiently . also , since the ink emission hole 73 a or the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b is not formed in this case in the resin material 85 , the bonding step in the process of bonding the resin material 85 to the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 can be performed easily to the extent that highly accurate position matching is not required . moreover , since the resin material 85 is bonded to the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 without using an adhesive , there is raised no problem of the adhesive stopping up the ink flow duct 71 d or the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i . the liquid repellant film 67 is then formed on the surface of the resin material 85 facing the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . the liquid repellant film 67 is preferably formed of a material which repels the ink and which produces no ink remaining affixed in the vicinity of the ink emission hole while producing no burrs without causing ink film delamination in case the ink emission hole 33 a is formed by excimer laser . such material may be typified by the fluorine resin dispersed in a polyimide material ( such as modified eep material sold under the trade name of 958 - 207 by dupont ; a polyimide based material having a hygroscopicity of 0 . 4 % or less , such as polyimide based overcoat ink sold under the trade name of epicoat fs - 100l and fp - 100 by ube kosan ; and liquid - repellant polybenzoimidazole , such as coating type polybenzoimidazole material sold under the trade name of npbi by hoechist ag . the resin material 85 is then irradiated perpendicularly with an excimer laser beam , from the side of the major surface 71 a of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 , via the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h and the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j , for forming the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b in the resin material 85 , as shown in fig1 e . also , the resin material 85 is irradiated perpendicularly with an excimer laser beam , from the side of the major surface 71 a of the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 , via the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and the ink inlet duct 71 e , for forming the ink emission hole 73 a in the resin material 85 this gives the above - mentioned orifice plate 33 . since the orifice plate 33 is formed of the resin material 85 , the ink emission hole 73 a and the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b can be formed easily . the liquid repellant film 67 is formed of a material having excellent excimer laser working characteristics , the ink emission hole 73 a and the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b can be formed easily . moreover , since the ink inlet duct 71 e and the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j are larger in diameter than the ink emission hole 73 a and the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b , position matching between the resin material 85 and the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 during laser working need not be strict , while it becomes possible to evade the risk of the light beam being shielded during laser working by the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 . then , a piezoelectric material 75 about 30 μm thick is bonded to the major surface of the second vibrating plate 72 y of the double - layered vibrating plate 72 via an electrically conductive adhesive 74 , as shown in fig1 a . in this case , a pressure of the order of 20 to 30 kgf / cm 2 is preferably used for bonding in order to reduce the thickness of the electrically conductive adhesive to as small a value as possible . this stabilizes the electrical resistance of the junction portion between the piezoelectric material 75 and the vibrating plate 72 while assuring stable adhesion in view of strength . on both sides of the piezoelectric material 43 is formed an electrically conductive film of , for example copper - nickel alloys , approximately 0 . 2 μm thick , for assuring electrical connection , by a thin - film forming method , such as sputtering . as the electrically conductive adhesive 74 , an epoxy - based adhesive cured at room temperature , admixed with electrically conductive materials , such as carbon particles , for example , is used . then , resist materials 202 , 203 , shaped similarly to the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h , are formed on the piezoelectric material 75 , as shown in fig1 b . as these resist materials 202 , 203 , a resist for sandblasting , such as bf - 405 or bf - 403 ( trade names ) sold by tokyo oka , or a powder beam etching resist , may be used . by using these resist materials , the resolution of the order of 50 μm in terms of the minimum line width may be realized . then , using a sand - blasting device or a powder beam etching device , a solid - gaseous two - phase jet stream containing diamond particles 5 to 30 μm in size is sprayed onto the piezoelectric material 75 carrying the resist materials 202 , 203 for processing the piezoelectric material 75 to a shape corresponding to that of the resist materials 202 , 203 to produce first and second piezoelectric device 76 , 77 , as shown in fig1 c . by using fine diamond particles of the order of 5 to 30 μm , a value of 8 to 9 can be realized as the value of processing speed ratio to the copper material making up the second vibrating plate 32 y of the piezoelectric materials 76 , 77 which later become the first and second piezoelectric device 76 , 77 . that is , the processing speed for the piezoelectric material is 8 to 9 times faster than that for the copper material . the result is that , in the processing process of the piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 shown in fig1 c , the processing area can be limited to the copper material making up the second vibrating plate 72 y . the vibrating plate 72 , carrying the first and second piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 , is immersed in a ferric chloride solution , or a shower of the ferric chloride solution is sprayed onto the vibrating plate 72 carrying the piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 , for removing the portion of the second vibrating plate 72 y not carrying the piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 since the first vibrating plate 72 x is formed of a polyimide or titanium material , and hence is not attacked during the removal process by the aqueous solution of ferric chloride as the etching solution for the second vibrating plate 72 y , only the second vibrating plate 72 y is removed , as shown in fig1 d . the resist materials 202 , 203 , left on the piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 , are then removed , using a dedicated removing solution , as shown in fig1 e . although the above explanation has been made of removing the second vibrating plate 72 y , using , as a mask , the resist materials 202 , 203 , used for forming the piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 , it is also possible to remove the resists 202 , 203 before the step of removing the second vibrating plate 72 y , as shown in fig2 a , and to remove the second vibrating plate subsequently , using the piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 as a mask , as shown in fig2 b . if the second vibrating plate 72 y is removed using the resist material 201 as a mask , the electrode material formed on each side of the first and second piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 can be protected more reliably , whereas , if the second vibrating plate 72 y is removed after removal of the resist materials 202 , 203 , using the first and second piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 as a mask , the etching can be improved in precision because the aqueous solution of ferric chloride as the etching solution for the second vibrating plate 72 y can penetrate into the inside of a narrow groove more promptly . although the foregoing description has been made of using the double layer structure for the vibrating plate 32 comprised of the first and second vibrating plates 72 x and 72 y and removing the second vibrating plate 72 y , at least one layer towards the first and second piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 is etched off if the vibrating plate 72 is of the multi - layered structure composed of three or more layers . next , the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 71 carrying the orifice plate 73 is bonded to the vibrating plate 72 carrying the first and second piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 , as shown in fig2 a . an epoxy - based adhesive may be used as an adhesive . if the polyimide material of neoflex is used as the material for the first vibrating plate 72 x , bonding may be achieved , without using the adhesive , by using a hot - press working process at a temperature of 220 to 230 ° c . under a pressure of 20 to 30 kgf / cm 2 , by exploiting the adhesive properties of the polyimide material , thereby improving resistance against chemicals . if a titanium material is used for the first vibrating plate 72 x , which is used as an actuator for the printer , its resonance frequency can be raised for increasing the ink emission speed . an ink supply duct 78 is then bonded to the site of the through - hole 72 b of the vibrating plate 72 , using , for example , an epoxy - based adhesive , as shown in fig2 b . this completes the ‘ carrier jet ’ printer head 56 . the above - described manufacture of the ‘ carrier jet ’ printer head 56 makes it possible to form the first and second piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 to an optional shape inclusive of a linear shape , in contradistinction from the conventional practice in which the shape of the piezoelectric device is necessarily linear . the separation between neighboring piezoelectric devices 76 , 77 can be set easily to 100 μm or less . this renders it possible to reduce the nozzle pitch in the printer device . moreover , in the conventional manufacturing method , abrasion to the tool needs to be taken into account in designing . in the manufacturing method of the present embodiment , there is no necessity of taking the abrasion of the blade into account , thus realizing a designing which places more emphasis on the ink emission performance . also , in the manufacturing method of the printer device of the present embodiment , substantially the entire surface of the piezoelectric material 75 bonded to the vibrating plate 72 can be split simultaneously , thus significantly reducing the processing time . in the above - described first embodiment , the method has been described in which the vibrating plate 32 carrying the piezoelectric device 35 is bonded to the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 carrying the orifice plate 33 to manufacture the ink jet print head 7 . this invention , however , is not limited to this configuration . for example , it is also possible to bond the vibrating plate 32 to the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 carrying the orifice plate 33 and subsequently to form the piezoelectric device 35 on this vibrating plate 32 , as shown in fig2 . that is , a vibrating plate 32 and a piezoelectric material 43 of a dual - layer structure are bonded to the major surface 31 a of the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 carrying the orifice plate 33 , as shown in fig2 a . then , a pattern is formed on the resist material 201 on the piezoelectric material 43 , as shown in fig2 b . then , using this resist material 201 as a mask , a piezoelectric device 35 shaped similarly to the resist material 201 is formed by powder beam etching or sandblasting , at the same time as the second vibrating plate 32 y is removed by an etching process employing an aqueous solution of ferric chloride . after formation of the piezoelectric device 35 and the second vibrating plate 32 y to the desired shape , the ink supply duct 36 is bonded at the site of the through - hole 32 b in the first vibrating plate 32 x . as in the first embodiment , the delamination process for the resist material 201 may be executed before or after the etching process employing an aqueous solution of ferric chloride . the method for bonding the vibrating plate 32 to the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 and the method for bonding the vibrating plate 32 to the piezoelectric device 35 may be the same as those used in the first embodiment . the method for bonding the vibrating plate 32 to the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 may precede the method for bonding the vibrating plate 32 to the piezoelectric device 35 or vice versa . with the above - described method , position matching accuracy can be improved because the position matching accuracy for the piezoelectric device 35 is equivalent to the patterning precision for the resist material 201 . this method can be used for manufacturing the ‘ carrier jet ’ printer device 50 , explained by way of the second embodiment , with similar effects . in the above - described first embodiment , the vibrating plate 32 is substantially of the same size as the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 , and the through - hole 32 b is formed in the vibrating plate 32 for connection to the ink supply duct 36 . however , the present invention is not limited to this embodiment , such that similar effects can be obtained even if the vibrating plate 32 is smaller than the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 provided that the vibrating plate 32 is at least just large enough to cover the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c . that is , the ink jet print head 7 may be configured so that the vibrating plate 32 is not present around the connection hole 31 g provided in the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 . since the through - hole 32 b formed in the ink jet print head 7 of the first embodiment need not be provided in the present ink jet print head 7 , the step of punching the vibrating plate 32 can be omitted , while the bonding area between the vibrating plate 32 and the pressurizing chamber forming member 32 v can also be reduced . moreover , if the piezoelectric device 35 is formed after bonding the vibrating plate 32 to the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 as described above , the position matching reference can be directly provided in the pressurizing chamber forming member 31 , thus further improving position matching accuracy . meanwhile , this method can be applied to the manufacturing method for the ‘ carrier jet ’ printer device 50 , explained by way of is the second embodiment , thus realizing similar effects . in the above - described first embodiment , the orifice plate 33 formed of neoflex having a glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . however , the present invention is again not limited to this configuration . that is , the effects similar to those realized with the above - described first embodiment can be realized using an orifice plate 91 shown in fig2 in place of the orifice plate 33 used in the first embodiment . this orifice plate 91 is made up of a first resin material 92 of capton ( manufactured by du pont ) having a thickness of approximately 125 μm and a glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . and a second resin material 93 of neoflex having a thickness of approximately 7 μm and a glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . the second resin material 93 of neoflex is coated on one of the major surfaces of the first resin material 92 . if this orifice plate 91 is used , an ink emission hole 33 a communicating with the ink inlet duct 31 e is formed in the orifice plate 91 . since the orifice plate 91 is thicker than the orifice plate 33 used in the first embodiment , a higher strength can be achieved than if the orifice plate 33 is used . moreover , since the ink emission hole 33 a can be increased in length , the emitted ink liquid droplets can be improved in direction characteristics . although the above - described second embodiment refers to a case of using an orifice plate 73 of neoflex having the glass transition temperature not higher than 250 ° c ., the present invention is not limited to this configuration . that is , the effects similar to those realized with the above - described first embodiment can be realized using an orifice plate 91 shown in fig2 in place of the orifice plate 73 used in the second embodiment . in particular , if the orifice plate 91 is used in the ‘ carrier jet ’ printer head 56 , a certain allowance may be endowed to the angle of inclination of the ink emission hole 73 a , while the separation between the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c and the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h can be easily enlarged thus assuring positive prevention of ink leakage and leakage of the dilution liquid . in this case , the ink emission hole 73 a an the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b communicating with the ink inlet hole 71 e and with the dilution liquid inlet duct 71 j , respectively , are formed in the orifice plate 91 . in the above - described first and second embodiments , the present invention is applied to the serial type ‘ carrier jet ’ printers 1 and 50 . however , the present invention is not limited to this configuration . for example , the present invention can be applied to a line type printer device 120 shown in fig2 or to a drum rotation type printer device 130 shown in fig2 . in fig2 and 26 , parts or components similar to those of the serial type ‘ carrier jet ’ printer device 1 shown in fig2 are denoted by the same reference numerals . in the line type printer device 120 , a line head 121 comprised of a linear array of a large number of printer heads is mounted stationarily for extending in the axial direction . this line type printer device 120 is configured for simultaneously printing one row of letters by the line head 121 and for rotating the drum by one row of letters on completion of letter printing for a given row of letters to proceed to the letter printing of the next row . there may be contemplated such a method in which all lines are printed collectively or divided in plural blocks , or printing is made every other row . in the drum rotation type printer device 130 , the ink is emitted from the print head 6 in synchronism with drum rotation to emit the ink from the print head 6 to generate an image on the printing paper sheet 4 . when the drum 2 completes one revolution to complete one row of letters on the printing paper sheet 4 in the circumferential direction , the feed screw 5 is rotated about its axis to move the printer head 6 by one pitch to proceed to next printing . in this case , the drum 2 and the feed screw 5 can be rotated simultaneously to move the printer head 6 slowly simultaneously with printing . if the printer head is a multi - ink - emission - hole type head , or the same place is printed repeatedly , printing is made spirally whist the drum 2 and the feed screw 5 are rotated simultaneously in operative association with each other . in the above - described first and second embodiments , the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 and the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 are fabricated using metal members 38 , 82 of , for example , stainless steel , approximately 0 . 1 mm in thickness . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration because various other numerical figures may be used as the thicknesses of the metal members 38 , 82 . since various chambers and holes in the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 and the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 are formed by etching , as described above , the thicknesses of the metal members 38 , 82 are desirably set to not less than 0 . 07 mm . by setting the thicknesses of the metal members 38 , 82 to not less than 0 . 07 mm , sufficient strength may be afforded to the metal members 38 , 82 to enable the pressure increase in the ink pressurizing chambers 31 c or 71 c or in the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h . in the above - described embodiments , the orifice plates 33 , 73 are thermally pressure - bonded to the ink pressurizing chambers 31 c , 71 c at a press - working temperature of approximately 230 ° c . under a pressure of 20 to 30 kgf / cm 2 . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration , such that various other numerical values may be used for thermally pressure bonding the orifice plates 33 , 73 to the ink pressurizing chambers 31 , 71 insofar as sufficient adhesion strength is assured . in the above - described first and second embodiments , the excimer laser is used for forming the ink emission hole 33 a in the resin material 41 and for forming the ink emission hole 73 a and the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b in the resin material 85 . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration because various other lasers , such as carbonic gas laser , may be used to form the ink emission hole 33 a , ink emission hole 73 a and the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b . in the above - described first and second embodiments , the ink pressurizing chamber 31 c and the ink pressurizing chamber 71 c are used as ink chambers in which the ink is charged to set a pre - set pressure . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration such that various other ink chambers may be used . in the above - described first and second embodiments , the ink flow duct 31 d and the ink flow duct 71 d are used as ink flow ducts formed obliquely to the arraying direction of the ink chambers and adapted for supplying the ink supplied from the ink supply source to the ink chambers . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration such that various other ink flow ducts may be used . also , in the above - described first and second embodiments , the ink emission hole 33 a and the ink emission hole 73 a are used as the ink emission holes for emitting the ink from the ink chambers onto the recording medium when the pressure is applied to the respective ink flow ducts . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration such that various other ink emission holes may be used . in the above - described second embodiment , the dilution liquid pressurizing chamber 71 h is used as a dilution liquid pressurizing chamber into which is charged and pressurized the dilution liquid which is mixed with the ink during emission . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration such that various other dilution liquid chambers may be used . in the above - described second embodiment , the dilution liquid flow duct 71 i is used as the dilution liquid flow duct formed at an angle relative to the arraying direction of the dilution liquid chamber and which is adapted for supplying the dilution liquid supplied from the dilution liquid supply source to the respective dilution liquid chambers . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration such that various other dilution liquid flow ducts may be used . in the above - described second embodiment , the dilution liquid emission hole 73 b is used as the dilution liquid emission hole via which the dilution liquid supplied from the dilution liquid chambers is emitted to the recording medium when the pressure is applied to the respective dilution liquid flow ducts . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration such that various other dilution liquid emission holes may be used . in the above - described second embodiment , the ink pressurizing chamber forming member 31 and the pressurizing chamber forming member 71 are used as metal plates in which the ink chambers and ink ducts are formed by punching . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration such that various other dilution metal plates formed with the ink chambers and ink ducts may be used . in the above - described second embodiment , the orifice plates 33 , 73 are used as the plate - shaped resin members formed with ink emission holes . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration such that various other dilution liquid emission holes may be used . in the above - described second embodiment , the orifice plates 33 , 73 formed of neoflex having a thickness of approximately 50 μm and the glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . are used as the resin members having the glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration such that various other resin members may be used if the glass transition temperature thereof is not higher than 250 ° c . in the above - described second embodiment , the orifice plate 91 is used as the layered resin material comprised of a first resin material with the glass transition temperature of not lower than 250 ° c . and a second resin material with the glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration since various other resin members may be used as the layered resin material comprised of the first resin material with the glass transition temperature of not lower than 250 ° c . and the second resin material with the glass transition temperature of not higher than 250 ° c . also , in the above - described first and second embodiments , the ink buffer tank 31 f and the ink buffer tank 71 f are used as ink delivery means for delivering the ink supplied from the ink supply source . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration since various other ink delivery means may be used . further , in the above - described first and second embodiments , the ink buffer tank 71 f is used as dilution liquid delivery means for delivering the dilution liquid supplied from the dilution liquid supply means for mixing with the ink at the time of emission . the present invention , however , is not limited to this configuration since various other dilution liquid delivery means may be used . | 8 |
as discussed pseudo - conversational messaging suffers from the “ no - response problem ”. in other words , a client application receiving no response from a request , is left wondering whether the request was processed / will be processed by a server application . there are a number of possibilities . i ) it could be that the request never reached the server application / queue manager in the first place ; ii ) the server application / queue manager could just be processing requests particularly slowly ; iv ) the server application &# 39 ; s response might be delayed reaching the client application . this invention , in accordance with a preferred embodiment , seeks to resolve such uncertainty by introducing novel processing into the client and server queue managers ( messaging software ) such that the client application can be developed without the use of complex code to handle the no - response - received case . the client application is able to assume that if no response message is received within a reasonable time ( preferably chosen by the client application ) then the requested service has not been ( and will not be ) performed . the special processing includes provision for notifying an administrator in certain ( very rare ) cases where this assumption fails . the administrator is required to deal with these cases in much the same way as when a messaging system puts an undeliverable message on the so - called “ dead letter queue ” for administrative attention ( ibm websphere mq product ). note for the sake of clarity , processing is described using the assumption that the servers queue manager is acting as the transaction coordinator for the server . it is also assumed that the client application does its puts and gets out of transaction . the behavior of the present invention may be specified in one of a number of ways : 1 ) an extra option is provided that the client application specifies at put time ( this requires modification to existing applications ) 2 ) an attribute is added to a remote queue definition . e . g . the client queue manager can create a definition of a remote queue such as the request queue and can then inform the server application &# 39 ; s queue manager that the behaviour of the invention is required , alternatively , the server application &# 39 ; s queue manager can also define an attribute on its own local request queue . 3 ) an attribute is added on the client application ( this is set by an administrator when deploying / installing the application ) options which do not require changes to existing client or server application code ( i . e . only requiring changes to the messaging software itself ) are particularly advantageous . on the other hand , some customers might want existing client applications to carry on working the way they always have . such customers might prefer the flexibility of having the client application specify whether they want the “ old ” behavior ( i . e . not use the functionality disclosed ) or the “ new ” behavior ( i . e . use the disclosed functionality ). this would imply a new option that the client application could invoke . in one embodiment , both of the above approaches are catered for ( queue attribute and client option ). the preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to fig2 a , 2 b , 2 c and 2 d . fig2 a is similar to fig1 . the componentry is the same , as are the reference numerals identifying such componentry . some additional information is provided relating to certain checks that are performed . these checks are detailed on fig2 a . additional processing steps are illustrated in fig2 b , 2 c and 2 d . the figures should all be read in conjunction with one another . as alluded to above , the messaging software has a number of checks to perform . the first set of checks are used so that the client application can be sure that its request actually reached the server &# 39 ; s queue manager . all checks will be described as and when they occur during processing , client application 10 puts a request to client queue managers 70 local xmit queue 20 ( step 100 ). client queue manager 70 , at this point , performs check a ( step 110 in fig2 b ). client &# 39 ; s queue manager 70 checks that the message is appropriately specified . for example , the message should specify a reply - to queue 60 to accommodate the server application &# 39 ; s response . if the message is not appropriately specified , the client &# 39 ; s queue manager returns “ failed ” to the client application for the put request ( step 115 ). consequently the request will not be forwarded onto the server application &# 39 ; s queue manager and the client application can safely assume that its request has not and will not be processed by the server application . the client &# 39 ; s queue manager 70 checks if the communication link to server queue manager 80 is available . if the link is not available , the client queue manager returns “ failed ” to client application 10 for the put request ( step 125 ). once again the request will not be forwarded to the server application &# 39 ; s queue manager , and so the client application can safely assume that its request has not and will not be processed by the server application . note , normal asynchronous behavior is if the communications link is down , a client application &# 39 ; s request will remain on the client queue managers xmit queue until the link is up again . however in this instance , such behaviour is not appropriate since the client application is waiting for a response to the client &# 39 ; s request — in other words the client application is employing a pseudo conversational ( or synchronous ) communications model . assuming that the communication &# 39 ; s link is up , the client &# 39 ; s queue manager 70 transmits the request message from the client &# 39 ; s local xmit queue 20 to the servers queue manager 80 ( step 130 ). when the request is received by the server queue manager 80 , the queue manager performs check c ( step 140 ). the server &# 39 ; s queue manager 80 verifies if there is any reason why the request message cannot be added to the servers remote request queue 40 immediately . for example , the message may be too large , the queue 40 may be full ; the queue may be put inhibited . if there is any reason why the server &# 39 ; s queue manager cannot accept the client &# 39 ; s request , the servers queue manager deletes the request message ( step 145 ). consequently the server application will not process the client application &# 39 ; s request . optionally , the servers queue manager can send a report or other notification for retrieval by an administrator ( not shown ). this could be written to for example , to a dead letter queue . assuming the request is accepted , the server queue manager 80 then performs check d ( step 150 ). a check is performed to determine whether a server application 30 performed a get ( step 150 ) to retrieve the request message within a configurable ( but preferably short amount of time ). if the server application fails to perform the get in time , or ( in a simple embodiment ) if the server application backs out the get , the server &# 39 ; s queue manager deletes the request message ( step 155 ). in a more sophisticated embodiment , if the server application backs out the get , the server &# 39 ; s queue manager can permit some retries , thus , if the server backs out the get , the servers queue manager returns the request message to the request queue so that the server application can try again . however , after a specified number of retry attempts and / or after a specified amount of time doing these retries , the servers queue manager preferably deletes the message ( to avoid an infinite retry loop ). optionally , the server &# 39 ; s queue manager can send a report or other notification for retrieval by an administrator . this could be written to , for example , a “ dead letter queue .” note , it is not essential that the server application be given x seconds ( or milliseconds ) in which to get the client application &# 39 ; s request but this is preferable since ( as discussed above ) the get may not work property . if the server application is slow to get the request ( or does not get the request at all ), then the client application will get bored and give up waiting for the response . when ( if ) the server application does eventually get and process the request , then check h , which shall be subsequently discussed in reater detail , will fail ( no client application get for the response ) and step 255 ( see fig2 d ) will abort the server application &# 39 ; s transaction . thus , there is no harm done , but the server application has wasted time and energy processing the request too late . note , it is optional for the server queue manager to send a report or other notification ( as a result of checks c and d ) because the client application is configured to interpret “ no reply ” as meaning that the requested action was not performed . this is the correct interpretation in the cases mentioned , however , a report or other notification could provide the administrator with useful additional information ( e . g . that a request has failed and why it failed ). assuming that the request message is retrieved ( got ) by the server application 30 , server application 30 processes the request ( step 160 ) and puts a response to server queue managers reply to remote xmit queue 50 ( step 170 ). note , if check c or d results in request deletion then no processing will be performed by the server application as a result of the client application &# 39 ; s request . a second set of checks are performed so that the client can be sure that the server application &# 39 ; s response , if sent , is received . again , such checks are depicted using the figures ( starting with fig2 c ). server queue manager 80 performs one such check — check e ( step 180 ) a check is performed by the server &# 39 ; s queue manager to determine whether there is any reason why the server application &# 39 ; s response cannot be put to xmit queue 50 . if the server queue manager is unable to put the response , failure is returned . such a failure will cause the server application to outback its transaction , and , consequently , the server application will not perform any processing as a result of the client application &# 39 ; s request ( step 185 ). if on the other hand , it is possible to put the response , check f is then performed ( step 190 ). the servers queue manager checks if the communication link to the client system is available . if not , it returns “ failed ” to the put request . such a failure will cause the server to backout its transaction , and , consequently the server application will not perform any processing as a result of the client application &# 39 ; s request ( step 195 ). otherwise , server queue manager 80 returns “ succeeded ” to the put request ( step 200 ). a response of “ succeeded ” causes the server queue manager to proceed and ( assuming no other problems are identified by the server application ), it is expected that the server application will commit ( not a commit in the true sense of the word — see below ) its transaction ( step 210 ), the servers queue manager ( acting as transaction coordinator ) then issues a prepare against ail resource managers ( r ms ) other than the queue manager itself ( this is as per “ last agent optimization ”) at step 220 . such a prepare causes all the rms to “ harden ” ( typically “ harden ” means “ write out to their log ”) enough information to ensure they will be able to complete ( or backout ) their part of the transaction when asked to do so by the transaction coordinator ( in this case , the server queue manager ). ( resource managers may include , for example , database managers controlling databases against which changes may be made as a result of the client application &# 39 ; s request ( server application processing ). if any rm returns “ failed ” then the servers queue manager aborts the transaction and the server queue manager ( and any other rms ) backout ( step 225 ). otherwise , the server &# 39 ; s queue manager writes a “ provisional go ” record for the transaction to its log ( step 230 ). the “ provisional go ” is the server queue manager &# 39 ; s way of logging that the servers queue manager is about to send a response to the client application &# 39 ; s request , such a provisional go record is useful for error recovery purposes . this will be explained later . the servers queue manager then transmits the response message to the client &# 39 ; s queue manager 70 at step 240 . in conventional asynchronous messaging , the server &# 39 ; s queue manager does not transmit the response message until commit processing for the server application is complete . at this stage , the server application &# 39 ; s commit has been prepared but is not yet complete ( and , as discussed below , might still get aborted ). in other words the server application &# 39 ; s commit at step 210 is not a commit in the true sense of the word . the server application &# 39 ; s commit asks the transaction coordinator to ask the rms to commit ( conventional 2pc ). the transaction coordinator ( in this case , the server queue manager ) prepares all rms ( conventional , phase 1 ), it writes a “ provisional go ” record to its log ( not shown ) and sends the server application &# 39 ; s response to the client &# 39 ; s queue manager , it does not precipitate any updates ( other changes ) to be committed to back - end databases etc . normally the transactional commit would also cause such changes to be made with back - end systems . eventually the transaction coordinator decides everything is ok and forward completes at step 280 or decides everything is not ok and aborts ( conventional , phase 2 ) at step 225 or step 246 or 255 . this is all discussed below , returning to the sequence of processing in fig2 c , if the transmission fails at step 240 — for example , if the communication link is not available — the server &# 39 ; s queue manager ( acting as transaction coordinator ) aborts the server application &# 39 ; s transaction ( step 241 ). otherwise , it awaits a response . note , check f has already been performed at step 190 but the communications link may fail subsequently ( i . e . in between returning an indication of success to the server application ( step 200 ) and the actual attempt to transmit a response ( step 240 ). for example , the server application may be told that the link is working , do some processing and then commit the transaction . the link may fail between the additional processing and the server applcation &# 39 ; s commit . assuming that the transmission at step 240 worked and the response is received by the client queue manager 70 , then queue manager 70 performs check g ( step 245 ). the client queue manager performs check g in order to determine whether it is possible to put the response onto local reply to queue 60 , if it is not possible , a response of failed is returned to the server queue manager and this causes it to abort the server application &# 39 ; s transaction ( step 246 ). client &# 39 ; s queue manager checks whether the client application gets the response message within a configurable ( but short ) amount of time . if the client application does not get the response ( s ) within this time , the client &# 39 ; s queue manager deletes the response message ( s ) and sends a “ failed ” signal to the servers queue manager . the server &# 39 ; s queue manager ( acting as transaction coordinator ) aborts the server application &# 39 ; s transaction ( step 255 ). otherwise , the clients queue manager delivers the message ( step 260 ) and sends a “ succeeded ” signal to the server &# 39 ; s queue manager 80 ( step 270 ). the server &# 39 ; s queue manager ( acting as transaction coordinator ) “ forward completes ” the server application &# 39 ; s transaction ( step 280 ). by providing the client application with x seconds ( or milliseconds ) in which to get the server application &# 39 ; s response , the amount of time that the server application &# 39 ; s transaction is in - doubt is minimised . it will be appreciated that it is possible for the get to fail , for example , the get could timeout or the message may be too large for the client application to accept . if the get does fail , step 255 should be processed as soon as possible to back - out the server applications transaction . note , the server queue manager can force transaction abort at step 255 ( check h ). unlike the situation described with reference to check d , there is no point in allowing retries for this case since the client application is obviously not available . thus , the queue manager could permit some retries for “ ordinary ” back - out or abort situations but not permit retries ( i . e . delete the request message ) for aborts which it itself forced at step 255 . thus in this situation a back - out / abort does not result in the client application &# 39 ; s request being put back on the request queue 40 . note , the client queue manager would have to provide an indication of the reason for failure — i . e . that it was as a result of check h . from the foregoing , it should now be appreciated that client application &# 39 ; s get of the server &# 39 ; s response is made part of the server application &# 39 ; s transaction . the server queue manager ( acting as transaction coordinator ) “ forward completes ” the server application &# 39 ; s transaction once the client queue manager has confirmed receipt by the client application of the server application &# 39 ; s response , otherwise the server queue manager will abort the transaction . in this way the client application can be sure that either it will receive a response from the server queue manager or the transaction will be aborted . once the server queue manager “ forward completes ” the transaction , back - end databases etc . are updated ( finalized ) in accordance with the client application &# 39 ; s request ( step 290 ) and the request message is finally deleted off the request queue 40 ( step 295 ). it is apparent that the server application &# 39 ; s transaction is in - doubt from when the response message is transmitted ( step 240 ) until the status signal (“ failed ” or “ succeeded ”) is received from the client &# 39 ; s queue manager ( step 270 ). in conventional transaction processing , the transaction would remain in - doubt until the client &# 39 ; s queue manager definitively reports its outcome . however it is understood that a long in - doubt state is highly undesirable in high performance servers for example , database and other locks are held until the transaction is resolved , creating log - jams in the server ( e . g . server queue manager , resource managers , resources , server application ). i ) if after step 240 , but before step 270 , the servers queue manager 80 detects that the link to the client &# 39 ; s queue manager 70 has failed or that the client queue manager has failed , then ( acting as transaction coordinator ) it commits the transaction . ( the server queue manager knows whether it sent the response and whether the communications link was up at the time due to the response at step 240 .) before indicating that participating rms should also “ forward complete ”, the server &# 39 ; s queue manager creates and hardens a “ commit possibly not notified ” report for an administrator who must investigate and take action as appropriate . this processing is analogous to the established websphere mo dead - letter queue concept . when a websphere mo messaging system is contracted ( transactionally ) to deliver a message but later discovers it cannot do so then it puts the message on the dead - letter queue for administrative attention . it is desirable ( but not absolutely essential ) that the messaging software uses keep - alive or other heart - beat techniques to ensure timely detection of link or client queue manager failures . in the absence of such heart - beat technology , the servers queue manager waits a configurable ( but short ) time for a reply before assuming that the link or client queue manager has failed ii ) if the servers queue manager 80 fails before it receives notification ( success or failure ) from the client &# 39 ; s queue manager , then it can detect what has happened because of the “ provisional go ” record on its log ( see earlier ). in other words , the server &# 39 ; s queue manager is aware that a response was sent to the client &# 39 ; s queue manager as a result of the provisional go record . note , the phase 2 ( forward commit or abort ) decision is made by the transaction coordinator and it ( the coordinator ) writes its decision to its log . if the log contains a “ provisional go ” but no phase 2 decision then the server queue manager can deduce that the transaction has not yet been forward completed , this is discovered when the server queue manager reads back its log at restart and the server queue manager then hardens a “ commit possibly not notified ”, and makes the forward complete decision ( strictly : writes a “ forward complete ” phase 2 decision to its log ), and tells the rms to forward complete , if there is a phase 2 decision on the log then the server queue manager knows that the transaction has already been forward completed . 1 . the coordinator { server queue manager ) instructs all rms to prepare 2 . the coordinator receives “ ok ” from all the rms 3 . the coordinator writes a “ provisional go ” to its log ( indicating that it is about to send a response to the client &# 39 ; s queue manager ) 4 . the coordinator sends a response to client end and awaits confirmation from client &# 39 ; s queue manager 5 . confirmation arrives at the coordinator who decides to “ forward complete ” 6 . the coordinator writes the “ forward complete ” phase 2 decision to its log 7 . the coordinator tells all rms to forward complete . the rms are in - doubt from when they do their prepare ok until they hear the coordinators final decision . under all circumstances , when they do hear the coordinators final decision they hear the decision that has been written to the coordinators log . if the coordinator fails at steps 4 or 5 then it can &# 39 ; t tell by looking at its log whether it sent the response ( might have failed in 4 ) or whether the client end confirmed receipt ( might have failed in 5 ). at this stage the coordinator is in - doubt . this is not allowed . the coordinator must therefore make a decision . it reasons thus : if the client application did get the response then , the server queue manager is morally obliged to forward complete — i . e . the client application must be able to assume that if a response is received , the server application &# 39 ; s processing will be finalized . if the client application fell over then forward complete is not prohibited so the server queue manager forward completes , then to be on the safe side , a “ commit possibly not notified ” report is created . this is because there is a small chance that the client application is unaware that the server application actually processed its request . the report could be written to a dead letter queue or similar . at restart ( assuming a response was sent ), the server &# 39 ; s queue manager 80 creates the ““ commit possibly not notified ” report and forward completes the transaction . otherwise ( if no “ provisional go ” record exists ), the servers queue manager aborts the transaction . if the client application receives its response , it can safely assume that the transaction has been ( or will be ) forward completed . “ safely ” here is the same as with traditional distributed two - phase commit ( 2pc ) transactionality ( but does not incur the overheads of , or the risk of long in - doubts from , distributed 2pc ). if the client application does not receive its response — that is , its get for the response message fails — it can safely assume that either the transaction never started or the transaction has been ( or will be ) backed out . safely ” here is less safe than with traditional distributed 2pc but is essentially the same as with the “ assured one time delivery ” of established messaging systems — that is , exceptions are rare and handling the exception cases is not the responsibility of the client application . i ) the server fails after writing a “ provisional go ” record to its log but before sending the response message ; or ii ) the servers queue manager succeeds in sending the response message but the communication link fails to deliver the response message to the client application &# 39 ; s queue manager . the chances of this happening depend on details of lower level protocols used by the link itself . the client application chooses what constitutes “ a reasonable amount of time ” within which to perform the requested service by specifying that time as the time - out value on the get it issues for the response . if the client application itself tails before its get completes then the outcome is ( obviously ) not known to the client application itself . procedures for handling client application failure must take this into account . an optional component reduces the frequency of exception cases still further , this components works as follows : when the client application puts the request message , the client &# 39 ; s queue manager does not transmit the request message to the server application until the client application issues its get request for the response message . this allows the client &# 39 ; s queue manager to respond to the server &# 39 ; s queue manager without needing to wait for the client application &# 39 ; s get — i . e . the client application &# 39 ; s get is already waiting for the server application &# 39 ; s response . to summarise , the present invention ( in accordance with a preferred embodiment ) enables the client application to safely make an assumption that a lack of response from the server application means that the client &# 39 ; s request has not and will not be processed . the servers queue manager is able to determine when the client application has not received a response and is able to take appropriate action depending upon the state it is at with regard to processing the client application &# 39 ; s initial request . thus the following happens such that the server queue manager is able to determine when the client application has not received a response , i ) the server &# 39 ; s queue manager prepares the transaction . this means everyone involved ( except the client application ) is sure they &# 39 ; re happy but could still abort if necessary . ii ) the server &# 39 ; s queue manger sends an “ it worked ” response to the client queue manager and waits until the client queue manager reports what happened . iii ) if the client &# 39 ; s queue manager reports that the client application got the message , the server queue manager tells everyone involved ( except the client ) to forward complete the transaction . if the client &# 39 ; s queue manager reports the client application did not get the message , the server queue manager tells everyone involved to abort the transaction . in this way , a one phase commit resource ( the client queue manager ) is included as the last participant in a transaction with a two phase commit resource ( i . e . the server queue managers transaction ). the transmission of the response from the server queue manager to the client queue manager and the client application &# 39 ; s get are thus included as an additional 1pc component of the server queue manager &# 39 ; s 2pc transaction . the servers queue manager and the clients queue manager cooperate to create a novel 1pc transaction that does not exist in conventional asynchronous messaging . further , the server &# 39 ; s queue manager and the client &# 39 ; s queue manager cooperate to include this novel 1pc transaction in the server &# 39 ; s 2pc transaction . if the server queue manager does not receive a response from the client queue manager , the servers queue manager could be left waiting for a response indefinitely . consequently some additional work is done to minimise the server queue managers time “ in - doubt ”. however , in the final analysis the server queue manager may need to take a guess ( i . e . a heuristic outcome ). in case the heuristic outcome is incorrect , this is recorded in a way analogous to the websphere mq dead letter queue . although it has been mentioned that the client application &# 39 ; s get of the server application &# 39 ; s response may be a lpc resource , this does not have to be the case . the get can be non - transactional , 1pc transactional , or 2pc transactional — the invention is equally applicable for all three of these possibilities . however , in the preferred embodiment the 2pc transaction between queue managers and the commit of the client application get — which are normally entirely separate from each other and from the server queue managers 2pc transaction — are collapsed into a novel 1pc process and then 1pc process is included into the server &# 39 ; s 2pc transaction . it should be appreciated that while the preferred embodiment has been described specifically in terms of queue managers , the invention is not limited to such but is applicable to any communication manager . a particular advantage of the present invention is that this functionality can be provided without disruption to the client application itself . | 7 |
referring to fig1 a , in an exemplary embodiment of a treatment apparatus 10 includes a handpiece 12 coupled to a treatment console 14 housing a power supply 16 . power supply 16 may be a high voltage power supply of the type provided by cutera , inc . ( brisbane calif .) in consoles for use with its nd : yag laser product line , and in particular any of the power supplies used with the coolglide family of lasers ( coolglide cv , coolglide excel , and coolglide vantage ), or with the coolglide xeo , xeo sa and solera opus consoles . laser source 18 is provided with an er : ysgg or a cr , er : ysgg gain medium . this gain medium has a primary output at 2 . 79 μm which has a depth of coagulation in skin that falls between the depths associated with co 2 lasers ( wavelength = 10 . 6 μm ) and er : yag lasers ( wavelength = 2 . 94 μm .). the characteristic depth of coagulation in skin after laser ablation is 40 μm for 2 . 94 μm light , 75 μm for 2 . 79 μm light and 125 μm for 10 . 60 μm light ( kaufmann et al j dermatol surg oncol 1994 ; 20 : 112 - 118 ). as discussed in greater detail below , use of a primary wavelength of 2 . 79 μm ablates to remove a precise amount of tissue , while also coagulating to create a natural dressing and to promote new collagen formation . a laser based on an er : ysgg or cr , er : ysgg gain medium offers two other advantages . first , it is more efficient than er : yag . second , the upper level lifetime is ten times longer , allowing low threshold operation allowing longer pulse durations relative to er : yag lasers at similar energy levels . longer pulse durations may be exploited to produce different post - ablation thermal damage profiles in treated skin . in exemplary modes of operation , pulse durations on the order of 0 . 2 to 25 ms and preferably 0 . 5 to 10 ms are contemplated , with spot sizes on the order of between 1 and 10 mm , repetition rates ranging from single shots to 20 hz , and preferred fluences within the range of 0 . 25 and 20 j / cm 2 . as shown in fig1 a , in the exemplary embodiment , laser source 18 is integrated into the handpiece 12 . integrating the laser components ( e . g . monolithic laser rod resonator , excitation flash lamp , cooling features ) and associated power detectors , optical components etc . into the handpiece avoids the problems of delivering the light from the console to the tissue . thus , light can be delivered directly to the target tissue directly from the handpiece without having to pass through an articulated arm or fiber optic element . as discussed in greater detail below , the handpiece preferably includes a two - axis scanner 20 operable to uniformly scan the beam of light across the tissue surface to produce a two - dimensional treatment pattern on the skin . the handpiece 12 is illustrated in fig1 b . handpiece includes includes an umbilical cable 13 that houses electrical cables to provide power from the power supply to drive the flash lamp and scanner motors , to provide a signal path for detector signals , encoders , serial communication , a memory device that identifies the handpiece , and a supply and return water line ( to remove heat generated by the flash lamp ). the proximal end of the umbilical cable is semi - permanently attached to the laser system console and the distal end is permanently attached to the body of the delivery hand piece . an activation switch ( not shown ) such as a foot pedal is provided for use in initiating and terminating treatment . fig2 schematically illustrates the optical components within the handpiece . as shown , the handpiece includes a laser resonator cavity 22 containing the excitation flash lamp , laser crystal and associated mirrors . a portion of the beam 100 exiting the laser cavity 100 is diverted to a pair of photodetectors 24 a , 24 b by a pair of independent beam splitters 26 a , 26 b for use in monitoring output power . an aiming diode 28 generates an aiming beam of light 102 . beam combining mirror 30 combines the beam 100 from the laser 18 with the aiming beam 102 so that the aiming beam is parallel and coincident with the treatment beam . during use , the aiming beam shows the user where the energy from the laser is impinging on the skin . a safety shutter 32 is positioned between the laser cavity 22 and the combining mirror 30 . the shutter has open and closed positions . when the shutter is in the open position the beam 100 passes to the next optical component , which in fig2 is the combining mirror 30 . in the closed position , the beam 100 is deflected into a beam dump ( not shown ). when not directed to the beam dump , the beam 100 impinges onto x - y scanning mirror 34 which is driven by stepper motors to provide x - y movement of the beam 100 on skin s . a protective window 36 on the handpiece ( see also fig1 b ) protects the internal optical components . a distance guide 38 , which may be stainless steel , sets the distance between the handpiece 12 and the target treatment site . during use , the distance guide is placed in direct contact with the patient &# 39 ; s skin . control electronics are schematically illustrated in fig3 . independent signals from photodetectors 24 a , 24 b are received by microcontroller 40 , which uses the input to monitor and regulate laser power . the photodetectors utilize detector circuits that are independent from each other and that use no shared components . this ensures that no single component failure lead to generation of inaccurate readings by both detectors . this avoids delivery of improper levels laser treatment energy to the patient . microcontroller 40 additionally provides drive signals to the stepper motors of the x , y scanner 20 . encoders associated with x and y direction stepper motors provide feedback for use by the microcontroller in identifying the rotational positions of the stepper motor shafts . as discussed , safety shutter 32 is positioned to terminate delivery of the treatment beam to the patient s . an encoder attached to the shaft of the shutter motor detects the position of the safety shutter . the microcontroller 40 monitors the position of the safety shutter 32 and in the event of a discrepancy can terminate laser exposure by closing the safety shutter . others ways of terminating exposure include disabling the high voltage power supply to prevent charging of the main charging capacitor or disabling the discharge of the main charging capacitor ( thus preventing the firing of the flash lamp ). details of the x , y scanner assembly 20 will next be discussed in connection with fig4 - 7b . in general , the x , y scanner 20 is operable to move the scanning mirror 34 ( fig2 ) in two orthogonal directions to produce a pattern of treated regions on the skin . referring to fig4 , the scanner 20 includes an x - motion scanning unit 60 for scanning the light across the tissue surface in a first direction ( arbitrarily labeled the “ x ” direction ), and a y - motion scanning unit 58 for moving the light in a second direction that is preferably orthogonal to the x - direction . although various scanner configurations may be used for this purpose , one suitable scanner uses a pair of stepper motors operable to move a single mirror relative to two axes . this scanner is differentiated from prior scanners in part for its single moving mirror design , use of stepper motors for precise movement and miniature size . fig5 shows a side view of scanning mirror 34 mounted on a rectangular mirror mount 46 . mount 46 is attached to the face of mirror 34 that is opposite to the reflective surface 48 used by the mirror to reflect laser light onto tissue . this figure schematically illustrates general movement of the mirror and mount during scanning . one direction of movement , referred to here as y - direction movement , involves using a first stepper motor to pivot the mount in a forward and backward direction as indicated by arrows “ y ”. the second form of movement , referred to here as the x - direction movement , involves using a second stepper motor to pivot the mount laterally as indicated by arrows “ x ”. components of the scanner 20 are shown in fig6 a and 6b . scanner includes a base 50 fixed within the handpiece . base 50 is a u - shaped piece defining an opening 52 . a yoke 54 is mounted within the opening 52 . yoke 54 is mounted to the base by pins 56 and is pivotable about the pins to produce y - direction movement of the mirror . mirror mount 46 , which carries mirror 34 , is coupled to the yoke 54 . y - movement scanning unit 58 is mounted to the base 50 . x - movement scanning unit 60 is mounted to the yoke 54 . in general , the y - movement scanning unit 58 has components that abut the yoke 54 to produce forward / backward pivoting of yoke 54 about pins 56 , causing corresponding movement of mount 46 and mirror 34 . see the arrows marked “ y ”. the x - movement scanning unit pivots the mount 46 back and forth as indicated by arrows “ x ” to produce side to side movement of the mirror 34 . details of the y - movement scanning unit 58 will be described with reference to fig7 a through 7b . the unit 58 includes a stepper motor 62 that produces rotation of shaft 64 . a cam 66 having a central mount 68 is coupled to the shaft 64 . cam 66 includes a cam bearing 70 and a spring saddle 72 . cam bearing 70 is positioned in contact with a cam follower bearing 74 ( fig6 a and 7b ) on the yoke 54 . the cam 66 and shaft 64 are coupled such that the mount 68 is laterally offset from the shaft 64 . thus , activation of the motor to rotate the shaft 64 produces eccentric rotation of the cam . a useful way to visualize the movement of the cam is to picture an automobile wheel being rotated about an axel that is laterally offset from the center of the wheel . the eccentric movement of the cam 66 results in cyclic movement of the cam bearing 70 towards and away from the cam follower bearing 74 with which the cam bearing 70 is in contact . as a result , the yoke 54 ( as well as all components carried by the yoke ) pivots back and forth about the pins 56 , moving the mirror 34 as indicated by arrows “ y ” in fig6 a and 7a . spring saddle 72 aids in maintaining contact between the cam follower bearing 74 and the cam bearing 70 throughout scanning . x - axis scanning unit 60 includes a stepper motor 76 carried by the yoke 54 . stepper motor 76 includes a shaft 78 coupled to the mirror mount 46 . activation of the motor 76 pivots the mirror 34 side to side relative to the axis of the shaft 78 . each of the stepper motors 62 , 76 is preferably provided with an anti - backlash spring 86 a , 86 b coupled to its shaft , to prevent backlash of the shaft when the polarity of the input to the motor is reversed . referring to fig8 , the console may include a user interface 80 allowing a user to select one or more treatment parameters . for example , a user might have the option to scroll through and select from a menu of available treatment patterns using pattern select keys 82 . similarly , the degree by which spots in the treatment pattern overlap or are spaced apart may be selected using overlap / spacing keys 84 . a selected pattern / spacing may produce distinct spaced - apart treatment spots , or overlapped spots , or a continuous “ painting ” of the skin surface . other input keys may be used to select pulse width , fluence , pulse duration etc . in an exemplary embodiment , operational and treatment parameters might , but are not limited to , the following : wavelength : 2790 nm output power : up to 20 w pulse energy : up to 1 j per pulse pulse duration : 100 - 600 μsec repetition rate : up to 20 hz spot size : approx 5 mm maximum pattern size : 3 cm × 3 cm treatment fluence range approx 2 - 5 j / cm 2 ablation depth : 20 - 50 μm subsequent damage ( e . g . coagulation depth ): additional 30 - 50 μm beyond the ablation depth . during use of the disclosed treatment apparatus , the user selects the appropriate treatment parameters . next , the handpiece 12 ( fig2 ) is positioned such that the distance guide 38 is in contact with the skin of a patient . with the distance guide in contact with the skin , the laser is activated such as by depressing a footswitch . the user maintains the handpiece position while the scanner steps the treatment beam in the x and y directions as discussed to create the desired treatment pattern . as illustrated in fig9 , skin treatment using the disclosed laser operating at a wavelength of 2 . 79 μm allows three effects to be achieved . first , application of the treatment beam ablates approximately 20 - 50 μm , and preferably approximatlely 30 - 50 μm , of the epidermis ( region a in fig9 ) at a temperature in the range of approximately greater than 90 ° c ., and more preferably greater than approximately 100 ° c . residual heat ( in the range of approximately 70 - 90 ° c . and preferably approximately 80 ° c .) coagulates an additional 30 - 50μ of the epidermis ( region b ), creating a natural dressing for the skin . this natural dressing peels from the skin in approximately 3 - 5 days . the residual heat raises the temperature of a portion of the dermis ( region c ) to a temperature in the range of approximately 45 - 65 ° c . ( and preferably approximately 55 ° c . ), which promotes generation of new collagen within the dermis . the disclosed apparatus and associated methods have been described in connection with resurfacing and / or rejuvenating skin for treatment of dermatological conditions such as improvement of facial texture by eliminating fine lines , wrinkles , and / or scars , or for eliminating discoloration caused by photo damage . however , the method and apparatus may also be used to treat for other applications and / or to treat other biological tissue . while various embodiments have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example , and not limitation . it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . this is especially true in light of technology and terms within the relevant art ( s ) that may be later developed . additionally , it is contemplated that the features of the various disclosed embodiments may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments . thus , the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents . any and all patents , patent applications and printed publications referred to above , including those relied upon for purposes of priority , are incorporated by reference . | 0 |
as shown in fig4 the modular anti - seismic protection device , to be used in buildings and similar constructions , is made up of a number of modules 1 which are positioned on the same plane and adjacent to each other with their sides in contact . as shown in fig1 - 3 , each module 1 is structured with two parts of material 2 and 2 ′, which may be plastic and identical , preferably joined to each other by means of a block 3 . the block 3 is held in place by two retaining devices 4 and 4 ′ disposed within the parts 2 and 2 ′. to hold the block 3 in place , two retaining nuts , which may be plastic , may be inserted into pockets within the parts 2 and 2 .′ a circular flexible object 5 , which may have a hollow interior and may be a car tire , is inserted between the parts 2 and 2 ′, held in place by the block 3 , before the parts are joined together . granular material is inserted into the space left between the parts 2 and 2 ′. this forms a system 6 with a hydraulic effect . the granular material is inserted through a hole 7 , made in the part 2 , equipped with a cover seal for safety purposes . as shown in fig4 a number of modules 1 are placed on the same plane , lying on the ground where a building is to be constructed . the modules are laid at the bottom of the excavation works that have been dug for the foundations . this guarantees an even arrangement , which may be hexagonal , for the plastic parts 2 and 2 ′. the modular layout has two flat , parallel and largely unbroken surfaces , between which the circular flexible objects 5 are inserted at a tangent to each other . the circular flexible objects 5 may be arranged in the form of a quincunx , leaving small triangular voids with curved sides , in such a way that the slabs or foundation plates 10 can then be laid on this modular but continuous surface . the structure of the building is then constructed on those slabs or foundation plates 10 . in the event of seismic movement , the upward movement that the lower plastic plate 2 ′ is subjected to , forces the modules 1 against the weight of the building , causing the granular material 6 contained within the circular objects 5 to move horizontally . this subjects the modules to radial deformation , as can be seen in an exaggerated way in fig3 . because the circular flexible objects 5 are arranged tangentially , the deformation takes place towards the voids in the triangular layout , and the size of these spaces is sufficient to absorb the deformation , giving rise to an elastic effect . as soon as the impact of the seismic wave has been dampened , the modules 1 return to the original positions they were in before the earthquake occurred . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . as such , it is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that the appended claims , including all equivalents thereof , are intended to define the scope of the invention . | 4 |
p . u . r . s . e . is the idea of a keychain attachable , small device that electronically stores and wirelessly transmits receipts , coupons , and membership card number information . by storing receipts and coupons electronically , businesses will no longer have to use paper in order to print the receipts that are stored . this will save paper , and in turn save the businesses the cost of the paper . also , by having all receipts stored in one place , when a customer wishes to return something , the merchant simply scans the item and then p . u . r . s . e . wirelessly transmits the receipt with the item number . this will reduce the number of fraudulent receipts and returns . by having coupons electronically stored on p . u . r . s . e ., when engaged in a transaction , p . u . r . s . e . will wirelessly transmit coupons that pertain to item numbers scanned . in this way customers will reap the benefits of coupons granted by a merchant , and will also reap the benefits of having said coupons on hand . the form of actions taken in order for p . u . r . s . e . to work properly would be to , place the p . u . r . s . e . device within a radius ( to be specified ) of the merchant &# 39 ; s computer receiver . upon entering this radius , p . u . r . s . e . will transmit to the merchant &# 39 ; s receiver the customer &# 39 ; s membership card identification number . if currently not a member of the merchant &# 39 ; s system , p . u . r . s . e . will receive an identification number specific to it from the merchant &# 39 ; s receiver . once this process is complete , the merchant then continues the transaction by scanning each item that is being sold . as each item is scanned , it is listed under that purchase in the p . u . r . s . e . if p . u . r . s . e . detects any coupons for items scanned , it will then transmit the coupon information to the merchant &# 39 ; s receiver . once the merchant is done scanning items , the patron will pay for said items . once the items are paid for , p . u . r . s . e . records the form of payment , closes the list of items for that singular purchase , and stores any coupons granted from the merchant for future transactions . should a patron wish to return an item , the process is very similar . one would need to place p . u . r . s . e . within a radius ( to be specified ) of the merchant &# 39 ; s computer receiver . upon entering this radius , p . u . r . s . e . will transmit to the merchant &# 39 ; s receiver the customer &# 39 ; s membership card identification number . the merchant then scans and specifies the item to be returned , once scanned , p . u . r . s . e . provides proof of purchase , purchase date , purchase price , and form of payment for the item number in question . once this information is transmitted , the merchant then grants a refund . this refund is then recorded in p . u . r . s . e . with a date of return , item returned , return amount , and return form of payment . by having this process , the merchant can be confident that no fraudulent returns have taken place , and the patron will not have to worry about finding old receipts for items they may wish to return . by allowing p . u . r . s . e . the capability of plugging into a computer , the owner of said p . u . r . s . e . can view all transaction receipts and coupons specific to a visited merchant , and also will have the ability to backup the device by keeping a copy of the information it stores , on the computer . in this way , the owner of the p . u . r . s . e . can tailor their shopping to the coupons that are stored on the device , or simply view / monitor expenditures at certain stores . also with this ability , the owner will be able to select and store online coupons on p . u . r . s . e . with plugging p . u . r . s . e . into a computer a customer will also be able to allow for recurring purchases from old receipts . this would be done by simply selecting an old receipt , and selecting items to be purchased in the future from that receipt . this newly generated list can then be sent to companies that allow for these services . once the items are delivered and paid for , p . u . r . s . e . then stores this receipt . this device is different from any other form of transaction receipt today in that it eliminates the use of paper , the use of separate individual plastic membership identification cards that contain member numbers , and stores all coupons , receipts and membership identification numbers electronically in one convenient device . in this way , anyone who has a p . u . r . s . e . device , has all of their receipts , coupons , and membership identification numbers with them in one keychain sized device . | 6 |
referring to fig1 an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention shown generally at 20 . the apparatus 20 comprises a first body or junction box insert body 22 and a second body or locating body 50 alignable with the first body . as illustrated in fig2 the junction box 10 may be secured to a wall stud 8 . it will also be appreciated that the said junction box may be secured to any other wall member as is commonly known in the art . the junction box 10 includes a peripheral wall 12 defining a central cavity 14 . as illustrated in fig3 a wall panel 6 may be secured over the junction box 10 and wall stud 8 . the wall panel 6 has a front surface 7 and a back surface 5 . the insert body 22 comprises a front surface 24 adapted to lay flat against a surface and peripheral edge 26 corresponding to the cavity 14 of the junction box into which it is to be fitted . the peripheral edge 26 may be defined by the top and bottom surfaces 30 and 32 respectively and first and second sides 34 and 36 respectively . the insert body 22 also includes a clip 16 adjacent side 34 . the clip 16 protrudes from front surface 24 and continues down first side 34 where the end finishes with a protruding bevel 38 . the said clip is the preferred method of securing the insert body 22 onto the peripheral wall 12 of junction box 10 within cavity 14 . it will also be appreciated that clip 16 of the said insert body 22 may be either permanently fixed or removable from the insert body 22 . the insert body 22 comprises a first magnet 40 located therein for cooperation with the locating body as will be further discussed below . the first magnet 40 may be located adjacent to front surface 24 of the insert body or internally therein as illustrated in fig4 , it will also be appreciated that the insert body 22 may have any shape and outline necessary or desired so as long as the first magnet 40 is located at a constant predicable location for cooperation with the locating body 50 and to permit universal fitting into all outlets . the locating body 50 comprises a body having a peripheral edge 52 as illustrated in fig1 , the locating body housing 86 being predominantly cylindrical in shape comprises scribing points 42 protruding from the said body adjacent to front surface 76 . the said scribing points are used to mark an indent into surface 7 of wall board 6 when the magnets 40 and 74 are aligned and the distal end 68 of the elongate member 66 is aligned with the alignment indicator 60 . the elongate member extends between distal and proximate ends 68 and 70 respectively and includes a balance weight 72 mounted onto the distal end of the said elongate member . the balance weight 72 provides a means of counter balancing magnet 74 inserted into proximate end 70 . when equilibrium is achieved of the elongate member the magnet 74 can operate more efficiently . the said balance weight 72 should be noted as being a crucial part of the apparatus and different from any other related prior art . according to the first embodiment of the present invention the indicator 60 comprises an opening or transparent window through which an alignment arm is visible when locating body 50 has been positioned directly over the insert body within the junction box . in other embodiments it will be appreciated that the locating body may be formed of a substantially transparent body wherein the indicator 60 comprises a demarked boundary within the body such as by way of a differently coloured circle or the like . although the indicator 60 is shown as a circle in the attached figures it will be appreciated that other shapes may be useful as well to define an area corresponding to when the locating body 50 is properly aligned with the junction box . turning now to fig3 a cross sectional view of the insert body 22 within a junction box 10 and a locating body 50 in operation for locating the junction box 10 are shown . as shown in fig3 the locating body 50 comprises a cavity 64 therein containing an elongate member 66 which is pivotally supported therein . it will be appreciated that although the cavity 64 is illustrated as being enclosed it may also be open on one or more sides to permit access to the elongate member 66 . with the elongate member being balanced it permits magnet 74 to work free from the effects of gravity and brings greater accuracy to the apparatus . balance weight 72 may have a colour or other surface treatment to allow easy viewing through indicator 60 . the elongate member 66 is pivotally mounted onto an annular shaped carrier 78 as shown in fig4 and the annular shaped carrier 78 in turn is pivotally mounted at an axis oriented perpendicular to the afore mentioned pivot points onto the said locating body housing 86 shown in fig3 . this configuration permits the elongate member 66 to pivot about both horizontal and vertical axes . it will be appreciated that cavity 64 of the locating body 50 should be large enough that there is sufficient tolerance to permit the elongate member 66 to freely rotate about a wide range of angles of both horizontal and vertical axes so as to permit the elongate member 66 to indicate that it is either above / below / left or right of first magnet 40 . the locating body 50 comprises a viewing window 62 where centrally located therein is an alignment indicator 60 . the said viewing window 62 shall be transparent other than the alignment indicator 60 . the viewing window 62 shall be hemispherical in shape so as to run parallel to the swing of distal end 68 of the elongate member 66 . the above configuration will permit the user to clearly see the distal 68 at all orientations of the elongate member 66 by maintaining a constant distance between distal end 68 and the said viewing window 62 . the distal end 68 and viewing window 62 shall be equidistant throughout all angles of swing . it shall also be appreciated that the distance between distal end 68 and viewing window 62 shall be but not limited to being equidistant . as illustrated in fig4 the locating body 50 has a front surface 76 adapted to engage and lay flat against a front surface 7 of wall panel 6 . in such a position the locating body may be moved along the front surface 7 until the second magnet 74 becomes attracted to the first magnet 40 . the magnetic attraction between the first and second magnet will force the elongate member 66 to orientate towards the first magnet 40 . with second magnet 74 closest to the first magnet 40 the user may then move the locating body 50 until the distal end 68 is viewable through the indicator 60 , the locating body 50 is then pivoted on one side permitting the scribing point 42 to make an indent upon surface 7 of the wall board marking an accurate entry point for a cutting tool . the indicator 60 is positioned on the viewing window 62 at a position such that the proximate end 68 is viewable there through when an axis 80 of the elongate member 66 is substantially perpendicular to the front surface 7 of the wall panel 6 . in such an orientation the axis 80 of the elongate member 66 passes through the first magnet 40 and the indicator 60 so as to indicate that the indicator is substantially in alignment with the first magnet . the position of the first magnet 40 within the first insert body 22 is selected that in such an orientation the scribing points 42 of the locating body 50 corresponds to the entry point for a cutting tool . in operation a user may locate the insert body 22 within with a junction box 10 to be located . thereafter a wall panel 6 may be temporarily or permanently located there over , a user may then utilize the locating body 50 to determine the location of the junction box 10 . when the user has successfully aligned the distal end 68 of the elongate member 66 within the indicator 60 the user then may mark an entry point for a cutting tool such as a router and alike with the scribing points 42 and proceed to cut the wall panel 6 . when cutting is complete and the cut piece of the wall panel is removed the insert body 22 may then be recovered and reused . it shall be appreciated that the tools design will permit the detection of outlets manufactured out of any known type of material . optionally the elongate member 66 may be replaceable with a magnetic sensor in the locating body 50 for determining the location of the first magnet 40 . the magnetic sensor may provide an indication to a user of the distance to the first magnet 40 such that the user may move the locating body 50 until a minimum distance is indicated . optionally a directional magnetic sensor such as but not limited to a vector magnetometer may be utilized when the sensed magnetic field of the first magnet 40 is perpendicular to the wall panel 6 . the insert body 22 and the locating body 50 may be formed of any suitable material such as by the way of non - limiting example plastic / woods / alloys and metals . the magnets used for the present invention may be of any known type such as by way of non - limiting example / ferrite / neodymium / cobalt or ceramic . it will be appreciated that strong magnets will be preferable for use as for the first magnet 40 and the second magnet 74 so as a to assist in accurate alignment of the elongate member 66 with the first magnet 40 . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the above description . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 - 6 , a sling assembly comprising brackets 10 , 20 and a sling 30 is removably mounted on a conventional compound bow 40 . as is best seen in fig2 and 3 , the brackets 10 and 20 are mirror images of each other , with elements in the bracket 20 being denoted by reference numerals which are greater by the number 10 than those reference numerals which denote corresponding elements in the bracket 10 . formed from metal or , alternatively , from plastics of various thicknesses , the bracket 10 includes a first arm 11 , a second arm 12 , and a bend 15 connecting them . similarly , the bracket 20 has first and second arms 21 , 22 and a bend 25 formed of the same material as is the bracket 10 . the brackets 10 , 20 are preferably fabricated from 1 / 8 inch thick aluminum alloy material and can be made utilizing the same stamping die . as illustrated in fig2 the first arm 11 includes two prongs 14 , 16 which define an open - ended , elongated notch 13 . the notch 13 terminates in a closed end having a radius of curvature slightly larger than that of one of the weight adjustment screws 41 . distal from the closed end , each prong 14 , 16 preferably terminates along an edge which is disposed generally perpendicularly to the notch 13 . as further illustrated in fig3 the second arm 22 defines a slot 29 with closed ends . the slot 29 is sized to receive the sling 30 ( fig4 ). oriented at an obtuse angle relative to the first arm 21 , the second arm 22 is disposed roughly in the shape of a &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; which has a base 27 and a sling attachment branch 28 , both of which lie generally in the same plane and are oriented perpendicularly to each other . the longitudinal centerlines of the elongated notch 23 and slot 29 , on the other hand , are generally disposed in planes lying parallel to each other . preferably , outside corners of the arm 22 are truncated and rounded ; and junctures between the first arm 21 and the base 27 and between the base 27 and the branch 28 include fillets to eliminate any sharp inside corners . with respect to the bracket 10 , its elements and their relationships can be described by substituting their respective reference numerals , as explained hereinabove , in the foregoing description . as is best seen in fig5 a foam pad 44 is affixed to the underside of the bracket 10 , 20 . the foam pad 44 is employed to hold each of the arms 11 , 21 in position once the sling assembly 10 has been mounted on the bow 40 . in preparation for mounting the brackets 10 , 20 on the bow 40 , its weight adjustment screws 41 and raised washers 42 must first be loosened ; but they need not be removed ( fig5 ). rather , each bracket 10 , 20 is mounted on the bow 40 by slipping the first arm 11 , 21 of the bracket around one of the loosened screws 41 and between the bow and the raised washer 42 held by the screw . in order to install the sling assembly on a bow 40 so that it can be used by a right - handed archer , one aligns the bracket 10 so that it can receive the lower weight adjustment screw 41 and positions the bracket 20 proximate with the upper weight adjustment screw ( fig1 and 6 ). for use by a left - handed archer , one reverses the positions of the brackets 10 , 20 . in each case , the brackets 10 , 20 are preferably positioned with the longitudinal centerlines of the first arm 11 , 21 and the proximate bow limb aligned generally parallel to each other , thereby providing a more stable joint between the bow limbs and the brackets than would otherwise be produced . once the closed end of the notch 13 abuts the shank of the screw 41 , the screw , threadedly engaged with the walls of a hole 45 , is tightened sufficiently to secure the raised washer 42 , the bracket 10 , 20 and the bow 40 in assembled relation . the degree of tightening of the screws 41 determines how much tension is applied to the bow 40 . to determine how much tightening of the screws 41 is best , one should follow procedures , commonly recommended by bow manufacturers for adjusting the tension on a compound bow . means for retaining distal ends of the sling 30 in the slots 19 , 29 of the brackets 10 , 20 when the strap is fully extended include a buckle 35 and a thickened end 31 , respectively ( fig1 ). moreover , distal ends of the sling 30 are preferably connected to the second arms 12 , 22 of the brackets 10 , 20 in such a way that the sling extends on the side of the bow 40 opposite the line of sight , that is , away from any arrow positioned in the bow for firing ( fig6 ). further , the sling 30 is preferably equipped with velcro fasteners 33 , 34 that can be used , when the bow 40 is fired , to hold the sling in a folded position , shortening its overall length so that it spans only the distance between attachment points of the weight adjustment screws 41 . the hook and loop type fasteners 33 , 34 can also be utilized to adjust the overall length of the sling 30 to facilitate carrying the bow 40 . the sling 30 , which is preferably fabricated from a strap of flexible material , measures , by way of example , about 1 inch in width , 0 . 1 inch in thickness and 40 inches in length . the face of the hook and loop - type fastener 33 disposed proximate with the end 31 of the sling 30 is attachable to a mating surface of the fastener 34 situated near the opposite end of the sling , allowing the two ends to be removably affixed to each other . the brackets 10 , 20 are preferably employed to mount the sling assembly on a compound bow 40 since each bracket extends laterally only a very short distance from the surface of the bow . however , in some bows , an arrow quiver is so positioned that it would interfere with the placement of the sling if the mounting brackets 10 , 20 were to be used . in such cases , brackets 50 , 60 are provided . as illustrated in fig7 - 9 , a sling assembly comprising brackets 50 , 60 and a strap is removably mounted on a conventional compound bow 40 . the brackets 50 , 60 are preferably fabricated from 1 / 8 inch thick aluminum alloy material ; but they can also be made out of a wide range of metals or even plastics of various thicknesses . the bracket 50 has a first arm 51 , a second arm 52 , and a bend 55 connecting the two arms . moreover , the first arm 51 includes a pair of longitudinally extending prongs 54 , 56 which define an open - ended notch 53 ( fig7 ). oriented at an obtuse angle relative to the first arm 51 , the second arm 52 includes an extension base 57 which defines an elongated slot 59 , disposed distal from the notch 53 , for receiving the sling 30 . as illustrated in fig7 and 8 , the brackets 50 , 60 are mirror images of each other . the difference between them is that the bends 55 and 65 are oriented in opposite directions . with respect to the bracket 60 , its elements and their relationships can be described by substituting their reference numerals greater by the number 10 for the reference numerals of elements of the bracket 50 in the foregoing description . preferably , outside corners of the bracket 50 are truncated and rounded ; and junctures between the first and second arms 51 , 52 , include fillets to eliminate any sharp inside corners . mounting the brackets 50 , 60 on a compound bow 40 proceeds in a manner similar to that for mounting the brackets 10 , 20 . the weight adjustment screws 41 and raised washers 43 need not be removed . rather , each bracket 50 , 60 is mounted on the bow 40 by slipping the first arm 51 , 61 of the bracket around one of the loosened screws 41 and between the bow and the raised washer 43 held by the screw . for use by a right - handed archer , one positions the brackets 50 and 60 so that each of them can receive the lower and upper weight adjustment screws 41 , respectively . for use by a left - handed archer , one reverses the positions of the brackets 50 , 60 . in each case , the brackets 50 , 60 are preferably positioned with the longitudinal centerlines of the first arm 51 , 61 and the proximate bow limb aligned generally parallel to each other . with the closed end of the notch 53 , 63 abutting the shank of the screw 41 , the screw , threadedly engaged with the walls of a hole formed in the bow 40 , is tightened sufficiently to secure the raised washer 43 , the bracket 50 , 60 and the bow 40 in assembled relation . in tightening the screws 41 , one should follow procedures , commonly recommended by bow manufacturers for adjusting the tension on a compound bow . also similarly to the brackets 10 , 20 , a sling 30 with a thickened end 31 and a buckle 35 can be used with the brackets 50 , 60 ( fig9 ). alternatively , a modified sling having a second thickened end 32 instead of the buckle 35 for securing the sling to the brackets 50 , 60 can be utilized ( fig1 ). in each embodiment of the strap , one of the mating faces of hook and loop type fasteners 33 , 34 is preferably disposed proximate each end of the sling to facilitate securing the two ends thereof together when the sling is folded upon itself . in a further alternative embodiment illustrated in fig1 - 13 , a bracket 110 includes first and second arms 111 , 112 , the first arm defining a hole 114 and preferably terminating along a curved edge 113 which is concentric with the hole . oriented at an obtuse angle relative to the first arm 111 , the second arm 112 is disposed roughly in the shape of a &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; which has a neck 116 , a base 117 and a sling attachment branch 118 , all of which lie generally in the same plane . the branch 118 defines an elongated slot 119 for receiving the sling 30 &# 39 ;. situated proximate with a bend 115 , the neck 116 and sling attachment branch 118 are oriented generally parallel to each other and at right angles to the base 117 . preferably , outside corners of the bracket 110 are truncated and rounded ; and junctures between the neck 116 and the base 117 and between the base and the branch 118 , as well as between the first and second arms 111 , 112 , include fillets to eliminate any sharp inside corners . with respect to the bracket 120 , its elements and their relationships can be described by substituting their respective reference numerals , which for each element is greater by 10 than for the corresponding element in the bracket 110 , in the foregoing description . in preparation for mounting the brackets 110 , 120 on the bow 40 , its weight adjustment screws 41 , raised washers 42 , and shim washers ( not shown ) must first be removed . one of the screws 41 is then inserted into a raised washer 42 and through the hole 114 in the first arm 111 of the bracket 110 . alternately , the screw 41 is inserted into a raised washer 42 and the bracket 120 . in order to install the brackets 110 , 120 on a bow 40 so that the sling assembly can be used by a left - handed archer , one aligns the bracket 110 with a threaded hole formed in the bow 40 for receiving its upper weight adjustment screw 41 and positions the bracket 120 proximate with the lower weight adjustment screw ( fig1 ). for use by a right - handed archer , one reverses the positions of the brackets 110 , 120 . each bracket 110 , 120 , when it is properly mounted , extends laterally only a very short distance from the surface of the bow . to complete the mounting process , the screws 41 are threadedly engaged with the walls of holes formed in the bow 40 and tightened sufficiently to secure the washers 42 , the brackets 110 , 120 and the bow in assembled relation . since the degree of tightening of the screws 41 determines how much tension is applied to the bow 40 , one should follow procedures , commonly recommended by bow manufacturers for adjusting tension on a compound bow . the sling 30 &# 39 ;, like the sling 30 , is preferably fabricated from a flexible strap which measures , by way of example , about 1 inch in width , 0 . 1 inch in thickness and 40 inches in length . inserted into the elongated slots 119 , 129 , the sling 30 &# 39 ; includes thickened ends 31 , 32 which prevent it from being pulled out of the slots 129 , 119 , respectively . hook and loop type fasteners 33 , 34 disposed proximate with the ends 31 , 32 , respectively , are provided to facilitate securing the two ends together so that the sling can be held in a folded position . it is understood that those skilled in the art may conceive other applications , modifications and / or changes in the invention described above . any such applications , modifications or changes which fall within the purview of the description are intended to be illustrative and not intended to be limitative . the scope of the invention is limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto . | 8 |
with reference to fig3 the tape head main frame 16 is shown with an improved presser member 29 bolted to its bottom surface 30 . the presser member 29 will be shown in more detail in connection with fig4 but it can be seen that the mechanism is , basically , a four - bar linkage of the double slider type , i . e ., wherein a horizontal slider 31 is connected by a link 32 to a vertical slider ( shoe plate stack 33 ). here it should be noted that while certain attitudinal references may be employed , i . e ., &# 34 ; horizontal &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; vertical &# 34 ;, and the like , such reference is only for the convenience of the reader , and the machine structure is not so limited ; those skilled in the art will appreciate that the spatial ordinates of the machine may be varied to suit the task within the scope of the invention . fig4 depicts the tape head presser member 29 of fig3 illustrating a housing 34 , which is quarter - rounded at its lower rear surface and hollowed - out to accommodate detail pieces . the top surface 35 of the housing 34 has a flat housing plate 36 bolted thereto by button - head screws 37 ; the housing plate 36 spans the main opening 38 and serves as a mounting for a centrally located air cylinder 39 , having a single piston rod 40 extending frontwardly . the cylinder 39 is secured to the top of the plate by several screws 41 . immediately adjacent the front of the cylinder 39 is a first guide block 42 extending across the width of the plate 36 and housing 34 , and a similar , second guide block 43 is located at the front end of the plate 36 , the difference in the two blocks 42 , 43 being that the first block 42 has a clearance hole 44 for the piston rod 46 . the blocks 42 , 43 are held to the plate 36 by a plurality of screws 45 extending from underneath , and a mounting plate 46 is , in turn , secured to the upper surface of the blocks 42 , 43 . the mounting plate 46 serves as a mounting member for fastening the assembled presser member 29 to the bottom surface 30 of the main frame 16 of fig3 by cap screws 47 . the guide blocks 42 , 43 have a pair of parallel guide rods 48 extending therebetween , one at each side of the assembly ( see fig6 ), and a horizontal slider 31 rides with bushings 49 on the guide rods 48 . the threaded end 40a of the piston rod 40 is received in the slider 31 and affixed thereto by a jam nut 40b . ( 1 ) fully - retracted , i . e ., residing against the first guide block 42 as the piston rod 40 is fully retracted into its cylinder 39 ; ( 2 ) forwardly - advanced against a latch finger 50 ( as shown in fig4 ); and , ( 3 ) fully - advanced against the second guide block 43 ( as the latch finger 50 is retracted ). the latch finger 50 slides in a vertical guide block 51 which is secured by screws 52 to the lower surface of the housing plate 36 . the latch finger 50 extends through an aperture 53 in the plate 36 and is powered in vertical directions by a compact fluid cylinder unit 54 secured to the bottom of the guide block 51 . the working unit ( shoe plate stack 33 ) for contacting a tape surface is comprised of a plurality of parallel - faced wafer - like shoe plates 55 , 56 ( see fig4 and 6 ). stacked across the tape width , and guided in a slot 57 in the lower surface 58 of the housing 34 . the shoe plates 55 , 56 have a convex top edge 59 and a rounded bottom workpiece presser edge 60 . the two outer shoe plates 55 are twice as thick as the inner shoe plates 56 , to provide side stiffness , but the outer shoe plates 55 are thinned - down at their bottom edges 60 to the same thickness as the inner shoe plates 56 . the shoe plates 55 , 56 are backed up by a brake block 61 situated in the housing 34 , which serves as an additional guide for their rear edges 62 , the brake block 61 being in line with the slot 57 in the housing 34 . a vertical elongate slot 63 , of common size , is provided in line through all of the plates 55 , 56 , and a control rod 64 extends horizontally , from side - to - side through all of the slots 63 . the control rod 64 is connected to a link 32 at each of the outer ends ( see also fig6 ). and the top of the links 32 are pivotally connected to the opposite side edges of the slider 31 . in the position shown in fig4 i . e .. with the slider 31 stopped against the latch finger 50 , the upper edges of the slots 63 will rest on the control rod and the bottom edges 60 of the shoe plates 55 , 56 will be in line as shown in fig6 . this position is an alignment , or &# 34 ; null &# 34 ;, position , where the bottom edges 60 of the plates 55 , 56 may thus be programmed in a known relation to the machine coordinates , in anticipation of a tape laying move . in order to provide a downward biasing force to all of the plates 55 , 56 , a bladder spring 65 has been devised , which comprises an open box frame 66 , having clearance around the periphery of the shoe plate stack 33 , and which has a bifurcated portion 67 extending down at each side ( see fig5 and 6 ), which serves both to guide the control rod 64 and to provide guidance for the overall width of the plate stack 33 . the inner faces of the bifurcated portions 67 are faced with a shim stock 68 which is fitted to the width of the shoe plate stack 33 to accommodate sliding movement of the plates 55 , 56 . the box frame 66 has a flexible membrane 69 extending across its entire upper surface , in contact with , and spanning , the top edge 59 , or biasing portion , of the plates 55 , 56 . the membrane 69 is secured in place by a fabricated box 70 which is fully enclosed except for a single open side , which is placed against the membrane 69 ; the box 70 is secured in assembly with the membrane 69 , box frame 66 and housing 34 by screws 71 , 72 , so that a closed chamber 73 is formed immediately above the membrane 69 . the box 70 is provided with an orifice 74 and fluid conductive fitting 75 so that air or other fluid medium may be introduced to the chamber 73 and , thus , the membrane 69 may be pressurized to provide a downward biasing force to the entire stack of plates 55 , 56 . the membrane 69 is yieldable , to accommodate surface contour variances which will cause the plates 55 , 56 to shift vertically , relative to one another , as the tape 19 is laid . it may be desired at certain instances to lock the plate stack 33 in a particular contoured state , inhibiting further relative vertical movement between the shoe plates 55 . 56 . for such instances , the brake block 61 has a slot 76 machined across its face adjacent the shoe plates 55 , 56 . a friction bar , or brake pad 77 , extends in the slot 76 across the rear edges 62 of the shoe plates 55 , 56 , and is actuated by a compact fluid cylinder 78 which moves the brake pad 77 between &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; positions . the brake may be useful when the presser member 29 is operating near the edge of a mold , and all plates are not supported by a mold surface 15 beneath the tape 19 ; in such instance , the tape 19 may be pushed over the edge of the mold in an unwanted fashion , if the shoe plates 55 , 56 are not arrested . referring to fig6 the control rod 64 is seen in contact with the upper edge of the shoe plate slot 63 , and larger slots 79 , in the sides of the housing 34 , are fitted with a tubular spacer 80 so the control links 32 will be properly spaced . the control links 32 are received over the rod 64 and the upper pivot pins 81 extending from the slider 31 , and washers 82 and locking collars 83 are placed on the rod 64 and pins 81 . fig3 a is a diagrammatic view of the elements of fig3 showing the housing 34 supporting the vertically - movable shoe plate stack 33 , with the latch finger 50 &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; and the slider 31 moved to the right , against the latch finger 50 . the control link 32 is shown connected to the control rod 64 which evens out , or &# 34 ; nulls &# 34 ;, all plates 55 , 56 at a known dimension , z &# 39 ;, and the biasing force provided by the membrane 69 is depicted as a bladder spring 65 reacting against the top edge 59 of the shoe plates 55 , 56 . the position of the elements in fig3 a is for programming all vertical , or z - axis dimensions . i . e predicting where touchdown of the presser shoe plates 55 , 56 will occur . fig3 b depicts the elements of fig3 a in an alternate position , where the latch finger 50 is &# 34 ; down &# 34 ;, and the slider 31 is moved leftwardly to the fully - retracted position . in this position , it is expected that the presser member 29 has now landed down on a tape 19 which is backed up by the mold laydown surface 15 , and the control link 32 will move the horizontal control rod 64 to an intermediate position in the shoe plate slot 63 , so that the control rod 64 will no longer affect the vertical position of the plates 55 , 56 . the bladder spring 65 biases the entire shoe plate stack 33 against the tape 19 , and the shoe plates 55 , 56 can float in compliance with contour variances occurring across the tape width . fig3 c depicts the latch finger 50 retracted , the slider 31 now fired to the fully - advanced position , all the way to the right , where the control link 32 now pulls the control rod 64 to a new raised position , where the vertically - movable shoe plate stack 33 is fully retracted upwardly into the housing 34 , compressing the bladder spring 65 . this position may be very useful for permitting the use of auxiliary equipment , for example , the tail compacting roller 82 shown in phantom , which is not part of this invention , but details of which may be had by reference to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 557 , 783 , assigned to cincinnati milacron inc . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment covers a general usage of the presser member 29 , wherein the entire shoe plate stack 33 may be impressed against a tape 19 or , in certain instances , against a peelable tape backing 20 . such use is frequently directed to epoxy - type composite tapes , which are tacky and tend to follow mold contours with relative ease . however , thermoplastic tapes 83 are frequently used without backing paper 20 , and tend to be dry and very boardy , or stiff . consequently , heaters 84 are often employed to soften thermoplastic tape prior to laydown . in such cases it may desirous that the projecting edge 60 of the shoe plate stack 33 not be impressed directly against the softened tape 83 but , rather , a separate paper sheet 85 , having its own supply and takeup reels 86 , 87 , may be interposed between a thermoplastic tape 83 and the presser member 29 to prevent plowing of the tape 83 . fig7 depicts such an arrangement , with still an additional feature ; the tape presser member 29 is provided with a flexible sheet 88 , which is secured to the front edge of the housing 34 by a plurality of screws 89 , and then trained down and around the shoe plate stack 33 to smooth out the slightly - stepped contours seen across the presser edges 60 . it has been found that silicon rubber may be successfully employed as a flexible sheet 88 when laying thermoplastic tape 83 . the paper sheet 85 inserted between the flexible sheet 88 and thermoplastic tape 83 also acts as a heat barrier to protect the flexible sheet 88 from degrading as the tape 83 is heated . thermoplastic tapes 83 used in the construction of aircraft parts have a softening temperature in the range of 750 degrees f ., which could be destructive to a flexible silicon rubber sheet 83 used to even out the presser member edges 60 . fig8 and 9 depict an alternate embodiment of the invention , where a roller 90 of even thickness is inserted in each of the outer and inner plates 55a , 56a . the roller 90 is a solid disc captive in a close - fitting bore 91 machined through each of the inner plates 56a . the outer plates 55a each have a blind hole 92 receiving a roller 90 , thus captivating the roller stack . it will be appreciated that a variety of materials may be suitable for the presser member plates 55 , 56 and rollers 90 : for example , low friction teflon ( dupont tm ) has been used for the one - piece plates , while brass plates with delrin ( dupont tm ) rollers have also been successfully used for the two - piece assemblies . while the invention has been shown in connection with a preferred embodiment , and several alternate embodiments , it is not intended that the invention be so limited . rather , the invention extends to all such designs and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
fig2 a shows a simplified representation of the principle advantage of the invention . as shown in fig2 a , the input pad 10 is protected from esd incidents by the protection devices esd - 1 element 12 . the invention embodiment details are sufficient to protect the input circuit from both positive and negative esd voltage events . in addition , the embodiment of the invention also protects against positive and negative esd voltages that may occur on the vcc and or on the vss power bus . fig2 b shows typical device schematic devices for a nmos device 12 used for the protective devices esd - 1 . the nmos 12 drain 12 d is connected to the input pad 10 , and the source 12 s and gate 12 g are connected to a second voltage source vss , typically ground . shown electrically in parallel with esd - 1 nmos device 12 are the parasitic elements diode d 12 and capacitor c 12 connected between the input pad 10 and the second voltage source , vss . also shown in fig2 b is the bipolar npn parasitic transistor tx 12 with emitter connected to the second voltage source , vss , the base connected to the second voltage source vss through a parasitic resistor r 12 , and the collector connected to the input pad 10 . as noted , the active logic circuit input stage entry point is designated by the element a . protection device esd - vcc 16 is shown as nmos 16 with drain 16 d connected to a first voltage source , vcc , and source 16 s and gate 16 g connected to a second voltage source vss , typically ground . esd - vcc device 16 also has parasitic capacitance c 16 and diode d 16 with cathode connected to the first voltage source vcc and anode connected to the second voltage source vss . the capacitance c 16 is normally not a degrading factor to circuit performance as it is connected between the power buses . also shown i the parasitic npn bipolar transistor tx 16 electrically in parallel with nmos 16 . as shown , the tx 16 collector is connected to the first voltage source vcc , the emitter connected to the second voltage source vss , and the base connected to the second voltage source vss through the parasitic resistor r 16 . during a positive esd event at the input pad 10 , tx 12 collector base junction goes into breakdown turning on tx 12 providing a discharge path to vss . a negative ed event on the input pad 10 is conducted through diode d 12 to vss . if sufficient energy is presented to pull down vss below normal ground level , tx 16 will turn on providing an additional energy discharge path . fig3 shows the horizontal topography for the embodiment of the invention . surrounding the esd protection device esd - 1 12 is a p + guard ring 30 , which is connected to the second voltage source , vss , typically ground . this forms the anode of the diode d 12 , the cathode of which i s connected to the input pad 10 and is a key element for the discharging of negative esd events with respect to vss . another p + guard ring 34 surrounds the esd protection device esd - 1 16 , which is also connected to the second voltage source , vss , typically ground . a unique concept of the invention is an n + doped guard ring 32 that surrounds the p + guard ring 30 . this n + guard ring 32 forms the anode of diode d 16 that is instrumental in providing a discharge path for positive esd events with respect to vcc . fig4 shows a typical cross section of the embodiment of the invention . esd - 1 which consists of the nfet element 12 with associated parasitic elements , is created upon a p doped substrate 20 with a crystal orientation of & lt ; 100 & gt ; and typically doped with an acceptor element such as boron to a density of between 5e14 and 1e15 atoms per cubic centimeter ( a / cm 3 ). after suitable patterning with photoresist ( pr ), a plurality of n + and p + regions are created within the substrate . as shown in fig4 , two of the n + regions straddle the gate element 12 g of the nmos fet device 12 and form the source 12 s and drain 12 d which together with the gate element 12 g form the nmos device 12 . the n + diffusion regions have a typical donor dopent density of between 1e20 and 1e21 a / cm 3 . the p + guard ring 30 surrounds nmos device 12 and is doped with an acceptor dopent to between 1e20 and 1e21 a / cm 3 . completing the device structure is the n + guard ring 32 doped with a donor element to between 1e20 and 1e21 a / cm 3 . as shown in fig4 , the p + guard ring 30 , nmos source 12 s , and nmos 23 gate 12 g are connected to the second voltage source vss , typically ground . the nmos drain 12 d is connected to the input logic line 10 . the p + guard ring 32 is connected to the first voltage source , vcc . field oxide ( fox ) 18 is used to provide isolation between esd - 1 device 12 and esd - vcc device 16 . another embodiment of the invention is shown in fig5 . in this embodiment , a scr device 38 implements the esd - 1 protection element . an n - well 36 is implanted within the p substrate 20 with a donor element , typically phosphorous , to produce a doping density of between 1e16 and 1e 18 a / cm 3 . within the n - well 36 are doped regions n + 40 and p + 42 that through their electrical contact systems are connected to the logic circuit input line 10 . the p + region 42 forms the anode of a pnpn scr device which operating method is derived from a vertical pnp bipolar parasitic transistor tx 38 - 1 and a lateral parasitic npn bipolar transistor tx 38 - 2 as is understood in the art . as indicated in fig5 , the p + region 42 forms the emitter of tx 38 - 1 , the base is formed by the n - well 36 and connected back to the input pad through the n - well 36 and the n + diffused region 40 . the resistor r 38 - 1 is the inherent sheet resistance in the n - well 36 . the collector of tx 38 - 1 is formed by the substrate 20 and connected through the inherent sheet resistor r 38 - 2 to the p + guard ring 30 and consequently to a second voltage source typically ground . the n - well 36 forms the collector of the lateral parasitic transistor tx 38 - 2 to the p + guard ring and subsequently to the second voltage source vss typically ground . the emitter of tx 38 - 2 is formed by the n + region 44 , which is electrically connected to the second voltage source vss , or ground . the p + guard ring 30 surrounding the device also serves as substrate contact region , and as previously mentioned , is connected tot he second voltage source , typically ground . the invention embodiment of the n + guard ring 32 shown in fig5 is connected tot he first voltage source , vcc . the diode d 16 is formed as before between the p + guard ring 30 and n + guard ring 32 as well as the esd - vcc device p + guard ring 34 and n + drain 16 s . diode d 12 is formed by the p + guard ring 30 and the n - well 36 and its associated n + contact region 40 . as indicated in fig5 , the esd protection device esd - vcc 16 , is again embodied as an nmos fet 16 . the drain 16 d , gate 16 g and p + guard ring 34 associated with e nmos device 16 are connected to the second voltage source , vss , typically ground . the nmos fet 16 source 16 s is connected to the first voltage source , vcc . isolation for the devices is provided by shallow trench isolation elements 28 . diode d 12 is formed between the p + guard ring 30 and esd - 1 device n - well 36 n + contact 40 . the diode d 12 provides a discharge path for negative esd events on the input pad 10 relative to vss . a positive esd event relatives to vss will be discharges through esd - 1 scr 38 as before . a positive esd event occurring on the input pad will cause the collector base junction of tx - 38 - 2 to conduct providing positive feedback to turn on tx 38 - 1 until the esd event expires . diode d 16 is formed between the scr device 38 n + guard ring 32 and the p + guard ring 30 as well as the esd - vcc p + guard ring 34 and nfet 16 source 16 s and drain 16 d . a positive esd event relative to vcc will turn on esd - 1 scr 38 as described above , and consequently by discharged through diode d 16 to vcc . a negative esd event with respect to vcc will be discharged through diode d 12 and the esd - vcc nmos device 16 to vcc . fig6 outlines a process for constructing the devices of the invention for the embodiment whereby esd - 1 is a nmos fet associated parasitic elements and esd - vcc is also a nmos fet device with its associated parasitic elements . as indicated by element 60 in fig6 , isolation structures are created within a p doped substrate . the isolation elements can be either thick field oxide , or shallow trench isolation ( sti ) structures filled with a dielectric such as sio 2 . the isolation elements are utilized to define the active device logic area . first and second gate elements are created from patterning gate oxide and polysilicon layers on the substrate surface as indicated in element 62 . fig6 element 64 shows that n + regions are created after appropriate patterning with well - known methods such as optical masks and photoresist to create source and drain regions that together the gate elements form first and second nmos esd protection devices corresponding to esd - 1 and esd_vcc . concurrently with the creation of the n + source / drain regions , a n + guard ring is created surrounding the first nfet as indicated in element 66 , allowing sufficient room for a p + guard ring to be inserted between the n + guard ring and the device itself . the p + guard rings are created immediately surrounding the first and second nmos devices , respectively , as indicated in element 68 . these p + guard rings provide the anode side of the diodes associated with esd - 1 and esd - vcc . the n + guard ring forms the cathode of the diode that shunts negative esd voltages appearing on vcc to ground . creating a metallurgical electrical conduction system allows the elements to be appropriately connected to the respective circuit nodes . connecting the drain of the first nmos esd -! protection device to the input - output pad while connecting the source and gate elements as well as the p + guard rings to a second voltage source vss , typically ground , initiates the i / o esd protection circuit . connecting the drain of the second nmos esd - vcc protection device as well as the n + guard ring to the first voltage source vcc , completes the esd protection circuit . device processing is continued using conventional techniques such as utilizing a passivation layer to provide protection . processing is continued to completion . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates an example of a personal security system 10 . as shown in fig1 , the personal security system 10 may include a mobile device 12 in communication with a system server 14 . further , the system server 14 may be in communication with one or more emergency responders 16 and one or more lifelines 18 ( as used herein , lifelines are user defined contacts that are contacted in case of an emergency event ). as shown , the system server 14 may be associated with a response verification call center 20 through which one or more operators / representatives may interact with the system 10 . in some examples , the mobile device 12 may be in one - way communication with the system server 14 ( e . g ., syncing setup information and communicating alarm conditions ). of course , in other embodiments , the mobile device 12 may be in two - way communication with the system server 14 ( e . g ., syncing setup information and communicating alarm conditions , as well as , confirming receipt of information received by the system server 14 ). while shown and described as a singular system server 14 , it is understood that the system server 14 may be any number of system servers 14 adapted to support the necessary data management to support the various features and functions of the personal safety system 10 described herein . further , while the preferred embodiments described herein refer to the system server 14 , it is understood that a system server 14 may not be a requirement of the personal safety system 10 described herein , and that any other suitable mechanism or mode of data management may be employed . the mobile device 12 may be any mobile device that enables the communication described herein . for example , various makes and models of touch screen smartphones are presently preferred as the mobile device 12 . however , it is understood that various mobile devices 12 may function as the mobile device 12 , including , tablet computers , personal navigation devices , digital cameras , and other electronic mobile devices 12 that are capable of geo - location and communication . the emergency responders 16 shown in fig1 may be any one or more organizations appropriate for responding to an event triggering an alarm condition , as described herein . in preferred embodiments , the emergency responders 16 shown in fig1 represent one or more 911 command centers and their associated emergency services ( e . g ., police department , fire department , emergency medical response team , etc .). however , it is understood that the various organizations represented by the emergency responders 16 will be understood by those skilled in the art based on the disclosures provided herein . the lifelines 18 shown in fig1 represent user defined emergency contacts that are to be contacted in the event that an alarm condition is triggered and verified . as described further herein , in the event of a triggered and verified alarm condition , the system server 14 provides emergency responders 16 and the lifelines 18 an event portal 22 ( fig5 ) and additional information 24 ( fig6 a and 6 b ) as described further herein . turning now to fig2 , a method 200 of setting up and registering a personal safety system is shown ( setup method 200 ). the first step 202 in the setup method 200 is providing the user demographic and personal information . this is the information that the personal safety system 10 will communicate to the emergency responders 16 and lifelines 18 to identify the user in the event of a triggered and verified alarm condition . for example , the user may provide a photograph and personal description ( age , height , weight , hair color , eye color , ethnicity , etc .). any other identification and demographic information may be provided as part of this first step 202 . the information may be collected and stored by the system server 14 to be matched up with a triggered alarm , should the alarm be triggered in use . as further shown in fig2 , the second step 204 may include inputting contact information for a number of lifelines 18 . these lifelines 18 are the contacts that will be automatically contacted when an alarm is triggered and verified within the personal security system 10 . the personal security system 10 may require a minimum number of lifelines 18 to ensure that the user does not bypass this important step in the setup method 200 . for example , in a preferred embodiment , the minimum number of lifelines 18 is five . the greater number of lifelines 18 provided , the greater redundancy in the personal security system 10 . redundancy is critical to ensuring a triggered alarm is acted upon appropriately . accordingly , the personal security system 10 may require a minimum number of lifelines 18 greater than one . in some embodiments , the personal security system 10 may enable the lifeline contact information to be imported from the user &# 39 ; s contacts stored on the mobile device 12 or from a social media or other communication platform ( e . g ., facebook , gmail , etc .). in an optional third step 206 , the lifelines 18 provided by the user may be confirmed by the personal safety system 10 by sending a test message , or other communication ( e . g ., a test phone call ), to each of the lifelines 18 . the test message may , for example , require a response by the lifeline 18 to confirm receipt . in some embodiments , the confirmation of the lifeline 18 may require the registration of the lifeline 18 in the personal safety system 10 . the fourth step 208 of the setup method 200 may be providing the arm / disarm code ( s ) and / or panic code ( s ) to the personal security system 10 . in a preferred embodiment , the personal safety system 10 includes only a single arm / disarm code . minimizing the number of codes / passwords required for operation of the personal safety system 10 may make the system 10 easier for a user to operate . however , certain embodiments of the personal safety system 10 may include a greater number of codes and / or passwords for increased functionality . for example , dedicated codes may be used to : ( 1 ) arm / disarm the system ; and ( 2 ) trigger a panic code and / or silent alarm . for example , the user may have a code that , when entered into the mobile device 12 during a triggered alarm condition , appears to disable the alarm condition , but in fact is a “ silent alarm ” that inconspicuously confirms the alarm condition to the system server 14 . the final step 210 in the setup method 200 may be confirming the setup by sending a test alarm signal to the system server 14 . such test signal would not trigger the alarm condition ( and further actions associated with a verified alarm condition ), but it would confirm that the mobile device 12 is communicating the information necessary to trigger an actual alarm condition . turning now to fig3 , a method 300 of operating the personal security system 10 ( operation method 300 ) is shown . as shown , the first step 302 in the operation method 300 is arming the personal security system 10 by entering the arming code established in the setup method 200 . after the arming code is entered in the first step 302 , the screen of the mobile device 12 may change color or otherwise indicate the personal security system 10 is armed . for example , the screen of the mobile device 12 may change color from green ( unarmed ) to red ( armed ). in another example , the mobile device 12 may cycle between three modes : ( 1 ) unarmed ; ( 2 ) ready ; and ( 3 ) armed conditions . for example , the screen of the mobile device 12 may change color from green ( unarmed ) to yellow ( ready ) to red ( armed ). of course , in other embodiments , arming the mobile device 12 may not result in any visual distinction or change in colors . the second step 304 in the operation method 300 shown in fig3 is activating the personal security system 10 . for example , after the screen of the mobile device 12 changes color , the user may be prompted to make contact with the mobile device 12 , for example , by making contact with a touch screen or by pressing a button on the mobile device 12 . as long as the user maintains contact with the mobile device 12 , the personal safety system 10 will be active and armed . in certain embodiments , the user may be required to contact a specific point on the touch screen to activate the personal security system 10 . for example , a circular icon may appear on the screen to be contacted to activate the alarm . in a further example , the icon may move around the screen such that the user must be very deliberate in making contact with the screen in order to activate the personal security system 10 . as further shown in fig3 , the third step 306 in the operation method 300 is triggering the alarm condition . the third step 306 of triggering the alarm condition is initiated when the user discontinues contact with the mobile device 12 in the manner required to activate the alarm as described above with respect to the second step 304 . for example , if making contact with the touch screen of the mobile device 12 arms the alarm , the alarm triggering process is initiated when the user breaks contact with the touch screen . similarly , if depressing one of the volume buttons on the mobile device 12 arms the alarm , the alarm triggering process is initiated when the user stops depressing the volume button . after the third step 306 of triggering the alarm condition is executed , a fourth step 308 of sending a packet of information to the system server 14 is triggered . in some embodiments of the personal safety system 10 , the packet of information may be the smallest packet of information required to communicate the alarm condition to the system server 14 . for example , the information packet may include only the trigger and the user &# 39 ; s geo - location . by minimizing the size of the information packet being sent , it is less likely that the communication will be interrupted , intentionally or unintentionally for example , it may be possible for a small information packet to be communicated from the mobile device 12 in between the time the user loses contact with the mobile device 12 and the time mobile device 12 hits the ground . similarly , the information should be communicated before an attacker has an opportunity to identify the alarm and destroy the mobile device 12 . when the system server 14 receives the packet of information , the system server 14 may hold the packet of information in a queue for a limited time before releasing the alarm and contacting the lifelines 18 and emergency responders 16 or other intermediaries . during this period of time , the user may perform the fifth step 310 of providing the disarm code to halt the alarm process . for example , a user may have a 20 second window within which the disarm code may be entered before the alarm conditions are fully met . of course , various durations may be used and , in certain embodiments of the personal security system 10 , the user may select a specific duration during the setup method 200 . in addition , an audible alarm may be provided through the mobile device 12 . the audible alarm may be activated a short duration of time after the contact with the mobile device 12 is lost . for example , the audible alarm may sound seven seconds after contact is broken . the audible alarm may be any sound , including traditional alarm sounds , as well as recorded messages , such as , “ the police have been contacted .” this step is shown in fig3 as a sixth step 312 of sounding an audible alarm on the mobile device 12 . if the duration of time within which the disarm code may be received passes without receipt of the disarm code , a seventh step 314 is triggered and the system server 14 notifies the emergency responders 16 ( e . g ., local 911 command center based on the user &# 39 ; s geo - location communicated at the time the alarm condition is triggered ) and lifelines 18 . accordingly , from the breaking of contact with the mobile device 12 in the third step 306 to the contacting of the emergency responders 16 and lifelines 18 in the seventh step 314 may be a matter of seconds . while described above with respect to an embodiment in which the alarm condition is triggered by a break in contact with a touchscreen or button on the mobile device 12 , it is understood that an alarm condition may be triggered by a timed operation in which a user inputs a duration of time ( or an absolute time ) after which an alarm condition is triggered , if not previously disarmed . such embodiments may operate substantially the same as others described herein , other than the change in the trigger mechanism . turning now to fig4 a and 4b ( referred to herein collectively as fig4 ), another method 400 ( operation method 400 ) of operating the personal security system 10 is shown . as shown in fig4 , the operation method 400 shown in fig4 details an example of the operation of the mobile device 12 while the mobile device 12 is in an armed mode . of course , this is merely one example and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other embodiments may be employed . as shown in fig4 , after the mobile device 12 enters “ armed mode ,” the first step 402 is the mobile device 12 ( e . g ., phone ) vibrates every x seconds , where x is a predetermined number and / or a user controlled number . then , as shown in step 404 , when the user &# 39 ; s thumb is taken off the screen , a message is sent to the system server 14 . next , a keypad is displayed on the screen , as shown in step 406 . then , as shown in step 408 , the mobile device 12 determines whether to trigger the silent alarm . if the silent alarm is triggered ( e . g ., by the input of a silent alarm code by the user ), the alerts are triggered in step 410 , the app goes back to the home screen in step 412 , and the system continues to send coordinate updates until the user goes back in to start another alarm session in step 414 . this enables the mobile device 12 to appear as though it has been disarmed , even while continuing the alarm process . if the silent alarm is not triggered , the mobile device 12 determines whether the appropriate code was entered within seven seconds in step 416 . if it was , a kill command is sent to the system server 14 and no further alerts are sent to or from the system server 14 , as shown in step 418 . in this example , multiple kill codes are sent to ensure the system server 14 receives the kill code in step 418 . if the appropriate code was not entered within seven seconds , the camera flash starts to strobe and the alarm sound plays , as shown in step 420 . next , the mobile device 12 determines whether the appropriate code was entered within 13 seconds , as shown in step 422 . if so , the kill command is sent to the system server 14 and no alerts are sent to the system server 14 , as shown in step 424 . in this example , multiple kill codes are sent to ensure the system server 14 receives the kill code in step 424 . if the appropriate code was not entered within 13 seconds , the mobile device 12 starts to vibrate and an alert is sent to the system server 14 , as shown in step 426 , and the app goes into an alert screen that will send latitude and longitude positions to the system server 14 whenever the phone is moved , as shown in step 428 . then the mobile device 12 vibrates , plays an alert , flickers the flash for two minutes and then stops , and sends the latitude and longitude coordinates to the system server 14 , as shown in step 430 . the system server 14 sends a message into a call center api , as shown in step 432 , the call center receives the data into their system in step 434 , and the call center calls the user in step 436 . for example , the call center may be the response verification call center 20 shown in fig1 . as shown in step 438 , the user has an opportunity to respond that all is ok . if the user responds that all is ok , the system server 14 updates the matter as a closed case , as shown in step 440 . alternatively , if the user does not respond that all is ok , the system server 14 contacts the emergency responders 16 and lifelines 18 in step 442 and the system server 14 is updated and the case is communicated to the emergency responders 16 in step 444 . turning now to fig5 , in instances in which an alarm condition is triggered , the system server 14 may provide an event portal 22 accessible to the user , the response verification call center 20 , the lifelines 18 , and the emergency responders 16 . in a preferred embodiment , the event portal 22 provides an event panel 26 through which the various parties can access information related to the verified alarm condition . for example , the event panel 26 may provide an event id 28 and a user name 30 for quickly identifying the user in question and providing a convenient manner to track the data related to the alarm condition . the event panel 26 may further provide an approximate event address 32 that identifies the current location of the mobile device and / or the location at which the mobile device was located when the alarm condition was triggered . the event panel 26 may further provide a map 34 that identifies the relevant locations ( e . g ., current / initial event locations , location of emergency response personnel , etc .) and updates in real - time . as shown in fig5 , additional information provided by the event panel 26 may include : user identification information 36 , such as , gender , height , weight , hair color , eye color , ethnicity , etc . ; a personal question and answer 38 used to verify the user to disable the alarm condition ( e . g ., q : what street did you grow up on ? a : flintwood drive ); and the one or more direct dial phone numbers for the 911 command centers in closest proximity to the event location 40 . the event panel 26 may provide functionality through which the system server 14 may clear the alarm condition , confirm appropriate action has been taken , perform various reporting functionality ( e . g ., reporting to authorities and emergency response personnel , reporting to lifelines , reporting the resolution of the event , etc . ), initiate the identification process ( e . g ., automatically prompt the response verification call center operator / representative to identify the user to confirm or clear an alarm condition ), amongst any other functionality that will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the description provided herein . in a preferred embodiment , the information provided to the lifelines 18 may include a set of instructions 42 and location - based information 44 . as shown in fig6 a , in one example , the instructions 42 may include clear and succinct instructions adapted to most clearly help the lifelines respond appropriately . for example , a set of instructions may include a numbered list of instructions , such as : 1 . do not call the user . 2 . write this address down . this is the closest address to where the distress alert was activated . [ address provided .] 3 . click on the location tab ( referencing a location tab on the lifeline &# 39 ; s screen ). 4 . refer to the map of the user &# 39 ; s location . use the zoom feature to better access the area . the location - based information 44 may include the one or more direct dial phone numbers for the 911 command centers in closest proximity to the event location 46 and a real - time updating map identifying the event location 48 . of course many variations of the information provided to the lifelines may be implemented . in addition to the features and functions described above , the personal safety system may further provide various recording and / or streaming audio and / or video functions . for example , once a user breaks contact with the armed mobile device , the mobile device may immediately start recording and / or streaming audio and / or video . any recording may be captured within the mobile device 12 . any streaming may be provided to the system server 14 . these functions may be helpful in identifying an assailant or otherwise understanding what occurred immediately following the breaking of contact with the mobile device 12 . it is contemplated that in certain versions , the mobile device 12 may record and / or stream audio and / or video anytime the alarm is activated , such that the audio and / or video may be used to identify the events preceding and / or succeeding the time the user breaks contact with the armed mobile device 12 . the geo - locating elements of the mobile device 12 may be further utilized to provide targeted advertising to a user of the mobile device 12 . for example , the user may voluntarily enroll in geo - fencing advertising such that the user may select the types of advertising and discounts ( e . g ., locations , categories , etc .) for which the user would like alerts / notices . then , when the user passes a location with which advertising is associated , an alert or notification will be triggered on the user &# 39 ; s mobile device 12 . for example , if a user indicates an interest in “ shoes ” and then walks past a footlocker shoe store , the mobile device 12 may be recognized as passing within close proximity to the shoe store and trigger a notification message that provides a discount for shoes at the footlocker shoe store . it should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art . such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages . | 6 |
the instant invention addresses alone or in combination three improvements in stereolithographic methods . these are , first , methods of increasing structural integrity while reducing the need for post - curing ; second , methods of obtaining uniform exposure to regions of intersecting vectors of different types ; and third , methods of determining cure depth . although these three aspects of the invention are closely inter - related and are often cross - dependent , they will be addressed in sequence in this detailed description , and will also be illustrated in the examples below . &# 34 ; beam profiles &# 34 ; represent the energy distribution of irradiation in a beam of ultraviolet light or the like , used to cure photopolymer or other curable material in accordance with stereolithography practices . &# 34 ; effective cure width &# 34 ; ( ecw ) is a distance equal to twice the closest possible spacing of two vectors from one another that will render a given individual cure depth ( i . e ., a cure depth associated with each vector ) without increasing the cure depth of the combination . for the preferred beam profiles and cures , the effective cure width ( ecw ) is always less than the maximum cure width ( mcw ), such that different lines of solidified material can be adhered without an increase in cure depth . for example , in fig5 b , the horizontal separation between lines 118 and 120 might represent the ecw for string 100 . typically , one half the ecw represents the closest point that a similar line of material can approach 100 without increasing its maximum cure depth . more generally , the ecw is a zone that surrounds the center line of a string , such as string 100 , that represents the closest position that another arbitrary ( of thickness and direction ) string of solidified material or set of strings of material can approach the first string without resulting in the maximum cure thickness of the combination being greater than the maximum thickness of either string . &# 34 ; layers &# 34 ; are the incremental thicknesses of polymer exposed to the ultraviolet light ( or other polymerizing source ), which are constructed to adhere to one another and collectively form the polymerized or partially polymerized stereolithographically - produced part . &# 34 ; maximum cure depth ( mcd )&# 34 ; and &# 34 ; maximum cure width ( mcw )&# 34 ; refer , respectively , to the deepest and widest cure that is obtained when exposing a single line uncured polymer to radiation . the maximum cure depth is generally what is referred to as the cure depth of boundary and hatch lines . since the beam of light is not generally of constant intensity across its width , the cure depth and width caused by this beam tracing across the same line one or more times does not produce a uniform depth and width of cure . the maximum depth of cure generally occurs near the middle of a cross section of the trace but it can actually occur anywhere depending on the distribution of intensity in the beam . the maximum width of cure occurs at the top ( surface ) of the cure line of material . an example of the maximum depth and width of cure are depicted in fig5 . fig5 a shows a line ( sometimes called a string ) of cure material 100 . vector 102 indicates the scanning direction used in creating the string of material 100 . surface 104 represents the solidified material that was created from the liquid material that formed part of the surface of the curable liquid . fig5 b represents an end - on view of string 100 . line 106 indicates the position of the top of the cured string 100 , while line 108 represents the bottom of cured line string . the vertical distance between 106 and 108 is the maximum cure depth of string 100 . line 112 represents the left - most edge of string 100 , while line 114 represents the right - most edge of string 100 . the horizontal separation between 112 and 114 is the maximum cure width of string 100 . such a string 100 of plastic may be used for several purposes : 1 ) to insure adhesion between the layer of its creation and the preceding layer , 2 ) to form a down - facing feature of a part being created and 3 ) as an element of a series of such strings of cured material , where the series will be used for one of the above two purposes . an up - facing feature is not included in the above since it can be fit into one of the above categories depending on the situation . for the first purpose listed above , maximum cure depth would preferably be greater than the layer thickness . the vertical separation between line 106 and line 110 represents the layer thickness in such a case . for the second purpose the mcd represents the layer thickness , and for the third purpose the vertical separation between line 106 and line 116 might represent the layer thickness . &# 34 ; overlapping &# 34 ; refers to two or more exposures being given to a region so that an increase in maximum cure depth occurs . since cure profiles are not necessarily step functions , two separately exposed areas can touch and bind to one another without changing the maximum cure depth of either . when two lines are exposed beside one another their maximum widths may overlap resulting in a larger exposure in this region , and a corresponding increase in depth . but if this additional exposure does not occur in the region near the maximum cure depth of the individual lines , their combined maximum cure depth will not generally be any deeper than their individual maxima . &# 34 ; step period &# 34 ; ( sp ) is a part - building parameter that defines the period between each laser step . &# 34 ; step size &# 34 ; ( ss ) is a part - building parameter that defines the size of the step moved by the laser spot on the resin surface . &# 34 ; vectors &# 34 ; are data that represent the direction and length of irradiation exposure in the process of solidifying liquid polymer , or other fluid - like , solidifiable mediums . &# 34 ; skin &# 34 ; vectors are horizontal surface vectors that are typically traced from one boundary to an opposing boundary and back at relatively high speed and with a substantial overlap , and typically form &# 34 ; skin fill &# 34 ; which defines at least the upper and lower horizontal exterior surfaces of the stereolithographically - formed part . typically , skin vector spacing is from about 1 to about 4 mils apart for a maximum cure width of about 14 to 15 mils . such an overlap would typically yield a 20 mil , uniform cure depth . of course , these exemplary and illustrative parameters can be varied as needed based upon such considerations as the desired smoothness of the layers , the power of the laser , the possible speed range of the irradiating source ( i . e ., the maximum drawing speed ), the layer thickness desired , and the number of vectors that are desired to be stored . according to certain aspects of this invention , however , skin fill is provided in more than the exterior surfaces of the part . according to other aspects of the invention , skin vectors can be drawn non - consecutively , e . g ., a first pass at 7 - 8 mil intervals and a subsequent pass at intervening intervals . these aspects and others will be described in detail below . &# 34 ; boundary &# 34 ; vectors are traced to define the vertical exterior surfaces of the stereolithographically - formed part . these vectors generally are scanned more slowly than skin vectors , such that a greater cure depth is obtained . boundaries , unlike skin fill , generally do not rely on overlapping - but - offset passes to attain their full cure depth . in situations where regions on a given layer overlap regions of the previously formed layer ( in other words non - down - facing regions ), it is preferred that the cure depth exceed the layer thickness , so that improved adhesion between layers results . in regions of down facing features , it is preferred that net cure depth be equal to the layer thickness . &# 34 ; hatch &# 34 ; vectors are similar to boundary vectors , except that they are traced in a substantially uniform , criss - cross type pattern , to define the internal lattice structure of the stereolithographically - formed part . again , it is preferred that the cure depth exceed the layer thickness , if being drawn in a non - down - facing region , so that improved adhesion between layers results . if being drawn in a down - facing region , then layer thickness cure depth is preferred . hatch vectors may also have non criss - cross patterns . for example , hatch vectors may be a set of non - crossing lines applied to define internal structure . other definitions can be obtained as needed from the manuals attached hereto as appendices b and c , which have been incorporated herein by reference . moreover , the specifications of the sla hardware , the resin and laser types , and the generally preferred parameters with respect to the stereolithographic processes described and improved upon herein are set forth in said appendices . several preferred embodiments of this invention relate to methods of obtaining improved structural integrity , lower post cure distortion , and lower overall horizontal distortion , by providing skin on more than just the up - and down - facing surfaces of the part being formed . for example , the effect of providing skin at only the up - and down - facing surfaces , and supplying cross hatch in x - z and y - z planes , is to create an internal structure consisting essentially of relatively long columns of unpolymerized material trapped by the partially polymerized cross hatch and boundary material on the sides and skin on the up - and down - facing surfaces . accordingly , a leak in any portion of the down - facing or up - facing skin or cross hatch would have the potential to cause distortion and unwanted drainage . however , if skin is provided in the x - y plane , at more than the up - and down - facing surfaces , then the compartments of unpoylmerized material trapped by cross - hatch , boundary and skin would be much smaller and better - contained . other advantages emanating from providing additional skinned surfaces within the internal structure of the part can include improved structural integrity , less distortion , and reduced post - curing times . surface finishing can be performed before post - curing , and in some circumstances , post curing can be completely avoided . several new skinning techniques can advantageously be used in connection with this invention , based on non - consecutive ordering of skin vectors . traditionally , skin vectors are ordered head - to - tail , such that a first vector pass is made from one boundary to an opposing boundary , and a second is then made , slightly offset ( e . g ., typically from 1 to 4 mils from the first ), from the latter boundary back to the first . however , it has been found , in accordance with preferred embodiments of this invention , that distortion can be reduced by appropriate , non - consecutive ordering of skin vectors . specifically , the offset between vectors can be advantageously increased ( e . g ., doubled ), such that the successive skin vectors have less impact , or do not impact , upon adjacent lines of curing polymer for a given series of passes across the surface of the part being formed . in one or more successive series of passes , additional skin vectors can be drawn &# 34 ; in between &# 34 ; those that had been drawn in earlier series of passes . yet another embodiment according to which distortion can be minimized involves skinning in different directions for different layers . for example , in a part having x - and y - hatch , odd layers can be skinned in the x - direction and even layers in the y - direction , or vice versa . in still another embodiment , skin fill can be provided in both x - and y - directions in a given layer having x - and y - cross - hatch . according to a most preferred embodiment , however , x , 60 ° and 120 ° cross - hatch is provided with skin fill in at least one of the x , 60 ° and 120 ° directions , and preferably , in each of said directions . in a preferred variation of this embodiment , discussed in more detail below , the skin vectors of a given direction are not traced directly over the hatch vectors of the same direction , to avoid multiple exposure . moreover , since exposure is provided in three directions over any given point in a skinned layer , the vector scanning speed can be increased by a factor of three to yield one - third of a normal exposure per vector , resulting in a uniform normal exposure after all three directional passes are made . turning to fig1 and 2 , it will be seen that multiple exposure of boundaries 10 , hatch lines 12 , and skin fill 14 will likely cause cure depth variations as depicted in fig2 . to obtain a smooth down - facing region , the net exposure over all the area elements must be the same . while uniform cure depth is necessary for smooth down - facing features , it is not necessary to achieve smooth up - facing features . these up - facing features attain their smooth surface finish from the smoothness of the working surface ( resin surface ), and from adequate strength of skins preventing their collapse from various forces including shrinkage during post - curing . there are three main approaches that are exemplified herein to attain uniform exposure , particularly of down - facing regions . while the third approach is most preferred , the other two are within the scope of the invention , as are variations of all three that will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the following description . a first approach to avoid differential exposure is to avoid the use of both boundary and hatch vectors , and only use fill vectors to cure down - facing regions , using uniformly exposed skin fill that results in an appropriate skin depth . this is a viable method of obtaining uniform exposure and therefore cure depth , but can suffer from distortion problems , as a relatively rigid frame ( boundary and cross - hatch ) is generally required to keep the skin from distorting as it is drawn . a second approach is to draw boundary and modified hatch vectors to the full desired depth . first , hatch vectors must not be permitted to cross other hatch or boundary vectors to avoid extra depth being added to these solidified crossover regions . the remaining pockets are filled in with small skin fill vectors that do not cross any of the cured boundary or hatch lines . this second approach can be implemented , for example , by either of two methods . the first method is based on a single direction of hatch being drawn as uninterrupted vectors with hatch that runs in other directions &# 34 ; jumping &# 34 ; the points where they cross the first hatch type and where they cross each other . these hatch vectors are broken into their required components and stored in an output file for controlling the movement of the scanning mirrors ( sometimes referred to as an sli file ). in addition to hatch vectors that are drawn part of the time and jump the other part of the time , individual skin fill vectors can be created to fill each pocket that is formed by intersecting hatch and / or boundary vectors . these fill vectors are stored in the sli file . the second method is based on standard hatch and skin fill vectors being stored in the sli file along with a system ( e . g ., as part of the mirror driving system ) that uses slice , beam profile , and cure depth parameters to break down vectors into drawing and jumping elements depending on whether they cross a hatch vector , boundary vector , or whether a hatch vector is underneath the vectors being analyzed . these two methods falling within the second approach require definition of what it means for hatch and skin fill vectors to cross or lay on top of hatch or boundary vectors . this definition can be based on a determination of how closely an exposed vector ( both skin and hatch ) can approach a hatch or boundary vector without causing an increase in maximum cure depth in that region . the first method of this second approach may result in creating large sli files and large associated vector loading times . accordingly , the second method of the second approach is currently more preferred , when used in conjunction with a look - up table . the contents of such a table in each instance will vary , depending upon the slice parameters used , beam profile characteristics , and desired cure depth to be obtained , and can be routinely formulated for any required set of parameters by one of ordinary skill in the art . this system can optionally be adapted to account for approach angles between vectors . the third , and currently most preferred , approach is based upon matching skinning parameters to hatch parameters , to avoid duplicate exposure by skin vectors of regions cured by hatch vectors . the duplicate exposure could result from skin vectors running parallel or antiparallel to the hatch vector regions . this approach differs from the above - described approaches in that the skin vectors are drawn over the cross - hatch , giving additional exposure to hatch vectors that are not parallel to the skin vectors as drawn . this continuation of skin fill vectors will keep the sli file size from becoming too long . this approach is collectively illustrated in fig3 . it will be noted that the skin fill in fig3 c and 3d is discontinuous in areas corresponding to the x - and y - hatch running parallel thereto . the uniformity of the resulting cure depth is illustrated in fig4 . a down - facing skin area , or &# 34 ; region ,&# 34 ; can be divided into categories or &# 34 ; subregions ,&# 34 ; based upon the nature of the exposure , i . e ., whether and to what extent there is overlap between different vector exposures , as follows : several approaches are suitable for exposing subregions 1 through 5 such that each region will be given the same exposure . in the presently most preferred embodiments , three criteria are paramount . first , to provide a suitably rigid frame to support the skin fill , the following drawing order is preferred : first , boundary vectors , then hatch vectors , and finally fill vectors are drawn . second , the fill vectors and the hatch vectors preferably begin and end short of the boundary vectors by 1 / 2 the ecw of the boundary vectors . this reduces subregions 3 , 4 , and 5 to regions that contain boundary vectors only , such that the boundary vectors should be given the full exposure required in order to attain the desired cure depth . finally , a set of fill vectors are preferably drawn parallel to each type of hatch vector used , and all fill vector types are preferably given the same exposure , with the exception that fill vectors should not be allowed to contribute to further exposure in the regions exposed by their parallel hatch type . for example , if x - and y - hatch are used , then x - and y - fill are also used . also x - fill vectors will only be created that are spaced at least 1 / 2 the ecw of the hatch lines from the x - hatch vectors . a similar relationship should be maintained for y - fill and y - hatch . this means that subregion 1 will have an exposure equivalent to the combined exposure of each fill type . using the same example of x - and y - hatch and fill , each fill type should be exposed to 1 / 2 the exposure required to obtain the desired cure depth . limiting fill vector exposure in this manner has a profound effect on subregion 2 , which can be considered to consist of two microregions : a ) a microregion containing overlapping of the various hatch types as well as the various fill types , and b ) a microregion containing a single hatch type and the various fill types . fill vectors will be absent from this first microregion since they have been excluded to avoid reexposing hatched areas . therefore , the first microregion receives its total exposure from that of the combined hatch types . thus , for x - and y - hatch , each hatch type will contribute 1 / 2 the needed exposure . for the second microregion , part of the exposure will be provided by the single hatch line , and the remainder by fill types that are nonparallel to it . this results in the total exposure being given by the exposure of one hatch line plus the exposure from all but one of the skin types . therefore , the number of exposure sources is equal to the number of cross hatch types , and hence , to the number of skin fill types . using x - and y - hatch , for example , 1 / 2 the exposure in a region of x - hatch is provided by this hatch and the other 1 / 2 is provided from the y - fill . this most preferred approach can be summarized as follows : the preferred curing order begins with boundary vectors , followed by hatch vectors , and finally by fill vectors . the boundary vectors provide the desired cure depth . the skin and hatch vectors are shortened by the ecw of the boundaries ( 1 / 2 on each end ). the fill vectors are not allowed to contribute to the exposure ( be created ) within 1 / 2 the ecw of either side of a parallel hatch vector . each combination of hatch type with its parallel skin type is used to achieve a uniform cure depth . each hatch and fill type is given the same exposure ; therefore , the individual fractional exposure ( ife ) given to each type is the reciprocal of the number of different hatch types ( nht ), i . e ., ife = 1 / nht . another preferred embodiment is based on the use of the presently preferred cross hatching method . the preferred hatching technique utilizes x and 60 / 120 hatch instead of x - and y - hatch . while the foregoing discussion relates to general preferred methods of reducing waffle appearance , it is most preferred to use this method of waffle reduction / removal in connection with these presently preferred hatch types , i . e ., equally - spaced x , 60 ° and 120 ° hatch . the resulting hatch vectors form equilateral triangles : accordingly , there will be regions where there is one , or three vectors overlap , but never two vectors in an overlapping relationship . the corresponding skin fill will be in the x , 60 °, and 120 ° directions . these fill vectors will again not be allowed to produce additional exposure within the 1 / 2 the ecw of either side of their parallel hatch vectors . the order of curing will again be boundaries first then hatch and then fill . the boundaries will be given a full exposure to bring them to the desired cure depth . the hatch and fill vectors will again be shortened on each end by 1 / 2 the ecw of the boundary vectors . the hatch vectors will each be given 1 / 3 the required exposure necessary to achieve the final desired cure depth . the fill vectors will also be given 1 / 3 of this exposure . except in regions of boundary vectors , to reach full exposure , each point must be scanned by three vector types of 1 / 3 exposure from each type . in the region of skin alone , if all three skin types of equal ( 1 / 3 ) and overlapping exposure are used , a net exposure of 1 will be attained . similarly , for a region of hatch and skin , one hatch type is used , along with the two skin types not parallel to it . each is given an equal exposure of 1 / 3 to obtain a region of net exposure 1 . if the hatch vectors form equilateral triangles , it follows that each time any two hatch vectors overlap , the third hatch vector will also be present . if each hatch vector is given an exposure of 1 / 3 , then the net exposure in this region will be 1 . in regions where boundaries occur , an imbalanced situation exists due to the presence of a boundary vector as well as the other vector types described above . the possibilities include the presence of : 1 boundary + 3 hatch vectors ; 1 boundary + 1 hatch + 2 fill vectors ; or 1 boundary + 3 skin vectors . these combinations can be addressed , for example , in one of two ways : 1 ) have all hatch and fill vectors stop short of the boundary ( at 1 / 2 the effective cure width ) and then give the boundary itself an exposure of one ; or 2 ) select two of the hatch types and the same two skin types to cure completely up to the boundary and stop the other hatch and skin type short of the boundary at 1 / 2 the ecw of the boundary . if the boundary vectors are given the 1 / 3 cure , as are the other vectors , this combination results in a net exposure of 1 in the boundary region . the first of the above two options is presently the most preferred . yet another embodiment is based on the use of x and y hatch along with the second option described above . in this case , the exposure in the boundary region would be due to the boundary vectors , one hatch and its corresponding fill type with the other hatch and fill type stopping short . this embodiment has the advantage of insuring better adhesion between the boundary vectors and the fill and hatch vectors . still another embodiment is based on the use of x and 60 / 120 hatch along with the net exposure in the boundary areas being made up of exposing boundary vectors along with exposing two of the three types of hatch and the corresponding fill vectors . other additional embodiments are conceivable . it is also possible to extend this approach to include other sources of print through , such as that due to cross hatch from the layer above the one that contains the down - facing feature . the cross hatch on this higher layer can actually print through the lower layer . using a particular material , this print through effect is reduced when larger layer thicknesses are used and increased when smaller layer thicknesses are used . using experimental or analytical methods , the amount of print through can be determined , and the cross hatch on the layer containing the down - facing feature can be given a correspondingly lower cure . after the exposure of this layer and the following layer , the down - facing feature will have a uniform cure . in most cases , there are cross hatch vectors on the layer immediately following the down - facing feature where the above compensation method would be useful . however , on rare occasions , an up - facing feature may be on the same layer as a down - facing feature ( the feature is only one layer in thickness ), requiring the hatch and fill to be perfectly matched based on the one layer thickness of cure . on layers that have both up - and down - facing features in the same area , it is important to insure that only the down - facing skin is cured , so as not to use more exposure than desired . in the above description , only one effective cure width has been exemplified to describe the proximity with which vectors can approach one another , but more than one ecw can be used in appropriate circumstances . the methods described herein can be verified experimentally using x - and y - hatch and fill without need of modified software . an object can be sliced using x - and y - hatch and x - and y - skin fill . the sli file created can then be edited by hand , removing the skin fill vectors that are within a specific distance of their parallel hatch vectors . this sli file can then be merged with a support file . the range file can then be prepared giving an equal cure to the x - and y - hatch , and an appropriate single line exposure given to the fill vectors in order to produce an equivalent total cure as that of the x and y hatch . 1 ) by creating a skin type corresponding to 60 ° cross hatch and another corresponding to 120 ° cross hatch , 2 ) by creating a slice option ( or in some other appropriate program ) to allow an offset for skin vectors to not be produced ( or not drawn ) in the vicinity of hatch paths , and 3 ) creating an option to allow reduction of cross hatch and fill vectors on each end by a desired amount . to make a theoretical determination of skin thickness , by one or more methods of calculation , one would ordinarily consider the parameters of step period ( sp ), step size ( ss ), laser power , beam profile , material , working curve thickness , working curve width , and offset . however , if a skin is formed that is several times wider than the laser beam , and a step size and an offset are used that are several times smaller than the laser beam width , the energy distribution over the skinned area will be substantially uniformly distributed . if the energy is uniformly distributed , the area will be uniformly cured to a particular depth depending on the exposure . thus , the exposure is defined as , energy per unit area = laser power × step period /( step size × offset ). this above relationship can be equated to a particular thickness by plotting thickness versus log of exposure to obtain a linear relationship , and determining the slope and intercept of this plot . since the above relationship does not explicitly contain focus , profile , and machine working curve parameters , the constants determined for one machine should be directly usable on another machine as long as the parameters of material , wavelength , and distance from scanning mirrors to surface of resin are the same ( or accounted for ). the foregoing detailed description and following examples should be understood as being illustrative rather than limiting , as routine variations and modifications are within the scope of the invention as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only by the appended claims , and all equivalents thereof . an experiment was conducted to determine whether skinning every layer of a part gives any advantage with regard to minimizing distortion as compared to previous building techniques . eight parts were built , in groups of two . each group included a front and a rear object , which were identical except for their locations . slicing and merging options were used to create the four different groups : skntin01 -- front object has skin on every layer . rear object has skin only on top and bottom . skntin02 -- front object has skin only on top and bottom . rear object has skin on every layer . hatch vectors ran parallel to the x - axis and the y - axis spaced at 50 mils . cure thickness for skin fill was not specified as thickness but as 1 / 2 the step period ( sp ) for a 26 mil cure and step size ( ss ) of 16 . all skin fill vectors ran parallel to the x - axis with a 2 mil offset between them . ( as a side note , measurement of skin thickness under similar cure indicated that thickness is approximately 20 mils .) ______________________________________skntin01 all skinned distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 3 . 6 mils distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 9 . 4 mils normal distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 9 . 6 distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 9 . 7skntin02 all skinned distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 1 . 2 mils distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 8 . 2 mils normal distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 9 . 1 mils distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 7 . 0 milsskntin03 all skinned distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 1 . 5 mils distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 7 . 9 mils all skinned distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 2 . 0 mils distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 7 . 7 milsskntin04 normal distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 11 . 0 mils distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 9 . 7 mils normal distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 9 . 5 mils distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 7 . 9 mils______________________________________ in summary , skinning each layer in the x - direction reduced distortion in dimensions measured parallel , but not perpendicular , to the x - axis . in a second experiment , parts were built by skinning each layer with skin that was perpendicular to the direction or the skin on the previous layer . ______________________________________part gb349 front perpendicular distortion of wall skin perpendicular to direction of skinning = 4 . 9 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 4 . 4 mils rear normal skin distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 4 . 0 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 5 . 3 milspart gb350 front normal skin distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 3 . 1 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 7 . 4 mils rear perpendicular distortion of wall skin perpendicular to direction of skinning = 5 . 0 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = (- 2 . 7 ) milspart gb351 front normal skin distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 5 . 3 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 6 . 2 mils rear normal skin distortion of wall perpendicular to direction of skinning = 9 . 4 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 6 . 8 milspart gb352 front perpendicular distortion of wall skin perpendicular to direction of skinning = 2 . 5 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 3 . 0 mils rear perpendicular distortion of wall skin perpendicular to direction of skinning = 1 . 9 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 4 . 1 milspart gb354 front skin parallel distortion of wall to y perpendicular to direction of skinning = 6 . 0 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 1 . 0 mils rear skin parallel distortion of wall to x perpendicular to direction of skinning = 1 . 5 mils ; distortion of wall parallel to direction of skinning = 7 . 5 mils______________________________________ in summary , skinning in x - and y - directions on opposite layers appears to generally reduce distortion to some extent in each direction . similar experiments to those set forth in examples i and ii tended to show that providing x - and y - skin fill on each layer generally reduced distortion in both x - and y - directions . four 1 &# 34 ;× 1 &# 34 ; squares were built in a single build process on a stereolithographic apparatus . each square consisted of six 20 mil layers . the structural support for each layer was based on x - and y - cross hatch , spaced at a 50 mil separation . each square was supported by a grid of webs placed at a spacing of 1 / 4 &# 34 ;. the webs consisted of ten 20 mil layers . on the top surface of each square a standard skinning technique was applied . therefore , the top surface was given x skin fill spaced at 2 mils on top of a grid of x - and y - cross hatch . the supporting web structures were numbered 1 through 4 while the square patches were numbered 5 through 8 ( based on the merge order ). on the first layer of each square , x - and y - hatch were applied using a particular exposure along with a particular skinning technique and associated exposure . the second through sixth layers were given the standard 26 mil cure depth for boundaries and hatch . on the first layer the boundary vectors were given the full desired cure depth , without factoring in any reduction in hatch and skin vectors for the purpose of minimizing multiple exposures in boundary regions . the skinning / exposure technique was varied for the first layer of each patch . x - and y - cross hatch = 26 mil cure ( sp 65 , ss 2 ) x - skin fill = half the sp of a 26 mil cure if ss = 2 ( sp 33 , ss 16 ); fill vectors spaced at 2 mils with no gaps except exact duplicates of hatch . x - and y - cross hatch = 20 mil cure ( sp 29 , ss 2 ) x - skin fill = sp for a 16 mil cure if ss = 2 ( sp 17 , ss 16 ); fill vectors spaced at 2 mils with vectors removed that are 2 mils and 4 mils from parallel hatch vectors ( this means the skin fill vectors that are closest to the hatch are 6 mils away ). y - skin fill = sp for a 16 mil cure if ss = 2 ( sp 17 , ss 16 ); fill vectors spaced at 2 mils with vectors removed that are 2 mils and 4 mils from parallel hatch vectors . square patch 7 : &# 34 ; down - facing skins with skin exposure closely matched to cross hatch exposure &# 34 ; x - and y - cross hatch = 20 mil cure ( sp 29 , ss 2 ) x - skin fill = sp for a 20 mil cure if ss = 2 ( sp 29 , ss 16 ); fill vectors spaced at 2 mils with vectors removed that are 2 mils and 4 mils from parallel hatch vectors . y - skin fill = sp for a 20 mil cure if ss = 2 ( sp 29 , ss 16 ); fill vectors spaced at 2 mils with vectors removed that are 2 mils and 4 mils from parallel hatch vectors . x - and y - cross hatch = 20 mil cure ( sp 29 , ss 2 ) x - skin fill = sp for a 26 mil cure if ss = 2 ( sp 65 , ss 16 ); fill vectors spaced at 2 mils with vectors removed that are 2 and 4 mils from parallel hatch vectors . y - skin fill = sp for a 26 mil cure if ss = 2 ( sp 65 , ss 16 ); fill vectors spaced at 2 mils with vectors removed that are 2 and 4 mils from parallel hatch vectors . after building these four square patches they were examined , and none of the parts showed any signs of distortion . part 5 had the typical large waffle with cross hatch protruding beyond the skin . part 6 had a smaller waffle with cross hatch protruding beyond the skin . part 7 had cross hatch and skin fill cured down to approximately the same level ; however , there were slight protrusions along the sides of the cross hatch and a slight depression in the center of the cross hatch indicating that the skin was slightly overcured and maybe that the skin was not cured within the proper effective cure width of the cross hatch . part 8 seemed to have cross hatch whose center line is depressed as compared to the skin and to a raised overlapping edge where skin and cross hatch joined . the size of the discontinuities in part 8 were larger than those in part 7 . see fig6 for a sketch of each of these cases . a scratch test indicates that part 7 was almost smooth , part 8 was slightly rougher , part 6 was much rougher , and finally part 5 was the roughest of all . a visual inspection indicated that part 7 looked best , followed by part 8 or 6 , then finally by part 5 . the results of this experiment showed that the technique disclosed herein reduced waffle considerably . with the parameters used in this test , hatch strength appeared to be sufficient to support the skin without distortion . | 6 |
although the disclosure hereof is detailed , and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures . while the preferred embodiment has been described , the details may be changed without departing from the invention , which is defined by the claims . with attention to the figures , an articulated extension apparatus 10 according to the present invention may be seen . as viewed particularly in fig1 - 4 , the apparatus 10 preferably includes at least a first extension member 12 and a second extension member 14 . the first and second extension members 12 , 14 are pivotally connected at a pivot point 16 . the pivot , point 16 includes a pivot aperture 18 a in the first extension member 12 , a pivot aperture 18 b in the second extension member 14 and pivot hardware , seen as a pull pin 20 in these views . as may be further seen , the first member 12 may include an elbow 22 having a first elbow end 24 configured for mating attachment with the lowermost portion of a downspout 26 , although it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a first extension member 12 that has a linear configuration and no elbow ( not shown ). the first member 12 further includes a second end 28 which is adapted for attachment to the second extension member 14 and includes the pivot aperture 18 a . the second extension member 14 includes a first end 30 and a second end 32 , with the first end 30 being configured for mating attachment to the first member 12 and including a pivot aperture 18 b . the second end 32 of the second extension member 14 is configured for optional mating attachment with another extension member ( not shown ), if desired . extension members 12 , 14 for use with the present apparatus 10 may be of varying lengths , and may be composed of a polymer such as pvc , metal , or other suitable material . as further seen in fig1 - 5 , each of the extension members 12 , 14 includes opposed side panels 34 each having a side panel 34 outer surface 36 . each side panel 34 outer surface 36 preferably includes at least one anchor device , such as the eye rings 38 shown , although other suitable devices may be used . an elastic member 39 , such as the elastic cord 40 and s - connectors 42 arrangement shown , may be used to further connect the first and second extension members 12 , 14 . as illustrated , the elastic member 39 includes opposed elastic member ends 44 , with each end 44 being attached to a corresponding anchor device 38 on one of the extension members 12 , 14 . in use , the elastic member 39 supports the apparatus 10 in the fully extended position ( see fig7 b ), while providing sufficient elasticity to allow the second extension member 14 to articulate at the pivot point 16 ( see fig7 a ) when lateral pressure is applied . the elastic member 39 further draws the second extension member 14 back to the fully extended position once lateral pressure ceases , as will be discussed . with particular attention to the views of fig4 and 5 , it may be seen that the first extension member 12 second end 28 may include a pair of opposed flexible flaps 46 . the flaps 46 are configured to be received within corresponding slots 48 in the second extension member 14 ( see fig5 ) and are preferably made of a resilient , flexible material , such as a polymer or the like . the flaps 46 interact with the second extension member 14 in the slots 48 to slidingly connect the first and second extension members 12 , 14 , and to flex when the apparatus 10 is articulated about the pivot point 16 . as is shown in fig6 , the pivoting action of the second extension member 14 in the direction of arrow a flexes the flaps 46 to thereby allow the apparatus 10 to articulate at the pivot point 16 . the flaps 46 further cover any gaps in the side panel 34 . fig7 a and 7b illustrate a method of use for the articulated extension apparatus 10 according to the present invention . as may be viewed , the second extension member 14 is moved in the direction of arrow b as a lawnmower 50 or other ground maintenance device moves in the direction of arrow c adjacent the apparatus 10 . the lawnmower 50 or other ground maintenance device contacts and applies lateral pressure on the second extension member 14 . the lateral pressure of the lawnmower 50 in contact with the apparatus 10 overcomes the bias of the elastic member 39 and the apparatus 10 pivots as the second extension member 14 moves about the pivot point 16 in the direction of arrow b . the pivoting movement allows the lawnmower 50 to pass the apparatus 10 without the need for the user to stop , disassemble , or otherwise manually reposition the device 10 . as the lawnmower 50 continues in the direction of arrow c , and as shown in fig7 b , lateral pressure against the second extension member 14 ceases , the bias of the elastic member 39 moves the second extension member 14 in the direction of arrow d , and the apparatus 10 resumes its original position . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . furthermore , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described . while the preferred embodiment has been described , the details may be changed without departing from the invention , which is defined by the claims . | 4 |
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 . the multicassette vertical autoloader of the present invention is used with a storage phosphor reader which is part of a computed radiography system . in general , computed radiography utilizes the principle that exposure of a storage phosphor to a radiographic image produces a corresponding latent image in the storage phosphor . if the storage phosphor is raster scanned ( e . g ., by means of a laser ) in a storage phosphor reader with light of a first wavelength , the latent image will be emitted as a light image at a second wavelength . the emitted light image is converted into a digital image which can be processed , stored , displayed , and used to produce a hardcopy ( film , paper ) radiographic image . fig1 shows a generic computed radiography system 10 including the present invention . x - ray source 12 irradiates object of interest 14 ( such as a body part ) to produce a radiographic image which exposes storage phosphor ( sp ) 16 . the latent radiographic image stored in storage phosphor 16 is read out in storage phosphor read and erase 18 as a digital radiographic image 20 . the storage phosphor 16 is erased in sp read and erase 18 so that it can be reused . the digital radiographic image 20 can be processed to enhance the image , stored for later use , displayed on a display monitor for diagnostic purposes , transmitted to a remote location and / or used to produce a hard copy print ( film or paper ). fig2 and 3 are respective left front and right front perspective views of a storage phosphor reader including an embodiment of the multicassette vertical autoloader of the present invention . as shown , storage phosphor reader 50 includes a housing 52 for supporting the components of reader 50 , such as read module 54 and erase module 56 ( both shown in dashed lines in fig2 ). multicassette , vertical autoloader 58 is mounted on the top of and forms an integral part of reader 50 and thus occupies the same footprint as reader 50 . autoloader 58 includes an input bin 60 , an output bin 62 located beside input bin 60 , and a storage phosphor read location 64 located in output bin 62 ( shown in greater detail later ). autoloader 58 also includes a front 51 , back 53 , and opposite sides 55 and 57 ( fig6 ). one or more storage phosphor cassettes 66 ( each of which contains a storage phosphor which is removable from cassette 66 ) are loaded as a stack into input bin 60 in face - to - face contact and such that the cassette faces face front and back . the foremost cassette 66 in the stack of cassettes 66 is transported from input bin 60 to the storage phosphor read location 64 of output bin 62 . at read location 64 , the storage phosphor contained in cassette 66 is removed from cassette 66 and transported vertically past read module 54 and erase module 56 . the read and erased storage phosphor is then replaced in cassette 66 which is transported out of read location 64 to an output region of output bin 62 . referring now to fig4 and 5 there is shown an exemplary vertical assembly for transporting a storage phosphor from cassette 66 , past read and erase modules 54 , 56 and then back to cassette 66 ( the assembly described in greater detail in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 437 , 359 b1 , issued aug . 20 , 2002 , inventors hall et al . can be used or any other suitable assembly ). as shown , storage phosphor cassette 66 is held at storage phosphor read location 64 of storage phosphor reader 50 by clamps 68 and 70 . a storage phosphor transport assembly 72 removes storage phosphor 74 from cassette 66 and transports storage phosphor 74 vertically past read module 54 and erase module 56 . transport assembly 72 then transports storage phosphor 74 vertically to replace it in cassette 66 . the vertical transport directions of storage phosphor 74 are represented by bidirectional arrow 76 . referring now to fig6 - 25 there will be described in greater detail , the structure and operation of a embodiment of the present invention shown in fig2 and 3 . referring to fig6 , autoloader 58 includes side - by - side input bin 60 and output bin 62 . storage phosphor read location 64 is located in output bin 62 . input bin 60 has a first inclined bottom wall 78 and a second reverse inclined bottom wall 80 ( fig8 ) having guides 82 ( fig6 ) to assist in gravity feeding of cassettes 66 . cassette stack pullback 84 and cassette lifter mechanism 86 are also located in input bin 60 . cassette stripper 88 transports a cassette 66 from input bin 60 to output bin 62 past bar code scanner 90 . output bin 62 includes fixed clamp 92 , movable clamp 94 , loaders 96 , unloaders 98 , side shuttle 100 , ejector 102 , stripper 104 , size changer / light curtain 106 , side cog belt 108 , and bottom belts 110 . cassettes 66 are shown in fig6 in input bin 60 and output bin 62 . a cassette 66 is also shown at read location 64 . fig7 is a diagrammatic view showing the short - u transport path of cassettes in autoloader 50 . as shown , storage phosphor cassettes 66 of different sizes are stacked face - to - face in input bin 60 such that the cassette faces face front and back ( arrows 120 and 122 ). the leading unread cassette 66 in input bin 60 is transported from input bin 60 to output bin 62 ( arrows 124 and 126 ). the unread cassette 66 is then transported to storage phosphor read location 64 ( arrow 128 ). after the storage phosphor has been replaced in a cassette 66 at read location 64 , the cassette 66 is transported out of read location 64 and into cog belt 108 ( arrows 130 and 132 ) which transports the cassette to the front of output bin 62 for removal from autoloader 50 from the front , diagonally , and / or from the side ( arrows 134 , 136 , 138 ). referring now to fig8 - 11 , there will be described the operation of cassette stack pullback 84 and cassette lifter mechanism 86 . cassettes 66 are first guided along first inclined bottom wall 78 before being deposited on second inclined bottom wall 80 in a face - to - face stack against front wall 79 through the assistance of gravity ( see fig8 ). cassette lifter mechanism 86 lifts the leading cassette 66 ( arrow 85 ) to expose the bottom edge of the next cassette 66 ( fig9 ). stack pullback 84 pulls the stack of cassettes 66 in the direction of arrow 140 away from the foremost cassette 66 up bottom wall 80 in order to reduce the load on the foremost cassette 66 and to separate the cassettes ( fig1 ). cassette lifter mechanism 86 raises the foremost cassette 66 in the direction of arrow 142 for stripping while cassette stack pullback 84 continues to hold the other cassettes 66 in the stack away from the foremost cassette 66 ( fig1 ). cassette 66 is first transported by cassette stripper 88 ( arrow 201 ) to a barcode scan position ( fig1 ) where the barcode on cassette 66 is read by bar code scanner 90 and verified , and then to a pre - read location 200 in output bin 62 in the direction of arrow 202 ( fig1 ) into contact with side shuttle 100 and loaders 96 . cassette stripper 88 is returned to the home position ( arrow 204 ) in input bin 60 in preparation for transport of the next cassette 66 ( fig1 ). cassette stack pullback 84 and cassette lifter mechanism 86 are also returned to their home positions . loaders 96 and side shuttle 100 now transport cassette 66 from the pre - read location 200 to the storage phosphor read location 64 as indicated by arrows 150 ( fig1 and 16 ). ejector 102 ejects cassette 66 in the direction of arrow 205 out of side shuttle 100 , and side shuttle 100 and loaders 96 are returned to their home position in the direction of arrows 206 ( fig1 ). size changer / light curtain 106 is moved in the direction of arrow 208 into place to bias the cassette 66 ( fig1 ), and movable clamp 94 is moved in the direction of arrow 210 into contact with cassette 66 to clamp it with fixed clamp 92 during the read cycle ( fig1 ). ejector 102 and side shuttle 100 are then returned to their home positions to prepare for the next cycle as indicated by arrows 160 , 162 ( fig2 ). fig2 shows transport of the next unread cassette 66 into the pre - read location 200 by cassette stripper 88 as indicated by arrow 164 . a pre - read location is desirable in order to reduce the total cycle time of the device . this is accomplished by allowing the simultaneous reading of the sp with the next unread cassette being stripped into the pre - read location . after the read cycle is completed and the storage phosphor replaced in cassette 66 , clamp 94 is moved out of contact with the read cassette 66 , size changer 106 moves cassette 66 in the direction of arrow 212 into side shuttle 100 , and unloaders 98 are moved in the direction of arrow 214 into contact with read cassette 66 ( fig2 ). read cassette 66 is then moved by side shuttle 100 and unloaders 98 into a post read location 170 ( arrows 162 ) and loaders 96 and side shuttle 100 move the next unread cassette 66 into read location 64 ( fig2 — arrows 164 .). stripper 104 now transfers read cassette 66 from side shuttle 100 to side cog belt 108 and bottom belts 110 ( fig2 — arrow 172 ). finally , stripper 104 is returned to the home position ( arrow 174 ) and side cog belt 108 and bottom belts 110 transport the read cassette 66 forward ( arrow 176 ) to output region 178 of output bin 62 for subsequent removal . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a presently preferred embodiment , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . the presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims , and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein . 120 , 122 , 124 , 126 , 128 , 130 , 132 , 134 , 136 , 138 , 140 , 142 — arrows 201 , 202 , 204 , 205 , 206 , 208 , 210 , 212 , 214 — arrows | 1 |
after the component 122 has been removed from the die 102 , the die 102 may be cooled to room temperature and cleaned using an exemplary cleaning system 200 best shown in fig2 . in one example , the die 102 is placed onto a holder 202 that supports the die 102 during the cleaning operation . the holder 202 may include a device configured for rotational and / or translational movement , which allows the die 102 to move , rotate and / or translate with respect to one or more other components of cleaning system 200 . for example , in one embodiment , the holder 202 moves the die with respect to a beam of electromagnetic energy emitted from the emission device ( eeed ) 204 . in one aspect , the holder 202 is also configured to align the die 102 with respect to one or more other components of the cleaning system 200 . the cleaning system 200 includes an electromagnetic - energy emission device ( eeed ) 204 , such as a laser having a power output of between about 8 kilowatts ( kw ) to about 15 kw . in one embodiment , the eeed 204 is a fiber laser , such as a 15 kw fiber laser manufactured by ipg ( oxford , mass .) or fraunhofer ( munich , germany ). in other embodiments , the eeed 204 may be any electromagnetic - energy emission device capable of functioning as described herein . the eeed 204 is configured to emit a beam 208 of electromagnetic energy capable of ablating a lubricant 103 from a surface of the die 102 , as discussed further herein . suitable lubricants include graphite and boron nitride or the like . in one embodiment , the eeed 204 is coupled to a movable arm 206 that provides a movement , or steering capability to direct the beam 208 in a desired direction toward die 102 . in some variants , the eeed outputs between about 12 kw and about 15 kw of power . in one example , a scanning device 216 , which may also be referred to herein as a scanner , is provided to enable direction and / or distribution ( e . g ., spreading and / or focusing ) of the beam 208 onto the die 102 . the scanning device 216 may be a reflective device capable of reflecting or directing the beam 208 onto a surface of the die 102 , such as a mirror . in one such embodiment , the scanning device 216 is a faceted rotating mirror , such as a scanner manufactured by ewi ® ( columbus , ohio ). in other embodiments , scanning device 216 is an oscillating reflective surface having a flat or contoured shape . in some variants , the scanning device 216 has a parabolic shape for concentrating the electromagnetic energy . in yet another embodiment , scanning device 216 may be controlled or otherwise adjusted by adjusting device 218 to control parameters such as raster speed , laser spot size and laser energy density . in one alternative , the scanning device 216 may be omitted , with eeed 204 emitting the beam 208 directly onto the die 102 . in one example , an effluent - capture device 214 is provided proximate the scanning device 216 or die 102 . the effluent - capture device 214 may be a vacuum device , or other device capable of capturing effluents generated during the cleaning operation of the die 102 . such effluents may include vaporized particles of lubricant 103 that have been ablated from the working surface 110 of the die 102 . the effluent - capture device 214 may be connected to a vacuum source 220 by a conduit 222 . in some aspects , the conduit 222 is flexible , and allows the effluent - capture device 214 to be moved along die 102 in the vicinity of the cleaning operation . in some variants , effluent - capture device 214 is coupled to a movable arm , such as a robotic arm or the like , for moving the effluent - capture device with respect to the die 102 . one or more of eeed 204 , scanning device 216 and effluent - capture device 214 are connected to a controller 210 , such as a computer system including a processor ( not shown ). the processor is generally any piece of hardware that is capable of processing information such as , for example , data , computer - readable program code , instructions or the like ( generally “ computer programs ,” e . g ., software , firmware , etc . ), and / or other suitable electronic information . more particularly , for example , the processor may be configured to execute computer programs , which may be stored onboard the processor or otherwise stored in a memory ( not shown ). the processor may be a number of processors , a multi - processor core or some other type of processor , depending on the particular implementation . further , the processor may be implemented using a number of heterogeneous processor apparatuses in which a main processor is present with one or more secondary processors on a single chip . as another illustrative example , the processor may be a symmetric multi - processor apparatus containing multiple processors of the same type . in yet another example , the processor may be embodied as or otherwise include one or more application - specific integrated circuits ( asics ), field - programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ) or the like . thus , although the processor may be capable of executing a computer program to perform one or more functions , the processor of various examples may be capable of performing one or more functions without the aid of a computer program . the memory is generally any piece of hardware that is capable of storing information such as , for example , data , computer programs and / or other suitable information either on a temporary basis and / or a permanent basis . in one example , the memory may be configured to store various information in one or more databases . the memory may include volatile and / or non - volatile memory , and may be fixed or removable . examples of suitable memory include random access memory ( ram ), read - only memory ( rom ), a hard drive , a flash memory , a thumb drive , a removable computer diskette , an optical disk , a magnetic tape or some combination of the above . optical disks may include compact disk read - only - memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk read / write memory ( cd - r / w ), digital video disk memory ( dvd ), or the like . in various instances , the memory may be referred to as a computer - readable storage medium which , as a non - transitory device capable of storing information , may be distinguishable from computer - readable transmission media such as electronic transitory signals capable of carrying information from one location to another . computer - readable medium , as described herein , may generally refer to a computer - readable storage medium or computer - readable transmission medium . in addition to the memory , the processor may also , but need not be , connected to one or more interfaces for displaying , transmitting and / or receiving information . these interfaces may include one or more communications interfaces ( none shown ) and / or one or more user interfaces . the communications interface may be configured to transmit and / or receive information , such as to and / or from other apparatus ( es ), network ( s ) or the like . the communications interface may be configured to transmit and / or receive information by physical ( by wire ) and / or wireless communications links . examples of suitable communication interfaces include a network interface controller ( nic ), wireless nic ( wnic ) or the like . the user interfaces may include a display and / or one or more user input interfaces . the display may be configured to present or otherwise display information to a user , suitable examples of which include a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), light - emitting diode display ( led ), plasma display panel ( pdp ) or the like . the user input interfaces may be by wire or wireless transmission , and may be configured to receive information from a user , such as for processing , storage , and / or display . suitable examples of user input interfaces include a microphone , image or video capture device , keyboard or keypad , joystick , touch - sensitive surface ( separate from or integrated into a touch screen ), biometric sensor or the like . the user interfaces may further include one or more interfaces for communicating with peripherals such as printers , scanners or the like . as indicated above , program code instructions may be stored in memory , and executed by a processor , to implement functions of the system , apparatuses and their respective elements described herein . as will be appreciated , any suitable program code instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus , e . g ., from a computer - readable storage medium to produce a particular machine , such that the particular machine becomes a means for implementing the functions specified herein . these program code instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable storage medium that can direct a computer , a processor or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner to thereby generate a particular machine or particular article of manufacture . the instructions stored in the computer - readable storage medium may produce an article of manufacture , where the article of manufacture becomes a means for implementing functions described herein . the program code instructions may be retrieved from a computer - readable storage medium and loaded into a computer , processor or other programmable apparatus to configure the computer , processor or other programmable apparatus to execute operations to be performed on or by the computer , processor or other programmable apparatus . the controller 210 may be operatively coupled to each of the devices by a wired or wireless connection that provides one - way or two - way data transfer between the controller and the devices . in one example , the controller 210 includes an input device 212 , such as a keyboard or the like , that allows an operator to input , adjust , or otherwise regulate the operating parameters of the devices connected to the controller . such operating parameters may include one or more of a laser power , speed , direction of motion , angle of attack , speed of rotation / oscillation of scanning device 216 , suction control and location of effluent - capture device 214 . for example , in one aspect , the controller 210 is configured with a set of options selectable based upon the size and material of the die and the specific coating to be removed . the available options include one or more predetermined operating parameters for effectively cleaning lubricant 103 from the die 102 without removing or disrupting the oxide coating of the die 102 . such predetermined options may be based on one or more of the lubricant 103 to be removed , the power of the eeed , the material of die 102 , the thickness of the lubricant 103 , the type and / or thickness of the oxide coating , or other user - determined parameters . during a cleaning operation , the eeed 204 emits the beam 208 , which is directed onto the surface of the die 102 to be cleaned of a lubricant 103 . it is to be noted that the energy of the beam 208 and the speed at which it travels across the surface of the die 102 determines , at least in part , the extent to which lubricant 103 is removed from the surface of die 102 . in one example , the travel speed of the beam 208 across the surface of die 102 is controllable to be between about 25 millimeters per second to about 200 millimeters per second , or other speeds which enable the lubricant 103 cleaning device to function as described herein . the travel of the beam 208 across the surface of die 102 may be controlled by the movement of arm 206 , rotation and / or translation of the scanning device 216 , and / or by movement of the die holder 202 . for example , when using high power output ( e . g ., about 10 kw to about 15 kw ), the beam 208 may be moved more quickly ( e . g ., about 125 mm / sec to about 200 mm / sec or greater ) across the surface of the die 102 to remove the lubricant 103 . other factors , such as the type of the lubricant 103 , and thickness of the lubricant 103 may also affect the rate of removal of lubricant 103 during cleaning . the thickness of the lubricant 103 may be constant , or vary along the surface of die 102 . in one example , the thickness of the lubricant 103 may be between about 0 . 005 to about 0 . 020 inches . in other variants , the lubricant 103 layer may have other thicknesses . thus , the operator or controller 210 may adjust the operating parameters of the cleaning system to vary the amount of lubricant 103 removed , or the rate at which the lubricant 103 is removed . in one embodiment , scanning device 216 is controlled to provide overlap of the beam 208 with a portion of the working surface that has been previously irradiated by beam 208 . the beam 208 is configured to have the correct wavelength and sufficient energy to vaporize or otherwise ablate the lubricant 103 from the working surface of the die 102 without disrupting the oxide coating of the die 102 , when the beam contacts the lubricant 103 as it traverses the working surface of the die . in one example , the cleaning system 200 is configured to automatically analyze the surface of the die 102 to determine portions of the surface that require cleaning , such as by measuring a thickness and / or determining a location of the lubricant 103 thereon . the analysis of the surface may be performed by a analyzing device 224 that is operably connected to the controller 210 . during analysis , the working surface of the die to be analyzed faces the analyzing device 224 . the analyzing device 224 may be an optical , sonic or mechanical analyzing device capable of analyzing the surface of die 102 . for example , the analyzing device 224 may be a spectroscopic or ultrasonic coating thickness measurement device , such as a positector ® manufactured by defelsko of ny , usa or the like . in another embodiment , analyzing device 224 is a barcode reader or the like configured to identify the die 102 ( e . g ., by a tool number ), such as by reading a barcode or the like , to call up pre - programmed cleaning routines and to locate the die 102 relative to the cleaning system 200 . in one example , the scan of the surface of die 102 is performed before the cleaning operation takes place to determine which locations on the working surface of the die 102 require cleaning . in another example , the scan of the surface is conducted after all or a part of the cleaning operation has taken place , to determine whether the beam 208 has sufficiently removed the lubricant 103 , or whether at least one additional cleaning pass of the beam 208 over the working surface , or a portion thereof , of the die 102 is required to remove any remaining lubricant 103 . in one alternative , the scan of the working surface of the die 102 may be performed simultaneously with the cleaning operation . the controller 210 may adjust one or more of the operating parameters , discussed above , for effective cleaning of the lubricant 103 from the die 102 based on the data gathered using any of the previously described scanning methodologies . accordingly , it will be appreciated that adjustment of one or more of the operating parameters of the cleaning system 200 by the controller 210 may take place either a discrete period of time after or concurrently with the cleaning step . for example , if the scan data , gathered as the cleaning operation progresses , indicates that lubricant 103 is only being partially removed from the working surface of the die , the controller 210 may , responsive to this feedback , instantaneously increase the power output of the eeed 204 and / or decrease the travel speed of the beam 208 to ensure optimum removal of the lubricant 103 from the working surface of the die 102 . conversely , responsive to the scanned data , the controller 210 may , for example , instantaneously decrease the power output of the eeed 204 and / or increase the travel speed of the beam 208 to avoid damaging the oxide layer 101 . in view of the foregoing , those skilled in the art will appreciate that any number of operating parameters of the cleaning system 200 may be adjusted in a variety of ways based on the scan data received by the controller 210 from the analyzing device 224 . in one example , the die 102 is a die for forming a component of an aircraft , automobile , locomotive or the like . in other embodiments , the die 102 is a general tooling die or the like . in one example , a plurality of components of the cleaning system 200 are contained in a fully integrated unit . in one aspect , the fully integrated unit includes at least the eeed 204 , the scanning device 216 , arm 206 , die holder 202 , and the effluent - capture device 214 . an enclosure ( not shown ) may house the components of the fully integrated unit . exemplary embodiments of the systems , methods , and an apparatus for cleaning a lubricant 103 from forming dies are described above in detail . the systems , methods , and apparatus are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein , but rather , components of the systems and apparatus , and / or steps of the methods may be utilized independently and separately from other components and / or steps described herein . for example , the methods may also be used in combination with other cleaning and forming systems , methods , and apparatuses , and are not limited to practice with only the systems , methods , and apparatus as described herein . rather , the exemplary embodiment can be implemented and utilized in connection with many other applications . although specific features of various embodiments of the disclosure may be shown in some drawings and not in others , this is for convenience only . in accordance with the principles of the disclosure , any feature of a drawing may be referenced and / or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . the patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims , and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art . such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims . | 1 |
referring now specifically to the figures come up in which identical or similar parts as designated by the same reference numerals throughout , and further referring to fig1 , the self loading utility knife in accordance with the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral 10 . the utility knife 10 includes a handle 12 formed of a pair of complementary shells , a right shell 14 and a left shell 16 , together forming a substantially enclosed clamped shell arrangement having a front aperture 12 a ( fig4 ). the right shell 14 includes a lock slot 14 ( a ) and the sign is shown . while the upper edge of the right shell 14 is generally smooth and slightly curved as shown there is provided a disc cut - out 14 b at the front end of the handle 12 , for reasons to be discussed . the left shell 16 is provided with an elongate recess 16 a ( fig2 a , 2 b ) that generally extends from the rear end of the handle to the right end as shown and generally following the curvature of the upper edge portion of the handle . a complementary or similar elongate recess is also provided on the right shell 14 ( not shown ) so that both of the associated elongated recesses generally follow each other and are parallel along the internal facing surfaces of the respective right and left shells . each of the elongate recesses 16 a include a front notch 16 b ( fig2 b ) and a rear 16 c ( fig2 b ). the left shell 16 is also provided with a recess 16 d sufficiently in deep to receive a locking mechanism to be described . the left shell 16 is provided with a generally flat upper edge 18 while the right shell 14 is provided with a cut - out 20 defining a rear edge 22 and a front edge 24 , the cut - out 20 forming and defining a slot 26 extending between the rear and front edges 22 , 24 . the lower edge 28 of the handle is shown provided with a curvature to provide an ergonomic or comfortable feel when the handle 12 is held . ribs 30 may be provided along the lower edge 28 to provide a better grip on the handle and to prevent slippage . within the handle 12 there is provided a carriage or blade holder 32 that includes holes 32 a that are spaced from each other as shown in fig3 a , 3 b . a b shaped cut - out 32 b is provided in the upper region of the carriage between the holes 32 a , having a lower narrow portion 32 c and a upper wider portion 32 d . the carriage 32 is provided with a front recessed region 34 that is recessed to a depth that substantially corresponds to the quick release disc to be described . a rear recessed region 36 is provided in the carriage ( fig2 b ) that includes an upperwardly extending notch 36 a . mounted on the carriage 32 is a blade release mechanism 38 that includes a generally circular disc 40 . referring , for example , to fig2 a , 2 b , the disc 40 is actually shown as a partial disc , approximately a semi - circle with an indentation or cu - out 42 a that defines a bearing edge 42 b . a tab 42 c extends normal to the plane of the disc , extending through aperture 42 d to project these partially beyond the opposing face or surface of the carriage . a rivet 42 supports the disc in rotatable relationship to the carriage so that disc 40 can rotate between locking and releasing positions , as being described . the disc 40 is also preferably provided with teeth or other serrations 44 on the upper or exposed circular portion of the disc to facilitate gripping with the thumb or the finger of the user . referring to fig2 a and 2b , a leaf spring 46 has two opposing free ends , one of which is secured to the carriage by any suitable attachment means 48 while the other end extends into the region of the cut - out 42 a and approximate to the bearing surface 42 b of the cut - out . leaf spring 46 has a thickness equal to or less than the depth of the front recessed region 34 so as to not to protrude beyond the face of the carriage or in any way interfere with the movements of the carriage within the handle . the leaf spring 46 is so configured and biased so that it normally abuts against the bearing edge 42 b and causes the disc 40 to rotate to the extreme counterclockwise position , as unit fig2 b , the motion being limited when the tab 42 c engages one of the aperture 42 d within the carriage . this extreme counterclockwise position of the disc 40 corresponds to the locking position of the blade release mechanism 38 when the tab 42 c is in its lowermost position towards the blade . referring to fig3 a , this is a view of the reverse side of the carriage , indicating the position of the tab 42 c , its lowermost position , corresponding to a extreme clockwise direction of the disc as unit fig3 a . in this condition , the locking tab 42 c is received within a notch b of the blade to prevent the blade from moving within its own plane relative to the carriage . when the disc 40 is rotated in a clockwise direction ( as viewed in fig2 a , 2 b ) or in a counterclockwise direction ( as viewed in fig3 a , 3 b ), the tab 42 c is lifted out of the notch b , as shown in fig3 b , thereby releasing the blade through the front aperture 12 a . the position of the disc 40 in fig4 b , therefore corresponds to the blade releasing position . the disc 40 is positioned to be accessible to the user by placement of the thumb of the user &# 39 ; s hand that also holds the utility knife handle 12 . the specific means 48 for attaching the spring is not critical for purposes of the invention and any suitable means may be used , including press fitting within a narrow slot , welding , bonding , and the like . provided on the inside surface of the right shelf 14 is a recessed hinged support 50 for a blade replacement cover , to be described . the hinge support includes a suitable fastener 50 a and a hinge 50 b . the hinge support 50 is recessed below the inside surface of the left shell 16 , the hinge 50 b extending through the left shell and being accessible to the reverse or exterior side of the left shell 16 as best shown in fig4 . extending through the lock slot 14 a , and the rear of the right shell 14 is a carriage lock toggle 52 accessible from the exterior from the handle formed with a locking tab 52 ′ projecting into the carriage and dimensioned to be selectively received within the notch 36 a of the rear recessed 36 of the carriage . lock 52 ′ as dimensioned to be received within the notch 36 a when the toggle 52 is manually lifted or moved upwardly to the position shown 2 a . being received the notch 36 a , the locking tab 52 ′ enters the notch 36 a and prevents the carriage from moving forwardly , as suggested in fig2 a . only when the lock toggle 52 is moved downwardly , as shown in fig2 b , does the locking tab 52 ′ move out of the notch 36 a , this allowing the carriage to move towards the front of the handle as shown in fig2 b . suitable spring loading or other frictional or other means may be used to maintain the carriage lock toggle 52 in place once moved to the locking or unlocking positions so that it remains in the selected position and can only be moved to the alternate or other position when sufficient manual force is applied to the toggle 52 to move it as desired . a release button 54 generally has a t - shaped configuration , as viewed from the side and having a generally uniform thickness as viewed from the top . the release 54 includes a wide upper portion 54 a and a narrow lower portion 54 b . formed within the wider portion 54 a is a transverse slot 54 c that extends through the entire thickness of the release button . a transverse bar 56 is dimensioned to be received within the transverse slot 54 c with some clearance so that it can be readily asserted through the transverse slot . while the transverse bar is shown to be generally rectangular , this is the presently preferred embodiment although other shapes can be used including , for example , square . the length of the transverse bar 56 is selected to have both three ends of the bar receivable within opposing elongate recesses 16 a , both the right and left shells 14 , 16 . the transverse 56 is also configured and dimensioned to correspond to the front and rear notches 16 b , 16 c so that the transverse bar can also be received within those notches . alignment pins 58 a , 58 b are dimensioned to be receivable within the holes 32 a in the carriage . again , the specific cross - sectioned configurations of the pins 58 a , 58 b is not critical as long as they can be received within the elongate recesses 16 a on both of the right and left shells 14 , 16 . the lengths of the alignment pins 58 a , 58 b are , therefore , substantially the same lengths as the transverse bar 58 . the alignment pins 58 a , 58 b are preferably configured to prevent entry into a locking engagement with the notches 16 b , 16 c , the alignment pins having the sole functional purpose to maintain the carriage in the desired orientation and prevent it from excessively rotating in relation to the handle . the alignment pins 58 a , 58 b do not however , have any locking function but only to maintain the carriage and a desired aligned orientation . the release button 54 is provided , on the narrow portion 54 b with a downwardly open bore 54 b dimension for receiving a helical compression spring 60 to normally urge the release button 54 to move upwardly in relation to the carriage . the release button 54 b is , accordingly , moveably mounted relative to the carriage for limited upward and downward movements within the correspondingly shaped upper opening in the carriage . to maintain the release button 54 within the plane of the carriage any suitable may used . in the presently preferred embodiment , generally transverse movements of the release button 54 in relation to the carriage is prevented by providing recesses 32 e on forward and opposing edges 32 e along the narrow portion 54 b of the release button , while correspondingly dimensioned ribs 32 f are provided on the carriage so that the ribs 32 f can be slidingly received within the recesses 32 e with some clearance so that the release button 54 can freely move upwardly and downwardly but not transversely in relation to the carriage . referring to fig4 , the cover lock 62 includes a slide number 64 having an outwardly extending fig . grip 64 a accessible to a user from outside of the handle and an inwardly extending latch extending latch 64 b . any suitable spring or other biasing means may be used to normally urge the finger grip 64 a and latch 64 b towards the front of the housing or aperture 12 a . by manually gripping the finger grip 64 a and applying a rearward force to it the entire latch 64 b can be retracted below the cover plate 64 d ( fig4 ). a cover 66 serves a couple of different functions . the cover 66 includes a generally flat plate 66 a that is hingedly connected to the hinge 50 b . on the exterior side of the plate 66 a is a spring clip 66 b inwardly formed therewith an configured to slide over a retaining member such as a belt . extending inwardly to the opposite side of the location of the clip 66 b , is a locking tab 66 c positioned and configured to clear the cover plate 64 d and enter into the recess 16 d with the slide 64 is fully retracted against the action of a spring or other biased member . once the tab 66 c is below the cover plate 64 d and the slide 64 is released the latch 64 b moves into a position above the tab 666 b to lock it and prevent the clip cover 66 from opening . however , when the finger grip 64 a is moved rearwardly , as viewed in fig4 , the latch 64 b moves below the cover plate 64 d , thereby releasing the tab 66 c . a leaf spring 66 d is noted in any suitable manner on the plate 66 a as shown in fig4 , being arranged to apply a force on a stack of blades that are received within the blade compartment 70 formed within the left shell 16 to be appreciated that the leaf spring 66 d urges one or more blades to be urged inwardly in the direction of the carriage 32 disposed on the other side of the blade compartment 70 . the operation of the utility knife 10 will now described . initially , the finger grip 64 a is manually urged towards the rear of the handle 12 to release the tab 66 as described . the clip cover 66 can now be pivoted about the hinge 50 b to the fully opened position as shown in fig4 . the stack of blades can now be inserted into the blade compartment 70 . in the presently preferred embodiment conventional trapezoidal blades with two spaced notches b as shown are used . however , it will be evident to those skilled in the art that differently shaped blades can be used and the blade compartment 70 and the carriage suitably modified to accommodate differently shaped blades with different degrees of advantage . once the blades are inserted within the compartment 70 , the finger grip 64 a is moved towards the rear of the handle 12 to move the latch 64 b into a fully retracted condition below the cover plate 64 d . the cover plate 66 a can now be pivoted about the hinge b to a fully closed position and the finger grip 64 a released to engage the tab 66 c and lock the cover plate . when the carriage or blade holder 32 is moved to its fully retracted position to the rear of the handle 12 the recess 16 d is slated for the blade is moved into alignment with the blade compartment 70 so that the recess 16 d can receive the rear portion of the blade as suggested in fig3 a . because the recess 16 d has a depth substantially corresponding to the thickness of the blade at least a portion of the blade that meets with the contour of the recess 16 d receives the corresponding portion of the blade as shown in fig3 a . the surface of the blade facing outwardly on the page in fig3 a is substantially co - extensive with the raised surface of the carriage in which the recess 16 d is formed , to effectively provide a smooth and continuous surface between the carriage and the blade in a generally common plane . the movement of the blade into the recess 16 d is facilitated by the pressure applied by the leaf spring 66 d that forces the blade to the compartment 70 towards the carriage and the recess 16 d . once a blade is received within the recess 16 d of the left shell , the tab 42 c is also received within one of the notches b in the blade as shown in fig3 a . since the blade is captured between the carriage and the inner surface of the left shell 16 the blade is immobilized laterally and also longitudinally by the tab 42 c . to move the carriage from the retracted position shown in fig2 a to the extended position shown in fig2 b the release button 54 is depressed downwardly against the action of the spring 60 . when so depressed , the transverse bar 56 mounted on the release button is moved out of the rear notch 16 c to unlock the button from the rear position . application of a forward pressure on the release knob while the button is depressed downwardly allows the transverse bar 56 to slide within the elongated recesses 16 a until the transverse bar 56 reaches the front notch 16 b . a release button 54 causes the spring 60 to urge the transverse bar 56 into the notch 16 b and thereby lock the carriage against longitudinal frontward or rearward movements . in the forward position shown in fig2 b the blade is locked and ready to be used . similarly , to retract the blade the release button 54 is depressed while simultaneously applying a force on the release button in a rearward direction . this releases the transverse bar 56 from the notch 16 b and allows both the transverse bar 56 as well as the alignment pins 58 to slide through the elongated recesses 16 a in the two right and left shells , 14 , 16 . this is also illustrated in fig5 a - 5c . in fig5 a , the carriage is in a forward position but no blade is exposed because a blade has not yet been lodged onto the carriage . rearward movement of the release button 54 brings the carriage to the rearmost position in the spring 66 d urges a blade to be received onto the surface of the carriage and more specifically within the blade recess 16 d . after a blade is inserted , as suggested by the arrows in fig5 b , a further sliding movement of the release button 54 brings the carriage forward and together with it a blade that has now been secured to the carriage . to release a defective or used blade , the carriage is moved to the forward most or extended position as shown in fig1 and 2b . as a result of the disc cut - out 14 b , the release disc 40 is only accessible and even visible in that extended position . when the carriage is retracted the disc 40 is dimensioned so as not to protrude above the upper edge of the handle . therefore , when the carriage and blade are retracted the quick release disc 40 is not accessible and cannot be gauged to inadvertently release the blade . however , in the position shown in fig1 and 2b , 1 b , 2 b and 3 a , a user &# 39 ; s thumb of the hand holding the utility knife can contact the disc and pull towards the back causing the disc to rotate in a clockwise direction in fig . b or in a counterclockwise direction in fig3 a . this lifts the tab 42 c out of a notch of the blade and the blade can be pulled forwardly through the front aperture 12 a . now , after the blade is removed , movement of the carriage towards the rear of the handle , as suggested in fig5 b , will result in the utility knife automatically reloading and on the blade from the blade compartment 70 as described . once the utility knife has been used and is no longer needed the carriage can be retracted to the rear of the handle 12 and the carriage lock toggle can be lifted or raised to the position suggested in fig2 a to lock the carriage . | 1 |
a data recovery system and method are disclosed to recover nand gate array data to a previous point in time in case of failures . based on observations of physical properties of nand gate arrays , the technique takes advantages of wear leveling and performance considerations . the technique is able to recover data to a previous point in time in case of data loss and / or damage by reconstructing index structures and locating corresponding data blocks from a nand gate array at the file system level . the technique is believed to work on all nand gate array memories , and is able to recover data from nand gate array memories in case of data damages caused by hardware failures , user errors , operating system crashes , and virus attacks etc . the technique also works at both file system level and the physical layer level of flash memories . an approach of the present invention is to make use of existing file system and wear leveling at the physical layer with no explicit data redundancy provided at the file system level to recover data . the approach takes advantages physical level properties to recover data from logs of blocks to a previous point in time . fig1 shows the organization of a physical layer of a nand gate array . as shown in fig1 , a physical layer of a 2 giga byte nand gate array storage 10 for use as flash memory includes a user data portion 12 having , for example , 2 , 048 blocks per device , and each block 14 may contain 64 pages . each page contains 2 k bytes of memory , plus 64 bytes of spare memory . each block , therefore , contains 128 k bytes of memory , plus 4 k bytes of spare memory . blocks are the smallest erasable units and pages are the smallest programmable units . the nand gate array storage 10 also includes a data register 16 and a cache register 18 . input and output operations ( e . g ., in 8 bit bytes ) are executed through the cache register 18 as shown at 20 , and the data register 16 maintains the routing and addressing of the data to good blocks in the user data portion 12 . when a write operation is performed , the system first finds a free page to which the data will be written . if there is no free page available , then an erase operation is necessary to create free pages . read operations usually takes about 25 microseconds whereas erase operation takes 1 . 5 to 3 milliseconds . for performance considerations , the controller inside a flash memory always tries to delay executing erase operations as long as possible by searching for available free pages . fig2 shows the architecture of a block 22 in a nand gate array memory . each transistor 24 provides a memory cell and includes a control gate 26 and a floating gate 28 . when erased , each cell stores a high value of one . a page is shown at 30 and a string is shown at 32 . another important physical property of each block is that the lifetime of the flash memory is limited by the number of erase operations performed on a block . typically , a block can be erased only 10 k or 100 k times in its lifetime . after that , the block becomes bad . for example , if a block were erased and reprogrammed every minute , every day for seven days ( 60 × 24 × 7 = 10 , 080 ), then the number of erase operations may exceed the lifetime of that block — in just 7 days . as mentioned above , in order to improve the lifetime of a flash memory , wear leveling is typically done by distributing erase operations more evenly across all blocks . for example , for the same flash memory with the life of 10 k erases , if erase operations are distribute to all 4 k blocks , then ( 10 , 000 * 4 , 096 )/( 24 * 60 )= 28 , 444 days , which translates to 77 . 9 years of storage life . wear leveling is therefore an important feature that is implemented in most nand gate array memories . when a file system is built on nand gate array memories , a device driver is needed to provide block level services between a file system and the nand gate array . this device driver ( which includes the data register 16 and cache register 18 of fig1 ) is responsible for address mapping , raw data block reading and writing , and wear leveling . there are two core data structures involved in the implementation of a nand device driver : an enumeration table ( enutable ) and a replace table ( repltable ). the enutable stores the mapping information from logical block address to physical block address . the repltable makes a linked list to store the log of blocks for each physically erasable block . fig3 shows the indexing and data structures of a typical nand gate array storage . a logic block address ( lba ) 40 is addressed in the enutable 42 . an associated physical block address ( pba ) 44 is then used by the repltable 46 to access an available block 48 . each lba ( is therefore associated with a pba 44 as well as a physical block offset ( pbo ) 50 as shown in fig4 . the read and write operations of the nand gate arrays are executed as follows . when a read request is received , the device driver looks up the address in the enutable 42 and translates the lba 40 address into physical block address . by retrieving corresponding linked list for the pba 44 , the data block storing the newest data is selected and is returned to the file system . when a write request is issued by the upper layer file system , the device driver tries to find a free page in a free data block to store the new data and inserts this data block into the corresponding linked list of the physical block address . when storage space is used up and a free data block cannot be found , the wear leveling algorithm will be performed . all data blocks in the longest linked list will be erased after all data blocks in the linked list are merged . during the merge process , only the freshest data is kept at one physical data block . all physical data is , therefore , updated out of place , which is different from the update - in - place procedure used by traditional hard disks . the present invention leverages the indexing structure and the physical placement of data pages . the logs of blocks built in nand gate array storage for the purpose of wear leveling and performance considerations provide us with opportunities to recover data to a previous good point in time in case of hardware failures , virus attacks , and user error etc . when a file is changed and then deleted , information is recorded . as shown in fig5 , for example , when file a is originally saved having data a , b , c ( as shown at 60 ), metadata ma ( as shown at 62 ) is created . the repltable 64 assigns blocks 66 , 68 , 70 for storing the data a , b , c ., and assigns meta data ma to a meta data block 76 . when file a is later changed to a ′, b ′, c ′ ( as shown at 72 ), metadata ma ′ ( as shown at 74 ) is created , and the repltable 64 assigns new blocks 78 , 80 , 82 for storing the data a ′, b ′, c ′, and assigns meta data ma ′ to a meta data block 84 . now , when file a is deleted , and new file b having data d , e , f is created ( as shown at 86 ), new meta data nib is created as shown at 88 . the repltable 64 then assigns blocks 90 , 92 , 94 for storing the data d , e , f , and assigns meta data nib to a meta data block 96 . while all physical data are updated out of place , the prior data from file a , the prior original data ( a , b , c ) or the changed data ( a ′, b ′, c ′) of file a may be recovered . the recovery algorithm works as follows using conventional computer processing hardware that accesses the nand gate array memory via , for example , a universal serial bus ( usb ) connection . with reference to fig6 , the process of recovering a file x starts ( step 100 ) by looking up the data structures in a file system using , for example , a file allocation table ( fat ) to find all metadata information of the recovered file and corresponding lbas ( step 102 ). if a corresponding lba is found ( step 104 ), then the system finds the associated meta data in the repltable , collects all pbas of file x , searches all meta data in repltable for matches to a pba of x in other files , and counts the number of matches ( matchno ) for each pba of x ( step 106 ). if no corresponding lba is found ( step 104 ), then the system goes to repltable ; traverses all linked lists of meta data and looks for a match to x ( step 108 ). if no match is found ( step 110 ), then the system provides an indication that file x cannot be recovered ( step 112 ). if a match is found ( step 110 ), then the system proceeds to step 106 and finds the associated meta data in the repltable , collects all pbas of file x , searches all meta data in repltable for matches to a pba of x in other files , and counts the number of matches ( matchno ) for each pba of x . based on the meta data information , the enutable is used to locate the physical locations of all metadata to the file , and all physical addresses therefore of the data blocks belonging to the file x are collected ( step 106 ). while looking for the metadata , file attribute information ( such as times of creation and changes made to the file ) is also retrieved and analyzed . this information will be used in reconstruction of the file to be recovered . at the same time , a counter ( matchno ) is maintained for the number of appearances of the same physical block address ( pba ) in the metadata list . this value matchno provides the number of overwrites to the data block to be recovered by the file system . this value is used to pick up the data block of the recovered file in the linked list by traversing the corresponding linked list of the pba and selected the ( matchno + 1 ) th element in the linked list for recovery purpose ( step 114 ). in this way , all data blocks of the file x to be recovered are collected . thereafter , all the data blocks are collected , and the file x is reconstructed ( step 116 ). it is also possible to recover only a part of a file . if the logs of all data blocks have been erased , then the file may not be recovered . with reference again to fig5 , wherein file a was first created and later changed , then deleted and then partially overwritten with file b , because the file system considers file a having been deleted , it may allocate the same lbas for d and e of file b as a and b of file a , respectively . in the traditional storage , the write operations of d and e of file b would have overwritten a and b of file a . but , in the nand gate array flash storage , b and c of file a are not overwritten but linked in the linked list as shown at 68 and 70 . similarly , the new metadata of file a , ma ′, did not overwrite the old meta data of file a , ma . by tracing back the meta data and the linked blocks , we are able to recover file a as it was before the first changes were made , i . e ., file a consists of data a , b , and c , or as it was after the first changes were made , i . e ., file a consists of a ′, b ′, c ′. during the file reconstruction process , file attribute information in metadata maybe used to facilitate the recovery process . hand held devices such as usb drive , pda , cell phones , ipod , iphones and touchphones etc use nand gate array flash memory to store information . some of the information is very important to users or to businesses . it is important , therefore , to keep this important information safe , reliable and recoverable in case of failures . the techniques disclosed herein provide a method of recovering data from such nand gate array memories in case of data damage caused by hardware failures , user errors , operating system crash , and virus attacks . the technique works at both file system level and physical device level to recover deleted or damaged data in a flash storage . by leveraging the physical properties such as wear leveling and slow erases , data may be recovered to a previous point in time when the data was not lost or corrupted . those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications and variations may be made to the above disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawings . the first embodiment according to the present invention will now be described with respect to the case of a laser beam printer having a resolution of 600 dpi . fig1 is a block diagram of a laser beam printer to which an image processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied . as shown in the diagram , a signal processing circuit 205 and a quartz crystal oscillator 206 are connected between the printer controller 202 and the printer engine 201 . the signal processing circuit 205 executes processes such that an image signal vdo of 300 dpi is received from the printer controller 202 by a transfer clock vclk and is converted into an image signal svdo of 600 dpi and the image signal svdo is sent to the printer engine 201 . each block in the printer controller 202 is similar to that mentioned in the conventional apparatus . fig2 is a block diagram of the signal processing circuit 205 . in the diagram , reference numerals 1 to 9 denote line memories to store the image signal from the printer controller 202 . each of the line memories has a capacity enough to store the image signal of 300 dpi by an amount of one line of the main scan . reference numeral 10 denotes a line control circuit to control the writing and reading operations of the line memories 1 to 9 ; 11 selectors each of which selects one of two inputs a and b and generates the selected input signal to a terminal y ; 12 shift registers each of which is constructed by 9 × 9 bits and outputs image data while shifting 81 image data each time a clock is received ; 17 a toggle flip - flop ( t - ff ); 18 an interpolation logic circuit having a function to convert the image signal of 300 dpi from the printer controller 202 into the signal of 600 dpi ; 20 a parallel / serial converting circuit for converting parallel two - bit output signals from interpolation logic circuit 18 into a serial signal and outputting ; and 22 a sync clock generation circuit for frequency dividing a clock signal clk from the quartz crystal oscillator 206 synchronously with a horizontal sync signal ebd from the printer engine 201 every main scan and for generating clock signals of frequency division ratios of 1 / 4 , 1 / 8 , and 1 / 16 , respectively . in the above construction , the printer controller 202 transmits the image signal vdo of a density of 300 dpi to the signal processing circuit 205 . the operation of the signal processing circuit 205 will now be described . first , the bd signal which is equivalent to the signal in case of the printer engine of 300 dpi which is obtained by thinning out the horizontal sync signal ebd from the printer engine 201 every other line is transmitted as a horizontal sync signal bd to the printer controller 202 . each time the horizontal sync signal bd is received , the printer controller 202 transmits the vdo signals of an amount corresponding to one line of the main scan synchronously with the image clock signal vclk which is sent from the signal processing circuit 205 . the vclk signal is obtained by frequency dividing the output signal clk of the quartz crystal oscillator 206 into 1 / 16 by a frequency dividing circuit in the sync clock generation circuit 22 synchronously with the ebd signal . the vdo signal l 1 of the first line supplied to the signal processing circuit 205 is sent to the first bit of the shift register 12 through the selector 11 and is also written into the line memory 1 . the selector 11 is alternately switched by the ebd signal from the printer engine . that is , the a input is selected for the odd - number designated lines in the case where they are seen on a 600 dpi unit basis from the printer engine , while the b input is selected for the even - number designated lines . therefore , in the next main scan , the vdo signal l 1 of the first line which is read out from the line memory 1 is again sent to the first bit of the shift register 12 and is also written into the line memory 1 . in this instance , since no bd signal is sent to the controller , the controller stops the transmission of the vdo signal for periods of time corresponding to the even - number designated lines . further , in the next main scan , the vdo signal l 2 of the second line for the controller is received from the printer controller and , at the same time , the vdo signal at the same position of the first line which has been stored in the line memory 1 is read out . both of the vdo signal l 2 and the read - out vdo signal are supplied to the first and second bits of the shift register 12 . the vdo signal of the second line supplied is written into the line memory 1 . the signal read out from the line memory 1 is written into the same address in the line memory 2 . in this manner , the writing and reading operations of the vdo signal of the same line are executed every two times for each of the line memories 1 to 9 and the vdo signals are inputted into the shift register 12 . therefore , the image signals of the same nine lines are successively generated from the shift registers 12 for a period of time corresponding to two lines of the main scan . the image signal of 81 dots is supplied to the interpolation circuit 18 . as shown in fig3 and 4 , the interpolation circuit 18 refers to the image signals of the peripheral pixels around a target pixel m and converts into signals a , b , c , and d in which the densities in the main scan and sub scan directions are twice as large as those of the image signal for the target pixel m . the above conversion is executed by comparing the output data of the shift register 12 and a plurality of predetermined dot patterns . the dot patterns have been predetermined on the basis of , for example , a predetermined dither matrix of 4 dots ( main scan )× 4 dots ( sub scan ) as shown in fig5 . a dither method relates to a technique which is widely used as a binarization recording method of a half tone . by comparing the multivalue data for a certain pixel with a value of a predetermined threshold matrix ( dither matrix ), the binarization is executed . in the dither method , when the input multivalue data is set to a predetermined value in a wide range , namely , in case of a predetermined tone , the binarized result repeats the same pattern . it is now assumed that there is used a rule such that a method ( fatting type or dot concentrating type ) whereby , for instance , a dither matrix sequentially becomes fat around the center of 4 × 4 shown in fig5 as a nucleus is used and when the input multivalue data consists of four bits and the input multivalue data is equal to or larger than the threshold value of the dither matrix , the pixel is printed in black . on this assumption , the binarized dither patterns by various value ( 0 to 15 ) are as shown in fig6 . the dot pattern according to the embodiment is constructed by using the feature of the dither method mentioned above . it is discriminated : that the target pixel m is a part of the half tone image by a predetermined dither matrix , and the target pixel m is converted . when converting , the pixel data in the dither matrix x including the target pixel m is converted into the data as shown in fig7 . the logic of the above conversion will now be described further in detail . in fig7 explanation will now be made on the assumption that each of the regions o , p , q , r , and x corresponds to a dither matrix of 4 × 4 and the level of the input multivalue data is constant in the same dither matrix . the pixel data in the region of 4 × 4 of 300 dpi is converted into the data in the region of 8 × 8 of 600 dpi surrounded by a bold line on the right side in fig7 . in the region of 8 × 8 , the dot pattern of the dither matrix x is allocated as it is to the region of 4 × 4 in the central portion . in the regions each consisting of four pixels at four corners in the region of 8 × 8 surrounded by the bold line , when it is now assumed that the dither pattern of the dither matrix x is repeated , the dot pattern at the relevant position is allocated . by converting the pixel data as mentioned above , the image consisting of the dither matrix of 4 × 4 of 300 dpi can be converted into the image of the dither matrix of 4 × 4 of 600 dpi of the same density . the remaining regions ( hereinafter , referred to as &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; d &# 34 ;) in the region of 8 × 8 surrounded by the bold line will now be described . upon conversion of those portions , in addition to the data in the dither matrix x , the data in the adjacent dither matrix o , p , q , or r is also referred . practically speaking , it is now assumed that the region &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; corresponds to the data of the intermediate density of the original data x and the data of the adjacent dither matrix o which is adjacent on the upper side to the original data x . the dot data at the relevant position of the dither pattern of such an intermediate density is allocated in the region &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;. when the dither pattern of the dither matrix o is the same as the dither pattern of the dither matrix x , the dither pattern of the region x is repeated . similarly , in the region &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, the data is converted to the data of the intermediate density of the original data x and the data of the dither matrix p which is adjacent on the right side to the original data x . in the region &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, the data is converted into the data of the intermediate density of the original data x and the data of the dither matrix q which is adjacent on the lower side to the original data x . in the region &# 34 ; d &# 34 ;, the data is converted into the data of the intermediate density of the original data x and the data of the dither matrix r which is adjacent on the left side to the original data x . by converting the data as mentioned above , smoother gradations can be obtained . fig8 shows an example of a dot pattern for realizing a change as mentioned above . in fig8 indicates a black dot , ∘ shows a blank dot , and the other portions in the region to be referred denote that any one of the black dot and the blank dot can be arbitrarily set . the converted image data indicates that the hatched portion is printed in black . the example shown here relates to the case where the position of the converted pixel of the target pixel m is included in the region &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;, the value of the dither matrix x included in the target pixel m is equal to &# 34 ; 6 &# 34 ;, and the value of the dither matrix o which is adjacent on the upper side to the dither matrix x is equal to &# 34 ; 8 &# 34 ;. namely , the above example relates to the case of converting the data in the region &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; into the dither pattern of &# 34 ; 7 &# 34 ; of the intermediate density . the data of the target pixel m is compared with such a number of dot patterns and is determined . the order of the conversion is set such that two converted data a and b are formed at the odd - number designated lines and two data c and d are formed at the even - number designated lines . the signals formed are converted into the serial signal by the parallel / serial converter 20 and is sent as an image signal svdo to the printer engine 201 . therefore , the image signal svdo is the signal having a density of 600 dpi in both of the main scan and the sub scan . however , in the case where &# 34 ; there is no smoothing process &# 34 ; is designated from the printer controller 202 by a smoothing processing designation signal son , the vdo signal of 300 dpi in both of the main scan and the sub scan is simply magnified by two times in both of the main scan and sub scan directions and the signal is sent to the printer engine 201 as an svdo signal at a rate of 600 dpi . fig9 shows timings of the above signals . in fig9 the signals which are read out from the memory are shown with respect to the line memories lm 1 to lm 9 . the printer engine 201 modulates the laser beam on the basis of the svdo signal and executes the foregoing image forming operation . as described above , by converting the data so that the densities in both of the main scan and sub scan directions of the image signal are increased by two times and by printing the converted data , even in case of the small memory of 300 dpi , a smooth half tone image of a high picture quality which effectively uses the performance of the printer engine of 600 dpi can be obtained . although the first embodiment has been described above with respect to the case where the dot pattern to be compared with the reference pixel is the dither matrix of the fatting type of 4 × 4 , the invention is not limited to such a case . for instance , the invention can be also realized in case of another pattern such as dither matrix of 8 × 8 , pattern based on the density patterning method , or the like . further , by preparing a plurality of kinds of dot patterns as mentioned above , the logic can be also switched by a command or the like from the printer controller in accordance with an image to be printed . although the above embodiment has been described with respect to the case where the density of the image signal from the printer controller is equal to 300 dpi and the resolution of the printer engine is equal to 600 dpi , the invention is not limited to such a case . for example , the invention can be also applied to the case of 240 dpi and 480 dpi or the case of 400 dpi and 800 dpi . on the other hand , although the above embodiment has been described with respect to the example in which when the density of the image signal from the controller is equal to 300 dpi , the data is converted into the data of 600 dpi whose scan line density is two times as large as that of 300 dpi and is printed , the invention is not limited to such a case . for instance , it is also possible to construct in a manner such that the printer engine of 900 dpi is used and the data is converted into the data whose scan line density is three times as large as that of 300 dpi and is printed . the above first embodiment has been described with respect to the example in which only the half tone image is converted into the data of 600 dpi . an example in which the smoothing conversion is also executed for a binary image such as characters , figure , or the like will now be described as a second embodiment . for this purpose , the image signal from the printer controller is converted into the signal which has been smoothed by increasing the density in the main scan direction by eight times and the density in the sub scan direction by two times . fig1 shows a block diagram of the signal processing circuit 205 in the second embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , the portions having functions similar to those shown in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted here . in the diagram , the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment with respect to an interpolation circuit 19 , a parallel / serial converter 21 , and a sync clock generation circuit 23 . the interpolation logic circuit 19 has a function to convert the image signal of 300 dpi from the printer controller 202 into the signal of 2400 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ). that is , in the main scan direction , the recording width of the data of 600 dpi of one pixel is further divided into four portions and is outputted as data of 2400 dpi . the parallel / serial converter 21 converts the parallel 8 - bit output signals from the interpolation logic circuit 19 into the serial signal and generates the serial signal . reference numeral 23 denotes the frequency dividing circuit of the sync clock generation circuit for frequency dividing the clock signal clk from the quartz crystal oscillator 206 every main scan synchronously with the horizontal sync signal ebd from the printer engine 201 and for generating clock signals of frequency division ratios of 1 / 2 , 1 / 4 , and 1 / 16 . the operation will now be described . in a manner similar to the first embodiment , the image signals of a target pixel n of 300 dpi and 9 ( main scan )× 9 ( sub scan ) pixels around the target pixel n which are supplied from the printer control 202 are sent to the interpolation circuit 19 . as shown in fig1 and 12 , the interpolation circuit 19 refers the image signals of the peripheral pixels around the target pixel n and converts the image signal into the signal which has been smoothed by increasing the density in the main scan direction of the image signal for the target pixel n by eight times and the density in the sub scan direction by two times . in a manner similar to the first embodiment , the above conversion is executed by comparing the output data of the shift register 12 with a plurality of predetermined dot patterns . the dot patterns are provided to extract a feature of the target pixel n and also include patterns for characters or figure in addition to the patterns for the dither images described in the first embodiment . for instance , in case of fig1 a , the target pixel n is regarded as a part of an oblique line near a vertical line ( in the sub scan direction ), so that it is converted into the data shown in the diagram . in case of fig1 b , on the other hand , the target pixel n is regarded as a part of an oblique line near a lateral line ( main scan direction ), so that it is converted into the data shown in the diagram . in fig1 a and 13b , indicates a black dot , ∘ shows a blank dot , and the other portions in the reference region denote that any one of the black dot and the blank dot can be arbitrarily set . the data of the target pixel n is compared with such a number of dot patterns and is determined . an algorithm to convert the image signal in case of the oblique line near the vertical line differs from that of the oblique line near the lateral line . as for an oblique line near the vertical line , the conversion to add or delete dots on a 2400 dpi unit basis is executed so as to reduce a level difference between the adjacent pixels . on the other hand , as for an oblique line near the lateral line , the conversion to add small dots of a 2400 dpi unit as a density to a portion near the pixels which form the level difference is executed . such a conversion can be realized by controlling the recording time and the recording width . by adding the small dots as a density , the level difference portion of the printed image becomes blur and the image becomes smooth due to the characteristics of an electrophotograph , so that a smoothing effect is derived . for a dither image , the above conversion is executed to the data of 600 dpi with respect to both of the main scan and sub scan in a manner similar to the case described in the first embodiment . in this case , there is no need to perform the control to further divide one pixel into four portions . by the algorithms as mentioned above , sixteen converted data n 1a , n 1b , n 1c , n 1d , n 1e , n 1f , n 1g , n 1h , n 2a , n 2b , n 2c , n 2d , n 2e , n 2f , n 2g , and n 2h of the target pixel n are determined . as an order for conversion , eight data n 1a , n 1b , n 1c , n 1d , n 1e , n 1f , n 1g , and n 1h are first formed at the odd - number designated lines and , subsequently , eight data n 2a , n 2b , n 2c , n 2d , n 2e , n 2f , n 2g , and n 2h are formed at the even - number designated lines . the signals formed as mentioned above are converted into the serial signal by the parallel / serial converter 21 and is transmitted as an image signal svdo to the printer engine 201 through the selector 11 . the image signal svdo , therefore , becomes the signal of a density of 2400 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ). in the case where &# 34 ; there is no smoothing process &# 34 ; is designated by the smoothing process designation signal son from the printer controller 202 , the vdo signal of 300 dpi in both of the main scan and sub scan is converted into the svdo signal as a rate of 600 dpi by increasing the densities in both of the main scan and sub scan directions by two times and the svdo signal is transmitted to the printer engine 201 . the printer engine 201 modulates the laser beam on the basis of the svdo signal and executes the above image forming operation . fig1 a to 14c and 15a to 15c are diagrams schematically showing examples of the images which are printed as a result of the processes as mentioned above . in the diagrams , fig1 a and 15a show images which are actually printed by the original data of 300 dpi which is sent from the controller . fig1 b and 15b show images which are actually printed by the data converted by the signal processing circuit . fig1 c and 15c show images which are actually printed by the data shown in fig1 b and 15b . one element of the lattice corresponds to one unit of 300 dpi . in the second embodiment , by increasing the density in the main scan direction of the image signal by eight times and the density in the sub scan direction by two times , not only a half tone image but also an image of a high picture quality can be obtained even for characters , figure , or the like . an example in which the presence or absence of the smoothing process for a character image and the presence or absence of the smoothing process for a dither image can be independently selected with now be described as a modification of the second embodiment . fig1 shows a block diagram of the signal processing circuit 205 according to the third embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , the portions having functions similar to those shown in the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted here . reference numeral 113 denotes a dither conversion logic circuit having a function to convert the image signal of 300 dpi from the printer controller 202 into the signal of 600 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ); 114 a character smoothing logic circuit having a function to convert the image signal of 300 dpi from the printer controller 202 into the signal of 2400 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ); 115 an or circuit ; 116 a parallel / serial converter to convert parallel 8 - bit output signals from the or circuit 115 into a serial signal and to output the serial signal ; and 118 a sync clock generation circuit for frequency dividing the clock signal clk from the quartz crystal oscillator 206 every main scan synchronously with the horizontal sync signal ebd from the printer engine 201 and for generating clock signals of frequency division ratios of 1 / 2 , 1 / 4 , and 1 / 16 . in the above construction , the printer controller 202 transmits the image signal vdo of a density of 300 dpi to the signal processing circuit 205 . the operation of the signal processing circuit 205 will now be described . first , the bd signal which is equivalent to the signal in case of the printer engine of 300 dpi which is obtained by thinning out the horizontal sync signals ebd from the printer engine 201 every other line is transmitted as a horizontal sync signal bd to the printer controller 202 . each time the horizontal sync signal bd is received , the printer controller 202 transmits the vdo signal of one main scan line synchronously with the image clock signal vclk which is sent from the signal processing circuit 205 . the vclk signal is a signal which is obtained by frequency dividing the output signal clk of the quartz crystal oscillator 206 into 1 / 16 by the frequency dividing circuit of the sync clock generation circuit 118 synchronously with the ebd signal . the vdo signal l 1 of the first line supplied to the signal processing circuit 205 is sent to the first bit of the shift register 12 through the selector 11 and is written into the line memory 1 . the selector 11 is alternately switched by the ebd signal from the printer engine . that is , the a input is selected at the odd - number designated lines when they are seen on a 600 dpi unit basis from the printer engine , while the b input is selected at the even - number designated lines . therefore , in the next main scan , the vdo signal l 1 of the first line which is read out from the line memory 1 is again supplied to the first bit of the shift register 12 and is written into the line memory 1 . in this instance , since the bd signal is not sent to the controller , the controller stops the transmission of the vdo signal for periods of time corresponding to the even - number designated lines . in the next main scan , further , the vdo signal l 2 of the second line for the controller is supplied from the printer controller and the vdo signal at the same position as the first line which has been stored in the line memory 1 is also read out . those vdo signals are supplied to the first and second bits of the shift register 12 , respectively . the vdo signal of the second line supplied is written into the line memory 1 . the signal read out from the line memory 1 is written into the same address in the line memory 2 . as mentioned above , the writing and reading operations of the vdo signal of the same line are executed every two times with respect to each of the line memories 1 to 9 , while the vdo signals are supplied to the shift register 12 . therefore , the image signals of the same nine lines are continuously outputted from the shift register 12 for a period of time corresponding to two main scan lines . the image signals of those 81 dots are supplied to the dither conversion logic circuit 113 and character smoothing logic circuit 114 . as shown in fig3 and 4 mentioned above , the dither conversion logic circuit 113 refers to the image signals of the peripheral pixels around the target pixels m and converts the image signal for the target pixel m into the signals a , b , c , and d in which the densities in the main scan and sub scan directions of the image signal of the target pixel m are increased by two times . the above conversion is executed by comparing the output data of the shift register 12 with a plurality of predetermined matching patterns . the matching patterns have been predetermined on the basis of a predetermined threshold matrix of 4 dots ( main scan )× 4 dots ( sub scan ) as shown in , for instance , fig5 . the dither method is a technique which is widely used as a binarization recording method of a half tone . the binarization is executed by comparing the multivalue data for a certain pixel with values of a predetermined threshold value matrix ( dither matrix ). in the dither method , in the case where the input multivalue data has a predetermined value in a wide range , namely , in case of an image of a uniform tone , the binarized result repeats the same pattern . for example , it is now assumed that there is used a rule such that a method ( fatting type or dot concentrating type ) whereby the dither matrix sequentially becomes fat around the center of the 4 × 4 pixels shown in fig5 as a nucleus is used and , when the input multivalue data consists of four bits and the input multivalue data is equal to or larger than the threshold value of the dither matrix , such a pixel is printed in black . on the above assumption , binarized dither patterns by various values ( 0 to 15 ) are as shown in fig6 . the matching patterns according to the third embodiment are constructed by using the feature of the dither method mentioned above . the matching pattern is compared with the image signal . when they coincide , it is discriminated that the target pixel m forms a part of the half tone image due to a predetermined dither matrix . the target pixel m is converted . upon conversion , as shown in fig1 , the same pattern as the dither pattern of 300 dpi which is constructed by ( 4 × 4 ) dots is repetitively allocated total four times , namely , every twice in each of the main scan and sub scan directions into the corresponding area of 600 dpi which is constructed by ( 8 × 8 ) dots . thus , the density of the original image is preserved and a finer image of a high picture quality can be obtained . fig1 a and 18b show examples of matching patterns to realize the conversion as mentioned above . in fig1 a and 18b , in the reference region , denotes a black dot , ∘ shows a blank dot , and the other portions denote that any one of the black dot and the blank dot can be arbitrarily set . the converted image data shows that the hatched portion is printed in black . fig1 a shows an example in the case where the value of the dither matrix including the target pixel m is equal to &# 34 ; 6 &# 34 ;. fig1 b shows an example in the case where the value of the dither matrix including the target pixel m is equal to &# 34 ; 10 &# 34 ;. the data of the target pixel m is compared with such a number of dot patterns and is determined . each dither pattern is finally converted as shown in fig1 . now , by setting a matching pattern in which only one black or blank dot is included in the dither matrix of 4 × 4 , namely , a matching pattern such that when the value of the dither matrix is equal to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; 15 &# 34 ;, a range wider than the dither matrix of ( 4 × 4 ) dots is referred in order to prevent an erroneous detection , the conversion can be more accurately executed . as an order of the conversion , two converted data of a and b are first formed at the odd - number designated lines and two data of c and d are subsequently formed at the even - number designated lines . the signals formed as mentioned above are supplied to the parallel / serial converter 116 through the or circuit 115 . the above processing timings are substantially the same as those shown in fig9 . in the diagram , with respect to the line memories 1 to 9 , the signals which are read out from the memories are shown . on the other hand , the description of the character smoothing logic circuit 114 is omitted here because it is the same as the description made in fig1 to 15 . in the or circuit 115 , the matching of the densities of the output data of the dither conversion logic circuit 113 and the output data of the character smoothing logic circuit 114 and the or of the corresponding data are got . eight output data of the or circuit 115 are converted into a serial signal by the parallel / serial converter 116 and the serial signal is sent as an image signal svdo to the printer engine 201 . the image signal svdo is a signal of a density of 2400 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ). the presence or absence of the process for a dither image and the presence or absence of the process for an image such as characters or figure can be independently controlled . the print controller 202 generates smoothing process designation signals son 1 and son 2 to the signal processing circuit 205 by the designation from the operation panel or by a command from the host apparatus . the presence or absence of the process for characters or figure is controlled by the smoothing process designation signal son 1 . the presence or absence of the process for a dither image is controlled by the signal son 2 . when &# 34 ; there is no process &# 34 ; is designated in both of the above processes , the vdo signal of 300 dpi for both of the main scan and sub scan from the controller are converted into the data of 600 dpi by simply increasing the densities in both of the main scan and sub scan directions by two times , and the signal of the data of 600 dpi is supplied to the parallel / serial converter 116 . the printer engine 201 modulates the laser beam on the basis of the svdo signal and executes the above image forming operation . as described above , by converting the image signal into the data in which the densities in both of the main scan and sub scan directions are increased by two times and by printing the converted data , even with a small memory of 300 dpi , a smooth image of a high picture quality which effectively uses the performance of the printer engine of 600 dpi can be obtained with respect to both of the half tone image and the image of characters , figure or the like . the presence or absence of the converting process for a dither image and the presence or absence of the converting process for an image of characters , figure , or the like can be independently controlled . therefore , in addition to that the converting processes are executed for both of the half tone image and the image of characters , figure , or the like , an output image according to a taste of the user such as &# 34 ; there is a process for only the half tone image &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; there is only a smoothing process of characters or figure &# 34 ;, or the like can be obtained . the above third embodiment has been described with respect to the case where the matching pattern which is compared with the reference pixel is a dither matrix of the fatting type of 4 × 4 . however , the invention is not limited to such a case . for example , by combining with what is called a systematic dither of 8 × 8 which is constructed by combining four dither matrices of ( 4 × 4 ) as submatrices , a half tone image of a higher picture quality can be obtained . further , the present invention can be also applied to a density patterning method . in addition , a few kinds of matching matterns as mentioned above are prepared and the logic can be also switched in accordance with an image to be printed or a taste of the user by a command or the like from the printer controller . although the invention has been described above with respect to the case where the density of the image signal from the printer controller is equal to 300 dpi and the resolution of the printer engine is equal to 600 dpi , the invention is not limited to them . for example , the invention can be also applied to the case of 240 dpi and 480 dpi or the case of 400 dpi and 800 dpi . when the density of the image signal from the printer controller is equal to 300 dpi and the sub scan density of the printer engine is equal to 900 dpi which is three times as large as that in case of 300 dpi , it is also possible to convert one image signal into data of three lines and print them . the third embodiment has been described with respect to the example in which a predetermined dither matrix of 300 dpi is converted into the same pattern of 600 dpi as the pattern of 300 dpi . an example in which the dither pattern of 300 dpi before conversion differs from the dither pattern of 600 dpi after completion of the conversion will now be described as a fourth embodiment . further , in the fourth embodiment , a dither pattern which is used in a binarizing process that is executed by the printer controller when the converting process for the dither image is &# 34 ; presence &# 34 ; also differs from a dither pattern in case of &# 34 ; absence &# 34 ;. when the converting process to the dither image is &# 34 ; absence &# 34 ;, the printer controller 202 generates a bit map data of 300 dpi which has been binarized on the basis of a dither matrix of 8 × 8 which was optimized so as to obtain a good balance between the gradation and the resolution under a condition such that image data is printed by a laser beam printer of 300 dpi . on the other hand , when the converting process to the dither image is &# 34 ; presence &# 34 ;, in order to suppress a logic scale for conversion , the density of gradation is converted into 600 dpi , so that adequate gradations can be obtained . therefore , bit map data of 300 dpi which has been binarized on the basis of the matix which gives priority to the resolution is generated even in case of the same construction of 8 × 8 . practically speaking , the fatting type dither pattern of 4 × 4 which has been described in the second embodiment is used as a sub matrix and a systematic dither is formed by combining such four sub matrices . fig1 shows a threshold matrix in this case . in the signal processing circuit 205 , the dither image of 300 dpi which has been binarized on the basis of the threshold matrix is converted into the image of 600 dpi . such a conversion is executed by comparing the dither pattern with a plurality of predetermined matching patterns in a manner similar to the foregoing embodiment . since the matching patterns have been predetermined on the basis of the dither pattern of the fatting type of 4 × 4 , the logic scale for conversion can be suppressed in spite of the fact that the original image relates to the dither matrix of 300 dpi and 64 ( 8 × 8 ) gradations . the converted data is determined so as to become a dither image of 8 × 8 in a manner such that the density is preserved on a unit basis of a pattern of 4 × 4 before conversion and , when the image data is printed by the laser beam printer of 600 dpi , the optimum image can be obtained . fig2 shows a practical dither matrix of 300 dpi of 4 × 4 before conversion and a practical dither matrix of 600 dpi of 8 × 8 after completion of the conversion . since the shapes of patterns before and after the conversion in case of the dither matrix shown in fig2 are fairly different , there is a drawback such that when there is an unprocessed portion , it is relatively conspicuous . however , by setting the pattern of the original image of 300 dpi into a pattern similar to the converted pattern of 600 dpi , the unprocessed portion can be made inconspicuous and an image of a further high picture quality can be also obtained . by making the patterns before and after the conversion different as shown in the fourth embodiment , a half tone image of a high picture quality can be obtained . the fifth embodiment of the present invention will now be described . fig2 is a block diagram of a laser beam printer according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention . in the diagram , the same component elements as those shown in fig1 are designated by the same reference numerals and their detailed descriptions are omitted here . further , the printer controller 202 in fig2 can receive not only the data of 300 dpi but also the data of 600 dpi . the signal processing circuit 205 receives the image signal vdo of 300 or 600 dpi from the printer controller 202 by the transfer clock vclk and converts the image signal vdo into the smoothed image signal svdo in which the density in the main scan direction is equal to 2400 dpi and the density in the sub scan direction is equal to 600 dpi and transmits the image signal svdo to the printer engine 201 &# 39 ;. in fig2 , reference numeral 223 denotes an extension image memory which is set as an option . the printer controller 202 has the image memory 214 as a standard memory to develop the bit map data . the image data of 300 dpi can be handled in the standard image memory 214 . by attaching the extension image memory 223 , the printer controller 202 can handle the image data of 600 dpi . in the above construction , the cpu 218 judges whether the extension image memory 223 has been attached or not . when the extension image memory 223 is attached , the printer controller 202 operates as a controller of 600 dpi . when the extension image memory 223 is not loaded , the printer controller 202 operates as a controller of 300 dpi . the cpu 218 always monitors an amount of image data of each page from the host apparatus . even when the extension image memory 223 is installed , in the case where it is judged that so long as the bit map data is developed at a rate of 600 dpi , the processing time is too slow for a throughout of the printer engine , the bit map data is developed at a rate of 300 dpi with regard to such a page . further , the cpu 218 generates a signal reso indicating that the printer controller is at present operating in which one of the mode of 600 dpi and the mode of 300 dpi . when reso =&# 34 ; h &# 34 ;, this means that the printer controller is at present in the operating mode of 600 dpi . when reso =&# 34 ; l &# 34 ;, this means that the printer controller is at present in the operating mode of 300 dpi . the reso signal is supplied to the signal processing circuit 205 . fig2 is a block diagram of the signal processing circuit 205 . in fig2 , the same component elements as those shown in fig2 are designated by the same reference numerals . in fig2 , reference numerals 1 to 9 denote the line memories to store the image signals from the printer controller 202 . each of the line memories has a capacity such that it can store the image signal of 600 dpi by an amount of one main scan line . reference numeral 10 denotes the memory control circuit to control the writing and reading operations of the line memories 1 to 9 ; 11 the selectors each for selecting either one of the two a and b inputs and outputting to the terminal y ; 12 the shift registers of 9 × 9 bits each of which outputs the image data while shifting the image data everytime the clock is received ; 130 to 150 selectors similar to the selectors 11 ; 160 and 230 and circuits ; 170 a toggle flip - flop ( t - ff ); and 180 an interpolation logic circuit a having a function to convert the image signal from the printer controller 202 into the signal of 2400 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ) so long as the image signal density is equal to 600 dpi . reference numeral 190 denotes an interpolation logic circuit b having a function to convert the image signal from the printer controller 202 into the signal of 2400 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ) or the signal of 600 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ) so long as the image signal density is equal to 300 dpi . reference numeral 200 denotes a parallel / serial converter for converting parallel 2 - bit output signals from the interpolation logic circuit a 180 into the serial signal and generating the serial signal . reference numeral 210 denotes a parallel / serial converter for converting parallel 4 - bit output signals from the interpolation logic circuit b 190 into the serial signal and generating the serial signal . reference numeral 122 denotes a frequency dividing circuit for frequency dividing the clock signal clk from the quartz crystal oscillator 206 every main scan synchronously with the horizontal sync signal ebd from the printer engine 201 and generating clock signals of frequency division ratios of 1 / 2 , 1 / 8 , and 1 / 16 . in the above construction , the printer controller 202 generates the image signal vdo of a density of 600 or 300 dpi to the signal processing circuit 205 . the density of the image signal is indicated by the signal reso as mentioned above . when reso =&# 34 ; h &# 34 ;, this means that the density of vdo is equal to 600 dpi . when reso =&# 34 ; l &# 34 ;, this means that the density of vdo is equal to 300 dpi . the operation of the signal processing circuit 205 will now be described . first , the case where the density of the vdo signal is equal to 600 dpi , namely , where the extension memory is attached to the printer controller and the printer controller operates as a controller of 600 dpi will now be described . in this instance , the a inputs of all of the selectors 11 and 130 to 150 &# 39 ; are selected by the reso signal . the horizontal sync signal ebd from the printer engine 201 is transmitted as it is as a horizontal sync signal bd to the printer controller 202 . each time the horizontal sync signal bd is supplied , the printer controller 202 transmits the vdo signal of an amount of one main scan line synchronously with the image clock signal vclk which is transmitted from the signal processing circuit 205 . the vclk signal is a signal which is obtained by frequency dividing the output signal clk of the quartz crystal oscillator 206 into 1 / 8 synchronously with the ebd signal by the frequency dividing circuit 122 . the vdo signal of the first line supplied to the signal processing circuit 205 is sent to the first bit of the shift register 12 and is also written into the line memory lm 1 . in the next main scan , the vdo signal at the same position of the first line which has been stored in the line memory lm 1 is read out at the same time with the input of the vdo signal of the second line and those vdo signals are supplied to the first and second bits of the shift register 12 , respectively . the vdo signal of the second line supplied is written into the line memory lm 1 . the signal read out from the line memory lm 1 is written into the same address in the line memory lm 2 . in this manner , the vdo signal which is supplied every line is written and read out while being shifted to the line memories lm 1 → lm 2 →. . . → lm 9 . consequently , the vdo signals of nine continuous lines are stored in the line memories lm 1 to lm 9 . for instance , a static ram can be used as each of the line memories . output signals of the line memories lm 1 to lm 8 and the vdo signal from the printer controller 202 are supplied to the shift registers 12 . the image signals of total 81 dots of 9 dots ( main scan )× 9 lines ( sub scan ) are generated from the shift registers 12 while being shifted by the vclk signal . the image signals of 81 dots are supplied to the interpolation logic circuit a 180 . as shown in fig2 and 24 , with reference to the image signals of the peripheral pixels around the target pixel m , the interpolation logic circuit a 180 converts the image signal into the signals m a , m b , m c , and m d which are smoothed by increasing the density in the main scan direction of the image signal for the target pixel m by four times . the above conversion is executed by comparing the output data of the shift register 12 with a plurality of predetermined dot patterns . the dot patterns are used to extract a feature of the target pixel m . for instance , in case of fig2 a , the target pixel m is regarded as a part of an oblique line near the vertical line ( sub scan direction ), so that it is converted into the data shown in the diagram . in case of fig2 b , the target pixel m is regarded as a part of an oblique line near the lateral line ( main scan direction ), so that it is converted into the data shown in the diagram . in fig2 a and 25b , indicates a black dot , ∘ shows a blank dot , and the other portions in the reference region denote that any one of the black and blank dots is arbitrarily set . the data of the target pixel m is compared with such a number of dot patterns and determined . an algorithm for converting the image signal for an oblique line near the vertical line differs from that in case of an oblique line near the lateral line . in case of the oblique line near the vertical line , a conversion such as to add or delete dots on a unit basis of 2400 dpi so as to reduce a level difference between the target pixel and the adjacent pixel is executed . on the other hand , in case of the oblique line near the lateral line , small dots are added as densities on a unit basis of 2400 dpi to the portions near the pixels forming a level difference . by adding the small dots as densities , the level difference portion of the printed image become blur and the printed image becomes smooth due to the characteristics of an electrophotograph , so that the smoothing effect is obtained . the signals m 2 to m d which have been decided as mentioned above are converted into the serial signal by the parallel / serial converter 200 . the serial signal is transmitted as an image signal svdo to the printer engine 201 through the selector 150 . therefore , the image signal svdo is a signal of a density of 2400 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ). in the case where &# 34 ; there is no smoothing process &# 34 ; is designated from the printer controller 202 by the smoothing processing designation signal son , the vdo signal in which the densities of both of the main scan and sub scan are equal to 600 dpi is sent as an svdo signal to the printer engine 201 as it is . since the above processes are executed , the vdo signal from the printer controller 202 is delayed by a time corresponding to five dots in the main scan direction and by a time corresponding to four lines in the sub scan direction until it is actually printed . therefore , it is necessary that the printer controller generates the vdo signal at a timing in consideration of such a delay . fig2 shows the timings of the above signals on the assumption that the vdo signals from the printer controller are sequentially set to l 1 , l 2 , . . . from the first main scan line . in the diagram , the signals which are read out from the memories are shown with regard to the line memories lm 1 to lm 9 . in the printer engine 201 , the laser beam is modulated on the basis of the svdo signal and the above image forming operation is performed . fig2 a to 27c and 28a to 28c are diagrams schematically showing examples of the images which are printed as a result of the above processes . fig2 a and 28a show the images which are actually printed by the original data of 600 dpi which is transmitted from the controller . fig2 b and 28b show the images which are actually printed by the data converted by the signal processing circuit . fig2 c and 28c show the images which are actually printed by the data shown in fig2 b and 28b . one element of the lattice corresponds to one unit of 600 dpi . by increasing the density in the main scan direction of the image signal by four times as mentioned above , an image of a high picture quality can be obtained . the operating in the case where the density of the vdo signal from the printer controller 202 is equal to 300 dpi , that is , no extension image memory is attached to the printer controller and the printer controller operates as a controller of 300 dpi will now be described with reference to fig2 . the b inputs of all of the selectors 130 to 150 are selected by the reso signal in this case . in a manner similar to the case where the density of the vdo signal is equal to 600 dpi as mentioned above , the printer controller 202 transmits the vdo signals of one main scan line synchronously with the image clock signal vclk which is sent from the signal processing circuit 205 everytime the horizontal sync signal bd is supplied . the bd signal in this case , however , is a bd signal which is equivalent to the signal in case of the printer engine of 300 dpi which is obtained by thinning out the ebd signal from the printer engine every other line . the vclk signal is obtained by frequency dividing the oscillation clock from the quartz crystal oscillator 206 into 1 / 16 by the frequency dividing circuit 122 . since an amount of data of one line of the vdo signal of 300 dpi is equal to 1 / 2 of that in case of 600 dpi , by constructing the apparatus as mentioned above , the transmission time of the vdo signals of one line from the printer controller is equal to that in the case where the density of the foregoing vdo signal is equal to 600 dpi . the vdo signal l 1 of the first line supplied to the signal processing circuit 205 is sent to the first bit of the shift register 12 through the selector 11 and is also written into the line memory lm 1 . when the density of the vdo signal is equal to 300 dpi , the selector 11 is alternately switched by the ebd signal from the printer engine . that is , the a inputs are selected at the odd - number designated lines when they are seen on a 600 dpi unit basis from the printer engine , while the b inputs are selected at the even - number lines . therefore , in the next main scan , the vdo signal l 1 at the first line which is read out from the line memory lm 1 is again supplied to the first bit of the shift register 12 and is also written into the line memory lm 1 . in this instance , since the bd signal is not sent to the controller , the controller stops the transmission of the vdo signal for periods of time corresponding to the even - number designated lines . further , in the next main scan , the vdo signal l 2 of the second line for the controller is supplied from the printer controller . at the same time , the vdo signal at the same position of the first line which has been stored in the line memory lm 1 is read out . the above vdo signals are sent to the first and second bits of the shift register 12 , respectively . the vdo signal at the second line supplied is written into the line memory lm 1 . the signal read out from the line memory lm 1 is written into the same address in the line memory lm 2 . as mentioned above , the writing and reading operations of the vdo signal of the same line are executed every twice for each of the line memories lm 1 to lm 9 and the vdo signals are supplied into the shift register 12 . consequently , the same image signals of nine lines are continuously generated from the shift registers 12 for a period of time corresponding to two main scan lines . those image signals are supplied to the interpolation circuit 190 . as shown in fig2 and 30 , with reference to the image signals of the peripheral pixels around the target pixel n , the interpolation circuit 190 converts the density of the image signal for the target pixel n . the logic for conversion can be selected by a smoothing processing designation signal smth and a dither processing designation signal dith from the printer controller 202 . the signal smth can be designated from the operation panel or by an application software in accordance with a taste of the user . the smoothing process designation signal smth designates the density in the main scan direction of the converted image signal . in the interpolation circuit 190 , when smth =&# 34 ; h &# 34 ;, the image signal for the target pixel n is converted into the signal which has been smoothed by increasing the density in the main scan direction by eight times and by increasing the density in the sub scan direction by two times , that is , into the signal of the density of 2400 dpi ( main scan )× 600 dpi ( sub scan ). when smth =&# 34 ; l &# 34 ;, on the other hand , the image signal for the target pixel n is converted into the signal in which the densities in both of the main scan and sub , scan directions are increased by two times , namely , into the signal in which the densities for both of the main scan and sub scan are set to 600 dpi . in a manner similar to the foregoing case of 600 dpi , the above conversion is executed by comparing the output data of the shift register 12 with a plurality of predetermined dot data . the dot pattern in this case , however , is based on a unit of 300 dpi . an example of the dot patterns in the case where smth =&# 34 ; h &# 34 ; is substantially the same as that shown in fig1 . fig3 a and 31b show examples of the dot patterns when smth =&# 34 ; l &# 34 ;. as for the order of the conversion , two data of n 1a and n 1b are first produced at the odd - number designated lines and two data of n 2a and n 2b are subsequently formed at the even - number designated lines in a manner similar to that mentioned above . the dither processing designation signal dith is a signal to designate whether the converting process is executed to a dither image or not . the converting process for the dither image is executed for a dither image having a predetermined growing pattern . the above conversion is substantially the same as the conversion described in the third embodiment mentioned above . the dither pattern of 300 dpi and 4 × 4 shown in fig1 is converted into the dither pattern of 600 dpi and 4 × 4 , so that the dither image of a high picture quality can be derived . the signals produced by the interpolation circuit 190 as mentioned above are converted into the serial signal by the parallel / serial converter 210 . the serial signal is transmitted as an image signal svdo to the printer engine 201 through the selector 150 . when &# 34 ; there is no smoothing process &# 34 ; is designated from the printer controller 202 by the smoothing process designation signal son , the vdo signal in which the densities for both of the main scan and sub scan are equal to 300 dpi is converted into the svdo signal at a rate of 600 dpi by increasing the densities in both of the main scan and sub scan directions by two times . the converted svdo signal is sent to the printer engine 201 . the timings for the above signals are substantially the same as those shown in fig9 . fig1 and 15 show examples of the images which are printed when smth =&# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. in the above process , small dots of a 2400 dpi unit are added as densities to the portions near the pixels forming a level difference in case of an oblique line near the lateral line and the boundary is made blur , thereby obtaining the smooth image . however , when the operator doesn &# 39 ; t want to execute such a process , by setting smth =&# 34 ; l &# 34 ;, the density mode of 600 × 600 dpi is set , so that a sharp image of 600 dpi can be obtained although a degree of smoothness is slightly low . by converting the density of the image signal as mentioned above , even with a small memory of 300 dpi , an image of a high picture quality which can effectively use the performance of the printer engine of 600 dpi can be also obtained . according to the laser beam printer of the fifth embodiment as described above , the controller produces the image data at a density of 300 or 600 dpi and converts the image signal into the signal of a high density by the signal processing circuit and prints the image data in any one of the densities of 300 dpi and 600 dpi , so that an excellent image can be obtained . although the embodiment has been described with regard to the case where the density of the image signal from the printer controller is set to 300 dpi and 600 dpi , the present invention is not limited to such a case . for instance , the invention can be also applied to the case of 240 dpi and 480 dpi or the case of 400 dpi and 800 dpi . further , when the printer engine can switch the resolution by a command from the controller , it is also possible to construct in a manner such that the signal processing circuit can cope with each resolution of 240 , 300 , 400 , 480 , 600 , and 800 dpi , and for instance , when the densities of the image signals from the controller are set to 240 , 300 , and 400 dpi , the density in the main scan direction is increased by eight times and the density in the sub scan direction is increased by two times , and when the densities of the image signals are set to 480 , 600 , and 800 dpi , the density in only the main scan direction is increased by four times , and the converted data is printed . although the embodiment has been described with respect to the example in which when the density of the image signal from the controller is equal to 300 dpi , the image signal is converted into the data of 600 dpi whose scan line density is twice as large as that in case of 300 dpi and the converted data is printed , the present invention is not limited to such an example . for instance , a printer engine of 900 dpi is used and the image data is converted into the data of 900 dpi whose scan line density is three times as large as that in case of 300 dpi and the converted data is printed . the above fifth embodiment has been described with respect to the example in which the cpu of the printer controller judges whether the extension image memory 223 has been attached or not , and when the extension image memory is attached , the printer controller operates as - a controller of 600 dpi , and when the extension image memory 223 is not attached , the printer controller 202 operates as a controller of 300 dpi . in the sixth embodiment of the present invention , an example in which the resolution can be designated by a command from the host apparatus or by operating the operation panel by the operator will now be described . such an example is effective in case of paying an importance to the printing speed as will be explained hereinbelow . even in the case where the extension image memory is attached to the printer controller and an enough large memory capacity to develop the image data of 600 dpi is assured , in order to develop the image data of 600 dpi , a time which is four times as long as that in case of 300 dpi is also required . this is because the capacity of the image data is increased by four times as compared with that in case of 300 dpi . therefore , when the printing speed has a preference to the picture quality , it is better to develop the image data at a rate of 300 dpi . the operation of the controller in case of designating the resolution by operating the operation panel by the operator will now be described with reference to a flowchart of fig3 . first , the cpu judges whether the extension image memory has been attached or not ( step s1 ). if yes , a check is made to see if the density mode of 600 dpi has been selected by the operation panel or not ( step s2 ). if yes ( when the extension image memory is attached , the initial value is set to 600 dpi and the density mode of 600 dpi is designated so long as the operator doesn &# 39 ; t designate a desired mode in particular ), the operating mode of the controller is set to 600 dpi ( step s3 ). when the density mode of 300 dpi is selected in step s2 , the operating mode of the controller is set to 300 dpi ( step s6 ). on the other hand , when no extension image memory is set in step s1 as well , a check is also made to see if the 600 dpi mode has been selected by the operation panel or not ( step s4 ). when the 600 dpi mode is selected , the image data of 600 dpi cannot be developed so long as the extension image memory is not provided . therefore , a message of &# 34 ; since the memory is insufficient , the controller operates in the 300 dpi mode &# 34 ; or the like is displayed ( step s5 ). the operating mode of the controller is set to the 300 dpi mode ( step s6 ). when the 300 dpi mode is selected in step s4 ( when no extension image memory is attached , the initial value is set to 300 dpi and the 300 dpi is designated so long as the operator doesn &# 39 ; t designate a desired mode in particular ), the processing routine directly advances to step s6 and the operating mode of the controller is set to 300 dpi . the controller subsequently produces the image data of the resolution set in step s3 or s6 ( step s7 ) and outputs as an image signal ( step s8 ). the subsequent operations are similar to those described in the fifth embodiment . the image signal is sent to the signal processing circuit and is subjected to predetermined processes . after that , the processed image signal is sent to the printer engine and printed . although the above embodiment has been described with respect to the case of designating the resolution by operating the operation panel by the operator , in case of designating the resolution by a command which is supplied from a host apparatus , the resolution can be designated by executing similar operations on an application by the operator . according to the sixth embodiment as described above , even in the case where the extension image memory is attached , the user can select the mode of 300 dpi in accordance with his taste . according to the present invention as described above , even in the case where the printer controller has only a cheap image memory of a capacity corresponding to the data of , for instance , 300 dpi , by executing the converting process of the image signal , a smooth image of a high picture quality which can effectively use the printer engine of , for example , 600 dpi can be obtained with respect to both of a half tone image and an image of characters , figure , or the like . in case of demanding a higher picture quality , by providing an extension image memory , the image data of 600 dpi can be developed and the converting process is executed on the basis of the image data of 600 dpi , so that the image data can be printed at a higher picture quality . | 6 |
the receiver architectures that will now be described are developments of the goertzel algorithm described with reference to fig2 that avoid the dependency of the detection accuracy on the detection range . the receiver architectures described below can therefore achieve a good detection performance without imposing tight accuracy and stability requirements on the frequency reference of the host device . in the architectures described below , a frequency detection receiver processes the received signal in blocks of k complex samples . for each block , a signal quality measure is calculated . the main frequency component of the signal in each block is estimated and is used to derive the coefficients of a filter . the received complex samples are then processed through this filter and the signal quality measure associated with the filtered signal is calculated . the ratio of the filtered signal quality to the input signal quality is used to identify the presence of a signal with a strong frequency component . because the coefficients of the filter used to process the received signal are calculated for each block of k samples , the detection range of the receiver architectures described below does not depend on the width of the filter . this advantageously results in the detection performance being independent of the detection range . the modification of the filter coefficients for each received block can , however , lead to instabilities in the filtering process . this can be avoided by modifying the state of the filter at the start of each new block of received samples . with the receiver architectures described below , it is possible for a device hosting such an architecture to achieve coarse time synchronisation with a transmitter by estimating the location in time of the end of the frequency burst . the accuracy of this timing estimate depends on the block length k . the receiver architectures described below are particularly well suited to handset equipment operating in a cellular communications system such as gsm . the large detection range achieved by the proposed receiver architectures makes it possible for a handset to use a frequency reference with a relaxed set of requirements on accuracy and stability . it can be seen by comparing fig2 and fig4 that the receiver architecture proposed in fig4 is an extension of the mga architecture shown in fig2 and that most of the processing stages are identical . the main difference between the mga and the proposed receiver architecture is that the filtering unit 202 is replaced by an adaptive filter 301 . in the mga , the filter used in unit 202 is designed such that the associated frequency response is centred on the expected position of the frequency burst . the receiver architecture shown in fig4 extends this approach by adapting the frequency response of the filter 301 to the frequency content of the received signal . by so doing , the detection range of the receiver is increased and is made independent of the width of the pass band of the filter 301 . for each block of k received samples , the configuration of the filtering unit 301 is modified so as to match the current frequency response . the adaptation of the filter 301 to the received signal characteristics is performed by units 302 and 303 . unit 302 calculates the frequency offset in the block of k received samples . this frequency offset estimate is then used by unit 302 in order to calculate the filter configuration in unit 301 . once configured , unit 301 filters the most recent set of k received samples . this process is repeated for each block of received samples until a frequency burst has been identified or the set of samples to be processed has been exhausted . a possible implementation of the frequency estimation unit 302 will now be presented . the average phase difference between consecutive symbols within a block can be related to the frequency offset in the given block . this average phase difference can be calculated for the i th received block as follows θ ^ ( i ) = ∠ ( 1 k - 1 ∑ j = ( i × k ) + 1 ( i + 1 ) × k - 1 γ ( j ) × γ * ( j - 1 ) ) where ∠ denotes “ the angular component of ” and γ ( j ) is the j th received complex symbol from buffer 201 expressed as { re ( γ ( j ) ) = γ i ( j ) im ( γ ( j ) ) = γ q ( j ) the frequency offset is related to the average phase difference through the following equation f e ( i ) = θ ^ ( i ) × f s 2 × π where f s is the frequency at which the digital signal has been sampled . note that it is possible to use a number of alternative techniques in order to estimate the frequency offset , or the corresponding average phase difference . it would for example be possible to calculate the angular component of each received sample within one block . the frequency offset could then be estimated by performing a linear regression on the phase values since it is proportional to the slope of the linear fit . once the average phase difference , or the corresponding frequency offset , has been estimated , the coefficients of the filter 301 are calculated in unit 302 . in one preferred embodiment of the proposed receiver architecture , the filter 301 is implemented as a second order iir . the calculation of the filter configuration will now be described for this preferred embodiment . it will however be easy for someone skilled in the art to extend the proposed approach to other filter configurations . the frequency response of the proposed second order iir filter can , in the general case , be expressed in the z - domain as h ( z ) = k ( z - z 0 ) × ( z - z 1 ) ( z - p 0 ) × ( z - p 1 ) = k ( 1 - z 0 z ) × ( 1 - z 1 z ) ( 1 - p 0 z ) × ( 1 - p 1 z ) { z 0 , z 1 } denote the locations of the two zeros and { p 0 , p 1 } denote the locations of the two poles of the filter . in order to reduce the implementation complexity of the filtering unit 301 , it is possible to select the two zeros to be located at the origin of the z - plane . when doing so , the frequency response of the filtering unit 301 simplifies to h ( z ) = k ( 1 - z - 1 p 0 ) × ( 1 - z - 1 p 1 ) note however that the proposed approach is not restricted in application to this case . the location of the two poles controls the frequency response of the filter 301 . the filter configuration should be designed such that the pass band of the filter includes the frequency offset estimated by unit 302 . by way of example , it is possible to select the pole positions for the i th received block as follows { p 0 ( i ) = α × ⅇ j × ( θ ^ ( i ) + ξ ) p 1 ( i ) = α × ⅇ j × ( θ ^ ( i ) - ξ ) the values of the parameters α and ξ control the frequency response of the filter 301 and can be selected to maximise the detection probability . with this definition of the pole locations , the frequency response of the filter 301 , configured for the i th received block , can be expressed as h i ( z ) = k 1 - 2 α ⅇ j θ ^ ( i ) cos ( ξ ) z - 1 + α 2 ⅇ 2 j θ ^ ( i ) z - 2 the gain of the filter k should be selected such that h ( z | z = e j { circumflex over ( θ )}( i )) = 1 . this means that the main frequency component of the received block of samples is not attenuated through the filter 301 . in order to meet this condition , the filter gain k should be set to the overall frequency response of the filter configured for the i th received block can then be expressed as h i ( z ) = 1 - 2 α cos ( ξ ) + α 2 1 - 2 α ⅇ j θ ^ ( i ) cos ( ξ ) z - 1 + α 2 ⅇ 2 j θ ^ ( i ) z - 2 it can be seen from the definition of the pole locations that , in the preferred embodiment of the proposed receiver architecture , only the phase is adapted to the received signal spectral characteristics . the amplitude α of the poles is kept constant during the processing of the received signal . this has two major advantages . the first one is that the gain of the filter k does not depend on the phase { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ) associated with the current block of samples . similarly , the group delay of the filter does not depend on the estimated phase offset { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ). these two characteristics of the preferred embodiment of the receiver architecture simplify the implementation of the proposed approach . however , it would be easy for someone skilled in the art to extend the proposed approach to filter configurations where the amplitude α of the poles is adapted to the received signal . using the above definition for the frequency response of the filter 305 , the filtered signal corresponding to the j th received sample ( which belongs to the i th received block ) can be expressed as γ f ( j )=( k × γ ( j ))−( a 1 ( i )× γ f ( j − 1 ))−( a 2 ( i )× γ f ( j − 2 )) where a 1 ( i ) and a 2 ( i ) are the complex filter coefficients for the i th received block and are equal to { a 1 ( i ) = - 2 αⅇ j θ ^ ( i ) cos ( ξ ) a 2 ( i ) = α 2 ⅇ 2 j θ ^ ( i ) these two filter coefficients are the values which are produced by the filter coefficient calculation unit 303 . it can be seen from the equation describing how the filtered signal is generated that the j th filtered sample depends on the j th received sample as well as on the two previously filtered samples γ f j − 1 ) and γ f ( j − 2 ), also referred to as the “ filter state ”. this means that the first filtered sample in received block i + 1 depends on the last two filtered samples from block i . however , the filter coefficients for the received block i + 1 will , in general , be different to the ones used for the received block i . the use of the filtered value γ f ( j − 1 ) and γ f ( j − 2 ) from the received block i with the filter coefficients a 1 ( i + 1 ) and a 2 ( i + 1 ) associated with the received block i + 1 will create a discontinuity in the filtered sequence and can result in instability of the filtered output . ultimately , this discontinuity will degrade the detection performance of the proposed receiver . one possible solution to this problem would be to re - initialise the filter state whenever starting to process a new block . however , this would introduce a delay , equal to the group delay of the filter , in the generation of the filtered sequence . this is acceptable if the block length k is large compared to the group delay of the filter . however , in practical implementations of the proposed receiver architecture , the block length and the filter group delay will be of the same order of magnitude . re - initialising the filter state at the start of each new received block would therefore result in a significant loss of filtered signal information . the following technique can be used to avoid this loss . before the first sample γ f ( j ) from received block i + 1 is generated , the state of the filter is modified in the following way { γ ^ f ( j - 1 ) = γ f ( j - 1 ) ⨯ ( a 1 ( i ) a 1 ( i + 1 ) ) γ ^ f ( j - 2 ) = γ f ( j - 2 ) ⨯ ( a 2 ( i ) a 2 ( i + 1 ) ) the state of the filter is modified through multiplication of the ratio of the filter coefficients from block i and the filter coefficients of block i + 1 . by so doing , the discontinuity in the filtering output is avoided and there is no loss of information due to a re - initialisation of the filter state . as described earlier in this document , the phase { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ) used to derive the filter coefficients can be calculated using the average complex symbol difference δ ( i ) = 1 k - 1 ∑ j = ( i ⨯ k ) + 1 ( i + 1 ) ⨯ k - 1 γ ( j ) ⨯ γ * ( j - 1 ) where β ( i ) depends on the received signal and varies from block to block . hence , { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ) can be estimated by calculating the phase of the complex symbol δ ( i ). however , such estimation process is usually very complex as it typically requires the computation of an arctan function . a technique where the computation of the filter coefficients a 1 ( i ) and a 2 ( i ) does not require the explicit calculation of the phase { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ) will now be described . such a technique helps reduce the implementation complexity of the proposed receiver architecture . in order to avoid the explicit calculation of the phase { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ), the following two quantities are calculated and stored in the receiver memory { α ^ 1 = - 2 αcos ( ξ ) α ^ 2 = α 2 in the preferred embodiment of the proposed receiver architecture , the values α and ξ are not modified during the processing of the received signal . hence , the values of { circumflex over ( α )} 1 and { circumflex over ( α )} 2 can be pre - calculated and do not need to be updated . once , the average complex difference symbol δ ( i ) has been calculated , it is normalised such that the associated amplitude is equal to 1 . the resulting complex symbol can be expressed as { circumflex over ( δ )}( i )={ circumflex over ( δ )} r ( i )+ j ×{ circumflex over ( δ )} 1 ( i ) the filter coefficient a 1 ( i ) can then be calculated using the simple multiplication a 1 ( i )={ circumflex over ( α )} 1 ×{ circumflex over ( δ )}( i ) similarly , the filter coefficient a 2 ( i ) can be calculated using the following set of equations { a 2 r ( i ) = α ^ 2 ⨯ ( ( δ ^ r ( i ) ) 2 - ( δ ^ i ( i ) ) 2 ) a 2 i ( i ) = 2 ⨯ α ^ 2 ⨯ δ ^ r ( i ) ⨯ δ ^ i ( i ) where a 2 r ( i ) and a 2 i ( i ) denote the real and imaginary part of the filter coefficient a 2 ( i ) hence with the proposed technique , the filter coefficients a 1 ( i ) and a 2 ( i ) can be calculated without the explicit computation of the phase { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ). it should also be noted that , even though the amplitude normalisation of the complex symbol δ ( i ) can be implemented using a square - root computation , well known approximations which do not require the use of such a computationally intense function can be used instead . as described earlier , the state of the filter is updated before the start of the processing of a new block of data . by so doing , issues related to filter instability are avoided . when this technique is used , each filter state value is scaled by the ratio of old filter coefficients to new filter coefficients . hence , when implemented according to the equation presented earlier , this technique requires the computation of a ratio of two complex numbers . such an approach may be computationally complex . hence , an implementation of the filter state update computations which does not require any complex division to be performed will now be described . the description will be provided for the update of the state γ f ( j − 1 ) but it will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art how such an approach can be generalised . the filter state is updated at the start of a new block according to the following equation γ ^ f ( j - 1 ) = γ f ( j - 1 ) ⨯ ( a 1 ( i ) a 1 ( i + 1 ) ) by definition , the filter coefficients a 1 ( i ) and a 1 ( i + 1 ) are of the form { a 1 ( i ) = α ^ 1 ⨯ ⅇ j θ ^ ( i ) a 1 ( i + 1 ) = α ^ 1 ⨯ ⅇ j θ ^ ( i + 1 ) { circumflex over ( γ )} f ( j − 1 )= γ f ( j − 1 )× e j ({ circumflex over ( θ )}( i )-{ circumflex over ( θ )}( i + 1 )) as a result of this , it is evident that the state update can be implemented as a multiplication with the phasor φ = e j ({ circumflex over ( θ )}( i )-{ circumflex over ( θ )}( i + 1 )) . this phasor can be computed using the amplitude normalised average symbol differences { circumflex over ( δ )}( i + 1 ) and { circumflex over ( δ )}( i ) corresponding to the current and previous block , respectively . the implementation of this phasor computation only requires additions and multiplications . hence , using this technique for the filter state update , the implementation complexity can be reduced . as indicated earlier , the detection of the frequency burst is used not only to achieve frequency synchronisation of the ms with the bs but also to achieve coarse time synchronisation . the location in time of the frequency burst can be used to align the time base of the ms with that of the bs . one possible approach to achieve this consists in identifying the point at which the detection ratio is a maximum . in the absence of noise , this point will correspond to the end of the frequency burst . when the length of the frequency burst n is known by the receiver , it is then possible to calculate the start point of the frequency burst . this timing information then allows the ms to align its time base with that of the bs . the accuracy of the timing information depends directly on the number of samples processed in each block . if the end of the frequency burst is detected for the i th received block , the exact timing for the end of the frequency burst can correspond to any of the k samples which form part of this block . hence , in order to detect the timing of the frequency burst with a good accuracy , the block length k should be made as low as possible ( in fact it should be equal to 1 in order to provide the best timing accuracy ). however , reducing the block length k results in an increase of computational complexity . for each processed block , the phase error { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ) needs to be estimated and the coefficients of the filter 303 need to be calculated . reducing the block length k increases the number of such computations . hence , in the proposed receiver architecture a post - processing stage can be added in order to improve the accuracy of the timing information . by so doing , the timing accuracy can be increased without having to reduce the block length k . when the end point of the frequency burst is determined solely from the index i of the burst for which the detection ratio κ ( i ) is maximum , the timing can correspond to any of the samples with indices from the set {( i × k ), . . . , (( i + 1 )× k )− 1 }. the choice of the sample corresponding to the end of the burst can then be defined , by convention , to be ( i × k ). in the proposed receiver architecture , this original estimate is improved by calculating a centre of gravity ( cog ) of the detection ratios κ ( i ) within the block of k ratios . once , the maximum detection ratio κ ( i ) has been identified , the received signal is processed until m new detection ratios are calculated . the ( 2 × m )+ 1 detection ratios centred on the maximum detection ratio are then combined and their cog is calculated . η = ∑ l = - m m κ ( i + l ) ⨯ l ∑ l = - m m κ ( i + l ) the original estimate δ for the end of the frequency burst can then be improved using the cog calculations as follows : hence , using the results of the cog computations , it is possible to achieve a resolution for the timing estimate which is lower than the block length k . finally , it should be noted that the proposed receiver architecture can easily be extended by modifying the calculation of the frequency offset , or equivalently the phase error , such that results from multiple received blocks are combined . in the preferred embodiment of the proposed approach , the phase error { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ) is estimated using only received samples from the i th received block . it would however be possible to use samples received in previous blocks in order to derive this phase estimate . one possible implementation of such an extension of the proposed receiver architecture would be to filter the phase error estimates { circumflex over ( θ )}( i ) associated with the different received blocks before being used in the filter coefficient calculation unit 303 . | 7 |
the present invention will be more readily understood by referring to the following examples , which are given to illustrate the invention rather than to limit its scope . the multilayer structures of the present invention can be made in various manners . the following general method , presented in a non - limitative manner , was used to prepare few multilayer structure films . a multilayer structure for food packaging was prepared by laminating together two films ( film 1 and film 2 ) by using a solventless adhesive and a roll durometer 80 . film 1 was 48 ga biaxially stretched pet which has been pvdc coated ( terphane 22 . 00 ). film 2 was a 2 . 5 mil multilayer film of 0 . 91 g / cm 3 density comprising 20 % with a metallocene linear surface with a density of 0 . 918 g / cm 3 , 60 % polypropylene core 0 . 90 g / cm 3 density and 20 % plastomer blend 0 . 90 g / cm 3 . the adhesive was made of hb fuller ™ and wd4110 a / b ( ratio 1 : 2 ), 0 . 9 - 1 . 2 lbs / ream . the printed film ( film 1 ) was coated with the adhesive and then , film 2 was applied to it using a heated nip roll . tension control was verified so as to provide an even coating thickness and avoid any creasing and curl . after curing ( up to 10 days ) the obtained multilayer structure ; polyester / pvdc // ink / adhesive // mlld pe / pp / pop blend was then slit and the edges were removed and the printed laminated structure was available for testing . the typical conditions used for the lamination process are as follows : tests have been performed on films made with the previously mentioned structure ( see films b1 and b2 ). structure b2 was identical to b1 except the gauge of film 2 was 2 . 75 mil rather than 2 . 5 mil in thickness . structure c1 consists film 1 laminated to a 50 ga polypropylene ( vifan btl ) film that was again laminated to a single layer polyethylene film ( 2 . 0 mil uilm 41hi made by pliant corporation ). structure c2 consists of film 1 laminated to a single layer polyethylene film ( 2 . 0 mil uilm 41hi made by pliant corporation ) six films used for packaging sliced cheese were tested and compared . the packaged product was havarti cheese 160 g . the films have been printed so as to represent the actual manufacturing conditions . the purpose of this test was to evaluate different films used for packaging cheese in order to determine the optimal structure for this application . control lot : two control lots were used , the first one with the current excel pac structure ( lot d1 ) and the second one with the current curwood structure ( d2 ). these lots are produced in parallel with the doe . doe evaluation : the test matrix was randomly selected in order to eliminate all parameters related to time . the operator confirms that no particular maintenance has been performed on the equipment , which represents normal production conditions . position of pouches in box : two rows of six pouches , see fig3 it has to be noted that this represents the initial position of boxes ( see fig1 to 3 ). after the first 72 - hours evaluation , piles have kept their location on the pallet but the box pile order has been changed ( inversed ). three levels of inspection or control were carried out in order to evaluate the properties of different films . the first inspection was carried out after packaging the product . ten empty pouches were randomly selected and vacuum testing was carried out with a vacuum leak at 20 inchhg . the second inspection was carried 72 hours after packaging to ensure a sufficient delay for nonconformities to appear . the third inspection was carried out 7 days after packaging , including the transportation ( 3 round trips montreal / toronto ). the pouches are subject to greater condition constraints in this third inspection . inspection at 0 hour : ten ( 10 ) empty pouches have been tested . all of these pouches were compliant . as for the packed product , three ( 3 ) pouches have been tested . however , the gas flow rate needed to be increased in order to have a sufficient amount of gas to perform the vacuum leak test . inspection after 72 hours : 100 % of all pouches have been tested . the testing was visually carried out . inspection after 7 days : 100 % of all pouches that have been subject to transportation have been tested ( 3 round trips from montreal to toronto ). vacuum leak testing was carried out over a period of two days . in order to detect defects or nonconformities , a known air quantity was injected in the pouches . six films were tested . the fifth lot is the control lot with the current excel pac product ( excel pac lot # 7698 ) and the sixth lot is the control lot with a prior art product . a ) excel b1 , gauge of 3 . 00 mils b ) excel b2 , gauge of 3 . 25 mils c ) excel c1 , gauge of 2 . 50 mils , d ) excel c2 , gauge of 3 . 00 mils e ) excel d1 , havarti 160 g . current structure ( control ) with a gauge of 2 . 50 mils f ) curwood d2 , control structure , gauge of 3 . 00 mils it has to be noted that the films submitted meet the sealing specifications of the product currently submitted . pin hole : micro - perforation in the film , may be described as a cut by a sharp object but generally of a very small diameter , almost invisible to the eye . zipper : leaker located in the film at the intersection of the zipper and the films . channel leaker / leaker : leaker located in the sealing parts ( inferior or superior ), causing an air leak in that section . the channel leaker is characterized by a lack of sealing that goes across the sealing band . it is possible to see it visually . cheese seal : leaker due to the presence of a particle of cheese in the sealing section . back seal : leaker located in the back sealing section of the film . fin seal : leaker located at the intersection of the back seal and the transversal sealing parts . corner crack : leaker located at the junction of the superior or the inferior seal with the side of the bag . the corner crack is characterized by a zone where abrasion and mechanical flexing are very high . no nonconformity , leaker , was found during the testing on empty pouches or cheese - filled pouches . no mechanical adjustment was needed during these tests . as can be seen from the previous test and fig4 , films b1 and b2 are two excellent choices for the type of product packaged . their rate of nonconformity is considerably low . moreover , these films , although more rigid , have performed very well on the production equipment and no adjustment was required . those thicker films also improve the appearance of the product . concerning the inspection right after packaging ( at 0 hour ), all the film have well performed . as for the inspection after 72 hours , this test cannot be used to quantify the performance of a film since it is extremely difficult to evaluate this type of packaging without using a vacuum leak tool . since the pouches are basically flat , the vacuum leak test is impossible to perform . after 7 days including transportation , films b1 and b2 have a nonconformity rate of 3 . 0 and 2 . 4 % respectively , when submitted to the vacuum leak test at 20 inchhg , which exceeds the norms of the industry , 15 inchhg being the standard ( information from packaging association of canada ( pac )). these films are superior to the other films as well as those used as controls , films d1 and d2 ( current excel pac and curwood structures , respectively ). moreover , the stiffness of films b1 and b2 permitted to avoid the problem of sealing in undesirable locations ( sealing jaw ). it was noted that portions of many pouches have sealed in undesirable locations ( outside the sealing bands ) because of their contact with hot parts of the equipment . all films with gauges around 3 . 0 mils have performed better on this point . while the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof , it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the invention following , in general , the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth , and as follows in the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
the following provides a number of useful possible definitions of terms used in describing embodiments of the disclosed invention . a network may refer to a network or combination of networks spanning any geographical area , such as a local area network , wide area network , regional network , national network , and / or global network . the internet is an example of a current global computer network . those terms may refer to hardwire networks , wireless networks , or a combination of hardwire and wireless networks . hardwire networks may include , for example , fiber optic lines , cable lines , isdn lines , copper lines , etc . wireless networks may include , for example , cellular systems , personal communications service ( pcs ) systems , satellite communication systems , packet radio systems , and mobile broadband systems . a cellular system may use , for example , code division multiple access ( cdma ), time division multiple access ( tdma ), personal digital phone ( pdc ), global system mobile ( gsm ), or frequency division multiple access ( fdma ), among others . a website may refer to one or more interrelated web page files and other files and programs on one or more web servers . the files and programs are accessible over a computer network , such as the internet , by sending a hypertext transfer protocol ( http ) request specifying a uniform resource locator ( url ) that identifies the location of one of said web page files , wherein the files and programs are owned , managed or authorized by a single business entity . such files and programs can include , for example , hypertext markup language ( html ) files , common gateway interface ( cgi ) files , and java applications . the web page files preferably include a home page file that corresponds to a home page of the website . the home page can serve as a gateway or access point to the remaining files and programs contained within the website . in one embodiment , all of the files and programs are located under , and accessible within , the same network domain as the home page file . alternatively , the files and programs can be located and accessible through several different network domains . a web page or electronic page may comprise that which is presented by a standard web browser in response to an http request specifying the url by which the web page file is identified . a web page can include , for example , text , images , sound , video , and animation . a computer or computing device may be any processor controlled device that permits access to the internet , including terminal devices , such as personal computers , workstations , servers , clients , mini - computers , main - frame computers , laptop computers , a network of individual computers , mobile computers , palm - top computers , hand - held computers , set top boxes for a television , other types of web - enabled televisions , interactive kiosks , personal digital assistants , interactive or web - enabled wireless communications devices , mobile web browsers , or a combination thereof . the computers may further possess one or more input devices such as a keyboard , mouse , touch pad , joystick , pen - input - pad , and the like . the computers may also possess an output device , such as a visual display and an audio output . one or more of these computing devices may form a computing environment . these computers may be uni - processor or multi - processor machines . additionally , these computers may include an addressable storage medium or computer accessible medium , such as random access memory ( ram ), an electronically erasable programmable read - only memory ( eeprom ), programmable read - only memory ( prom ), erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom ), hard disks , floppy disks , laser disk players , digital video devices , digital cameras , compact disks , video tapes , audio tapes , magnetic recording tracks , electronic networks , and other techniques to transmit or store electronic content such as , by way of example , programs and data . in one embodiment , the computers are equipped with a network communication device such as a network interface card , a modem , or other network connection device suitable for connecting to the communication network . furthermore , the computers execute an appropriate operating system such as linux , unix , any of the versions of microsoft windows , apple macos , ibm os / 2 or other operating system . the appropriate operating system may include a communications protocol implementation that handles all incoming and outgoing message traffic passed over the internet . in other embodiments , while the operating system may differ depending on the type of computer , the operating system will continue to provide the appropriate communications protocols to establish communication links with the internet . the computers may contain program logic , or other substrate configuration representing data and instructions , which cause the computer to operate in a specific and predefined manner , as described herein . in one embodiment , the program logic may be implemented as one or more object frameworks or modules . these modules may be configured to reside on the addressable storage medium and configured to execute on one or more processors . the modules include , but are not limited to , software or hardware components that perform certain tasks . thus , a module may include , by way of example , components , such as , software components , object - oriented software components , class components and task components , processes , functions , attributes , procedures , subroutines , segments of program code , drivers , firmware , microcode , circuitry , data , databases , data structures , tables , arrays , and variables . the various components of the system may communicate with each other and other components comprising the respective computers through mechanisms such as , by way of example , interprocess communication , remote procedure call , distributed object interfaces , and other various program interfaces . furthermore , the functionality provided for in the components , modules , and databases may be combined into fewer components , modules , or databases or further separated into additional components , modules , or databases . additionally , the components , modules , and databases may be implemented to execute on one or more computers . in another embodiment , some of the components , modules , and databases may be implemented to execute on one or more computers external to the website . in this instance , the website includes program logic , which enables the website to communicate with the externally implemented components , modules , and databases to perform the functions as disclosed herein . an exemplary electronic document processing system in accordance with the present invention is a web - based application utilizing the digital nature of the internet in order to transform the loan application process into a paperless process . in the past , the loan application process was paper - intensive causing money to be spent on printing and postage of the loan document packages . with the conversion of the process into a digital form , both time and money can be saved by eliminating the need for paper documents . additionally , the paper - intensive process required workers to constantly manipulate the paper documents , thus allowing the introduction of errors into the paper documents . once the errors were introduced , it was very time consuming to find the errors and correct them . with the conversion of the process into a digital form errors can easily be found and corrected using automated validation processes . several user roles within the application manage loan documents through the loan application life cycle , from origination to lender assignment . each user role has different responsibilities and control over a loan application through the process , shaping the application for each specific lender . when a loan application is assigned to a lender , the loan documents are presented to the lender in the lender &# 39 ; s specific document stacking order , which is editable for each lender within the application . workflow is managed by an email alert system , which sends out an email to the respective user when a loan application is assigned to them . the manager or superuser can restrict access to documents for specific users within a loan application . the loan document management system will simplify and expedite the loan application process by storing the loan documents in a central location to be viewed and manipulated by all interested parties . a loan application begins with an originator uploading the initial documents available for the loan . the loan processor is assigned to the loan application by the manager or superuser and takes ownership of the account . the loan processor gathers any other required documents and organizes the loan application for presentation to each assigned lender . the manager or superuser assigns the loan application to the applicable lenders once the application has been processed and approved . once the loan application has been assigned to a lender , the lender will be allowed to view the loan application and its associated documents . [ 0077 ] fig1 is a diagram of one example of a network configuration 100 in which an embodiment of this invention may operate . however , various other types of electronic devices communicating in a networked environment may also be used . an end user 114 communicates with a computing environment , which may include multiple server computers 108 or a single server computer 110 in a client / server relationship on a network transmission medium 102 . in a typical client / server environment , each of the server computers 108 , 110 may include a server program that communicates with a user device 116 , which may be a personal computer ( pc ), a hand - held electronic device ( such as a pda ), a mobile or cellular wireless phone , a tv set , or any number of other electronic devices . the server computers 108 , 110 , and the user device 116 may each have any conventional general purpose single - or multi - chip microprocessor , for example a pentium processor , a pentium pro processor , a mips processor , a power pc processor , an alpha processor , or other general purpose processors . in addition , the microprocessor may be any conventional special purpose microprocessor such as a digital signal processor or a graphics processor . additionally , the server computers 108 , 110 and the user device 116 may be desktop , server , portable , hand - held , set - top , or other desired type of computing device . furthermore , the server computers 108 , 110 and the user device 116 each may be used in connection with various operating systems , including , for example , unix , linux , disk operating system ( dos ), vxworks , palmos , os / 2 , mac os , a version of microsoft windows , or other operating system . the server computers 108 , 110 and the user device 116 may each include a network terminal equipped with a video display , keyboard and pointing device . in one embodiment of the network configuration 100 , the user device 116 includes a network browser 120 used to access the server computers 108 , 110 . the network browser 120 may be , for example , microsoft internet explorer or netscape navigator . the user 114 at the user device 116 may utilize the browser 120 to remotely access the server program using a keyboard and / or pointing device and a visual display , such as a monitor 118 . although fig1 shows only one user device 116 , the network configuration 100 may include any number and type of user devices depending on the hardware infrastructure . the network 102 may be any type of electronic transmission medium , for example , including but not limited to the following networks : a virtual private network , a public internet , a private internet , a secure internet , a private network , a public network , a value - added network , an intranet , or a wireless gateway . in addition , the connectivity to the network 102 may be , for example , via a modem , ethernet ( ieee 802 . 3 ), token ring ( ieee 802 . 5 ), fiber distributed datalink interface ( fddi ), asynchronous transfer mode ( atm ), wireless application protocol ( wap ), or other form of network connectivity . the user device 116 may connect to the network 102 by use of a modem or by use of a network interface card that resides in the user device 116 . the server computers 108 may be connected via a local area network 106 to a network gateway 104 , which provides access to the local area network 106 via a high - speed , dedicated data circuit . as would be understood by one skilled in the technology , devices other than the hardware configurations described above may be used to communicate with the server computers 108 , 110 . if the server computers 108 , 110 are equipped with voice recognition or dual tone multi - frequency ( dtmf ) hardware , the user 114 may communicate with the server computers by use of a telephonic device 124 . the telephonic device 124 may optionally be equipped with a display screen and a browser 120 . other examples of connection devices for communicating with the server computers 108 , 110 include a portable personal computer ( pc ) 126 or a personal digital assistant ( pda ) device with a modem or wireless connection interface , a cable interface device 128 connected to a visual display 130 , or a satellite dish 132 connected to a satellite receiver 134 and a television 136 . still other methods of allowing communication between the user 114 and the server computers 108 , 110 are additionally contemplated by this application . additionally , the server computers 108 , 110 and the user device 116 may be located in different rooms , buildings or complexes . moreover , the server computers 108 , 110 and the user device 116 could be located in different geographical locations , for example in different cities , states or countries . this geographic flexibility which networked communications allows is within the contemplation of this application . [ 0083 ] fig2 is a diagram depicting an electronic document processing system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . an electronic document processing system is extended in order for a superuser 3802 to set access rules 3800 by which the loan document processing system operates . a superuser has the ability to perform any task available to originators 3812 , processors 3814 , or managers 3816 . the superuser is responsible for the overall management of the system . the superuser prevents bottlenecks within the loan application process by reassigning loan applications , or any other task that might help to speed the assignment of a loan application to a lender . additionally , the superuser can add or remove users at any level . the loan originator is responsible for originating a loan application and collecting required documents . the actions of the loan originator are mediated by originator access rules 3804 established by the superuser . the originator access rules extend the functionality of the electronic document processing system so that the loan originator can generate electronic documents . the loan originator meets with an applicant , gathers initial documents for the loan , converts the initial documents into electronic documents , and uploads the electronic documents to the electronic document processing system . further manipulation of the electronic documents and associated documents is performed by the loan processor , the manager , and the superuser . the loan originator may not delete uploaded documents , but may add additional versions of each type of loan document . the originator may view a loan application , but is restricted to viewing only the electronic documents that were uploaded by the loan originator . the loan processor is responsible for evaluating and managing the uploaded electronic documents for a loan application , requesting additional documents , and organizing the electronic documents for each specific lender . the electronic document processing system is extended by a set of loan processor access rules 3806 that are determined by the superuser . the loan processor may originate a loan application and has all the capabilities of an originator , but a processor &# 39 ; s primary role is to process the loan application after the loan originator has uploaded the initial electronic documents . a loan processor manages the possible versions of each type of loan document and selects which version ( s ) to show to each specific lender . unlike the originator , a loan processor views all documents within a loan application , and also has the ability to delete electronic documents . a loan processor has limited administrative capabilities within the application allowing for editing of a master document list , borrowers , lenders , and manipulation of each lender &# 39 ; s stacking order of documents . the manager &# 39 ; s role within the loan document management system is to administer the inner - workings of the loan document management system and to supervise the loan application life cycle . a manager has the ability within the loan document management system to accomplish the tasks of an originator or processor , but has access to an administrative section of the website allowing for manipulation of the master document list , borrowers , lenders , stacking order , users , loan document access , and to view the activity logs for each loan application . the assignment of loan applications to originators , loan processors , and lenders is a function within the application accessible to the manager role . the role of the manager is mediated by a manager access rules 3808 extension to the electronic document processing system . the manager access rules are established by the superuser . a loan document recipient , such as a lender 3818 , is capable of viewing assigned loan applications . after the loan application and its associated documents have been approved by the manager or the superuser , the application is assigned to a lender . the lender views only the versions of the documents that are selected by the processor , manager , or superuser to be viewable by the lender . the lender cannot edit or manipulate the loan application except to add a lender - specific loan account number and lender specific electronic documents . the role of the lender is mediated by a lender access rules 3810 extension to the electronic document processing system . the lender access rules are established by the superuser . a third party 3820 is capable of adding new electronic documents to be processed by other users of the electronic document processing system . an exemplary third party is an appraiser hired to appraise real estate for the purpose of obtaining a mortgage . a third party may enter reports , photographs , and other documents as additional electronic documents . the role of the third party is mediated by a third party access rules 3811 extension to the electronic document processing system . the third party access rules are established by the superuser . [ 0090 ] fig3 is a flowchart of access operations that are available to users of the electronic document processing system 200 embodiment of fig2 . in this embodiment , at stage 310 a superuser may create a manager . the superuser tasks include creating managers . the manager capabilities are discussed below in relation to fig5 . state 314 shows a manager ‘ n ’ as created by the superuser at state 310 above . the ‘ n ’ at state 314 illustrates that one or more managers may exist contemporaneously . at state 318 , the manager may log in to the system 200 and gain access to the manager &# 39 ; s files . at state 322 , the manager may assign sub - managers to one or more tasks , clients , accounts or applications . at state 328 , the manager may additionally assign access to originators . the originator capabilities and operations are discussed below in relation to fig4 . at state 332 , the manager may perform loan application management operations including electronic document deleting , printing , uploading , or downloading . at state 336 , the manager may perform additional operations including tracking business forecasts or developing additional services . in the embodiment of fig3 state 340 illustrates the existence of one or more sub - managers in the system 200 , who may be assigned one or more tasks by the manager as described above in relation to state 322 . the ‘ n ’ at state 340 illustrates that one or more sub - managers may exist contemporaneously . at state 344 , the sub - manager may log in to the to the system 200 , and at state 348 perform operations including assigning access to processor , third parties , and originators . state 350 illustrates the existence of one or more processors in the system 200 , who may be assigned one or more tasks by the sub - manager as described above in relation to state 348 . the ‘ n ’ at state 350 illustrates that one or more processors may be created and exist contemporaneously . at state 354 , the processor may log in to the to the system 200 , and at state 358 perform operations including assigning access to third parties and originators . at state 366 , the processor may perform additional loan processing operations including uploading files , downloading files , assigning orders of files , accounts , or applications , or submitting a package of related files or documents . in the embodiment of fig3 state 362 illustrates the existence of one or more third party in the system 200 , who may be assigned one or more tasks by the processor as described above in relation to state 358 . the ‘ n ’ at state 362 illustrates that one or more third parties may exist contemporaneously . at state 370 , the third party may perform additional operations including uploading files , downloading files , assigning orders of files , accounts , or applications , or submitting a package of related electronic documents . state 374 illustrates the existence of one or more originators in the system 200 , who may be assigned one or more tasks by the processor as described above in relation to state 358 . the ‘ n ’ at state 374 illustrates that one or more originators may exist contemporaneously . at state 380 , the originator may perform additional operations including uploading electronic documents . [ 0093 ] fig4 is a diagram of operations 400 that may be available to an originator . the various operations that an originator may perform include logging in to the system 200 by providing password 410 , password verification 414 and email address 418 information , adding new accounts 420 , searching existing accounts 430 , view existing accounts 440 , edit existing accounts 450 , viewing and editing the particular user profile 460 , managing existing accounts 470 , or logging out 480 of the system 200 . however , the operations that may be performed by originators is not limited to those illustrated in fig4 . [ 0094 ] fig5 is a diagram of operations 500 that may be available to a manager of the electronic document processing system 200 embodiment of fig2 . the various operations a manager may perform include logging in to the system 200 by providing password 510 , password verification 514 and email address 518 information , adding new accounts 520 , searching existing accounts 530 , view existing accounts 540 , edit existing accounts 550 , viewing and editing the particular user profile 560 , managing existing accounts 570 , or logging out 580 of the system 200 . however , the operations that may be performed by managers is not limited to those illustrated in fig5 . [ 0095 ] fig6 is a diagram of operations 600 that may be available to a superuser of the electronic document processing system 200 embodiment of fig2 . the various operations a superuser may perform include logging in to the system 200 by providing password 610 , password verification 614 and email address 618 information , adding new accounts 620 , searching existing accounts 630 , view existing accounts 640 , edit existing accounts 650 , viewing and editing the particular user profile 660 , managing existing accounts 670 , or logging out 680 of the system 200 . however , the operations that may be performed by the superuser is not limited to those illustrated in fig6 . [ 0096 ] fig7 is a diagram of operations 700 that may be available to a processor of the electronic document processing system 200 embodiment of fig2 . the various operations a superuser may perform include logging in to the system 200 by providing password 710 , password verification 714 and email address 718 information , adding new accounts 720 , searching existing accounts 730 , view existing accounts 740 , edit existing accounts 750 , viewing and editing the particular user profile 760 , managing existing accounts 770 , or logging out 780 of the system 200 . however , the operations that may be performed by the superuser is not limited to those illustrated in fig7 . [ 0097 ] fig8 is a diagram of operations 800 that may be available to a third party of the electronic document processing system 200 embodiment of fig2 . the various operations a third party may perform include logging in to the system 200 by providing password 810 , password verification 814 and email address 818 information , adding new accounts 820 , searching existing accounts 830 , view existing accounts 840 , edit existing accounts 850 , viewing and editing the particular user profile 860 , managing existing accounts 870 , or logging out 880 of the system 200 . however , the operations that may be performed by the third party is not limited to those illustrated in fig8 . [ 0098 ] fig9 is a diagram of one embodiment of primary interface screen displays 900 of the electronic document processing system 200 shown in fig2 . the embodiment illustrated in fig9 electronically processes electronic documents , but one skilled in the technology would understand that other types of documents may also be processed in a similar fashion as described herein . the screen displays 900 include a login display 910 , an application list display 916 ( as shown in the embodiment of fig1 ), another embodiment of an application list display for lending entities 920 , a view loan display for lending entities 922 , a view and edit user profile display for lending entities 926 , another embodiment of a view loan display 930 , a loan detail display 934 , a new loan application display 938 , an assign originator display 940 , an assign lender display 942 , an assign processor display 946 , a toggle view display 950 , a document detail display 954 , or a coborrow display 958 . [ 0099 ] fig1 is a diagram of one embodiment of administration interface screen displays 1000 of the electronic document processing system 200 shown in fig2 . the embodiment illustrated in fig1 electronically processes electronic documents , but one skilled in the technology would understand that other types of documents may also be processed in a similar fashion as described herein . the screen displays 1000 include an administration home display 1010 , a master document list display 1014 , a borrower list display 1018 , a lender list display 1022 , a stacking order selection display 1026 , a user list display 1030 , a loan document access display 1034 , an activity logs display 1038 , a new master document list display 1042 , or an edit master document list display 1046 . additional displays shown in the embodiment of fig1 include a new borrower display 1050 , an edit borrower display 1054 , a new lender display 1062 , an activity detail display 1066 , a new user display 1070 , an edit user display 1074 , a view user display 1078 , or an edit document access display 1082 . [ 0100 ] fig1 is a diagram of a loan account list screen display 1100 as shown in the primary interface diagram 900 of fig9 . the loan account list display 1100 ( applist . cfm 916 in fig9 ) may include information relating to a list of available accounts to select for viewing 1108 or editing 1110 , for example an account number 1102 , a borrower name 1104 , a property address 1106 , or other loan account information . while the display 1100 shown in fig1 is for an originator , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig1 or may be different . one of ordinary skill in the technology would understand that the display 1100 is shown for the purpose of example and could be configured in many ways that are also be within the scope of the invention herein . similarly , the additional screen displays shown in the other figures of this application ( fig1 - 34 ) are shown as examples and could be configured in many ways that are also within the scope of the invention . [ 0101 ] fig1 is a diagram of a new loan account screen display 1200 as shown in the primary interface diagram 900 of fig9 . the new loan account display 1200 ( newloanapp . cfm 938 in fig9 ) may include borrower information , for example name 1202 , social security number 1204 , phone number 1206 , comments 1208 , property information 1210 , or other borrower information . while the display 1200 shown in fig1 is for an originator , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig1 or may be different . [ 0102 ] fig1 is a diagram of a subject property photo addendum 1300 of an appraisal document of the electronic document processing system 200 shown in fig2 . the subject property photo addendum display 1300 may include one or more photographic images 1302 of a subject property , borrower information 1304 , or other borrower information . the subject property photo addendum display 1300 may be created electronically , created in electronic form from a paper form by utilizing an optical scanner , or other ways of creating electronic documents . other vendor documents may also be displayed similar to the subject property photo addendum display 1300 embodiment in fig1 , for example any number of the following : title document , complete appraisal document , escrow document , credit report , good faith document , hud - 1 document , or other examples of vendor documents . [ 0103 ] fig1 is a diagram of a standard loan application document screen display 1400 of the electronic document processing system 200 shown in fig2 . the standard loan application document display 1400 may include one or more vendor document forms , as shown in fig1 by the hud - 1 document . the vendor document may be created electronically , created in electronic form from a paper form by utilizing an optical scanner , or other ways of creating electronic documents . other vendor documents may also be displayed similar to the standard loan application document display 1400 embodiment in fig1 , for example any number of the following : title document , complete appraisal document , escrow document , credit report , good faith document , or other examples of vendor documents . [ 0104 ] fig1 is a diagram of a loan account detail screen display 1500 with a file upload feature as shown in the primary interface diagram 900 of fig9 . the loan account detail display 1500 ( loandetail . cfm 934 in fig9 ) may include loan application information , for example borrower information such as name 1502 or social security number 1504 , property information 1506 , loan document names 1508 and file locations 1509 , or other loan application information . a file upload browse selection button 1510 displays a choose file display window 1520 for choosing a stored file for uploading with the loan application information . while the display 1500 shown in fig1 is for a manager , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig1 or may be different . although not shown in this figure , files may also be downloaded in a similar manner as that just described . [ 0105 ] fig1 is a diagram of a user profile screen display 1600 as shown in the primary interface diagram of fig9 . the user profile display 1600 ( myprofile . cfm 926 in fig9 ) may include user profile information , for example username 1602 , password 1604 , password confirmation 1608 , email address 1610 , or other user profile information . while the user profile display 1600 shown in fig1 is for an originator , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig1 or may be different . [ 0106 ] fig1 is a diagram of a loan account detail screen display 1700 as shown in the primary interface diagram of fig9 . the loan account detail display 1500 ( loandetail . cfm 934 in fig9 ) may include loan application information , for example borrower information such as name 1702 , social security number 1704 , property information 1708 , loan document names 1706 and file locations 1707 , or other loan application information . the display 1700 shown in fig1 is similar to the loan account detail display 1500 in fig1 , but without the upload file feature shown . the display 1700 in fig1 also shows additional required documents that are not shown in fig1 , including a handwritten loan application 1710 , a typed loan application 1720 , a transmittal summary 1730 , a borrower verification of employment document 1740 , a borrower &# 39 ; s authorization document 1750 , and a borrower &# 39 ; s signature authorization 1760 . additional documents may similarly be shown in the loan account detail display 1700 shown in fig1 , for example by scrolling down using a scrollbar 1770 . [ 0107 ] fig1 is a diagram of a document detail screen display 1800 with original file format view feature 1810 as shown in the primary interface diagram of fig9 . the document detail display 1800 ( docdetail . cfm 954 in fig9 ) may include document attributes and other information , for example a name to view the document as 1820 , a document version identifier ( not shown ), a date the documents were added 1822 , or other document attribute information . the documents may additionally be viewed in the original saved format via another display window 1810 as previously described . [ 0108 ] fig1 is a diagram of a document detail screen display 1900 as shown in the primary interface diagram of fig9 . the document detail display 1900 ( docdetail . cfm 954 in fig9 ) may include document attributes and other information , for example a name to view the document as 1910 , document version identifiers ( not shown ), a date the documents were added 1912 , or other document attribute information . additionally , a superuser may use the view selection buttons 1914 to set whether or not other users of the electronic document processing system may view the electronic documents . for example , the superuser may determine that an originator may not view a particular document in which case the superuser deselects the document as viewable . the display 1900 shown in fig1 is similar to the document detail display 1800 in fig1 , but without the view documents in their original form 1810 feature shown . [ 0109 ] fig2 is a diagram of a master document list screen display 2000 as shown in the administration interface diagram of fig1 . the master document list display 2000 ( mdl . cfm 1014 in fig1 ) may include master document list information and features , for example a document formal name 2010 , a document search selection field 2020 , an add new document name selection 2030 , an edit existing name or format selection button 2040 , a delete document title , tag or label button 2050 , or other document list information or features . the master document list screen display is used by a processor to perform the processor &# 39 ; s duties . the files available to a processor are limited by the determination of the superuser . a superuser may restrict a processor from accessing electronic documents included in a loan application after the loan application has been closed . additionally , a processor may only see those electronic documents included in a loan application assigned to the borrower . [ 0110 ] fig2 is a diagram of a borrower list screen display 2100 as shown in the administration interface diagram of fig1 . the borrower list display 2100 ( borrower . cfm 1018 in fig1 ) may include borrower list information and features , for example an add new borrower selection 2110 , an edit existing borrower information selection button 2120 , a delete borrower button 2130 , or other borrower list information or features . while the borrower list display 2100 shown in fig2 is for a processor , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig2 or may be different . [ 0111 ] fig2 is a diagram of a lender list screen display 2200 as shown in the administration interface diagram of fig1 . the lender list display 2200 ( lender . cfm 1022 in fig1 ) may include lender list information and features , for example an add new lender selection 2210 , an edit existing lender information selection button 2220 , a delete lender button 2230 , or other lender list information or features . a superuser may restrict a processor &# 39 ; s ability to edit the lender list . once a lender has been assigned to a loan application , the lender is sent an access code by email . while the lender list display 2200 shown in fig2 is for a processor , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig2 or may be different . [ 0112 ] fig2 is a diagram of a stacking order selection screen display 2300 as shown in the administration interface diagram of fig1 . each lender typically has preferences with regards to processing a loan application . one such preference is the order in which each of the documents included in a loan application is placed , or “ stacked ” into a file . an embodiment of an electronic document processing system in accordance with the present invention includes the ability to create a stacking order for the electronic documents . each lender can be assigned a separate stacking order and the same loan application can be viewed by different lenders using different stacking orders . the stacking order selection display 2300 ( so . cfm 1026 in fig1 ) may include stacking order selection information and features , for example a select a lender selection 2310 , for example a drop list user interface feature , an add document to lender list 2320 , one or more change presentation of lender stacking order entry fields 2330 for each document listed , a delete document from lender stacking order selection button 2340 , or other stacking order selection information or features . while the stacking order selection display 2300 shown in fig2 is for a processor user , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig2 or may be different . [ 0113 ] fig2 is a diagram of an assign processors screen display 2400 as shown in the primary interface diagram of fig9 . the assign processors display 2400 ( assignprocessor . cfm 946 in fig9 ) may include assign processor information and features , for example loan account information including but not limited to account number 2410 , borrower name 2420 or property address 2430 , a list of available assigned processor names 2440 , a list of additional processors 2450 that may be assigned , or other assign processor information or features . a manager uses the assign processor screen to assign processors to individual loan applications . a plurality of processors may be assigned to a single loan application . while the assign processor display 2400 shown in fig2 is for a manager , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig2 or may be different . [ 0114 ] fig2 is a diagram of a user list screen display 2500 as shown in the administration interface diagram of fig1 . the user list display 2500 ( user . cfm 1030 in fig1 ) may include user list information and features , for example an add new user selection 2510 , an edit existing user information selection button 2520 , a delete user button 2530 , or other user list information or features . while the user list display 2500 shown in fig2 is for a manager , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig2 or may be different . [ 0115 ] fig2 is a diagram of an assign lenders screen display 2600 as shown in the primary interface diagram of fig9 . the assign lenders display 2600 ( assignlender . cfm 942 in fig9 ) may include assign lender information and features , for example loan account information including but not limited to account number 2610 , borrower name 2620 or property address 2630 , a list of available assigned lender names 2640 to allow providing a third party lender access to a particular file or files , a list of additional lenders 2650 that may be assigned , or other assign lender information or features . a lender can only access those filed assigned to the lender by the manager . while the assign lender display 2500 shown in fig2 is for a manager , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig2 or may be different . [ 0116 ] fig2 is a diagram of a view loan application screen display 2700 as shown in the primary interface diagram of fig9 . the view loan application screen display is used by a third party , such as a lender , to view a loan application including electronic documents . the view loan application display 2700 ( viewloan_ghost . cfm 930 in fig9 ) may include loan application information , for example application identifier 2710 , lender application identifier 2720 , add alias entry field 2730 or selection button 2740 , borrower information such as borrower name 2750 or social security number 2760 , property information 2770 , loan document information 2780 , lender unloaded documents 2790 , or other loan application information . while the view loan application display 2700 shown in fig2 is for a third party lender , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig2 or may be different . [ 0117 ] fig2 is a diagram of an activity detail screen display 2800 as shown in the administration interface diagram of fig1 . the activity detail display 2800 ( activitydetail . cfm 1066 in fig1 ) may include activity detail information , for example a date 2810 for the occurrence of an activity , a username 2820 identifying the user performing the activity , an activity description 2830 identifying the nature of the activity performed , a user or recipient 2840 for activities which include a recipient , or other activity detail information . while the activity detail display 2800 shown in fig2 is for manager , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig2 or may be different . [ 0118 ] fig2 is a diagram of an activity logs screen display 2900 as shown in the administration interface diagram of fig1 . the activity logs display 2900 ( activitylogs . cfm 1038 in fig1 ) may include information relating to a list of available borrower accounts or applications from which to select for viewing the activity detail display 2800 as described in fig2 . the activity logs display 2900 may include search entry fields for account number 2910 , borrower name 2920 or property address 2930 for entry of partial information for searching , account number list 2940 for selecting an actual customer file to view account information such as uploaded files or downloaded files or to print loan detail information . the activity logs display 2900 may additionally include a list of borrower names 2950 to assist identification of the account number 2940 , or a list of property addresses 2960 to further assist identification of the account number 2940 . while the activity logs display 2900 shown in fig2 is for a manager , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig2 or may be different . [ 0119 ] fig3 is a diagram of a loan document access screen display 3000 as shown in the administration interface diagram of fig1 . the loan document access display 3000 ( docaccess . cfm 1034 in fig1 ) may include information relating to access attributes for one or more borrower accounts or applications , for example an application identifier 3010 , borrower name 3020 , property address 3030 , indication whether all documents are locked 3040 , indication as to the number of locked documents , a document edit button 3060 allowing selection of the loan application document access attributes to view or alter , or other loan document access information . the loan document access display 3000 may additionally include a capability to select a user 3070 for viewing loan document access information , for example a drop down list user interface feature . while the loan document access display 3000 shown in fig3 is for a manager , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig3 or may be different . [ 0120 ] fig3 is a diagram of an edit loan document access screen display 3100 as shown in the administration interface diagram of fig1 . the edit loan document access display 3100 ( editdocaccess . cfm 1082 in fig1 ) may include information relating to access attributes for a borrower account or application as selected via the loan document access display 3000 in fig3 . the information may include , for example , a username 3110 , application identifier 3120 , borrower name 3130 , property address 3140 , or other loan application information . the edit loan document access display 3100 may additionally include the capability to alter the access attributes for the displayed account or application , for example selection buttons 3150 to lock or unlock documents individually , a selection button 3160 to specify that all documents for the viewed account or application have the locked attribute , a selection button 3170 to specify that all documents for the viewed account or application have the unlocked attribute , or other access information . a submit user interface button may further be included to submit to the processing system 200 the user - entered access information . while the loan document access display 3100 shown in fig3 is for a manager , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig3 or may be different . [ 0121 ] fig3 is a diagram of a point program view screen display 3200 of the electronic document processing system 200 of fig2 . the point program view display 3200 shows information that may be displayed relating to borrower information , for example by utilizing an application program such as the point program for windows . [ 0122 ] fig3 is a diagram of a view loan application screen display 3300 of the electronic document processing system of fig2 . the view loan application display 3300 shown in fig3 is similar to the display 2700 shown in fig2 , and additionally demonstrates the document naming and aliasing available to third party users of the processing system 200 . in the example of fig3 , a lender has assigned an identifier 3310 to the viewed application . while the view loan application display 3300 shown in fig3 is for a third party lender , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig3 or may be different . [ 0123 ] fig3 is a diagram of a loan account list screen display 3400 as shown in the primary interface diagram of fig9 . the view loan application display 3400 shown in fig3 is similar to the display 1100 shown in fig1 , and additionally demonstrates the document name and alias searching capabilities available to third party users of the processing system 200 . in the example of fig3 , a lender may search for a document by entering a document identifier defined by the lender in the account number search field 3410 . while the loan account list display 3400 shown in fig3 is for a processor user , corresponding displays for other users may also exist , which may be the same as shown in fig3 or may be different . [ 0124 ] fig3 is a diagram of an embodiment of a business flow of the electronic document processing system of fig2 . a superuser 3502 can serve as an administrator for a plurality of managers 3504 , a plurality of lenders 3506 , and a plurality of third parties such as third parties to handle title insurance 3508 and appraisals 3510 . each manager can create and serve as an administrator for a plurality of sub - managers 3514 . a sub - manager can create and serve as an administrator for a plurality of processors such as processor 1 3516 and processor 2 3518 . each processor can create and serve as an administrator for a plurality of originators 3520 , 3522 , 3524 , and 3526 . each administrator can alter the privileges of any of the users on any of the layers beneath the administrator . for example , the superuser can alter the privileges of any of the originators 3520 , 3522 , 3524 , and 3526 . [ 0125 ] fig3 is a diagram of an embodiment of a table of user access settings 3600 of the electronic document processing system of fig2 . the access settings and attributes shown in fig3 represent one example of default access control for a processing system 200 . the table 3600 illustrates the operations and capabilities that are available to various users of the system . there may be other users and capabilities in the processing system 200 that are not shown in this diagram , as well as other available states in addition to “ yes ” or “ no ” as shown in this diagram . additionally , the default access attributes show in the table 3600 may optionally be altered by certain users in the operation of the processing system 200 . [ 0126 ] fig3 is a block diagram illustrating the data tables 3700 that are maintained by the database in the document server 240 ( see fig2 ) in one embodiment of the invention . a description of each of the data tables is described in further detail in appendix a . it is noted that depending on the embodiment , other tables may be added , others deleted , and the organization of the tables may be rearranged . a borrower table 3704 contains information describing each of the borrowers . each borrower is associated with a borrower identification number . an application table 3708 describes information regarding each mortgage loan application that has been submitted to the document server 240 . the application table 3708 includes , among other items , the borrower identification number , a member identification number , or an application state identifier . the member identification number is associated with each administrative employee that has access to the document server . a member identification table 3710 stores information that relates to a selected member identification number . for a selected member identification number , the member identification table identifies the member &# 39 ; s username , password , email address , or information describing whether the user desires to receive email and login alerts . each time a user name is used to access an account , the user corresponding to the user name is sent an email alert . the user can then use the email alert to either monitor and log their own activity on the electronic document processing system or monitor unauthorized access . a lender table 3712 contains the lender information for a selected application . information included within the lender table 3712 may include a short name for the lender , the lender &# 39 ; s formal name , lender comments , or the lender &# 39 ; s email address . a stacking order table 3716 contains information describing the stacking order of each of the documents that are maintained by the document server 240 with respect to each lender . using the document server 240 , each lender may have its own associated stacking order . a master document list table 3720 contains information describing the documents for a selected application . information included within the master document list table 3720 may include a short name for the document , a document &# 39 ; s formal name , a name to be displayed for each document , a comment field for further identifying the documents , or a field identifying whether each document is required for the application . [ 0130 ] fig3 is a block diagram of an electronic document processing system architecture 200 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the system 200 includes a plurality of user interfaces to permit a variety of types of users to log in to , access , use and update the system 200 . in the embodiment of fig2 the users shown include vendors 210 , sellers 214 , lenders 218 , closing agents 222 , recordation users 226 , borrowers 230 , originators 234 , and managers . the manager user may be embodied in the document server 240 of fig2 . the system 200 includes user interfaces for the types of users , one or more of which may be in common with another type or types of users . the user interface includes displaying information to a user in a textual format , graphical format , or other manners of transmitting information to a user of an electronic device . the user interface additionally includes receiving information or selections input from a user via a computing device , including for example using a mouse device , a keyboard , keypad , voice recognition , touch screens , or other manner by which a user conveys data or information to an electronic device . the electronic document processing system 200 embodiment of fig2 may additionally include a scanning device 250 . one example of such a scanning device 250 is an optical scanner , which can read text or illustrations printed on paper and translate the information into a computer - readable form . an optical scanner digitizes an image by dividing it into a grid of boxes and representing each box with either a zero or a one , depending on whether the box is filled in . the resulting array of bits , called a bitmap , may be stored in a file on a storage device , displayed on a screen , or manipulated by image editing applications . the scanning process does not typically distinguish text from illustrations ; rather all images are represented as bitmaps . in this case , a user may not directly edit text that has been scanned without an optical character recognition ( ocr ) system to translate the textual image into characters . optical scanners typically include ocr packages . the electronic document processing system 200 embodiment of fig2 may additionally include an electronic signature 260 feature . an electronic or digital signature 260 may typically include a digital code that can be attached to an electronic message or file that uniquely identifies the sender . like a written signature , a digital signature 260 serves to authenticate and identify the individual sending or signing the file . digital signatures 260 are more effective if they are unforgeable . there are a number of different encryption techniques to support this level of security . although this 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 present embodiments of the invention should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention to be determined by any claims supportable by this application and the claims &# 39 ; equivalents . | 6 |
as seen in fig1 the system 11 of the prior art includes the combination of a binder to ore fines for forming green balls in a balling drum . the green balls of metal bearing material are deposited on a traveling grate for conveyance through a drying and preheating region of an oxidation zone 13 . the preheated pellets of the material are then transported to the adjacent end 15 of a rotary kiln . in the rotary kiln , fuel and air are added to cause a reduction of the pellets as they slowly advance by rotation from the first end 15 to the second end 17 of the inclined rotary kiln . the hot pellets of reduced material are then transferred to a rotary cooler to reduce the temperature thereof . the output from the rotary cooler is then advanced for proper screening , separation and collection of the desired finished product and various by - products . although the schematic view of fig1 generally represents the major components of the prior art system , additional features clearly shown in the patents incorporated by reference and discussed above should be discussed prior to a description of the preferred invention . for example , after the pellets are basically formed in the balling drum and prior to advancement to the traveling grate , the green balls are properly sized at 19 in a roller classifier with oversized balls being fractured and returned into the feed bins . the traveling grate and the oxidation zone 13 are primarily divided into drying and preheating sections or regions . although not always required , the drying section may include an updraft drying portion where the gases flow upwardly therethrough and a downdraft drying portion where the gases flow downwardly therethrough . the preheat portion of the oxidation zone 13 is intended , after drying , to further raise the temperature and improve the physical characteristics of the pellets of material therein for preventing shock and degradation upon entry into the rotary kiln . again , although not shown in detail in fig1 the exhaust gases from the rotary kiln are generally removed at a chute area 21 between the traveling gate and the first end 15 of the kiln rather than being passed directly to the traveling grate . however , the exhaust gases are at least partially used , after being fully oxidized , for flow through the preheat region of the oxidation zone of the traveling grate and for the updraft drying and downdraft drying regions thereof . additionally , between the traveling grate and the rotary kiln , as the pellets are being transferred in the chute area 21 from the traveling grate to the first end 15 of the rotary kiln , fuel , preferably in the form of coal , is added in order to be mixed with the pellets to provide the primary source of the reducing agent for reducing the pellets or particles of material in the rotary kiln . additionally , fuel in the form of gas or liquid may be added to the rotary kiln through ports in the lower region thereof for flow through the bed of pellets or particles in the kiln . air is supplied to the interior of the rotary kiln through the ports above the bed . the air is used to combust the exhaust reduction gases in the kiln to produce sufficient heat in the system for proper reduction in the kiln and for drying and preheating the pellets on the traveling grate in the oxidation zone . still further , some installations include a coal slinger at the second , lower end 17 of the rotary kiln for the injection of coal . the coal slinger injects the coal about one - third to about one - half of the length of the kiln from the second end 17 thereof . a system of the prior art utilizes the traveling grate to dry and preheat balled concentrate prior to its transfer into the ported or non - ported rotary kiln . the hot pellets , which have improved physical strength because of the drying and preheating , are typically accompanied by an addition of solid fuel in the transfer chute 21 between the traveling grate and the first end 15 of the rotary kiln to allow the reduction reaction to proceed almost upon entry into the rotary kiln . the exhaust gases exhausting from the rotary kiln at the first end 15 thereof are combusted in an afterburner chamber ( not shown ) so that an oxidizing gas stream is available for process requirements associated with the drying and preheating sections of the oxidizing traveling grate 13 . as seen in fig2 the preferred system 8 includes additional means for further improvement of the physical characteristics , such as strength , of the pellets prior to subjecting the pellets to an intimate reducing environment and the ensuing pellet stresses attendant with that environment while further improving the potential for a significantly higher pellet yield . it should be recognized that some of the components shown in fig2 are in simplified form and may be altered or modified to include specific features or equipment as suggested by the various u . s . patents and incorporated by reference hereinabove . in the preferred embodiment , green balls or pellets 10 are deposited on an oxidizing traveling or moving grate 12 which advances through an oxidizing or oxidation zone 14 . the green balls or pellets 10 are preferably formed by a balling drum and a roller classifier as discussed above . the pellets 10 advance on the grate 12 through a drying region 16 and a preheat region 18 of the oxidation zone 14 . in order to properly dry and preheat the pellets 10 , the preferred oxidation zone 14 basically uses exhaust gases from the reduction zone 38 . generally , the exhaust gases are fully oxidized by the use of an afterburner 20 in an exhaust gas stack 22 . at least a portion of the fully oxidized exhaust gas is directed by flow lines 24 and associated fans 26 to cause the heated gas to flow through the preheat region 18 and the drying region 16 . it should be kept in mind that the embodiment shown in fig2 is in simplified form and some installations may include the introduction of outside air into the system for proper control of the temperature and / or to provide an excess quantity of oxygen to insure full oxidation of the gases to be used on the grate in the oxidation zone 14 . still further , other modifications may include the exhaust gases ( with the ambient air added thereto ) initially passing through the preheat region 18 and then being further directed to an updraft drying region and / or a downdraft drying zone of the drying section 16 . generally , exhaust gases which have been used for preheating and drying as well as the remainder of the exhaust gases from the afterburner 20 are combined for further processing , heat removal and cleaning prior to discharge to the atmosphere . after the pellets 10 have advanced through the drying region 16 and the preheat region 18 of the grate 12 in the oxidation zone 14 , they proceed to a transition chute 28 between the grate 12 of the oxidation zone 14 and a preferred rotary kiln 30 . as discussed above , some of the systems described in the prior art patents and publications incorporated by reference employ a transition chute for the addition of a solid fuel such as coal directly to the preheated pellets for combined entry into the first end of the rotary kiln . the amount of solid fuel added by this means can vary but may include as much as fifty to one hundred percent of the total fuel employed in the reduction process . consequently , the introduction of the solid fuel or coal in this manner in the prior art caused the reduction reaction to proceed almost upon entry into the first end of the rotary kiln . however , the preferred invention includes an induration zone 34 in the rotary kiln 30 at a first end 32 thereof to provide further stabilization and strengthening of the pellets prior to them being brought into intimate contact with any reducing agent . as will be seen , the pellets are heat hardened in the induration zone 34 . the heat which directly contributes to induration is also needed for the reduction in the reduction zone 38 when the pellets 10 are in intimate contact with a reducing agent . if the reducing agent were present in the induration zone 34 , the material in the heated pellets would begin to reduce . accordingly , rather than introducing coal or any other reducing agent at the transition chute 28 , the preferred invention includes means for initially advancing the pellets 10 through the induration zone 34 , including an initial portion of the kiln 30 , in a stabilizing , heated environment substantially free of either oxidation or reduction by insuring that the pellets are substantially free of any contact with coal or any other reducing agent . as a result , the reducing agent , which is in the form of coal in the preferred embodiment , is injected into the kiln by a coal slinger ( not shown ) or other type of coal - propelling system discussed hereinabove . a discharge end 36 of the coal slinger extends into the rotary kiln 30 for discharge into the interior of the rotary kiln at the first end 32 thereof . the coal leaving the discharge end 36 at the first end 32 is provided sufficient velocity to propel the coal inwardly of the rotary kiln beyond the induration zone 34 to the reduction zone 38 of the kiln 30 . as a result , the pellets 10 will advance through the induration zone 34 with substantially no coal in the bed of pellets 10 for contact and possible reaction therebetween . coal slingers of the type described are well known in the minerals processing art and may be of the same type discussed in the patents incorporated by reference for the introduction of coal to the second or discharge end of a rotary kiln . allowing the pellets 10 to form the bed at the first end 32 of the rotary kiln 30 without the inclusion of any reducing agent therein provides further strength improvement of the pellets after they have discharged from the preheat region 18 of the traveling grate . accordingly , the pellets 10 are heat hardened in the induration zone 34 . advancing the pellets for some time in the induration zone 34 without the presence of a reducing agent insures further induration or strengthening of the pellets 10 prior to their reduction in the reduction zone 38 of the rotary kiln 30 . the rotating action of the rotary kiln will cause the pellets 10 at the upper end of the kiln to be continuously mixed as they slowly progress down the inclined interior surfaces thereof . the slow advancement of the pellets through the induration zone 34 provides the desired time after the preheating on the grate in the oxidation zone 14 for the pellets 10 to be further strengthened prior to their advancement into the reduction zone 38 . heat is required for both the induration and the reduction of the pellets . in the preferred process , the rotary kiln 30 is a ported rotary kiln which allows the introduction of air into the upper or overbed region of the reduction zone 38 of the rotary kiln 30 the air is introduced through a series of nozzles 40 arranged around and along the rotary kiln . a control system ( not shown ) insures that the air is directed to the region above the bed rather than through the bed of pellets 10 . the air is used to combust the reduction exhaust gases so that the resulting heat , in the form of hot reduction exhaust gas , will pass through the interior of the kiln and out the exhaust gas stack 22 . the heated exhaust gas provides the heat required for proper induration and , as discussed above , also provides heat for the drying region 16 and preheat region 18 of the traveling grate in the oxidizing zone 14 . as the hot exhaust gases pass over the bed of pellets 10 in the induration zone 34 , there is no significant chemical reaction therebetween as the heat is simply absorbed by the pellets 10 for the desired induration period . still further , the heated pellets 10 from the induration zone are at a sufficient temperature for proper reduction in the reduction zone 38 when the pellets 10 are brought into intimate contact with the reducing agent . accordingly , once the pellets 10 are by continuous advancement delivered to the reduction zone 38 of the rotary kiln 30 , the addition of the coal , or other reducing agent , into the continuously mixing bed of heated pellets 10 provides proper contact therebetween for reduction of the pellets . although the preferred system employs the reducing agent in the form of coal , it should be recognized that ported rotary kilns of the type described can also be used for the introduction of a reducing agent in the form of gas or oil or any combination thereof including the coal . for this purpose , the preferred ported rotary kiln 30 includes an array of nozzles 42 at the lower region of the rotary kiln 30 in the reduction zone 38 for the introduction of gas or oil . the gas or oil is supplied by a control system ( not shown ) to the array of nozzles 42 which are below the bed of pellets 10 to insure that the reducing agent will filter and pass through the pellets 10 for intimate contact therebetween in the reduction zone 38 . still further , as mentioned above , coal could be provided to the reduction zone through a coal slinger or the like ( not shown ) at the discharge end of the rotary kiln 30 . such a coal slinger would not be expected to project the coal beyond the center region of the kiln and therefore would not be expected to project the coal to the induration zone 34 . reduction of the pellets in the reduction zone 38 in the manner described , after their having been strengthened and heat hardened in the induration zone 34 , enables the pellets 10 to further withstand the tumbling and advancing action of the rotary kiln throughout the reduction process in the reduction zone 38 . consequently , more of the pellets are properly reduced for subsequent cooling and collection upon exit from the rotary kiln 30 and the reduction zone 38 thereof . as a result , the preferred invention increases the pellet yield so that more of the highly concentrated material is in a proper pellet form for effective use in subsequent processes . in order to better understand the preferred embodiment of the invention as discussed above , it is appropriate to discuss some details of an existing process which is being used in tyssedal , norway and could be altered to include the improvements of the present invention if the pellets discharging from the grate were determined to have an inferior physical quality . generally , in this process , pelletized ilmenite concentrate is fed to a traveling grate where the pellets are dried and preheated using fully oxidized kiln exhaust gas . the hot preheated pellets are fed directly to a ported kiln for eventual reduction of the iron oxide to metallic iron in the presence of lump coal . the reduced pellets and coal char are discharged from the kiln to an indirect rotary drum cooler . the purpose of the plant is to prepare pellet products having a high metallic content for use as feed stock to an electric arc smelting furnace . a primary product of this particular plant includes titanium slag containing 70 %- 75 % titanium dioxide ( tio 2 ). the slag is shipped to users where it is further processed into a titanium dioxide pigment for use as a whitener in paint , paper and plastic products . the by - product of the smelting operation is a pig iron which is sold to steelmakers and foundries . in order to determine the proper coal to be used in the process , coal ranging from lignites to high quality bituminous was tested . the results of the test demonstrated that all coals were acceptable with respect to the quality of product achieved . however , the test data confirmed that no usable recyclable char could be retrieved from the use of lignite because of the severe degradation . however , with one pass through the kiln , the bituminous coals did generate coarse char with the amount and quality of char fractions substantial enough to consider it for use by recycling . generally , the ilmenite ore is passed through a grinding mill and pumped to a slurry tank to form a 62 % solid slurry . the slurry is pumped through filters to form filter cakes containing about 9 . 5 % moisture . about seven and one - half kilograms of bentonite are mixed with each ton of filter cake and conveyed to a balling feed bin the mixture is then fed to a long rubber lined balling drum for green ball formation . the drum discharge is deposited into a roller classifier which eventually results in properly sized 9 by 16 mm green balls which can be directed to the traveling grate . the preferred grate is about 2 . 8 m wide and about 21 m long for carrying a bed of green balls 225 mm deep . the preferred process gas used in the various zones on the grate is generated in an afterburner chamber mounted vertically at the grate - kiln interface . the afterburner chamber receives kiln exhaust gas laden with unburned coal volatiles . this exhaust gas is at a temperature of about 800 ° c . to about 900 ° c . air is radially blown into the afterburner to completely oxide the volatiles and to maintain at a temperature of about 800 ° c . to about 1100 ° c . the resultant waste gas contains about 8 % to about 10 % oxygen as it leaves the afterburner chamber . approximately 35 % of the gas is used in the oxidizing zone on the grate with the balance being sent to the waste gas handling system . however , prior to the gas reaching the pellet bed , it is tempered with a bleed - in of ambient air to about 700 ° c . to about 800 ° c . in this particular example , the gas in this system is cooled by the pellets and then is split into two streams and induced through a downdraft and an updraft drying zone before being recombined with the balance of the afterburner exhaust gas . in a known process , the preferred rotary kiln has an overall diameter of about 5 . 8 m and may be from about 71 . 5 m to about 100 m long with tapered feed and discharge ends . the induration zone would include about 10 % to about 35 % of the overall length of the kiln which might vary from as little as 50 m to as much as about 110 m depending on the type of material being processed . the reduction zone would include about 65 % to about 90 % of the overall length of the kiln . the preferred kiln is lined with about 228 mm thick castable refractory . the kiln is erected at a slope of about 2 percent as it slightly extends downwardly from the first or feed end and is supported by a plurality of carrying rollers . the kiln can include a plurality of ports which are spaced in an orderly pattern along the length of the reduction zone of the kiln and around the girth of the kiln . preferably , the ports are arranged in a plurality of rows with each port extending through the kiln shell and ending at the inside refractory surface . the purpose of the ports is to deliver radially directed process air along the length of the reduction zone of the kiln . this air combusts the gas which evolves from the coal in the bed of the kiln . the amount and placement of the air through the ports determines the shape of the temperature profile in the kiln . the total air flow is simultaneously injected through selected numbers of rows of ports which are positioned above the bed depending upon the demand of the current operation . typically , the rotary kiln will rotate at a speed between 0 . 25 rpm and 0 . 75 rpm with the pellets typically requiring 7 to 8 hours to advance therethrough . the total time the pellets remain in the kiln can depend on the material being reduced therein and could range from as low as two hours to as high as ten hours . as a result , it would be expected for the pellets to preferably remain in the induration zone for a period of time ranging from about one hour to two hours . however , depending on the ore being processed , it would not be unusual for the pellets to remain in the induration zone for a period of time ranging from about one - fourth of an hour to about three - and - one - half hours . for example , some material may be preferably indurated for one - half to one hour while others for one and one - half to two - and - one - half hours or for two to three hours . downstream of the preferred kiln is a 4 . 1 m diameter by 66 m long rotary cooler . cooling of the product is done indirectly by water flow on the outside of the cooler shell . as a result , the product is cooled from about 1000 ° c . to about 50 ° c . while the known process described hereinabove provides a specific example of the application of the present invention for the formation of pellets having a high concentration of iron , it should be recognized to those skilled in the minerals processing art that any number of other materials might be used in the preferred process of the present invention . for example , it should be clear that the preferred process and apparatus could be employed for improving the metallic content of lumps , particles , briquettes , or agglomerates of material selected from a group consisting of the oxides and sulfides of iron , nickel , zinc , copper , manganese , and chrome . it would , for example , be possible to include briquettes which are as large as 2 inches by 2 inches by 2 inches for proper oxidation , induration and reduction in the abovedescribed process . it may also , for example , be possible for the preferred process to be employed for material including oxides and / or sulfides of titanium and / or phosphorus . depending on the type of material being oxidized and reduced , the temperature of the traveling grate may range from about 600 ° c . to about 1000 ° c . the temperature produced in the reduction zone would typically be 1000 ° c . to 1100 ° c . but , again , depending on the particular metal being processed may be as low as 700 ° c . or as high as 1200 ° c . to 1500 ° c . for example , some material may be properly reduced at temperatures between 800 ° c . and 900 ° c ., 900 ° c . and 1000 ° c , or 1100 ° c . and 1200 ° c . in order to drive the reduction reaction to a desired completion . the addition of the air to the reduction zone produces oxidation of the reduction gases for heating of the reduction zone and the induration zone . the amount of air remaining in the exhaust reduction gases after such oxidation would typically be less than 1 % as it passes through the induration zone . the exhaust gases in the reduction zone do not generally react chemically with the pellets in the induration zone but simply transfer heat to the pellets in the bed as it passes through the upper region thereof prior to entrance into the afterburner . although the example and the preferred embodiment mentioned hereinabove employ a coal delivery slinger system for the introduction of solid fuel in the form of coal through the induration zone for mixing with the pellets in the reduction zone , it should be recognized that typical reduction processes of the type described can be performed by the use of a reducing agent in the form of oil , gas or a solid reducing material or any combination thereof . clearly , the introduction of any of these types of reducing agents should be limited to the reduction zone so that the pellets passing through the induration zone are substantially free of any contact of the reducing agent in the induration zone . the preferred process discussed hereinabove is intended to produce chemically proper agglomerates or pellets with a desired metal content but are , as mentioned above , also intended to produce such agglomerates or pellets which have sufficient physical or structural integrity for further processing after the oxidation - reduction process discussed above . accordingly , the primary intent of such an oxidation - reduction process is to maximize the pellet yield by insuring that there is a minimum amount of fines produced during the process . in some such systems , it would not be uncommon for the fines to include 3 % to 10 % of the product yield . on the other hand , depending on the material being processed , yields which may include 20 % fines would be undesirable and the use of the preferred process as discussed hereinabove could reduce such undesired fines to about 5 % of the total yield of the oxidation - reduction process . the invention as described hereinabove in the context of a preferred embodiment is not to be taken as limited to all of the provided details thereof , since modifications and variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 2 |
non - woven fabrics which are suitable for use as facing sheets in disposable diapers and similar absorbent products have a fiber content which is predominantly short fibers . the term &# 34 ; short fibers &# 34 ; is defined as wood pulp , cotton linters , or the like , where the fibers are less than one - quarter inch in length . suitably , the short fibers comprise about 75 to about 98 percent of the total fiber content of the non - woven fabric , the balance being textile length fibers such as rayon . typical facing sheet materials made from bonded , nonwoven fabrics have fabric weights in the range of about 1 to 5 oz ./ yd . 2 and densities of less than 0 . 15 g ./ cc ., generally in the range of about 0 . 05 and 0 . 1 g ./ cc . the dry strength of the facing sheet for a fabric having a weight of about 1 . 5 oz ./ yd . 2 is at least 0 . 15 lbs ./ in . of width in the machine direction and at least 0 . 1 lbs ./ in . of width in the cross direction . such fabrics have unusually good elongation , loft , softness , and drape characteristics in comparison to prior products incorporating any substantial amount of short fibers . fabrics of this general type are prepared by first forming a web of randomly laid dry fibers , the web when laid having a density of about 0 . 09 g ./ cc . to 0 . 025 g ./ cc . measured by astm method d - 1777 at 0 . 16 lbs ./ in . 2 ( test procedure set forth in the manual of the american society for testing materials ). where wood pulp fibers are used , the same are generally obtained in the form of a fiberboard of fairly dense construction from which the fibers must be separated . these wood pulp fibers generally have a fiber length ranging from a fine dust to about one - quarter inch . short - length fibers are best classified by the clark classification procedure described in the test manual of the technical association of pulp and paper industry ( tappi - t233 su64 ). the web is then impregnated with a binder by flowing a solution or dispersion of the binder through the web . the impregnated web is then subjected to suction to remove excess binder and assure uniform distribution of binder throughout the fiber web . this impregnation by binder followed by suction is hereinafter referred to as suction - bonding . the fiber web at this point has , on a solids basis , 7 to 9 percent dry solids add - on by weight of the web . depending upon the strength requirements of the web , the loft and the softness desired in the end product , the range of dry solids added on may vary over the range of about 1 to about 30 percent . the web so formed is then dried and heated to cure the binder . this can be done simultaneously by passing into a drying oven heated to a temperature of about 310 ° to 320 ° f . where the same is dried and the binder cured . the preferred binders are of the self - curing acrylic latex family , the urethane family , or other binders which can be utilized in low viscosity solutions or suspensions . the general method of manufacturing bonded , non - woven fabrics is shown in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 663 , 348 to liloia et al . the facing sheet may also be made of an apertured , non - woven fabric which is formed , for example , in accordance with the teachings of commonly assigned u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 862 , 251 to kalwaites , 3 , 081 , 514 to griswold and 3 , 081 , 515 to griswold et al . briefly , such fabrics are foraminous structures wherein groups or groupings of fibers have been rearranged from a fibrous non - woven starting web into positions surrounding less dense fabric portions by passage of a fluid through the starting material . the fibers within the groupings are mechanically interlocked , and may be arranged into various patterns , as is well known by those skilled in the art . a suitable binder is utilized to help retain the fibers in their prearranged locations , as is also well known to those skilled in the art . the fabric can be made of naturally occurring fibers , synthetic fibers , or blends thereof . typical facing sheets made of a polyester type material can have a weight of about 0 . 75 oz ./ yd . 2 to facilitate the distribution of the binder throughout the non - woven web as well as to enhance the wettability of the ultimately produced fabric , a non - ionic or anionic surfactant is incorporated into the aforementioned low viscosity binder solutions or suspensions . however , when the bonded , non - woven fabric is incorporated into an absorbent product as a facing sheet therefor , it is desirable to reduce the wettability of the facing sheet in certain predetermined areas or regions , for example , around the margins of the absorbent product , so as to contain the absorbed body fluids within the absorbent product . also , in some instances it is desirable to reduce the inherent wettability of the facing sheet in order to provide a relatively dry facing next to the wearer &# 39 ; s skin which facing is nevertheless moisture permeable . to this end , the present invention provides a convenient method for controlling the wettability of a bonded , non - woven fabric . initially , bonding of the fabric is achieved by using a binder solution or suspension containing a surfactant that can be denatured , or even degraded at elevated temperatures that are low enough ( usually below about 600 ° f .) so as to have no detrimental effect on the fabric itself or on the binder that is present . next , the produced fabric is subjected to a heat treatment so that in predetermined areas or regions of the fabric the surfactant that is present is denatured to provide the desired degree of hydrophobicity . the practice of the present invention is illustrated schematically in fig1 . a web 10 of mixed randomly disposed short fibers 11 and long fibers 19 are deposited from fiber - laying equipment 12 onto a foraminous moving screen or belt 13 . the fiber - laying equipment 12 is preferably of the air deposition type such as a modified rando webber made by the curlator co . the low density fiber web 10 is moved by belt 13 below a screen containing a weir box 14 of a liquid binder composition with the binder being present in the solution or as an aqueous dispersion . suitable binders are of the self - curing acrylic latex family , or other binders which can be utilized in low viscosity solutions or suspensions which preferably have viscosities of less than about 5 centipoises . the surfactant present in the binder composition can be a non - ionic surfactant and / or an anionic surfactant that is heat - unstable , i . e ., heat - denaturable . a suitable anionic surfactant for use in the method of the present invention is a water soluble salt of an ester of an alkane dicarboxy sulfonate , such as the sodium salt of dioctylsulfosuccinate , which is commercially available under the designation &# 34 ; aerosol ot &# 34 ; from american cyanamid co ., wayne , n . j . other suitable anionic surfactants are the sodium salts of alkylaryl polyether sulfates such as the sodium octylphenoxy alkyl sulfate commercially available under the designation &# 34 ; triton w30 ,&# 34 ; and also the sodium salts of the alkylaryl polyether sulfate commercially available under the designation &# 34 ; triton 7 - 70 &# 34 ; ( denatures at a temperature below about 140 ° c . ), both from rohm & amp ; hass co ., philadelphia , pa . suitable non - ionic surfactants are the non - ionic polyoxyalkylene derivatives of a partial long chain fatty acid ester , an example of which is a polyoxyalkylene derivative of sorbitan monolaurate . particularly preferred is polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) sorbitan monolaurate , commercially available under the designation &# 34 ; tween 20 &# 34 ; from ici united states , inc ., atlas chemicals div ., wilmington , de . also suitable are the non - ionic aliphatic polyethers such as the aliphatic polyether commercially available under the designation &# 34 ; discopen no . 205 &# 34 ; ( denatures at about 121 ° c . to about 130 ° c .) from dixie size & amp ; chemicals company . other suitable surfactants are the non - ionic surfactants commercially available under the designation &# 34 ; sulfanole 550 &# 34 ; from sun chemical co ., new york , n . y . and commercially available under the designation &# 34 ; mykon nrw - 3 .&# 34 ; the surfactant - bearing binder fluid is flowed onto and through the web 10 in quantities substantially in excess of the ultimate amount to be deposited on the fibers completely impregnating the web . the web 10 , immediately after impregnation with the binder solution , passes over a suction box 15 where excess binder is removed . the impregnated web 10 is then conveyed by belt 13 to a curing station such as a dryer 16 . the fabric is then removed from belt 13 and collected , for example , on fabric roll 17 . a section of fabric so formed is illustrated , for example , in fig2 of the drawings showing a very small percentage of long fibers 19 . an alternate construction with a larger percentage of long fibers 19 is shown diagrammatically in fig3 . the binder , in the preferred method of manufacture , is flowed onto the fabric from the weir box 14 and a major portion thereof is withdrawn in the suction box 15 before the fabric enters the dryer 16 . it is important in attaining the lofty and soft character of the fabrics made hereunder that the application , removal and drying of the binder be without substantial compression of the fabric . to obtain the desired level of wettability of the facing sheet , preselected portions of the surfactant - bearing fabric are subjected to a heat treatment at an elevated temperature for a period of time sufficient to denature and / or degrade the surfactant without damaging the fabric . the heat - treating temperature is in the range of about 240 ° f . to about 600 ° f ., and even more preferably is maintained at a temperature in the range of about 280 ° f . to about 400 ° f . typical dwell times for surfactant denaturization are in the range of about 10 to about 100 seconds , and preferably , about 20 to about 60 seconds . a particular advantage of the present invention is that is provides a convenient method for controlling the wettability characteristics of the facing sheet in an absorbent product to a high degree . another distinct advantage of the method of the present invention is that different degrees of wettability may be provided in different areas of the surfactant - bearing facing sheet by exposing different areas on the facing sheet to different degrees of heat for different periods of time . in general , the water repellency of any area of the fabric may be increased by either elevating the temperature of that portion of the fabric to a higher degree , or by increasing the time the fabric is maintained at the elevated temperature , or any combination of the two . in some instances , e . g ., when the surfactant is a non - ionic polyoxyalkylene derivative of a partial long chain fatty acid ester , the heat - induced denaturation of the surfactant can be speeded up by the use of an oxidizing agent such as a peroxide , a permanganate , or the like , in contact with the surfactant carried by the web . particularly preferred oxidizing agent for this purpose is hydrogen peroxide . the oxidizing agent can be added to the binder fluid during web manufacture or can be applied to the web or to selected portions thereof as desired . several identical samples were prepared from two - ply , air - laid , rayon - rich fabric containing about 75 weight - percent wood pulp (&# 34 ; alphanier &# 34 ; pulp ) and about 25 weight percent of crimped , semi - dull viscose rayon fiber ( 11 / 2 denier , 11 / 2 inches long ). the fabric was bonded using as a binder solution a polyacrylate emulsion (&# 34 ; hycar 2600 × 120 &# 34 ; commercially available from b . f . goodrich chemical co ., akron , ohio ) containing ammonium chloride as catalyst , &# 34 ; tween 20 &# 34 ; as the surfactant , and an antifoam (&# 34 ; drew y629 &# 34 ;, commercially available from pvo international , inc ., boonton , n . j .). the binder solution had a solids content of about 6 weight - percent , the binder solution pickup was about 150 weight percent , and the dry binder solids add - on was about 9 weight percent . the samples were placed in three ovens which were separately maintained at 320 ° f ., 280 ° f . and 240 ° f . for three different time periods . to test the absorbency of the fabric , three inch diameter pieces were cut from several of the samples , and were clamped across a horizontal 2 inch diameter hole beneath the fabric . water was then flowed into the hole at a specified rate , and the pressure which developed at the interface of the liquid in contact with the underside of the fabric was controlled so that the pressure never exceeded a preset amount . the time for the water to pass through the fabric ( the absorbency time ) was then measured and taken as an indication of the fabric &# 39 ; s wettability . table 1 shows the &# 34 ; dwell time &# 34 ; or the length of time the samples were left in the ovens and the effect of the different temperature exposure and dwell time on the fabric &# 39 ; s absorbency time . table 1______________________________________sample oven temp . dwell time absorbency timeno . (° f .) ( sec .) ( sec . ) ______________________________________1 ( control ) 0 0 432 240 20 433 280 20 554 320 20 1555 240 40 536 280 40 937 320 40 3008 240 60 669 280 60 14310 240 120 8511 280 120 28112 240 240 12113 280 240 27514 240 360 16215 280 360 295______________________________________ fig4 is a plot of the absorbency time in seconds as a function of the dwell time of identical fabric samples in a heated environment , showing the effect on the absorbency time as the dwell time was increased in heated environments at three different temperatures . as the dwell time , the temperature , or both the temperature and dwell time increased , the time for the water to pass through the fabric ( or the absorbency time ) increased , indicating that the wettability of the fabric has been decreased . from this data , suitable temperature and exposure times can be selected for the oven or heating means to produce a fabric having a controlled degree of wettability . although variations of the amount of the surfactant in the binder solution , the amount of binder solution removed from the impregnated low density fiber web , and the type of surfactant used will affect the dwell time and temperature curves shown in fig4 ; the dwell time and temperature exposures needed to give the desired degree of water absorbency may be easily determined as set forth above . several samples of identically bonded , non - woven fabrics were prepared and tested as in example 1 ; however , the flow rate through the fabric was adjusted to a constant value and the wetting through pressure was measured for each of the controlled flow rates . the &# 34 ; wetting through pressure &# 34 ; is the pressure necessary to force the liquid through the fabric . generally , a lower wetting through pressure indicates good wettability , while a higher pressure indicates poor wettability , for the same fabric structure , composition and fiber organization . the results are summarized in table 2 , below , and in fig5 which is a plot showing the flow rate as a function of wetting through pressure for each of the test samples listed in table 2 . table 2__________________________________________________________________________influence of heat treatmentupon bonded spp fabric wettingthrough properties wetting through pressure at specified flow rate mms salinesamplenumberheat history 25 cc / min . 50 cc / min 100 cc / min__________________________________________________________________________20 3 sec . metal tech at 240 ° f . 2 . 0 13 . 3 25 . 221 control - air dried no heat treatment 3 . 3 18 . 2 25 . 222 3 sec . metal tech at 280 ° f . 4 . 2 13 . 7 27 . 723 8 sec . metal tech at 285 ° f . 6 . 3 18 . 2 23 . 024 8 sec . metal tech at 240 ° f . 8 . 1 19 . 0 27 . 825 3 sec . metal tech at 320 ° f . 4 . 5 21 . 9 38 . 226 3 sec . metal tech at 400 ° f . 9 . 2 41 . 8 53 . 527 3 sec . metal tech at 360 ° f . 19 . 2 38 . 0 55 . 428 8 sec . metal tech at 360 ° f . 15 . 2 34 . 8 58 . 929 8 sec . metal tech at 400 ° f . 13 . 8 40 . 3 69 . 130 120 sec . in oven at 320 ° f . 40 . 8 62 . 2 98 . 2__________________________________________________________________________ | 0 |
referring to fig1 an arc discharge metal halide lamp , 10 , is shown in a partial cross section view having a bulbous borosilicate glass envelope , 11 , partially cut away in this view , fitted into a conventional edison - type metal base , 12 . lead - in electrode wires , 14 and 15 , of nickel or soft steel each extend from a corresponding one of the two electrically isolated electrode metal portions in base 12 parallely through and past a borosilicate glass flare , 16 , positioned at the location of base 12 and extending into the interior of envelope 11 along the axis of the major length extent of that envelope . electrical access wires 14 and 15 extend initially on either side of , and in a direction parallel to , the envelope length axis past flare 16 to have portions thereof located further into the interior of envelope 11 . some remaining portion of each of access wires 14 and 15 in the interior of envelope 11 are bent at acute angles away from this initial direction after which bent access wire 14 ends following some further extending thereof to result in it more or less crossing the envelope length axis . access wire 15 , however , with the first bend therein past flare 16 directing it away from the envelope length axis , is bent again to have the next portion thereof extend substantially parallel that axis , and further bent again at a right angle to have the succeeding portion thereof extend substantially perpendicular to , and more or less cross that axis near the other end of envelope 11 opposite that end thereof fitted into base 12 . the portion of wire 15 parallel to the envelope length axis passes through an aluminum oxide ceramic tube , 18 , to prevent the production of photoelectrons from the surface thereof during operation of the lamp , and also supports a conventional getter , 19 , to capture gaseous impurities . a further two right angle bends in wire 15 places a short remaining end portion of that wire below and parallel to the portion thereof originally described as crossing the envelope length axis which short end portion is finally anchored at this far end of envelope 11 from base 12 in a borosilicate glass dimple , 24 . a ceramic arc discharge chamber , 20 , configured about a contained region as a shell structure having polycrystalline alumina walls that are translucent to visible light , is shown in one possible configuration in fig1 . chamber 20 has a pair of small inner and outer diameter ceramic truncated cylindrical shell portions , or tubes , 21 a and 21 b , that are shrink fitted into a corresponding one of the two open ends of the primary chamber structure , 25 . primary chamber structure 25 has a larger diameter truncated cylindrical shell portion between the chamber ends and a very short extent smaller diameter truncated cylindrical shell portion at each end with a partial conical shell portion there joining the smaller diameter truncated cylindrical shell portion there to the larger diameter truncated cylindrical shell portion . chamber electrode interconnection wires , 26 a and 26 b , of niobium each extend out of a corresponding one of tubes 21 a and 21 b to reach and be attached by welding to , respectively , access wire 14 at its end portion crossing the envelope length axis and to access wire 15 at its portion originally described as crossing the envelope length axis . this arrangement results in chamber 20 being positioned and supported between these portions of access wires 14 and 15 so that its long dimension axis approximately coincides with the envelope length axis , and further allows electrical power to be provided therethrough to chamber 20 . [ 0022 ] fig2 is a cross section view of arc discharge chamber 20 of fig1 showing the discharge region therein contained within its bounding walls that are provided by structure 25 and tubes 21 a and 21 b . chamber electrode interconnection wire 26 a , being of niobium , has a thermal expansion characteristic that relatively closely matches that of tube 21 a and that of a glass frit , 27 a , affixing wire 26 a to the inner surface of tube 21 a ( and hermetically sealing that interconnection wire opening with wire 26 a passing therethrough ) but cannot withstand the resulting chemical attack resulting in the forming of a plasma in the main volume of chamber 20 during operation . thus , a molybdenum lead - through wire , 29 a , which can withstand operation in the plasma , is connected to one end of interconnection wire 26 a by welding , and other end of lead - through - wire 29 a is connected to one end of a tungsten main electrode shaft , 31 a , by welding . in addition , a tungsten electrode coil , 32 a , is integrated and mounted to the tip portion of the other end of the first main electrode shaft 31 a by welding , so that electrode 33 a is configured by main electrode shaft 31 a and electrode coil 32 a . electrode 33 a is formed of tungsten for good thermionic emission of electrons while withstanding relatively well the chemical attack of the metal halide plasma . lead - through wire 29 a serves to dispose electrode 33 a at a predetermined position in the region contained in the main volume of arc discharge chamber 20 . a typical diameter of interconnection wire 26 a is 0 . 9 mm , and a typical diameter of electrode shaft 31 a is 0 . 5 mm . similarly , in fig2 chamber electrode interconnection wire 26 b is affixed by a glass frit , 27 b , to the inner surface of tube 21 b ( and hermetically sealing that interconnection wire opening with wire 26 b passing therethrough ). a molybdenum lead - through wire , 29 b , is connected to one end of interconnection wire 26 b by welding , and other end of lead - through - wire 29 b is connected to one end of a tungsten main electrode shaft , 31 b , by welding . a tungsten electrode coil , 32 b , is integrated and mounted to the tip portion of the other end of the first main electrode shaft 31 b by welding , so that electrode 33 b is configured by main electrode shaft 31 b and electrode coil 32 b . lead - through wire 29 b serves to dispose electrode 33 b at a predetermined position in the region contained in the main volume of arc discharge chamber 20 . a typical diameter of interconnection wire 26 b is also 0 . 9 mm , and a typical diameter of electrode shaft 31 is again 0 . 5 mm . a further lamp structural consideration is the ratio of the arc chamber electrode separation length or distance , “ l ”, to the arc chamber wall effective inner diameter , “ d ”, ( or , alternatively , the effective inner radius ) over that electrode separation distance . this ratio is a significant factor in choosing the arc chamber configuration along with the chamber total contained volume ( which forms the discharge region ) insofar as the ratios of quantities of active materials contained therein to that volume . this aspect ratio of l to d influences the amount of light being radially emitted from the arc chamber , the excited state distribution of active material atoms , the broadening of the material emission lines , etc . in addition , smaller arc chamber effective diameters will reduce the self - absorption of strong radiating spectral lines of the radiating metals in arc chambers . the increase of self - absorption with increasing arc chamber effective diameters will reduce lamp efficacy ( see fig3 and 4 ). if a long lamp life is to be achieved , the arc chamber power wall loading must be limited to some maximum value , about 30 to 35 w / cm 2 for low wattage metal halide lamps with ceramic arc discharge chambers . at higher power loadings , typically , the chemical reactions of the active material salts with the arc chamber walls and the frit material become so severe that there is substantial difficulty in obtaining sufficient useful operating lives from such devices . the arc chamber electrode separation length and the arc chamber effective diameter or radius over that separation length cannot be independently chosen . for smaller arc chamber effective diameters , the arc chamber electrode separation length has to be increased to reduce or eliminate the otherwise resulting increase arc chamber wall loading by increasing the inner wall area . in maintaining a fixed wall loading value , the longer the arc chamber electrode separation length , the smaller the arc chamber effective diameter or radius can be . in the situation of holding the ratio of arc chamber electrode separation length to arc chamber effective diameter or radius fixed , the greater the wall loading value that can be accepted , the greater the resulting efficiency in generating light radiation by the metal halide discharge arc in the arc chamber until that efficiency reaches a limiting value . lamps should have arc chambers with ratios of l / d that are greater than four for reasonable operating efficiencies , and lamps having relatively larger ratios of l / d , at about 7 to 9 , have been found to give the highest lamp efficiencies ( see fig3 and 4 ). a parameter for characterizing arc discharge lamps , termed normalized wall loading ( watts / arc tube diameter ), combines the effects of wall loading and radiation trapping phenomena into one combined measure thereof . as can be seen from fig5 a plot of efficacy ( lpw ) vs . this normalized wall loading ( w / d = watts / d for arc chambers ) parameter for such arc chambers , lamp efficacies can be increased with increasing arc chamber wall loading up to a maximum value and , thereafter , the efficacy more or less saturates . this indicates there is no further efficacy gain in either further increasing wall loadings or further reducing arc chamber diameters , or combinations thereof leading to larger normalized wall loading parameter values . in the arc chambers characterized in fig5 the optimum efficacy is obtained at normalized wall loading parameter values of around 32 to 36 watts / mm . beyond these values , there are either diminishing returns or no gain in efficacy and , most likely , a reduced lamp operating life . arc chamber 20 can be configured with alternative geometrical shapes different from the configuration of fig1 and 2 as shown in the examples of fig6 a through 6g . in each instance shown in fig1 and 2 , and in fig6 a through 6g , a cross section view through the length axis of the arc chamber configuration is shown with the inner and outer wall surfaces being surfaces of revolution about the chamber length axis although this is not necessarily required . the effective diameter d of such inner surfaces can be found by determining the interior area of the cross section view between the electrodes , i . e . over the electrode separation length l , and dividing that area by l . other kinds of inner surfaces may require a more elaborate averaging procedure to determine an effective diameter therefor . fig6 a shows an arc chamber having its cross section forming an ellipse ; fig6 b shows a cross section forming a right cylinder truncated with flat ends ; fig6 c shows a cross section formed with hemispherical ends and concave sides ; fig6 d shows a cross section forming a right cylinder truncated with hemispherical ends ; fig6 e shows a cross section formed with hemispherical ends merging with elliptical sides ; fig6 f shows a cross section forming a right cylinder truncated with smaller diameter flat ends joined to the cylinder with partial cones to provide a narrowing taper therebetween ; and fig6 g shows a cross section forming a right cylinder truncated with larger diameter flat ends joined to the cylinder with partial inverted cones to provide a outward flaring taper therebetween . many further alternative configurations are possible with some more desirable on various grounds than others . thus , every alternative configuration has its advantages and disadvantages . that is , for specific active materials and other lamp characteristics , certain arc chamber configurations have more advantages than do others . in a first implementation of the present lamp , arc discharge chamber 20 is made from polycrystalline alumina to have a cavity length in the contained discharge region of about 36 mm , for the configuration thereof shown in fig1 and 2 , with the inner diameter of this chamber between electrodes 33 a and 33 b being about 4 mm . electrodes 33 a and 33 b are spaced apart in the region contained in the chamber by about 32 mm to yield an arc length of the same value . the rated power of the lamp is nominally 150 w . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 0 . 5 mg hg and 10 to 15 mg of the metal halides pri 3 and nai in a pri 3 : nai molar ratio range of 1 : 3 . 5 to 1 : 10 . 5 . in addition , xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature as an ignition gas . in a second implementation of the present lamp , another metal halide is added therein and a shorter but wider arc chamber of the same configuration otherwise is used . the cavity length of arc discharge chamber 20 in this instance in the contained discharge region is about 28 mm with the inner diameter of the chamber between the electrodes being about 5 mm , and the electrodes were spaced apart to provide an arc length of about 24 mm . the rated power of the lamp is again 150 w . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 2 . 2 mg hg and 15 mg of the metal halides pri 3 , cei 3 and nai in alternative pri 3 : cei 3 : nai molar ratios of 0 . 5 : 1 : 15 . 75 , 0 . 88 : 1 : 19 . 69 , or 2 : 1 : 31 . 5 . again , xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature as an ignition gas . [ 0032 ] fig7 shows relationships between cct changes and lamp power changes of typical combined pri 3 and nai active materials lamps based on , or similar to , the first realization of such lamps given just above for different halide active material molar ratios . when the lamps are dimmed from their full rated power by limiting the electrical current therethrough , the corresponding cct values decrease . the changes in cct values in the lamps of the present invention are substantially smaller compared with cct value changes in existing lamps when each kind is dimmed to 50 % of its rated power . [ 0033 ] fig8 shows relationships between lamp efficacy ( lpw ) changes and the lamp power changes of typical combined pri 3 and nai active materials lamps based on , or similar to , the first realization of such lamps given just above for different halide active material molar ratios . when the lamps are dimmed from their full rated power by limiting the electrical current therethrough while operating at line voltage , the corresponding efficacy values decrease . the changes in lamp efficacy values in the lamps of the present invention are substantially the same compared with lamp efficacy value changes of existing lamps when each kind is dimmed to 50 % of its rated power . [ 0034 ] fig9 shows relationships between lamp cri changes and lamp power changes of typical combined pri 3 and nai active materials lamps based on , or similar to , the first realization of such lamps given just above for different halide active material molar ratios . when lamps are dimmed from their full rated power by limiting the electrical current therethrough while operating at line voltage , the corresponding cri values decrease . the changes in lamp cri values in the lamps of the present invention are substantially smaller compared with the lamp efficacy value changes of existing lamps when each kind is dimmed to 50 % of its rated power . [ 0035 ] fig1 shows the relationship between lamp efficacy and the mercury dose amount per unit volume of the contained region used in an arc chamber of typical lamps of the present invention . for lamps operated at a specific lamp voltage , a relatively lower mercury dose per unit chamber volume is used in narrower and longer arc chambers such as the one used in the first implementation above , and a relatively higher mercury dose per unit volume is used in wider and shorter arc chambers such as the one used in the second implementation above . lamps using a lower mercury dose per unit chamber volume have relatively higher lamp efficacy values for the pr and na halide active materials . a further set of implementations are given as examples in the following differing from the implementations given above to indicate various ranges contemplated in the present invention . a table of tabulated corresponding photometry results for each of these examples is presented thereafter for operation at full rated power and at half rated power with both conditions at line voltage and with current being limited accordingly . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 0 . 5 mg hg and 15 mg total of metal halides nai and pri 3 in a molar ratio of pri 3 : nai = 1 : 3 . 5 . xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature . the volume of discharge chamber 20 is 0 . 45 cm 3 and the arc length between the electrodes is 32 mm . wall loading is 31 w / cm 2 at 150 w . lamp photometry results are shown in table 1 below . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 0 . 5 mg hg and 10 mg total of metal halides nai and pri 3 in a molar ratio of pri 3 : nai = 1 : 3 . 5 . xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature . the volume of discharge chamber 20 is 0 . 45 cm 3 the arc length between the electrodes is 32 mm . wall loading is 31 w / cm 2 at 150 w . lamp photometry results are shown in table 1 below . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 0 . 5 mg hg and 10 mg total of metal halides nai and pri 3 in a molar ratio of pri 3 : nai = 1 : 7 . xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature . the volume of discharge chamber 20 is 0 . 45 cm 3 and the arc length between the electrodes is 32 mm . wall loading is 31 w / cm 2 at 150 w . lamp photometry results are shown in table 1 below . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 0 . 5 mg hg and 12 . 5 mg total of metal halides nai and pri 3 in a molar ratio of pri 3 : nai = 1 : 7 . xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature . the volume of discharge chamber 20 is 0 . 45 cm 3 and the arc length between the electrodes is 32 mm . wall loading is 31 w / cm 2 at 150 w . lamp photometry results are shown in table 1 below . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 0 . 5 mghg and 10 mg total of metal halides nai and pri 3 in a molar ratio of pri 3 : nai = 1 : 10 . xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature . the volume of discharge chamber 20 is 0 . 45 cm 3 and the arc length between the electrodes is 32 mm . wall loading is 31 w / cm 2 at 150 w . lamp photometry results are shown in table 1 below . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 2 . 2 mg hg and 15 mg total of metal halides pri 3 , cei 3 and nai in molar ratios of pri 3 : cei 3 : nai = 0 . 5 : 1 : 10 . 5 . xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature . the volume of discharge chamber 20 is 0 . 55 cm 3 and the arc length between the electrodes is 24 mm . wall loading is 31 . 3 w / cm 2 at 150 w . lamp photometry results are shown in table 1 below . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 2 . 2 mg hg and 15 mg total of metal halides pri 3 , cei 3 and nai in molar ratios of pri 3 : cei 3 : nai = 0 . 8 : 1 : 19 . 69 . xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature . the volume of discharge chamber 20 is 0 . 55 cm 3 and the arc length between the electrodes is 24 mm . wall loading is 31 . 3 w / cm 2 at 150 w . lamp photometry results are shown in table 1 below . the quantities of active materials provided in the discharge region contained within arc discharge chamber 20 were 2 . 2 mg hg and 15 mg total of metal halides pri 3 , cei 3 and nai in molar ratios of pri 3 : cei 3 : nai = 2 : 1 : 31 . 5 . xe gas was provided in this region at a pressure of about 330 mbar at room temperature . the volume of discharge chamber 20 is 0 . 55 cm 3 and the arc length between the electrodes is 24 mm . wall loading is 31 . 3 w / cm 2 at 150 w . lamp photometry results are shown in table 1 below . in reducing the operating power of the lamps of the above examples to half , the emitted light remained substantially white without a greenish hue . such color was satisfactory to the eye for general illumination uses and it was substantially impossible to discern any color or hue change under such dimmed conditions . thus , the lamps of the present invention remain at the same cct and are substantially constant in terms of hue throughout the dimming range , and further , they have higher lumen efficacy compared to the standard lamps at rated power . such dimming of lamps of the present invention from full power during operation is accomplished through operating the lamps in an electronic ballast circuit , a well known version of which , 40 , is shown in block diagram form in fig1 . the electrical power for the circuit and lamp is drawn from a conventional 60 hertz alternating current source which supplies such current at a fixed voltage to a power factor correction and electromagnetic interference filter circuit portion , 41 . this circuit portion converts the alternating polarity line voltage to a constant polarity voltage of a value significantly greater than the peak line voltage while maintaining a sinusoidal current that is in phase with the line voltage , and limits electromagnetic emissions in doing so . this constant polarity voltage is supplied as the input voltage to a buck voltage converter or regulator , 42 , which in turn provides a regulated constant polarity voltage and current output . this voltage output is reduced in magnitude from the constant polarity input voltage provided to the regulator to a value set by an internal reference , but the regulator also provides the full value of that input voltage at its output during initiation of lamp operation prior to the striking of an arc therein . changing the value of the regulator internal reference permits changing the current supplied to the lamp being operated to thereby allow selective dimming of that lamp . the constant polarity output voltage of the regulator is changed to a low frequency square wave by an output bridge converter , 43 , that is provided to an igniter , 44 , that generates 4 kv starting voltage pulses for striking an arc in the lamp , 45 , connected to its output while providing a square wave voltage supply to the lamp thereafter . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
a method of predicting ink consumption in accordance with the present invention utilizes a series of steps as illustrated generally in fig1 . the object is to print n copies of an original image or of a composite image comprised of multiple images . the data defining an original or composite image may be generated and downloaded from a computer or it could be scanned , for example , from a graphic master or other medium capable of being scanned . the method of the invention begins by inputting the image data as indicated by block 24 of fig1 . the image data could be a group of files representing multiple images , each obtained from a different source . alternatively , the images could be a single file of scanned or computer generated image data . after the files of image data have been read , a composite cylinder layout ( block 25 ) is composed . this cylinder layout identifies the portion of each image which is to be engraved on the cylinder surface and specifies the exact geometric placement of that portion of each image . in order to compose the composite cylinder layout , one or more of a plurality of engraving parameters ( not shown ) may be input into the computer . for example , the parameters of engraving width , taper requirements , circumferential linearization , balance correction , edge enhancement level , screen and screen angle , as well as others , may be input into the computer . these parameters affect the size and placement of engraved cells on the cylinder . for example , taper and circumferential linearization adjust engraved cells to eliminate visual discontinuities caused by spiral engraving . the edge enhancement level parameters provide a method to improve contrast at line or image edges . the screen and screen angle generally describe cell population and cell shape . the computer comprises means for considering each of the above parameters , as well as others , and for adjusting the densities of certain cells accordingly . after the cylinder layout and engraving parameters are specified , cell shape parameters are input ( block 26 ) which complete the definition of an engrave job . a histogram representing the image densities of each of the pixels may then be generated for the engrave job . density values for a conventional electronic engraving machine are generally proportional lo the voltages supplied to the engraving head . as discussed in detail below , an electronic engraving machine is driven by a video signal and an ac signal . the video signal is generally adjusted so as to be proportional to a desired printing density . the density values used to compile the histogram are used for the engraving operation , as well as used to predict ink volume . in block 28 , the computer prepares a table of data representing a histogram of density values associated with the composite cylinder layout . preferably the densities are digitized and set to one or another of a predetermined number of discrete values . a vector of length 1025 has been found to be convenient for this purpose . each time the examination indicates a particular density value , the appropriate vector position is adjusted . this process continues until a histogram or table of densities is generated for the entire cylinder . after the density table has been generated , the computer begins reading the tabulated density values ( block 29 ) for calculation of associated cell volumes . calculations are performed at blocks 31 and 32 to determine the volumes of each of the different cell sizes corresponding to the different density levels . each computed cell volume is multiplied by the number of occurrences of that cell volume to obtain a cell volume subtotal ( block 33 ). the subtotals are accumulated ( for example , at block 34 ) in order to read the total volume of all engraved cells . the cell volume calculations use the setup parameters generated at block 26 to define the cell shape and geometry . these same parameters are used for controlling the engraving process ( blocks 40 - 47 ) substantially as shown and describe in . . ser . no . 08 / 022 , 127 .!. . iadd . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 424 , 845 . iaddend . which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and which is herein incorporated by reference and made a part hereof . in short , a highlight voltage and cell width , a shadow voltage and cell width and a stylus angle are selected and input by the operator . the voltage and cell width corresponding to a shadow cell and a highlight cell may define a linear or non - linear function . in the embodiment being described , the voltage and cell width define a generally linear function , as shown in fig5 . thus , given the voltage , for example , of a shadow cell , the computer determines the width of that shadow cell . a series of engraved shadow cells 70 and highlight cells 76 may be engraved on the surface of a cylinder 10 as generally illustrated in fig2 . shadow cells 70 may be connected by channels 72 , the width of which may be adjusted by adjusting the video signal used for driving the engraving tool . if the shadow cells are not connected by a channel , the distance between cells in the direction of engraving is the vertical cell spacing 71 , as shown in fig2 . referring now to fig3 an engraving tool 20 oscillates into cutting contact with cylinder 10 under control of a driving signal which is the sum of a video signal 82 and an ac signal 80 . video signal 82 may have a white level value 86 such that the tip of the engraving tool never gets closer to cylinder 10 than a predetermined white depth wd . when the video signal 82 drops to the value 88 , the engraver engraves full depth shadow cells having a maximum depth bd . the tool then engraves a contour 84 having a minimum depth cd which is the channel depth . when the video signal shifts upwardly to a value 90 , the engraver engraves highlight cells having a maximum depth hd . reference may be made to . . application ser . no . 08 / 022 , 127 .!. . iadd . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 424 , 845 . iaddend . for equations which relate white depth and shadow depth voltages to a desired channel depth in a desired highlight depth . the preferred embodiment of this invention utilizes a minimum diagonal wall size 49 ( fig6 ) as a setup parameter . the minimum diagonal wall size 49 is the perpendicular distance between tangent lines to adjacent cell walls . the cell shape description mentioned above may be fine tuned if desired . for example , the channel width associated with a cell shape description may be entered in which case the computer recalculates or adjusts the minimum diagonal wall size 49 . it is to be noted that a channel width of zero , indicating no channel , may be entered into the computer . in this event , a vertical spacing between cells may be entered into the computer , and again , the computer will recalculate or adjust the minimum diagonal wall size . therefore , it is significant to note that the computer comprises means for tuning the cell shape description to accommodate various inputs and parameters which may affect cell shape , geometry , and volume . all input parameters and fine tuning inputs may be shown on a monitor ( not shown ) which is operatively coupled to the computer . the volumes of the individual cell types are calculated by a process indicated by decision point 30 and blocks 31 and 32 . the process involves calculating the cross - sectional area of the cell as a function of cell location ( e . g . position along the cell ) and then integrating the area along the length of the cell in the direction of the engraving track . the integration may be carried out in closed form ( as defined by the equations below ) or performed numerically . if the integration is carried out numerically , then a check is made immediately following each pass through the integration loop to determine whether integration of the cell has been completed . in the preferred embodiment , the volume for a cell is determined using one or the other of equations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) below . it is to be noted that the cell volume will differ for a cell with a channel as opposed to a cell without a channel . the volume of a cell with a channel is given by the equation : ## equ1 ## θ is the stylus tip angle . s is screen in lines / micron . b is the length of the side of a normal cell in microns . ## equ2 ## p is the period of the sine wave mentioned earlier herein . φ is the screen angle . for ease of illustration , fig7 graphically illustrates the variables p , d 0 , and d 1 for a cell with a channel . the volume of a cell without a channel is given by the equation : ## equ3 ## b , s , θ and p are as defined above . ## equ4 ## l is the cell length in direction of cutting . d 1 is the depth of the cell , d 0 is the amplitude of the sine wave ( to be derived from user inputs ) minus the depth of the cell . for ease of illustration , fig8 graphically illustrates the variables p , l , d 0 and d 1 for a cell without a channel . after integration of the first cell size has been completed , the process proceeds to select the next cell size and repeats the integration process . after completion of each volume computation , a check is made ( point 35 ) to determine whether the volumes of all cell sizes have been determined . if so , then the process proceeds to block 36 for a calculation of the volume of ink required for a single impression . here , the total computed cell volume is multiplied by a release factor r . the release factor accounts for factors , such as the absorption properties of the printing substrate , the viscosity of the ink , speed of the press and the like . this ink volume is multiplied by the number of impressions n ( block 37 ) to obtain the required volume of ink for an entire press run . this completes the prediction of ink consumption and usage at block 38 . in the embodiment being described , the ink volume may then be used to provide an estimate of the amount of ink to fill an ink well of the printer ( block 39 ). if the integration is carried out numerically , then it is most convenient to perform the integration over a one - half wavelength distance and thereafter double the result . the numerical integration proceeds by moving from station - to - station along a profile of fig3 and calculating the cross - sectional area at each station . this area is multiplied by the incremental distance between computing positions to obtain an incremental volume . a typical stylus 20 for use in the practice of this invention is illustrated in phantom outline in fig3 and 4 . the tip of stylus 20 has two bevelled faces which produce a tip angle θ , which may be about 120 °. the stylus cuts a corresponding angular channel in the surface . it will be appreciated that fig4 is a view taken perpendicular to the view of fig3 . thus , the walls have a sinusoidal profile when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the engraving direction and conform to the shape of the engraving tip when viewed in a direction parallel to the direction of engraving . each of the depressions illustrated in fig3 represents an engraved printing cell . thus the figure depicts three deep printing cells interconnected by two channels and two shallower printing cells which are not connected to any other cell . the volume of any printing cell may be computed by calculating the cross - sectional area as viewed in fig4 and integrating that area over a one wavelength distance in the direction of engraving ( e . g . parallel to engraving tracks 30 ). in the special case where stylus 20 has a tip configuration as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , the cross - sectional area of the cut is given by the expression : the wavelength distance is given by the period of the sine wave as defined above . at each computing interval , it is necessary to check the sign of d to assure that it has a positive value . whenever d is found to have a negative value , the computer forces it to a value of zero . advantageously , this invention provides an ink management system and printing method for precisely determining the amount of ink required by a print cylinder , such as a gravure cylinder having a plurality of cells . it is to be noted that the video data generated at block 28 may be applied to an engraving controller ( not shown ) for generation of an engraving signal at block 40 . this engraving signal is used to position an engraving stylus , as described in detail below . the engraving stylus engraves a cell ( block 44 ) and continues engraving cells until the last cell has been engraved ( decision point 46 ). while the method herein described , and the form of apparatus for carrying this method into effect , constitute preferred embodiments of this invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and form of apparatus , and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention , which is defined in the appended . | 1 |
referring to fig1 there is shown a voltage source supplied from an ac power supply ( phases a , b and c ) through a rectifier bridge ( diode d ) across dc terminals tp and tn . rectification and filtering of the incoming ac power , to develop between terminals tp and tn a smoothed dc voltage under a relatively high voltage , requires a bank of capacitors in series thereacross . for the sake of illustration , two such capacitors c1 , c2 are shown between junction points jp , on tp and jn on tn , with a midpoint t between the capacitors . since the capacitors are not perfect , they have a leakage current , depending upon the capacitors and aging of the components . the capacitor with the lower leakage in the string may become charged at an unacceptable level under the leakage of the other capacitors in the string . fig1 shows common practice to cope with this problem . resistors , such as r1 for c1 and r2 for c2 , are added in parallel to overcome the leakage currents and maintain a voltage balance within a reasonable range . the values of the resistors r1 and r2 is determined by the leakage current for each capacitor , the dc link voltage and the maximum allowable imbalance . referring to fig2 according to the present invention , a different solution than series resistors is proposed making use of a transformer tf having its primary winding connected by lines 1 and 2 to phase lines a and b , for instance , and a mid - tap point q from which is derived on line 4 a balancing path , including a resistor r3 and a connecting line 3 to the mid - tap point t between the two capacitors c1 and c2 . before analyzing the effect on the leakage current of resistor r3 of fig2 as opposed to resistors r1 , r2 of fig1 a comparison can be made between the equivalent circuits of fig3 a for fig1 and of fig3 b for fig2 where the resistance of resistors r1 and r2 is assumed to be r for both , whereas resistor r3 requires only r / 2 , as will be shown hereinafter . fig4 a is a numerical illustration of the circuit of fig1 where r1 = r2 = 20kω , for a dc voltage of 600 volts across tp and tn . it is also assumed that across c1 there is a leakage of lk1 of 6 ma , and across c2 a leakage lk2 of 3 ma . this means that there is a leakage of 6 ma - 3 ma = 3 ma in the branch common to the capacitors and the resistors through which such loss is split . in order to match such unbalance , the resistance of r1 should be reduced from 20kω to 18180ω , whereas the resistance of r2 should be increased from 20kω to 22 , 222ω , thus resulting in a balanced distribution of voltage across c1 and c2 . fig4 b schematizes the balancing path from mid - tap t through resistor r3 by a source e between line 4 and the negative terminal tn , with the 3 ma leakage in the central path determining the value of r3 to match such leakage derivation due to lk1 ( 6 ma ) and lk2 ( 3 ma ) as in fig4 a . referring to fig5 the balancing resistor path formed with lines 3 and 4 and resistor r3 is shown in a more generalized way by an autotransformer mounted between lines 1 and 2 of phases a and b . the two windings la , lb have a midpoint q . for the purpose of illustration , the phase - to - phase voltage ( v a - v b ) is shown applied to the end points d of la and e of lb . vectors v an and v bn are shown as well as vector vcn by reference to a vertical neutral point n . q is situated at the middle point of the base of triangle dne . it will be shown now that the voltage appearing across resistor r3 is an ac voltage superposed on a dc offset voltage , whenever the leakage currents of capacitors c1 , c2 are unbalanced ( 3 ma in the example of fig4 a , 4b ). it will also be shown that the total dissipation of energy across balancing resistor r3 is substantially lower across the resistors r1 and r2 of the prior scheme of fig1 . the losses due to the ac component and the losses due to the dc component will be determined separately , then combined for the total hereinafter . considering first the rms value of the ac component of the resistor r3 , the angular frequency is neglected since it does not affect the rms value . the diode voltage drops in the rectifier bride are also neglected , since the are negligible at the voltage levels under consideration ( 380 - 460 volts ). the following equations are in order for the voltage - to - neutral ac voltages : at the mid - tap point q , the voltage v q is ## equ1 ## for the specific ranges indicated , the voltage v tp on ac line tp is as follows : ## equ2 ## for dc line tn , similarly , the voltage v tn is as follows : ## equ3 ## since at the mid - tap point t , ## equ4 ## it follows that the voltage is : ## equ5 ## therefore ( v t - v q ) is given as follows : ## equ6 ## referring to the curves of fig6 which show v an , v bn , v cn , the voltages v qn , v tn , and v q - v t are given in time relation with the ac input voltages . it appears that each non - zero segment of the ( v t - v q ) waveform is a portion of a sine wave . based on the four segments of the wave involved , integration can be made by effecting four times the integration of one segment with no angular offset . this is a simplification which does not affect the result . this leads to the following formulation of the rms voltage v rms : ## equ7 ## considering the average voltage ( v tp - v tn ) across capacitor c1 and c2 : this voltage is for the peak line 2 v and for the line - to - line peak √ 3 ×√ 2 × v or , 2 . 4495 v , the rms value . considering the power p , it is expressed as : ## equ8 ## it appears that , for the prior art circuit of fig3 a , the resistance is 2r , and for the proposed circuit of fig3 b the resistance is r / 2 . substituting the rms value of 0 . 3829 v in the latter instance and of 2 . 4495 v in the former instance , the formulae for the powers become : ## equ9 ## the ratio p standard / p new is : ## equ10 ## this calculation demonstrates a dissipation of only 9 . 77 % with the system of fig2 as opposed to with the system of fig1 . the current component due to capacitor leakage is taken into account by taking the square root of the sum of the square of the currents respectively due to the ac component and the dc leakage component . the relative advantage of the circuit of fig2 may be decreasing as the capacitor leakage increases , but it will remain better than with the prior art approach of fig1 . another characteristic of the circuit according to the present invention resides in the fact that it imposes an ac current at the center tap t of the capacitor bank . if , for example , the resistor r3 would be 1500 ohms and the effective capacitance viewed from the center tap of the capacitor bank is 4800 μf , it establishes a low frequency cutoff of about 0 . 022 hz , since the ac ripple imposed by the sharing network is 60 hz . this will cause a negligible voltage ripple at this point . more generally , the circuit according to the present invention reduces the loss associated with voltage balancing networks used with series capacitors , and it reduces both the resistor count and the size of the remaining resistor . | 7 |
while this invention is illustrated and described in a preferred embodiment , the invention may be produced in many different configurations . there is depicted in the drawings , and will herein be described in detail , a preferred embodiment of the invention , with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and the associated functional specifications for its construction and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated . those skilled in the art will envision many other possible variations within the scope of the present invention . the present invention records sounds for comparison with a database of potentially similar sounds . while the preferred embodiment comprises heart sounds compared with a database of heart sounds for disease and defect identification , the present invention may be used in other applications such as bird songs or human voices . fig1 shows a computer hardware system 100 used in implementing the method and program code of a preferred embodiment . computer system 100 comprises a processor 110 , memory 120 , microphone 130 , input / output interface 140 , and database 150 . memory 120 stores sounds recorded by microphone 130 . in one embodiment , the recorded sounds are heart sounds from a patient . input / output interface 140 communicates with database 150 , which stores a plurality of stored sounds . in one embodiment , the stored sounds comprise previously recorded heart sounds , which have been categorized according to diagnosis . after the similar heart sounds are identified from the database , their associated disease labels are used to form a distribution of related diseases for physician decision support . fig2 shows the overall operation of the preferred embodiment as performed by computer hardware system 100 . beginning with step 210 , microphone 130 records a sound and stores it in memory 120 . processor 110 preprocesses the sound in step 220 by selecting a time period of interest , generally corresponding to one period of a periodic sound , such as a single heart beat . in step 230 , processor 110 constructs a line segment approximation of the single period of the sound , as shown in fig4 . in step 240 , processor 110 defines an audio envelope around the line segment approximation , as shown in fig5 . in step 250 , processor 110 isolates fiducial points from the audio envelope , as shown in fig6 . in step 260 , processor 110 matches the fiducial points from audio envelope of the recorded sound with fiducial points from the database sounds obtained through input / output interface 140 . a more detailed discussion of the pre - processing and modeling the shape variation of heart sounds performed by processor 110 will now be presented . while normal heart sounds show good repetition , the periodicity is surprisingly difficult to spot for abnormal heart sounds where the repetitions can be nested or irregular ( arrhythmias ). simple auto - correlation is often insufficient for this purpose . a robust periodicity detector treats periodicity detection as the problem of recovering a shift / translation that best aligns two self - similar curves . consider a periodic curve g ( t ) with period t . then by definition g ( t )= g ( t + kt ) for all multiples k = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . . consider a candidate period τ . form a curve f ( t ) by shifting g ( t ) by τ , i . e . then define a function r ( τ ) that records the number of curve features that can be verified to satisfy the periodicity condition based on the current estimate of the period as r ( τ ) = { g ( t i ) } max { n - τ , τ } such that g ( t i ) - f ( t j ) ≤ ɛ ( 2 ) where n is the total number of points on the curve , t i and t j are time values of matching fiducial points , and ε is an error tolerance . the above function ( 2 ) can be computed in linear time in comparison to the quadratic time for the autocorrelation function . the function r ( τ ) shows peaks at precisely those shifts which correspond to periodic repetitions of the curve . the most likely period is then taken as the smallest τ with the most integer multiples in the allowed range of heart beats ( 40 - 180 beats / minute ). there may be more than one candidate for period , particularly when the periodic repetitions are nested . the present invention &# 39 ; s algorithm finds such overlapping repetitions and tests the dynamic time warping algorithm with each such choice . various algorithms are available in literature for envelop extraction from signals including homomorphic filtering . while these algorithms are less sensitive to noise - related fluctuations , they frequently extract the low frequency component of the signal rather than render a faithful approximation of the perceptual envelope . in the present invention &# 39 ; s approach , the heart sound ( within a single heart beat ) is modeled through a perceptual envelop . to extract the audio envelope curve , processor 110 performs noise filtering using wavelet filters to remove the hissing noise that comes from digital stethoscopes . processor 110 then forms a line segment approximation to the audio signal . this is a standard split - and - merge algorithm for line segment approximation that uses two thresholds , namely , a distance threshold δ and a line length threshold l to recursively partition the audio signal into a set of line segments . each consecutive pair of line segments then defines a corner feature c i . with δ = 0 . 01 and l = 5 , a faithful rendering of the audio signal is made possible through a line segment approximation while retaining only 10 % of the samples . the thresholds for curve parameterization are not as critical here as the shape matching algorithm presented below , which is robust to missing and spurious features . the audio envelope ( ae ) is defined as the set of points ae ={ p i } where p i = c j for some j such that p i ( y )≧ p i − 1 ( y )& amp ; p i ( y )≧ p i + 1 ( y ) and p i ( y )≧ baseline . ( 1 ) only the values of the signal above the baseline are retained in the maxima envelope curve . similarly , all peaks below the baseline for the minima envelope curve . once the envelope curve f ( t ) is extracted , its shape can be represented by the curvature change points or corners on the envelope curve . the shape information at each corner is captured using the following parameters , wherein these parameters are chosen to facilitate matching of audio envelopes : s ( { right arrow over ( f )} ( t i ))=& lt ; t i , { right arrow over ( f )} ( t i ), θ ( t i ), φ ( t i )& gt ; ( 2 ) where θ ( t i ) is the included angle in the corner at t i , and φ ( t i ) is the orientation of the bisector at corner t i . using the angle of the corner ensures that wider complexes are not matched to narrow complex as these can change the disease interpretation . the angular bisector , on the other hand , ensures that polarity reversals such as inverted waves can be captured . referring to fig6 , consider an envelope curve g ( t ) corresponding to a heart sound . consider another curve f ( t ) that is a potential match to g ( t ), i . e . comes from a different patient diagnosed with the same disease . the curve f ( t ) is considered perceptually similar to g ( t ) if a non - rigid transform characterized by [ a , b , γ ] can be found such that where | | represents the distance metric that measures the difference between f ′( t ) and g ( t ), the simplest being the euclidean norm and f ( t )= af ( φ )( t )) with φ ( t )= bt + γ ( t ) ( 4 ) where the ( bt ) is the linear component of the transform and γ is the non - linear translation component . the parameters a and b are recovered by normalizing in amplitude and time . normalizing in amplitude is done by transforming f ( t ) and g ( t ) such that f ^ ( t ) = f ( t ) - f min ( t ) f max ( t ) - f min f ( t ) and g ^ ( t ) = g ( t ) - g min ( t ) g max ( t ) - g min f ( t ) ( 5 ) so that a = 1 . to eliminate solving for b , normalization of the time axis is done by dividing the heart rate . suppose the sampling rate of points on the curve f ( t ) is fs . let a periodicity detection algorithm signal the heart rate period to be t 1 . dividing by the heart period samples , all time instants lie in the range [ 0 , 1 ]. thus the time normalization can be easily achieved as : { right arrow over ( f )} ( t )= { circumflex over ( f )} ( t / t 1 ); { right arrow over ( g )} ( t )= ĝ ( t / t 2 ) ( 6 ) where t 1 and t 2 are the heart beat durations of f ( t ) and g ( t ) respectively . with this time normalization , b = 1 . such amplitude and time normalization automatically makes the shape modeling invariant to amplitude variations in audio recordings , as well as variations in heart rate across patients . since the non - uniform translation γ is a function of t , computational overhead is avoided by recovering it at important fiducial points such as the corners , and the overall shape approximation is recovered by interpolation . let there be k features extracted from { right arrow over ( f )}( t ) as f k ={( t 1 ,{ right arrow over ( f )} 1 ( t 1 )), ( t 2 ,{ right arrow over ( f )} 2 ( t 2 )), . . . ( t k ,{ right arrow over ( f )} k ( t k ))} at time { t 1 , t 2 , . . . , t k } respectively . let there be m fiducial points extracted from { right arrow over ( g )}( t ) as g m ={( t ′ 1 ,{ right arrow over ( g )} 1 ( t ′ 1 )), ( t ′ 2 ,{ right arrow over ( g )} 2 ( t ′ 2 )), . . . ( t ′ m ,{ right arrow over ( g )} m ( t ′ m ))} at time { t ′ 1 , t ′ 2 , . . . t ′ m }, respectively . if there is a set of n matching fiducial points c γ ={( t i , t ′ j )}, then the non - uniform translation transform γ can be defined as : γ ( t ) = { t i if t = t j ′ and t i , t j ′ ∈ c γ t r + ( t s - t r t l ′ - t k ′ ) ( t - t k ′ ) where ( t r , t k ′ ) , ( t s , t l ′ ) ∈ c γ ( 7 ) and t ′ k is the highest of t ′ j ≦ t and t ′ l is the lowest of t ′ j ≧ t that have a valid mapping in c γ . other interpolation methods besides linear ( e . g ., spline ) are also possible . using equations 6 and 7 , the shape approximation error between the two curves is then given by : | f ′( t )− g ( t )|=| { right arrow over ( f )} ( γ ( t ))− { right arrow over ( g )} ( t )| ( 8 ) for each g ( t ), γ is selected such that it minimizes the approximation error in ( 6 ) while maximizing the size of match c γ . finding the best matching audio based on shape can then be formulated as finding the g ( t ) such that g best = arg min g f -& gt ; ( γ ( t ) ) - g -& gt ; ( t ) ( 9 ) while choosing the best γ for each respective candidate match g ( t ). if the feature set f k , g m extracted from the respective curves is considered as sequences , the problem of computing the best γ reduces to finding the best global subsequence alignment using the dynamic programming principle . the best global alignment maximizes the match of the curve fragments while allowing for possible gaps and insertions . gaps and insertions correspond to signal fragments from feature set f k that don &# 39 ; t find a match in set g m and vice versa . in fact , the alignment can be computed using a dynamic programming matrix h where the element h ( i , j ) is the cost of matching up to the ith and jth element in the respective sequences . as more features find a match , the cost increases as little as possible . the dynamic programming step becomes : h i , j = min { h i - 1 , j - 1 + d ( f -& gt ; ( t i ) , g -& gt ; ( t j ′ ) ) h i - 1 , j + d ( f -& gt ; ( t i ) , 0 ) h i , j - 1 + d ( 0 , g -& gt ; ( t j ′ ) ) ( 10 ) with initialization as h o , o = 0 and h o , j =∞ and h i , 0 =∞ for all 0 & lt ; i ≦ k , and 0 & lt ; j ≦ m . here d (.) is the cost of matching the individual features described next . also , the first term represents the cost of matching the feature point { right arrow over ( f )}( t i ) to feature point { right arrow over ( g )}( t ′ j ) which is low if the features are similar . the second term represents the choice where no match is assigned to feature { right arrow over ( f )}( t i ). after the transformation is recovered , the similarity between two envelop curves is given by the cost function d ({ right arrow over ( f )}( t i ),{ right arrow over ( g )}( t ′ j )): d ( f -& gt ; ( t i ) , g -& gt ; ( t j ′ ) ) = { ( t i - t j ′ ) 2 + ( f -& gt ; ( t i ) - g -& gt ; ( t j ′ ) ) 2 + ( θ ( t i ) - θ ( t j ′ ) ) 2 + ( φ ( t i ) - φ ( t j ′ ) ) 2 if t i - t j ′ ≤ and ( f -& gt ; ( t i ) - g -& gt ; ( t j ′ ) ) 2 ≤ λ 2 θ ( t i ) - θ ( t j ′ ) ≤ λ 3 φ ( t i ) - φ ( t j ′ ) ≤ λ 4 ∞ otherwise ( 11 ) the thresholds ( λ 1 , λ 2 , λ 3 , λ 4 ) are determined through a prior learning phase in which the expected variations per disease class is noted . the cost function d ({ right arrow over ( f )}( t i ), 0 ) can be computed by substituting t ′ j = 0 , { right arrow over ( g )}( t ′ j )= 0 and θ ( t + j )= 0 , φ ( t ′ j )= 0 in equation 11 . the cost function d ( 0 ,{ right arrow over ( g )}( t ′ j )) can be similarly computed . thus using the present invention &# 39 ; s approach , two heart sounds are considered similar if enough number of fiducial points between query and target envelop curves can be matched using shape - based dynamic time warping . in general , due to the period estimation offset errors , the signals may have to be circularly shifted by a fixed translation for a rough alignment before the fine non - rigid alignment described above . additionally , the present invention provides for an article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code contained within implementing one or more modules to detect audio similarity of sounds . furthermore , the present invention includes a computer program code - based product , which is a storage medium having program code stored therein which can be used to instruct a computer to perform any of the methods associated with the present invention . the computer storage medium includes any of , but is not limited to , the following : cd - rom , dvd , magnetic tape , optical disc , hard drive , floppy disk , ferroelectric memory , flash memory , ferromagnetic memory , optical storage , charge coupled devices , magnetic or optical cards , smart cards , eeprom , eprom , ram , rom , dram , sram , sdram , or any other appropriate static or dynamic memory or data storage devices . implemented in computer program code based products are software modules for recording a sound , selecting a time duration of a portion of the first sound to use as a second sound , constructing a line segment approximation of the second sound , defining an audio envelope around the second sound using the line segment approximation , isolating a plurality of fiducial points on the audio envelope , and matching the second sound to a plurality of similar sounds , wherein the matching comprises : identifying a non - rigid alignment transform based on a shape - based dynamic time warping to determine a correspondence between the fiducial points of the audio envelope and fiducial points from a database of sounds , defining a measure of shape similarity by determining a ratio of matched fiducial points to a total number of fiducial points , and ranking the matching based on the ratio . a system and method has been shown in the above embodiments for the effective implementation of a method and apparatus for retrieval of sounds from a database . while various preferred embodiments have been shown and described , it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention by such disclosure , but rather , it is intended to cover all modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined in the appended claims . for example , the present invention should not be limited by the type of audio . the above enhancements are implemented in various computing environments . for example , the present invention may be implemented on a conventional ibm pc or equivalent , multi - nodal system ( e . g ., lan ) or networking system ( e . g ., internet , www , wireless web ). all programming and data related thereto are stored in computer memory , static or dynamic , and may be retrieved by the user in any of : conventional computer storage , display ( i . e ., crt ) and / or hardcopy ( i . e ., printed ) formats . the programming of the present invention may be implemented by one of skill in the art of audio analysis . | 0 |
the present invention provides as curing agents hydrazide compounds having the following general formulas ( i ) and ( ii ) wherein r is a divalent hydrocarbon residue having 2 - 24 carbon atoms . the hydrazides which may be represented by the above general formulas ( i ) or ( ii ) are novel compounds and may be readily prepared by reacting an adduct of 1 mole of ammonia and 3 moles of alkyl acrylate having the general formula ch 2 = chcoor &# 39 ; wherein r &# 39 ; is alkyl group or an adduct of 1 mole of diamine represented by the general formula nh 2 -- r -- nh 2 wherein r has the meanings set forth above and 4 moles of alkyl acrylate , with hydrazine hydrate . the adduct of ammonia and trimolecular alkyl acrylate , and the adduct of diamine and tetramolecular alkyl acrylate being represented by the following general formula ( a ) and ( b ), respectively . wherein r has the meanings set forth above and r &# 39 ; is an alkyl group having 1 - 4 carbon atoms . examples of diamines which may be represented by the general formula nh 2 -- r -- nh 2 wherein r has the meanings set forth above and which may be employed as the raw material for the preparation of the hydrazide of the general formula ( ii ) include ethylene diamine , propylene diamine , trimethylenediamine , tetramethylenediamine , pentamethylenediamine , hexamethylenediamine , octamethylenediamine , nonamethylenediamine , decamethylenediamine , dodecamethylene diamine , 1 , 3 - diamino - 2 , 2 - dimethylpropane , 1 , 2 - cyclohexanediamine , 1 , 3 - di ( aminomethyl ) cyclohexane , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodicyclohexylmethane and the like . the preparation of the ammonia - trimolecular alkyl acrylate adduct ( a ) may be accomplished by heating an 28 % concentrated aqueous ammonia solution and alkyl acrylate at about 40 ° c . for several hours under stirring , the amount of alkyl acrylate being at least 3 times mole based on ammonia . the preparation of the diaminetetramolecular alkyl acrylate adduct ( b ) may be accomplished by reacting 1 mole of diamine with at least 4 moles of alkyl acrylate at 0 °- 40 ° c . for several hours under stirring . the alkyl acrylate to be reacted with ammonia or diamine is not particularly limited . usually a lower alkyl ester of 1 - 4 carbon atoms is employed . especially , methyl ester is practical . after the addition reaction has been completed , the excess acrylic ester is removed from the reaction mixture by distillation . the thus obtained ammonia - trimolecular acrylic ester adduct ( a ) or the diamine - tetramolecular acrylic ester adduct ( b ) obtained is further reacted with hydrazine hydrate in a methanol solvent at room temperature for several hours under stirring . the amount of hydrazine hydrate may be at least 3 times mole based on the adduct ( a ) while it may be at least 4 times mole based on the adduct ( b ). the reaction may be carried out at 40 °- 50 ° c . if necessary . after the completion of the reaction , the excess hydrated hydrazine and the solvent are removed from the reaction mixture by distillation and the precipitated hydrazide is separated and recrystallized from a suitable solvent such as methanol , ethanol or water . the hydrazide of the present invention may be pulverized into fine particles . the hitherto known dibasic acid hydrazides such as adipic acid hydrazide , sebacic acid hydrazide , isophthalic acid hydrazide and the like are high melting compound above 180 ° c . and the epoxy resin compositions incorporating such dibasic acid hydrazides is cured when heated to 150 ° c . or higher temperatures . contrary thereto , the hydrazides of the present invention are relatively low melting compounds and provide when incorporated into an epoxy resin , curable compositions which are stable for periods of several weeks at 40 ° c . and which can thereafter be readily cured at temperatures of as low as about 100 °- 140 ° c . to give colorless , transparent and tough cured product . especially , the use of hydrazide derived from the higher aliphatic straight chain diamine having 10 to 24 carbon atoms imparts excellent flexibility to the cured resin . the required amount of curing agent is determined by the number of active hydrogen atoms in the curing agent employed and the number of epoxy groups in the epoxy resins . in general , 0 . 5 - 1 . 5 preferably 0 . 7 - 1 . 2 active hydrogen equivalent weight per epoxy equivalent weight is employed . as epoxy resins which may be applied to the hydrazide curing agents of the present invention , various well - known ones having an average of more than 1 epoxy groups in the molecule may be employed . representative epoxy resins are those based on glycidyl ethers of polyhydric phenols such as 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane ( bisphenol a ), resorcinol , hydroquinone , pyrocatechol , saligenin , glycidyl ether of bisphenol f and glycidyl ether of phenolformaldehyde resin . if necessary , other curing agents , cure accelerator and fillers may be employed in combination with the curing agent of the present invention . in an autoclave equipped with electromagnetic stirrer , 43 g of methyl acrylate and 9 g of 28 % aqueous ammonia were mixed . the mixture was heated to 60 ° c . for 3 hours with stirring . after cooling , the reaction mixture was dissloved in 150 ml of ethyl ether . after washing three times with 100 ml of water , ethyl ether and the unreacted methyl acrylate were removed under the reduced pressure . the residue was fractionated under reduced pressure to obtain 16 . 3 g of the adduct ( 1 )&# 39 ;. 131 . 5 °˜ 132 . 5 ° c . ( 1 mmhg ). 15 . 5 of the adduct ( 1 )&# 39 ; was dissolved in 50 ml of ethanol . to this solution , 12 . 0 g of 80 % hydrazine hydrate solution was added and was allowed to react at 40 ° c . for 1 . 5 hours with stirring . from the reaction mixture , excess hydrazine hydrate and ethanol were removed in vacuo . the residue was dissolved in 10 ml of ethanol and allowed to stand overnight to precipitate the crystals . after filtration , the crystals were recrystallized from ethanol , dried in vacuo to obtain 8 . 0 of prisms . ______________________________________ c h n (%) ______________________________________found 39 . 34 7 . 87 35 . 71calculated for c . sub . 9 h . sub . 21 n . sub . 7 o . sub . 3 39 . 26 7 . 69 35 . 62______________________________________ to a mixture of 6 . 0 g of ethylene diamine and 10 ml of methanol contained in a 300 ml three - necked flask equipped with stirrer was added dropwise 105 g of methyl acrylate with stirring at room temperature . after dropping , the reaction mixtures was allowed to stand overnight . methanol and excess methyl acrylate were removed in vacuo to obtain 39 . 9 g of the adduct ( 2 )&# 39 ;. 39 . 5 g of the adduct ( 2 )&# 39 ; thus obtained and 27 . 3 g of 80 % hydrazine hydrate solution were dissolved in 150 ml of methanol , and the solution was heated under reflux for 4 hours with stirring . from the reaction mixture , excess hydrazine hydrate and methanol were removed in vacuo . the residue was dissolved in 50 ml of methanol and allowed to stand overnight to precipitate the crystals . after filtration , the crystals were washed with methanol , dried under reduced pressure to obtain 32 . 3 g of the target product . ______________________________________ c h n (%) ______________________________________found 41 . 56 8 . 31 34 . 24calculated for c . sub . 14 h . sub . 32 n . sub . 10 o . sub . 4 41 . 58 7 . 92 34 . 65______________________________________ to a mixture of 7 . 4 g of 1 , 3 - diaminopropane and 70 ml of methanol contained in a 300 ml three - necked flask equipped with stirrer was added dropwise 41 . 3 g of methyl acrylate with stirring at room temperature . after dropping , the mixture was stirred for 4 hours at room temperature . methanol and excess methyl acrylate were removed in vacuo to obtain 41 . 1 g of the adduct ( 3 )&# 39 ;. 41 . 1 g of the adduct ( 3 )&# 39 ; thus obtained and 30 . 0 g of 80 % hydrazine hydrate solution were dissolved in 100 ml of methanol , and the solution was stirred for 5 hours at room temperature . from the reaction mixture , excess hydrazine hydrate and methanol were removed in vacuo . the residue was allowed to stand overnight to precipitate the white crystals . after filtration , the crystals were recrystallized from ethanol , dried in vacuo to obtain 29 . 3 g of the target product . ______________________________________ c h n (%) ______________________________________found 42 . 95 8 . 60 33 . 22calculated for c . sub . 15 h . sub . 34 n . sub . 10 o . sub . 4 43 . 05 8 . 19 33 . 47______________________________________ to a mixture of 10 . 0 g of 1 , 12 - diaminododecane and 100 ml of methanol contained in a 300 ml three - necked flask equipped with stirrer was added dropwise 22 . 4 g of methyl acrylate with stirring at room temperature . after dropping , the reaction mixture was stirred for 5 hours at room temperature . methanol and excess methyl acrylate were removed in vacuo to obtain 27 . 0 g of the adduct ( 4 )&# 39 ;. 27 . 0 g of the adduct ( 4 )&# 39 ; thus obtained and 15 . 0 g of 80 % hydrazine hydrate solution were dissolved in 100 ml of methanol . the solution was stirred for 3 hours at room temperature to obtain white crystals . after filtration , the crystals were recrystallized from the mixture of water and methanol ( 2 : 8 ), washed with methanol , dried under reduced pressure to obtain 25 . 5 g of the target product . ______________________________________ c h n (%) ______________________________________found 52 . 74 10 . 01 25 . 48calculated for c . sub . 24 h . sub . 52 n . sub . 10 o . sub . 4 52 . 91 9 . 62 25 . 72______________________________________ the hydrazides prepared by similar manner as in examples , their melting points , the solvents for recrystallization and the values of elemental analysis are shown in table 1 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ solvent for melting elemental analysissample recrystal - point ( calculated ) no . hydrazides lization (° c .) c % h % n % __________________________________________________________________________1 n --( ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 conhnh . sub . 2 ). sub . 3 ethanol 129 39 . 34 7 . 87 35 . 71 ( 39 . 26 ) ( 7 . 69 ) ( 35 . 62 ) 2 ( nh . sub . 2 nhcoch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 conhnh . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 methanol 126 41 . 56 8 . 31 34 . 24 ˜ 127 ( 41 . 58 ) ( 7 . 92 ) ( 34 . 65 ) 3 ## str1 ## ethanol 131 42 . 91 8 . 58 33 . 27 ( 43 . 05 ) ( 8 . 19 ) ( 33 . 47 ) 4 ( nh . sub . 2 nhcoch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 conhnh . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 ethanol 95 42 . 95 8 . 60 33 . 22 ( 43 . 05 ) ( 8 . 19 ) ( 33 . 47 ) 5 ( nh . sub . 2 nhcoch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 6 n ( ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 conhnh . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 methanol 111 46 . 73 9 . 05 30 . 04 ( 46 . 94 ) ( 8 . 75 ) ( 30 . 41 ) 6 ( nh . sub . 2 nhcoch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 n ( ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 conhnh . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 water , 129 52 . 74 10 . 01 25 . 48 methanol ( 52 . 91 ) ( 9 . 62 ) ( 25 . 72 ) ( 2 : 8 ) __________________________________________________________________________ reactivity and storage stability of the formulated epoxy resin composition were evaluated . the formulation of the sample is shown in table 2 . the individual components were sufficiently mixed in a mortar . ( 2 - 1 ) onset temperature and peak temperature were measured by differential thermal analysis ( dta ) ( 2 - 2 ) the sample was put into a geer &# 39 ; s oven for 60 minutes and cured temperature was measured . the sample was put into a geer &# 39 ; s oven set to 40 ° c . and the day required for the sample becoming non - fluidity was measured . table 2__________________________________________________________________________ formulation no . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9__________________________________________________________________________the epon 828 *. sup . 1 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100presentcompound ( 1 ) 23inventioncompound ( 2 ) 27compound ( 3 ) 28compound ( 4 ) 28compound ( 5 ) 30compound ( 6 ) 36controladipic dihydrazide 23isophthalic 26dihydrazidedicyandiamide 8__________________________________________________________________________ *. sup . 1 a product of shell chemical co . bisphenol a type epoxy resin having epoxy equivalent of 175 ˜ 210 . table 3______________________________________ item reactivity cured storageformulation onset peak temp . stabilityno . temp . temp . ( 60 min ) ( 40 ° c .) ______________________________________the no . 1 118 ° c . 130 ° c . 100 ° c . & gt ; 2 weekspresent no . 2 130 155 120 &# 34 ; invention no . 3 131 152 110 &# 34 ; no . 4 120 152 130 &# 34 ; no . 5 109 147 100 &# 34 ; no . 6 130 152 110 &# 34 ; control no . 7 151 173 160 &# 34 ; no . 8 158 192 160 &# 34 ; no . 9 160 199 180 ( partial separation occurred ) ______________________________________ the result of table 3 shows that the latent curing agent for epoxy resin in this invention has excellent storage stability and reactivity . especially , the reactivity of this agent is superior to the control agent . | 2 |
referring to the drawings in a greater detail and by reference characters thereto , there is illustrated in fig1 a portion of a gutter generally designated by reference numeral 14 and which is attached to a supporting structure 12 to receive run - off from roof 10 . gutter 14 is of a conventional design which is widely available in the market place and has a back wall 16 which is designed to lie substantially adjacent to the supporting structure 12 . extending between a front row 20 and back wall 16 is a bottom 18 . front wall 20 includes a lower vertical segment 22 , a central arcuate segment 24 and upper vertical segment 26 . as may be best seen in fig3 , at the upper end of upper vertical segment 26 , there is provided an inwardly extending flange 28 and a reversely extending lower flange 32 connected thereto by means of a bight 30 . as seen in fig1 , a conventional end cap 34 is utilized to seal the end of gutter 14 . according to this embodiment of the present invention , there is provided a gutter guard which is generally designed by reference numeral 36 which has a central mean planer portion 38 extending the length of gutter 14 . main central portion 38 has a first side 40 , approximate back wall 16 and a second side generally designated by reference numeral 42 approximate front wall 20 . central planer portion 38 is provided with a plurality of apertures 43 which , as may seen , extend in diagonal rows in an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the length of gutter guard 36 . at first side 40 , gutter guard 36 has an inner vertical wall 44 and an outer vertical 48 connected by a bight 46 . in turn , at the lower of outer vertical wall 48 , there is provided an inturned flange 50 . at the second side 42 of gutter guard 36 , there is provided a vertical overflow wall 52 which is designed to prevent overflow during periods of heavy rain . vertical overflow wall 52 terminates in a bight 54 which connects with an horizontal segment 56 . in turn , horizontal section 56 continues on through bight 60 and terminates in an inturned flange 58 . screws 62 are used to secure both the gutter 14 and gutter guard 36 to supporting structure 12 . thus , it may seen in fig3 , a screw 62 will extend through both inner vertical wall 44 and outer vertical 48 of gutter guard 36 and also thru back wall 16 of gutter 14 . the inturned flange 50 helps maintain proper tension on the device . similarly , screws 64 are used at the second side 42 to secure gutter guard 36 to gutter 14 . again , the use of inturned flange 58 helps prevent loosening of the screws 64 . turning to the embodiment illustrated in fig4 and 5 , similar reference numerals with a prime are utilized for similar components . there is provided a gutter guard member generally designated by reference numeral 68 to be used in conjunction with a gutter ( only a portion shown ) having a back wall 16 ′ and the upper vertical segment 26 ′ of a gutter front wall . gutter guard 68 includes a central planer portion 38 ′ having a first side 40 ′ and a second side 42 ′. apertures 43 ′ extend through the central planer portion 38 ′. at the first side 40 ′, gutter guard 68 has an inner vertical wall 44 ′. however , at the upper end of inner vertical wall 44 ′, there is provided a top wall segment 76 and then a downwardly angled segment 78 . by means of bight 80 , there is also provided an upwardly angled segment 82 . downwardly angled segment 78 and upwardly angled segment 82 form a u - shaped configuration which are designed to receive one end of a sealing element 84 with the other end thereof being abutted against supporting structure 12 ′. at the second side 42 ′, guard member 68 has a structure substantially identical to that of gutter guard 36 . thus , there is provided a vertical overflow wall 52 ′, a bight 54 ′, and a horizontal segment 56 ′. at the distal end of horizontal segment 56 ′, there is provided an inturned flange 58 ′ which is connected thereto by means of a bight 60 ′. as with the case of the previously described embodiment , a screw 62 ′ is utilized to secure back wall 16 ′ to supporting structure 12 ′. however , this embodiment also provides for a hook member 86 having a u - shaped portion 88 at one end thereof . hook 86 is also attached by means of a screw 62 while hook 86 engages in the portion between upper inwardly extending flange 28 ′ and lower flange 32 ′. it will also be noted that screw 64 ′ is utilised to retain guard 68 in place as in the previously described embodiment . as the guard 68 may be provided in a plurality of pieces for retrofitting , a connector 90 may be utilized which fits within the space defined by downwardly angled segment 72 , inner vertical wall 44 ′, and a central planar portion 38 ′. a slightly modified arrangement of the embodiment of fig4 and 5 is shown in fig6 . in this arrangement , it will be noted that hook 86 ″ is somewhat angled while after the first side 40 ″, there is provided a downwardly angled wall segment 92 between planar portion 38 ″ and inner vertical wall 44 ″. turning to fig7 , there is illustrated another arrangement wherein there is provided a first upwardly extending portion 94 from planer central portion . upwardly extending portion 94 reverses itself in a u - shaped configuration to provide an underlying portion 96 joined by means of bight 98 . a further bight 100 leads into a third section 102 . between sections 96 and 102 , there is provided a u - shaped portion arranged to accept a sealing strip 104 . it will be understood that the above described embodiments are for purposes of illustration only and changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 4 |
the disclosure of the above - referenced u . s . pat . no . 5 , 448 , 582 , issued sep . 5 , 1995 , entitled &# 34 ; optical sources having a strongly scattering gain medium providing laser - like action &# 34 ;, by nabil m . lawandy is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety is the disclosure of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 434 , 878 , issued jul . 18 , 1995 , entitled &# 34 ; optical gain medium having doped nanocrystals of semiconductors and also optical scatterers &# 34 ;, by nabil m . lawandy . reference is first made to fig2 a and 2b for showing an embodiment of a catheter 10 that is suitable for use in photo - dynamic therapy applications . it should be realized , however , that the various methods and apparatus of this invention are not limited for use with only this one , albeit important , application . the catheter 10 includes an optical fiber 12 or other suitable conduit of electromagnetic radiation , and a protective covering or sheath 12a made from , by example , a non - reactive material such as teflon ™. a first end of the catheter 10 is coupled to a laser source such as a frequency doubled or frequency tripled nd : yag laser 2 . in the illustrated example the laser 2 provides light at a first wavelength ( λ 1 ), such as 532 nm . the light is conveyed to a terminal end of the catheter 12 where a scattering region 15 having a mirror 14 is provided . the scattering region 15 may be comprised of silicone containing titania or other suitable scattering particles . the purpose of the region 15 is to direct the incident light out of the optical fiber 12 or light conduit and into a surrounding sheath or structure 16 that includes a gain medium as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 488 , 582 . that is , the sheath or structure 16 includes , by example , a selected dye molecule or molecules 13a in combination with scattering sites 13b which provide in combination a laser - like emission when stimulated by the light from the laser 2 . the structure 16 outputs light with a second , desired wavelength ( λ 2 ). in this embodiment of this invention the gain medium may be contained in a transparent polymer of a type that contracts or shrinks when heated , such as heat shrinkable tubing . the output wavelength ( λ 2 ) is selected in accordance with the activation requirements of a photo - sensitive drug or substance used in a given pdt treatment . fig3 shows an embodiment wherein a dichroic mirror 20 is provided in combination with a substrate 22 that contains the gain medium . by example , the dichroic mirror 20 is transparent at the pump wavelength ( e . g . 532 nm ) and is reflective at the wavelength ( e . g . 650 nm ) that is emitted by the gain medium within the substrate 22 . the substrate 22 may be a polymer , a glass , or any suitable material for containing the gain medium ( e . g . dye molecules and scattering sites , such as particles of tio 2 or alumina ). two known photo - sensitive drugs that are activated by 650 nm light are mpth and photofrin . the embodiment of fig3 is well suited for treating external or exposed tissue , whereas the embodiment of fig2 a and 2b is well suited for treating internal tissue . in general , it is desirable to position the gain medium in close proximity to the tissue to be treated in order to maximize the amount of light that can be delivered to the photo - sensitive drug or drugs that are being used . fig4 a shows an embodiment wherein the substrate 22 is curved , and may represent a cross - section through a hemisphere or dome . fig4 b illustrates an embodiment wherein a plurality of the curved substrates 22a and 22b are employed to provide at least first and second wavelengths ( λ 2 , λ 3 ). as can be seen , the substrates 22a and 22b can have a generally concave inner surface , and one may be nested or contained within the other . in both of these embodiments the substrate shape leads to an integrating sphere effect for providing a more uniform illumination of the tissue being treated . in the embodiment of fig4 b it is assumed that the substrate 22a is substantially transparent at λ 1 , and that the substrate 22b is substantially transparent at λ 2 . fig5 a and 5b illustrate embodiments wherein a plurality of the structures 16 ( e . g ., sub - structures 16a - 16c ) are arranged circumferentially or longitudinally , respectively , about the terminal end of the optical fiber 12 . each sub - structure 16a - 16c has an associated emission wavelength λ 2 - λ 4 , respectively . the result is the simultaneous presence of a plurality of wavelengths for simultaneously activating a plurality of photo - sensitive drugs during a pdt treatment . more or less than three sub - structures can be provided . fig6 illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein a gain medium - containing substrate 23 is given a predetermined three - dimensional shape for conforming the substrate to a shape of a region of tissue to be treated . by example , a mold of a region of tissue to be treated ( e . g , a tumor ) is made , and the substrate 23 , such as polymeric material containing the gain medium , is formed from the mold . alternatively , a three dimensional surface profile or map of the region of tissue can be obtained from a medical imaging technique ( e . g ., cat scan or nmr image ), and the shape of the substrate 23 conformed to the profile . this embodiment of the invention is useful in providing an intimate fit between the substrate 23 and the region of tissue to be treated , thereby maximizing an amount of photo - sensitive drug or drugs that are activated . it should be realized that the dichroic mirror 20 can also be used with the embodiment of fig6 as well as the embodiment of fig4 b . fig7 illustrates a further embodiment of this invention wherein the terminal end of the optical fiber 12 is wrapped with one or more polymer filaments 26 that contain the gain medium . preferably adjacent wraps of the filaments 26 touch one another to prevent any leakage of the light at λ 1 . a plurality of different filaments can be used for providing a plurality of different wavelengths of light for activating a plurality of photo - sensitive drugs . a suitable laser system for driving this and other embodiments of this invention is a 15 mj , 1000 hz prr , 532 nm laser available from continuum . in general , a diode pumped nd : yag laser can be employed to provide a compact and relatively low cost source . in other embodiments a pure silica fiber 12 can be used with an ultraviolet ( uv ) source operating at , by example , 400 nm , and can provide an emission of , by example , 1 . 7 micrometers , depending on the characteristics of the selected gain medium . it can be realized that the teaching of this invention provides the ability to readily provide a number of different wavelengths of therapeutic light , while avoiding the problems inherent in providing , operating , and maintaining a conventional tuneable light source , such as a dye laser . in a further embodiment of this invention the dye molecules that comprise a portion of the gain medium may be replaced by semiconductor nanocrystals selected for their emission wavelength ( s ) ( e . g ., gan for blue , znse for green , cdse for red ). in this case the semiconductor nanocrystals may also function as scattering sites for the stimulated emission , either alone or in combination with the scattering particles . in a still further embodiment of this invention the polymer structure or substrate itself may provide the stimulated emission , such as a polymer comprised of ppv or mehppv . although described above in the context of specific materials , dimensions and the like , it should be appreciated that the teaching of this invention is not intended to be limited to only these disclosed exemplary embodiments and values . neither is the teaching of this invention intended to be limited to only the specific catheter and other embodiments described above . as such , while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 6 |
referring to fig1 - 4 , an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described . fig1 illustrates a block diagram of a service incident reporting and resolution system 100 . the service incident system 100 allows a user to open a service incident report and receive information pertaining to that particular service incident report from a data analysis specialist . the user initiates this process by logging into a software application . the user may use the software application to process data , generate reports , and the like . upon discovery of an issue or problem with either the functionality of the software application , certain information , files or processed data , generated reports or the like , the user may submit a service incident report describing the condition of the software application , information data , files or reports and certain other information detailed by the user . the service incident system 100 includes an application server 102 , a communications network 110 , a client system 120 , a client computer 130 , and a data analysis system 140 . the application server 102 provides software applications to the client systems 120 , 130 for execution on the client systems 120 , 130 receives information relating to service incidents , stores information relating to service incidents in the service incident database 104 , transmits information describing service incidents to the data analysis system 140 , and receives status or resolution information from the data analysis system 140 . the application server 102 transmits information to and receives information from the client systems 120 , 130 and the data analysis system 140 via the communications network 110 . preferably , the communications network 110 is the internet or a virtual private network between client and developer . the client system 120 receives and transmits information relating to the software application . if a user desires to execute a software application not currently stored on the client system 120 or if an update to the software application is required prior to execution , the client system 120 downloads and stores the software application or update to the software application from the application server 102 . once a valid copy of the software application is stored , the client system 120 begins execution thereof . during execution of the software application , the user may encounter an issue using the software application or an issue interpreting data , information , files , reports , documents , or the like . if the user encounters such an issue , the user may open a service incident by initiating a service incident report . upon opening of a service incident , the client system 120 transmits a message to the application server 102 describing the current condition of the software application , data , reports , information , documents , and the like , and any additional information provided by the user . in a preferred embodiment , the software application is executed on the application server 102 , and information is displayed to the client system 120 . in another preferred embodiment , the software application is a web application , and as such is executed on the application server 102 , and information is displayed to the client system 120 . the application server 102 provides information to and stores information received from the client systems 120 , 130 and the data analysis system 140 . the application server 102 includes a service incident database 104 , a processor 106 and a memory module 108 . the service incident database 104 stores all information received pertaining to each service incident in a respective service incident record . the memory module 108 stores each of the software applications along with other data . the processor 106 interfaces with the communications network 110 , the service incident database 104 , and the memory module 108 in order to respond to requests and / or transmissions from the client systems 120 , 130 and the data analysis system 140 . in a preferred embodiment , the memory module 108 includes volatile and nonvolatile memory . in another preferred embodiment , the memory module 108 includes a hard disk drive . the data analysis system 140 receives information about each of the service incidents stored in the service incident database 104 and provides information to the application server 102 describing ways to resolve each of the service incidents , requests for additional information , and indications of which service incidents are irresolvable . the data analysis system 140 includes many specialist terminals configured to display information pertaining to a specified service incident . data analysis specialists review this information and describe proposed solutions to the issues specified in the service incidents , requests for additional information , and indications of which service incidents are irresolvable which is then transmitted to the application server 102 . in a preferred embodiment , multiple data analysis systems 140 are utilized . in another preferred embodiment , each data analysis system 140 includes a single specialist terminal . fig2 illustrates a user driven process 200 for opening or reviewing a service incident . a service incident is a report , eventually transmitted to the application server 102 , describing an issue or problem a user is having with a software application that shall be reviewed by a data analysis specialist for resolution and reporting back to the user . the issue with the software application can be related to the usability of the software application , the particular data being presented to the user , or the like . the process 200 begins at step 202 by providing a username - password combination . the customer provides the username - password combination , clicks on a login button , and the process 200 advances to step 204 . at step 204 , the process 200 determines if the username - password combination was recognized by the application server 102 . if the username - password combination was recognized , the process 200 advances to step 208 . if the username - password combination was not recognized , the process 200 advances to step 206 . at step 206 , the process 200 determines whether the customer has attempted to log into the system at least three consecutive times . if the customer has attempted to log into the system less than three consecutive times , the process 200 advances to step 202 , and the customer is allowed to attempt to log into the system again . otherwise , the process 200 exits . at step 208 the user utilizes the functionality of the software application . the user may specify queries for desired data , files , information , format reports , analyze data or files presented or accessed by the software application , and the like . while performing these operations , the user may encounter an issue with the software application or an issue in understanding or using data , information or files presented or accessed by the software application . if the user experiences no issue or problem with the software application , data , information , or files , the process advances to step 218 , as shown at step 210 . if the user encounters an issue or problem with the software application or a question about the data being presented , the user may elect to open a service incident by clicking on an appropriate help button . if the user clicks on the appropriate help button , the process 200 advances to step 212 . in a preferred embodiment , the appropriate help button may be replaced by an appropriate menu option , hyper - link , or alternative software object . at step 212 , the process 200 initiates the opening of the service incident . the process 200 collects information describing the current condition of the software application , including the information , data or files displayed on the screen , the current work product , the current state of the software application , along with other parameters or variables describing the current status of the client system 130 . the current work product could be a document , a spreadsheet , a report , a database , and the like . for example , if a user was using a report generating application , where the user specifies particular data queries and the report generating application generates a report based on the responses to the data queries from a group of continually changing databases , the current work product would be the particular report , based on the information contained in the group of databases current as of the time the particular data queries were executed . the current state of the software application may include a history of actions taken by the user , the current software application options selected by the user , the current status of the controls operating on the current work products , the current software application options for this instance of the software application , the global default software application options for each instance of the software application and the like . for purposes of this application , an instance of the software application is a process executing the software application . once the process 200 collects the appropriate information , the process 200 advances to step 214 . at step 214 , the process 200 presents the user with a text box . the user is prompted to describe the issue presented to the user . the user can ask questions about the particular data the user is analyzing , the functions of the software application , and the like . once the user specifies his or her question , the user submits the service incident . the process 200 transmits the information describing the service incident to the application server 102 for the application server 102 to open a new service incident record in the service incident database 104 . at step 216 , the user determines whether he or she would like to continue using the software application . if the user decides to terminate the application , the process 200 exits . otherwise , the process 200 advances to step 208 . at step 218 , the user determines whether he or she would like to check on the status of an open service incident . if the user elects not to check on the status of an open service incident , the process 200 advances to step 208 . if the user elects to check on the status of an open service incident , the process 200 advances to step 220 . at step 220 , the process 200 determines if any service incidents are associated with the user . if no service incidents are associated with the user , the process 200 advances to step 221 . the process 200 informs the user that no service incidents are associated with the user , and the process 200 advances to step 208 . if at least one service incident is associated with the user , the process 200 advances to step 222 . at step 222 , the process 200 displays a list of service incidents opened by the user and the status of each of them . the user can select and review each of the service incidents to review the information provided and the proposed solution for each service incident at step 224 . once the customer selects a service incident , the process 200 presents the user with the information collected upon opening of the service incident , the question or questions provided by the user during the initial opening of the service incident or at subsequent times , and a proposed solution to the issue , a request for additional information , or an indication that the service incident is irresolvable . the solution is a proposed solution , because the information provided by the data analysis specialist may resolve a service incident , while other service incidents may remain unresolved even though information was provided by the data analysis specialist in the hopes of resolving the service incident . upon review of the proposed solution to the service incident , the user may not understand the proposed solution to the issue , the proposed solution may not rectify the issue to the user &# 39 ; s full satisfaction or the proposed solution may raise additional questions . at step 226 , the user may elect to ask additional questions about the service incident . if the user elects to ask additional questions , the process 200 advances to step 228 . otherwise , if the user is satisfied with the proposed solution , the client system 130 sends a message to the application server 102 indicating that the service incident is closed , and the process advances to step 216 . at step 228 , the process 200 re - opens the service incident . the process 200 collects the information describing the original service incident and any additional information that may exist , including any user provided information . after the process 200 collects this information , it presents the user with a text box . the user is prompted to describe the nature of the issue in the text box provided on the screen at step 230 . after the user describes the nature of the issue , the newly updated service incident is transmitted to the application server 102 , and the process 200 advances to step 216 . fig3 a illustrates a process 300 where the application server 102 receives service incidents from the client systems 120 , 130 . the process 300 begins at step 302 when the application server 102 receives a service incident message from either of the client systems 120 , 130 . the service incident message contains information describing a service incident . the service incident can be new or can be a request for additional clarification of an existing service incident . at step 304 , the process 300 determines if the service incident message contains information describing a new service incident or an existing service incident . if the message contains information describing a new service incident , the process 300 advances to step 306 . otherwise , the process 300 advances to step 312 . in a preferred embodiment , the process 300 may be one of many customer relationship management (“ crm ”) software tools . in another preferred embodiment , the process 300 is the onyx crm software tool , which is available from onyx software , 3180 139th ave se , suite 500 , bellevue , wash . 98005 - 4091 . at step 306 , the application server 102 opens a new service incident record in the service incident database 104 . upon creation and population of the new service incident record , the service incident database 104 will contain information collected by the process 200 , including the state of the software application the information provided by the user . the process 300 logs additional information into the service incident record , including an indication that the status of the service request is currently unresolved , an identifier indicative of the software application that originated the service incident , the time the service incident was received by the application server 102 , the type of issue represented by the service incident ( if discernable by the information describing the state of the software application ), the time the service incident was resolved ( which is initialized to a known value along with additional service incident tracking information ), and the like . at step 310 , the application server 102 assigns and transmits the service incident to a data analysis specialist . the assignment to a data analysis specialist is in part based on the time of receipt , the type of issue represented by the service incident , the software application that originated the service incident , and availability of data analysis specialists . once the service incident is assigned to a particular data analysis specialist , the application server 102 updates the service incident record to reflect the selected data analysis specialist and transmits a data analysis service incident message containing the information contained by the service incident record to the data analysis specialist at the data analysis system 140 and the process 300 exits . at step 312 , the application server 102 determines what information needs to be added to the service incident record in the service incident database 104 . the application server 102 accomplishes this by comparing the information contained in the service incident message against the information contained in the service incident record . the application server 102 adds the new information to the service incident record and updates the status to reflect that the service incident is unresolved . the process 300 also logs another set of additional information into the service incident record , reflecting the new addition to the service incident , including the time the new addition to the service incident was received by the application server 102 , the type of issue represented by the new addition to the service incident ( if discernable by the information describing the state of the software application ), the time the new addition to the service incident was resolved ( initialized to a known value ), and the like . this another set of additional information does not overwrite the additional information added to the service incident record upon the receipt of previous service incident message or messages . at step 314 , the process 300 retrieves the information identifying the data analysis specialist who worked on the service incident previously . once the previous data analysis specialist is identified , the process 300 determines whether the same data analysis specialist is available at step 316 . the same data analysis specialist is available if the specialist is currently logged - in to at the data analysis system 140 . if the data analysis specialist is currently available , the process 300 advances to step 318 , assigns the service incident to the same data analysis specialist , transmits a data analysis service incident message , and exits . this allows the data analysis specialist who is most acquainted with the issue to provide additional help to the user . otherwise , the process 300 advances to step 320 . at step 320 , the application server 102 assigns and transmits the service incident to a new data analysis specialist . the assignment to a data analysis specialist is in part based on the time of receipt , the type of issue represented by the service incident , the software application that originated the service incident , and availability of data analysis specialists . once the service incident is assigned to a particular data analysis specialist , the application server 102 updates the service incident record to reflect the selected data analysis specialist and transmits a data analysis service incident message containing the information contained by the service incident record to the data analysis specialist at the data analysis system 140 and the process 300 exits . fig3 b illustrates a process 350 where the application server 102 receives proposed resolutions , requests for additional information , or other status updates concerning service incidents analyzed by the data analysis system 140 . the process 350 begins at step 351 when the application server 102 receives a data analysis service incident update message from the data analysis system 140 . the data analysis service incident update message contains information describing a service incident and additional information associated with the service incident provided by a data analysis specialist at the data analysis system 140 . the additional information associated with the service incident may request additional information , report that the service incident is irresolvable , describe a proposed resolution , or the like . at step 352 , the process 350 determines whether the data analysis service incident update message contains a request for additional information . if the update message contains such a request , the process 350 advances to step 354 . at step 354 , the service incident record is updated to reflect the data analysis specialist &# 39 ; s request for additional information . once the service incident record is updated , the process 350 exits . if the update message does not contain a request for additional information , the process 350 advances to step 356 . at step 356 , the process 350 determines whether the data analysis service incident update message contains information indicating that the service incident is irresolvable . if the update message contains information reporting that the service incident is irresolvable , the process 350 advances to step 358 where the application server 102 updates the service incident record to reflect that the service incident has been reported as irresolvable , thereafter the process 350 exits . if the update message does not contain this information , the process 350 advances to step 360 . at step 360 , the process 350 determines whether the data analysis service incident update message contains information indicating a proposed resolution to the service incident . if the update message contains such information , the process 350 advances to step 362 where the application server 102 updates the service incident record accordingly and the process 350 exits . otherwise , the process 350 advances to step 364 , where the process 350 reports an error due to improper information contained in the update message , and the process 350 exits . fig4 illustrates a process 400 whereby the data analysis system 140 receives data analysis service incident messages from the application server 102 and processes the data analysis service incident messages accordingly . the process 400 begins at step 402 when the data analysis system 140 receives a data analysis service incident message from the application server 102 . the data analysis service incident message contains information describing a service incident and an indication of a selected data analysis specialist . at step 404 , the data analysis system 140 displays information relevant to the service incident to the specialist terminal of the selected data analysis specialist . the selected data analysis specialist reviews the information displayed by the data analysis system 140 and may alter the data in various ways to attempt to determine a solution to the issue confronted and described by the user . upon completion of review , the selected data analysis specialist indicates that his or her review of the service incident is complete and the process 400 advances to step 406 . at step 406 , the process 400 prompts the selected data analysis specialist to indicate whether the service incident was resolvable given the information contained in the data analysis service incident message . if the service incident was irresolvable given the available information , the process 400 advances to step 410 . otherwise , the process 400 advances to step 408 . the selected data analysis specialist is given an opportunity to describe a proposed resolution to the service incident , and the data analysis system 140 transmits a data analysis service incident update message to the application server 102 for storage in the appropriate service incident record in the service incident database 104 . the data analysis service incident update message contains at least the proposed resolution to the service incident and an indication that a proposed resolution to the service incident has been provided . once the data analysis service incident update message is transmitted to the application server 102 , the process 400 exits . at step 410 , the process 400 prompts the selected data analysis specialist to indicate whether the service incident was irresolvable due to insufficient information . if the service incident was irresolvable due to insufficient information , the process 400 advances to step 412 and the selected data analysis specialist is given an opportunity to specify a request of additional information from the user . the data analysis system 140 presents the selected data analysis specialist with a text box , within which the selected data analysis specialist can describe the type of information the selected data analysis specialist needs to propose a resolution to the service incident . upon receipt of this additional information , the data analysis system 140 transmits a data analysis service incident update message to the application server 102 for storage in the appropriate service incident record in the service incident database 104 . the data analysis service incident update message contains at least the request for additional information necessary to resolve the service incident and an indication that additional information is required to resolve the service incident . once the service incident message is transmitted to the application server 102 , the process 400 exits . if the service incident was irresolvable due factors other than insufficient information , the process 400 advances to step 414 and the selected data analysis specialist is given an opportunity to describe the reasons why the service incident is irresolvable . the data analysis system 140 presents the selected data analysis specialist with a text box . the selected data analysis specialist may describe the reasons the service incident is irresolvable . upon receipt of this additional information , the data analysis system 140 transmits a service incident message to the application server 102 for storage in the appropriate service incident record in the service incident database 104 . the data analysis service incident update message contains at least the reasons the service incident is irresolvable and an indication that the service incident is irresolvable . once the data analysis service incident update message is transmitted to the application server 102 , the process 400 exits . the foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the invention . various modifications and alterations to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein . it will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous techniques which , although not explicitly described herein , embody the principles of the invention and are thus within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
as illustrated in the figures , a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a supply control vessel 1 that has a concave center and a coin supply opening 4 on its sidewall . it is combined , on its upper part , with a cover 2 that has an input opening 6 , as is illustrated in fig1 and 2 . as illustrated in fig1 and in more detail in fig3 a drive means 8 , such as an electric motor , is located at a lower end of shaft 9 . a gear 24 is attached to an upper part of the rotation shaft 9 , to which a carrier vessel 10 and the supply control vessel 1 are combined in turn . rounded teeth 25 are mounted on gear 24 . a stopper 22 is mounted to act on teeth 25 and is safely fit into a housing 21 , with a spring 23 being built on its rear part , as illustrated in fig4 . fig1 illustrates the combined structure of the drive means 8 that makes the rotation shaft 9 rotate , the stopper 22 that interferes with the rotating direction of the gear 24 , the carrier vessel 10 , and the supply control vessel 1 . fig2 illustrates the structure and combined state of the supply control vessel 1 . fig3 illustrates the structure and function of the stopper 22 , and fig4 illustrates in detail the structure of the coin separator based on the present device . the following is a detailed explanation of the present device , with reference to the drawings and its working example . the drive means 8 of the present device is so constructed that it rotates in both directions , and its rotation direction changes when the direction of rotation is interfered with . for example , if the gear 24 that is linked to the drive means 8 is stopped by an external pressure while the drive means 8 rotates in its normal direction , the drive means 8 rotates automatically in the reverse direction . again , if the gear 24 is stopped while the drive means 8 rotates in the reverse direction , the drive means 8 comes to rotate in its normal direction again . the end portion of the stopper 22 that comes in contact with the teeth 25 of the gear 24 has the characteristic that it prevents the reverse rotation and does not interfere with rotation in he normal direction because it has an incline cut toward the normal direction of rotation , as illustrated in fig3 . additionally , the teeth 25 of the gear 24 are constructed such that they minimize the interference that occurs between the teeth 25 and the stopper 22 during the normal rotation of the gear 24 because their end parts are rounded , as illustrated in fig3 . the supply opening 4 of the supply control vessel 1 is so constructed that it may be placed at the lower part of the carrier vessel 10 when the carrier hole 11 is placed on the same position as the separation hole 13 , as illustrated in fig4 . the supply control vessel 1 is assembled and positioned inside of the carrier vessel 10 . it has the supply opening 4 on its side wall , and is supported , together with the carrier vessel 10 , by the rotation shaft 9 which supports the carrier vessel 10 and penetrates the center of the supply control vessel 1 itself . the cover 2 that has the input opening 6 is installed on the upper part of the supply control vessel 1 to prevent coins from overflowing the supply control vessel 1 . the rotation shaft 9 is installed in a sloping fashion in the body in order to support the supply control vessel 1 and the carrier vessel 10 at right angles to them , as illustrated in fig4 . as illustrated in fig4 the drive means 8 which supplies the rotary power of the rotation shaft 9 is installed at the lower part of the rotation shaft 9 , the gear 24 is installed at its upper part , the stopper 22 which is connected to the teeth 25 of the gear 24 is installed near the gear 24 , the spring 23 which supplies elasticity to the stopper 22 is installed at the rear part of the stopper 22 , and the stopper 22 and the spring 23 are located inside the housing 21 . with the above construction , the drive means 8 is operated and a coin is inserted into the input opening 6 , the carrier vessel 10 rotates together with the supply control vessel 1 . whenever the supply opening 4 of the supply control vessel 1 is placed at the lower half , a fixed quantity of coins drop successively through the supply opening 4 , and are supplied to the carrier vessel 10 . the carrier vessel 10 has the carrier holes 11 to carry coins toward the separation holes 13 such that a fixed quantity of coins is supplied from the supply control vessel 1 , meets the separation valve 12 which has the separation holes 13 , and is rotated by the revolution of the rotation shaft 9 . it is so constructed that coins supplied from the supply control vessel 1 to the carrier vessel 10 are loaded onto the carrier holes 11 according to size , and , while rotating , fall into guides 7 of their own according to size at the separation holes 13 of different size . in the above procedure of operation , a coin can come to stop at the separation hole 13 such that the carrier vessel 10 ceases to rotate at the moment when the coin in the carrier hole 11 is separated into the separation hole 13 and the speed of the rotation of the carrier vessel 10 do not agree . generally , if the carrier vessel 10 comes to stop in this manner in the prior art , the coin is removed by hand so as to continue the operation of coin separation . but , as for the present invention , a coin which comes to stop is automatically released without such a handwork . as noted above , the drive means 8 is rotatable in both directions , and the direction of its rotation is changed only when the direction of rotation is interfered with . that is , if the gear 24 connected with the drive means 8 is stopped by an external pressure while it rotates in the normal direction , the drive means 8 rotates in the reverse direction automatically , and if the gear 24 is stopped while it rotates in the reverse direction , the drive means 8 rotates in the normal direction again . so if a coin comes to stop at the separation hole 13 , the drive means 8 rotates in the reverse direction momentarily , a small gap is made instantaneously between the carrier hole 11 and the separation hole 13 , and the coin comes to drop . if the drive means 8 , which rotates in the reverse direction like the above , continues its reverse rotation , the operation of coin separation cannot be performed . so the stopper 22 is connected to the teeth 25 of the gear 24 for a quick switch of the rotation of the drive means 8 to the normal direction after its reverse rotation . the gear 24 rotates in the reverse direction by a gap of play between the teeth 25 of the gear 24 and the stopper 22 . and then the direction of rotation is switched to the normal direction again to allow the carrier vessel 10 to rotate . with the above procedure , the overload of the drive means 8 can be prevented . to explain the above with an example of its working , in the coin separator 12 where the separation valve 12 comprises four separation holes 13 , from the smallest one 13 to the largest one 13 ( increasing in size from left to right ), the carrier vessel 10 comprises carrier holes 11 of the same size on each of which only one coin can be loaded . if the drive means 8 is turned on , the drive means 8 is operated , and the carrier vessel 10 and the supply control vessel 1 rotate in the normal direction . if coins of four sizes are inserted into the supply opening 4 of the supply control vessel 1 , a small quantity of coins is supplied to the carrier vessel 10 only when the supply opening 4 of the supply control vessel i is in a lower position . that is , a large quantity of coins is prevented from being supplied to the carrier vessel 10 at the same time , and a fixed quantity of coins is allowed to supply continuously . if a fixed quantity of coins are not supplied uniformly and continuously to the carrier vessel 10 as in the above , but a large quantity of coins are supplied at a time , the separation of coins cannot be normally performed because coins accumulate even at the carrier holes 11 and several coins may drop at the same time . coins supplied to the carrier vessel 10 in a fixed quantity in the above manner drop when they pass the separation holes 13 , with each being loaded on a carrier hole 11 of the carrier vessel 10 . however , a coin may be caught between the carrier hole 11 and the separation hole 13 because of the relation between the falling time of a coin and the revolution speed of the carrier vessel 10 , whereby the normal rotation of the carrier vessel 10 is stopped . this causes the carrier vessel 10 to rotate in the reverse direction momentarily because the rotary direction of the drive means 8 is automatically changed by interference , as stated above . if the carrier vessel 10 is rotated in the reverse direction in this manner , a gap occurs between the vessel 10 and the separation valve 12 and the coin is released . once the jammed coin is released by the reverse rotation , the normal operation of coin separation should be performed with the normal rotation of the carrier vessel 10 . so , to switch the reverse rotation of the drive means 8 to the normal rotation , the gear 24 as illustrated in the fig3 is installed on the rotation shaft 9 , and the stopper 22 with the sharp tapered portion interacts with the teeth 25 of the gear 24 . to the rear part of the stopper is combined the spring 23 which has elasticity in the direction of gear 24 so that the stopper may adhere closely to between the teeth 25 , whereby , as illustrated in fig3 the stopper interferes with the rotation of the gear 24 in its reverse rotation , while the rotation of the gear 24 in the normal direction has no difficulty , so that the rotary direction of the drive means 8 may be switched and the carrier vessel 10 may be rotated in the normal direction . the coin supply apparatus of a coin separator according to the present device can easily perform the separation of coins because the supply control vessel which has a supply opening and to which a cover is combined is combined with the carrier vessel whereby a fixed quantity of coins can be uniformly supplied to the carrier vessel and coins of different kinds can not pass the carrier hole at the same time ; and that it can automatically proceed with the operation of coin separation because the drive means which makes the carrier vessel rotate is so constructed that the drive means can rotate in both directions , the gear is mounted on the rotation shaft to which are connected the carrier vessel and the drive means , and the stopper which is linked up with a spring is connected to the teeth of the above gear , whereby , in case that a coin is caught in the carrier vessel during the operation of coin separation , the carrier vessel is automatically made to instantaneously turn in the reverse direction to release the coin , and then is made to rotate in the normal direction again . | 6 |
illustrative apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention are illustrated in fig1 . such apparatus may include jar 19 and lid 12 to store and transport a heart valve prosthesis that has been prepared for surgical implant . lid 12 may be fitted with lid liner 14 . heart valve 11 may be attached to valve holder 13 and support 18 . when valve holder 13 , heart valve 11 , and support 18 are assembled within jar 19 as shown in fig1 , heart valve 11 is suspended within jar 19 by being vertically constrained between lid liner 14 and the base of jar 19 . the heart valve holder and support assembly may be rotationally constrained by tabs 17 in the base of jar 19 . in general , jar 19 contains heart valve 11 with support 18 resting on the base of jar 19 and valve holder 13 resting above heart valve 11 . however , the orientation of heart valve 11 may vary depending on the intended use . for example , a replacement mitral valve may be stored ( i . e ., held ) with the valve leaflets and commissure posts extending downwardly from the level of the valve &# 39 ; s sewing cuff , whereas aortic and supra valves may be held with the valve leaflets and commissure posts extending upwardly from the level of the valve &# 39 ; s sewing cuff . valve holder 13 may include an internal rotating mechanism to deflect the lower ends of the commissure posts radially inward . in the case of a replacement mitral valve , valve holder 13 may engage the sewing cuff of replacement heart valve 11 at locations annularly spaced around the valve . when holding aortic and supra replacement valves , valve holder 13 may be designed to engage the ends of the commissure posts of the replacement heart valve . heart valve 11 should be packaged such that the entire prosthesis is always completely immersed in the storage solution . this is typically achieved by completely filling jar 19 with storage solution . however , lid liner 14 may be designed to displace some of the volume of jar 19 . thus , jar 19 does not have to be completely filled with storage solution to ensure total immersion of heart valve 11 . apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention may also include holder handle 15 . an enlarged detailed view of one embodiment of a support is shown in fig2 . support 23 ( which may be used as support 18 of fig1 ) may include finger tabs 22 , ring 24 , struts 29 , and grips 28 . grips 28 may be designed to grip the sewing cuff or other suitable gripping surface of a prosthetic heart valve . finger tabs 22 may be squeezably operable to release grips 28 from a supported prosthetic heart valve . additionally , finger tabs 22 may provide resting support for support 23 within jar 19 . ring 24 may protect a stored heart valve from colliding with the wall of jar 19 if jar 19 is dropped or subjected to some other form of shock or impact . support 23 may attach directly to the sewing cuff of heart valve 11 . support 23 may alternatively be attached to valve holder 13 . some heart valve support products support the holder from above , obstructing the handle attachment means when the storage container is opened . thus , to attach a handle to the replacement valve and holder , the support must first be removed . support 23 may support a heart valve from below , and may engage a feature of the replacement valve instead of the holder . this feature enables immediate handle attachment and eliminates the codependence of the holder and support , allowing either component to be changed without affecting the other . supports like support 23 may be adapted for one - step removal . in such designs , ring 24 which connects three upstanding struts 29 may act as a pivot point . when finger tabs 22 below ring 24 are pressed toward the flow axis of the valve , grips 28 rotate away from the valve &# 39 ; s sewing cuff or other engagement surface and release the valve . this feature simplifies the operating room procedure as current valve supports require a more complex method to remove the support from the valve ( e . g ., multiple disassembly steps , cutting a suture , etc .). fig3 illustrates heart valve 11 with holder 13 and support 18 attached by grips 28 after the lid and lid liner have been removed from jar 19 . holder 13 may be attached to valve 11 by sutures that pass through eyelets 34 and sewing cuff 36 . holder 13 may have cutting grooves 38 so that sutures securing valve 11 to holder 13 can be easily cut at the appropriate time to remove valve 11 from holder 13 . as shown in fig3 , holder 13 may include threads 32 for the attachment of holder handle 15 ( see fig1 ). as shown in fig4 , holder handle 15 is threaded into valve holder 13 such that threads 42 of holder handle 15 threadably engage threads 32 of valve holder 13 . this secures valve / holder / support assembly 50 ( see fig5 ) to holder handle 15 . because threads 32 are exposed upon the removal of the combined lid and lid liner , there is no reason for the scrub nurse or surgeon to actually reach into jar 19 with their sterile , gloved hands . holder handle 15 is inserted directly into jar 19 to remove assembly 50 ( see fig5 ) from jar 19 . alternatively , holder handle 15 may snap into holder 13 , or any other suitable attachment mechanism may be used . because holder handle 15 is threaded into valve holder 13 , it is important that support 18 is able to hold the valve securely while holder handle 15 is tightened . to increase the torsional force that can be applied to valve holder 13 before sewing cuff 36 would begin to slip through grips 28 of support 18 ( e . g ., rotate about the holder handle axis and slide through the grips ), small ridges ( see , e . g ., ridges 210 of fig2 ) may be added to grips 28 . fig5 illustrates assembly 50 removed from jar 19 ( not shown ). assembly 50 may include support 18 , heart valve 11 , and holder 13 . once assembly 50 is removed , heart valve 11 is rinsed . a preferred rinse procedure may include filling three sterile basins with sterile isotonic saline . assembly 50 and the portion of holder handle 15 that was submerged in the valve storage solution should be fully immersed in the sterile isotonic saline solution of the first basin . the valve may be rinsed in the first basin for a fixed period of time with a gentle back and forth motion . the rinse process may be repeated in each of the three basins . once the rinse procedure is completed , assembly 50 may be left immersed in the third basin until the surgeon is ready for implantation . preferably , all of assembly 50 is rinsed , so that everything in fig5 is sterile and free of aldehyde residuals ( or toxic residuals ) and ready for the operating environment . once the rinse process is completed , finger tabs 22 below ring 24 are pressed toward the flow axis of the valve ( illustrated by arrows 62 ) as shown in fig6 , rotating grips 28 away from sewing cuff 36 of heart valve 11 ( illustrated by arrows 64 ). this releases heart valve 11 and valve holder 13 from support 18 . because support 18 was rinsed and sterilized with heart valve 11 , the surgeon or scrub nurse is free to squeeze tabs 22 with his or her gloved hand . as shown in fig7 , support 18 is pulled away from heart valve 11 and valve holder 13 . at this point , heart valve 11 and valve holder 13 are ready to be handed to the surgeon for installation in the patient in the assembly shown in fig8 . holder handle 15 and valve holder 13 may be removed from the patient in one piece once the installation procedure is completed . fig9 shows a top - down view of jar 110 , which is another illustration of a jar in accordance with the principles of the present invention , like jar 19 of fig1 . to prevent a valve / holder / support assembly , like assembly 50 of fig5 , from rotating in jar 110 when the handle is threaded into the valve holder , a number of tabs 117 may be added to the bottom of jar 110 , like those shown in fig9 and 10 . tabs 117 interfere with the finger tabs on the heart valve support and prevent the valve / holder / support assembly from rotating freely in the jar . fig9 - 13 show details of jar 110 , including lid threads 112 and tabs 117 . a lid liner , such as lid liner 140 illustrated in fig1 - 18 , may increase the effectiveness of the valve storage container . lid liner 140 may be press fit into the lid of a jar like jar 19 and is removed from the jar when the lid is removed . when the lid is attached to the jar , cylindrical boss 142 extends from the lid liner into the jar and reduces the volume of storage solution in the jar . due to these two factors , the fluid level in the jar is reduced to well below the rim of the jar when the lid is removed , greatly reducing the possibility of spilling storage solution in the operating room . lid liner 140 may be used to vertically secure a valve / holder / support assembly in a jar and prevent damage during shipping . cylindrical boss 142 of lid liner 140 may be hollowed out so that it is able to flex and secure valve / holder / support assemblies of varying heights . hollow region 160 is shown in fig1 . fig1 - 18 show the details of a lid liner in accordance with the principles of the present invention . fig1 - 33 illustrate the details of various embodiments of a heart valve support in accordance with the principles of the present invention . specifically , fig1 - 23 show features of an aortic valve support , fig2 - 28 show features of a mitral valve support , and fig2 - 33 show features of a supra valve support . the support may be flexible so that one support can accommodate the entire size range for each type of heart valve , eliminating the need for supports of different sizes . fig1 shows aortic valve support 190 . aortic valve support 190 may have struts 192 , grips 194 , ring 196 , and finger tabs 200 ( see fig2 ). grips 194 may have torsional ridges 210 ( see fig2 ) that have been designed to fit within small grooves in the sewing cuff fabric and are asymmetric to preferentially resist handle tightening . aortic support 190 engages the sewing cuff of a replacement aortic valve at locations annularly spaced around the valve . fig2 illustrates support 240 , which may have special features adapted for supporting a replacement mitral valve . a holder , like valve holder 13 of fig1 , may engage a replacement mitral valve adjacent the sewing cuff in three areas that are spaced from one another annularly around the valve . support 240 may engage the sewing cuff at locations that are annularly intercalated with and spaced from the locations at which the holder engages the valve . mitral valve support 240 may have struts 242 , grips 244 , ring 246 , and finger tabs 250 ( see fig2 ). grips 244 may have torsional ridges 260 ( see fig2 ) that have been designed to fit within small grooves in the sewing cuff fabric and are asymmetric to preferentially resist handle tightening . mitral support 240 engages the sewing cuff of a replacement mitral valve at locations annularly spaced around the valve . fig2 shows support 290 for engaging a supra replacement heart valve . supra support 290 engages the sewing cuff of a replacement supra valve at locations annularly spaced around the valve , and may have struts 292 , grips 294 , ring 296 , and finger tabs 300 ( see fig3 ). grips 294 may have torsional ridges 310 ( see fig3 ) that have been designed to preferentially resist handle tightening . as seen in fig1 - 33 , various features of the struts , grips , rings , and tabs may be modified to support the various types of replacement heart valves . however , the basic structural principles of these support structures remain consistent in accordance with the principles of the present invention . it will be understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of the principles of the invention , and that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . for example , the order of some steps in the procedures that have been described are not critical and can be changed if desired . also , various steps may be performed with various techniques . | 0 |
referring to fig1 there is shown a perspective view of a magnetic encoder 10 in accordance with the present invention . the magnetic encoder 10 comprises a ferrite core head 12 having an air gap area 14 . the ferrite core head 12 is energized by current passing through an electrical coil 16 . the electrical coil 16 , having n turns , is driven with an ac current i t at a carrier frequency f t in a resonant tank circuit ( see fig1 ). thus , the air gap area 14 is filled with a uniform magnetic field oscillating at the carrier frequency f t . a multilayer printed circuit board 18 is secured to the ferrite core head 12 in the air gap area 14 . the printed circuit board 18 has sensor coil windings formed thereon ( see fig6 and 7 ) for sensing changes in the uniform magnetic field in the air gap area 14 . a rigid disc 20 ( only a portion of which is shown , and , from that , a portion of which is cut away for purposes of clarity ) is mounted for rotation about a shaft 22 such that the outer portion of the disc 20 rotates through the air gap area 14 . the disc 20 has a track of radially positioned conducting lands 24 and a track of concentrically positioned conducting traces 26 formed on the surface thereof . it should be noted that the conducting lands 24 and the conducting traces 26 may be formed on either side of the disc 20 . referring to fig2 there is shown a cross - sectional view of the ferrite core head 12 in area of the air gap area 14 . some sensor coil windings 28 , which are formed on the top layer of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 , are shown to illustrate the spacing of the sensor coil windings 28 in relation to the conducting lands 24 . referring to fig3 there is shown a detailed view of the air gap area 14 . the multilayer printed circuit board 18 comprises a first layer 30 upon which a first set of sensor coil windings 32 are formed , and a second layer 34 upon which a second set of sensor coil windings 36 are formed . the second set of sensor coil windings 36 correspond to the sensor coil windings 28 shown in fig2 . referring to fig4 there is shown a plan view of the entire disc 20 with the conducting lands 24 and the conducting traces 26 . the disc 20 is preferably made from a rigid material that is mechanically stable and withstands the adverse effects of temperature , moisture , etc . the disc 20 must also not exhibit any magnetic properties ( i . e ., must be transparent to magnetic fields ). all of the conducting lands 24 are of equal size and are equally spaced from one another . also , all of the conducting lands 24 are equally distant from the center of the disc 20 . the conducting lands 24 are preferably formed with copper , but any number of electrically conducting materials may suffice . as described in detail below , the conducting lands 24 provide for incremental position reading . the conducting traces 26 comprise an inner conducting trace 26 &# 39 ;, a middle conducting trace 26 &# 34 ;, and an outer conducting trace 26 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;. in this particular embodiment , the inner 26 &# 39 ;, middle 26 &# 34 ;, and outer 26 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; conducting traces are arranged to form eight reference points , with one point being larger than the others . like the conducting lands 24 , the conducting traces 26 are preferably formed with copper , but any number of electrically conducting materials may suffice . as described in detail below , the conducting traces 26 provide for absolute position reading . referring to fig5 there is shown a detailed section of the disc 20 with the conducting lands 24 and the inner 26 &# 39 ;, middle 26 &# 34 ;, and outer 26 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; conducting traces . it should be noted that the conducting lands 24 and the inner 26 &# 39 ;, middle 26 &# 34 ;, and outer 26 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; conducting traces must be electrically isolated from one another . referring to fig6 and 7 , there are shown the first layer 30 and the second layer 34 , respectively , of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 . it should first be noted that all of the layers of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 must be fabricated of materials which do not exhibit any magnetic properties ( i . e ., are transparent to magnetic fields ). the first set of sensor coil windings 32 are formed on the surface of the first layer 30 , and the second set of sensor coil windings 36 are formed on the surface of the second layer 34 . as described below , the first set of sensor coil windings 32 and the second set of sensor coil windings 36 are used to measure modulations in the otherwise uniform magnetic field in the air gap area 14 caused by the conducting lands 24 . a third set of sensor coil windings 38 are formed on the surface of the first layer 30 of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 , and a fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 are formed on the surface of the second layer 34 of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 . as described below , the third set of sensor coil windings 38 and the fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 are used to measure modulations in the otherwise uniform magnetic field in the air gap area 14 caused by the conducting traces 26 . the first set of sensor coil windings 32 forms closed &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; areas on the surface of the first layer 30 of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 , and the second set of sensor coil windings 36 forms closed &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; areas on the surface of the second layer 34 of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 . similarly , the third set of sensor coil windings 38 forms a closed &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; area on the surface of the first layer 30 of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 , and the fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 forms closed &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; areas on the surface of the second layer 34 of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 . when the second layer 34 of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 is positioned over the first layer 30 of the multilayer printed circuit board 18 , the second set of sensor coil windings 36 and the fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 are positioned over the first set of sensor coil windings 32 and the third set of sensor coil windings 38 , respectively . this positioning results in all of the closed areas of the first layer 30 ( the &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; closed areas ) being superposed on the second layer 34 , and all of the closed areas of the second layer 34 ( the &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; closed areas ) being superposed on the first layer 30 , as shown in fig6 and 7 . in accordance with faraday &# 39 ; s induction law , any changes that occur in the uniform magnetic field in the closed areas of any of the sensor coil windings will induce voltages in those sensor coil windings . for example , any changes that occur in the uniform magnetic field in the closed &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; areas will induce voltages in the first set of sensor coil windings 32 , and any changes that occur in the uniform magnetic field in the closed &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; areas will induce voltages in the second set of sensor coil windings 36 . similarly , any changes that occur in the uniform magnetic field in the closed &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; area will induce a voltage in the third set of sensor coil windings 38 , and any changes that occur in the uniform magnetic field in the closed &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; areas will induce voltages in the fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 . it should be noted that the first set of sensor coil windings 32 and the second set of sensor coil windings 36 are connected in series so as to yield a differential induced voltage signal , as described below . similarly , it should be noted that the third set of sensor coil windings 38 and the fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 are connected in series so as to yield a differential induced voltage signal , as described below . referring to fig8 there is shown a graphical representation of the instantaneous flux density in the air gap area 14 as a result of interference caused by the conducting lands 24 in the applied uniform magnetic field , b a . the applied uniform magnetic field b a , which is oscillating at the carrier frequency f t , is generated in the air gap area 14 by the electrical coil 16 . the oscillating nature of the applied uniform magnetic field b a results in eddy currents being generated in each conducting land 24 , as shown . in turn , these eddy currents produce magnetic fields which oppose the applied uniform magnetic field b a in the area of each conducting land 24 , and aid the applied uniform magnetic field b a in the area between each conducting land 24 , as shown . the applied uniform magnetic field b a becomes modulated as a result of the eddy current generated magnetic fields , as shown . this modulated magnetic field moves with the motion of the conducting lands 24 through the air gap area 14 as a result of the rotation of the disc 20 . as mentioned above , faraday &# 39 ; s induction law explains how changes that occur in the uniform magnetic field in the closed areas of any of the sensor coil windings will induce voltages in those sensor coil windings . accordingly , the modulated magnetic field that is generated as a result of the eddy current generated magnetic fields described above will induce voltages in the first set of sensor coil windings 32 and the second set of sensor coil windings 36 . since , as described above , the first set of sensor coil windings 32 and the second set of sensor coil windings 36 are series connected , the induced voltages will yield a differential voltage signal that represents the spatial modulation of the conducting lands 24 . similar to the modulated magnetic field that is produced as a result of the eddy currents that are generated in the conducting lands 24 , a modulated magnetic field is also produced as a result of eddy currents being generated in the conducting traces 26 . this modulated magnetic field will induce voltages in the third set of sensor coil windings 38 and the fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 . since , as described above , the third set of sensor coil windings 38 and the fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 are series connected , the induced voltages will yield a differential voltage signal that represents the spatial modulation of the conducting traces 26 . at this point it should be noted that the differential voltage signals are typically at a very low impedance ( e . g ., a few ohms at 1 . 0 megacycle ). referring to fig9 there is shown a circuit 42 for processing the differential voltage signal , v diff , from either the first set of sensor coil windings 32 and the second set of sensor coil windings 36 , or from the third set of sensor coil windings 38 and the fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 . a waveform of the differential voltage signal v diff is shown in fig1 a . referring back to fig9 the differential voltage signal v diff is first conditioned by a transformer 44 and a capacitor 46 . the transformer 44 steps up the differential voltage signal v diff , while the combination of the transformer 44 and the capacitor 46 , tuned to the carrier frequency f t , provide rejection of potentially interfering ambient magnetic fields , possibly from nearby machinery or from rf sources . a reference coil 48 on the ferrite core head 12 ( not shown in fig1 ) provides a reference signal , v ref , for use by a sample - hold phase detector 50 . the sample - hold phase detector 50 is synchronized to look at each peak of the differential voltage signal v diff . the sample - hold phase detector 50 provides a bipolar signal , v sh , that is squared up with a comparator 52 , which provides a square wave output signal , v out . waveforms of the sample - hold phase detector output signal v sh and the comparator square wave output signal v out are shown in fig1 b and 10c . it should be noted that two of the above - described channels may be phase displaced by 1 / 4 - cycle along the track of conducting lands 24 in order to provide direction sensing in the conventional manner . it should also be noted that the conducting traces 26 provide for absolute reference position reading . the middle conducting trace 26 &# 34 ; provides a true reference position signal , and the inner 26 &# 39 ; and outer 26 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; conducting traces provide complementary signals . thus , the inner 26 &# 39 ; and outer 26 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; conducting traces enhance the field modulation of the middle conducting trace 26 &# 34 ; for the third set of sensor coil windings 38 and the fourth set of sensor coil windings 40 . depending upon the application , the track of conducting traces 26 can yield single or multiple reference positions , perhaps identified by angular width or a special code . the readings provided from the track of conducting traces 26 may also be combined with readings from the track of conducting lands 24 for absolute angle encoding . for this purpose , the track of conducting traces 26 yields a serial code for absolute position with increased resolution from the track of conducting lands 24 . thus , an economical absolute encoder is accomplished with rugged magnetic technology . referring to fig1 , there is shown an oscillator circuit 54 for generating an ac current i t at a carrier frequency f t for driving the electrical coil 16 on the ferrite core head 12 . the electrical coil 16 is part of a resonant tank circuit 78 , which also includes a discrete charging capacitor 56 . the oscillator circuit 54 comprises a pair of switching mosfet &# 39 ; s 58 and 60 , a pair of mosfet gate coil windings 62 and 64 , a pair of voltage dividing resistors 66 and 68 , a pair of input bias resistors 70 and 72 , a + 5 vdc voltage supply 74 , and an initialization circuit 76 . the initialization circuit 76 comprises a delay circuit 80 that is coupled to the + 5 vdc voltage supply 74 . the delay circuit 80 is also transformer coupled to the gate of the switching mosfet 60 through a transformer 82 . after the + 5 vdc voltage supply 74 comes on - line , the delay circuit 80 provides a delayed start pulse at the gate of the switching mosfet 60 . this delayed start pulse results in a start current pulse being injected into the resonant tank circuit 78 comprising the main coil winding 16 and the charging capacitor 56 . thereafter , the switching mosfet &# 39 ; s 58 and 60 periodically inject sustaining current pulses into the resonant tank circuit 78 . the switching mosfet &# 39 ; s 58 and 60 are driven by a combination of ac and dc voltages derived from the mosfet gate coil windings 62 and 64 and the + 5 vdc voltage supply 74 , respectively . the mosfet gate coil windings 62 and 64 are wrapped around the ferrite core head 12 ( not shown in fig1 ) so as to provide feedback signals for driving the gates of the switching mosfet &# 39 ; s 58 and 60 . the + 5 vdc voltage supply 74 is divided down by the voltage dividing resistors 66 and 68 so as to provide a dc offset voltage at the gates of the switching mosfet &# 39 ; s 58 and 60 . the input bias resistors 70 and 72 provide dc voltage return from the gates of the switching mosfet &# 39 ; s 58 and 60 for dynamic reasons . the preferred carrier frequency f t for the magnetic encoder 10 is chosen out of consideration for the available high permeability core materials , signal induction factors , and emi concerns . low - loss ferrites are a good choice for frequencies in the low megacycle range . as illustrated above , the main coil winding 16 is fed from the oscillator circuit 54 . the charging capacitor 56 , which resonates with the main coil winding 16 at the carrier frequency f t , is highly desirable to minimize the power required . thus , the preferred solution is to let the lc resonance of the main coil winding 16 and the charging capacitor 56 determine the carrier frequency f t since an exact value is not critical and reasonable component tolerances and temperature effects can be accommodated . the oscillator circuit 54 accomplishes this by synchronizing the gate switching of the switching mosfet &# 39 ; s 58 and 60 with the normal free oscillation in the resonant tank circuit 78 . thus , there is no need for a separate frequency source and tuning control for the oscillator circuit 54 . although the present invention has heretofore been described as being used with a rotary encoder , the same concepts can also be applied to a linear encoder . furthermore , although the sensor coil windings have heretofore been described as having several loops for forming closed areas , only one closed loop is necessarily required . it should be noted , however , that multiple loops generally provide for stronger signals . the present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiment described herein . indeed , various modifications of the present invention , in addition to those described herein , will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings . thus , such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the following appended claims . | 6 |
air jet looms have been known for some time , both from literature and commercially available machinery , therefore a functional diagram of such a loom will suffice to adequately explain the present invention . only those parts of the loom will be described and discussed in particular which differ from those of a conventional air jet loom . in the air jet loom shown in fig1 the warp threads pass from a warp beam ( omitted ) over a whip roll ( omitted ) and splitting rods ( omitted ) to a shed - forming means 11 . the shed forming means 11 forms sheds from the warps , and the weft threads are sequentially inserted into and through these sheds . the inserted weft threads are beaten by a reed 9 mounted on a batten 8 up into the fell 15 of the material . the finished material is removed by a removal means 12 shown schematically and is wound on a warp beam 13 . the weft threads are moved by air in an air jet loom into the particular sheds . the wefts are moved into position from a bobbin 1 from which they are drawn by a coiling device 2 and are kept ready in the form of coils . one length of weft thread that is approximately the width of the fabric , corresponds to a number of turns of the coiling device 2 , that is three or four turns or the like . a magnetic clamp 3 is associated with the coiling device 2 , whereby the readied weft thread can be clamped or released . the coiling device 2 is followed by a stationary pre - blow nozzle 4 which shall be discussed in further detail below in relation to fig4 . the pre - blow nozzle 4 is connected in a manner not shown in further detail by magnetic valves to a source of compressed air of which the control is elucidated below . the pre - blow nozzle 4 is followed by a main jet nozzle 5 mounted on the batten beam 6 of the batten 8 . the batten 8 is driven into oscillating motion about a spindle 7 transverse to the loom . in the path of projection from the main jet nozzle 5 , the blades of the reed 9 are provided with a u - shaped duct receiving laterally the air flow from the main jet nozzle 5 . a plurality of auxiliary jet nozzles 10 are mounted on the batten beam 6 of the batten 8 and are directed to blow in the direction of motion of the weft thread through the u - shaped duct of the blades of the reed 9 . a weft monitor 19 is present at the end of the reed 9 and monitors the presence of the inserted weft thread . in order to insert a weft thread , the clamping means 3 is opened for a predetermined time so that a predetermined number of turns of the weft thread will be drawn off the spool device 2 , the number of turns corresponding to the length of weft thread to be inserted into the shed . the weft insertion takes place while the batten 8 moves forward , that is , while the reed 9 moves toward the fell 15 of the material . at the end of this motion , the newly inserted weft thread is beaten by the reed 9 into the material fell 15 , and the weft thread is moved between the scissors 14 which sever the inserted weft thread from the weft thread extending from the main jet nozzle 5 . the scissors 14 consist of a fixed blade and a movable blade driven in reciprocating motion by an electric motor 16 . it should be noted that the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 are sequentially loaded with compressed air in groups in the direction of advance of the weft thread through the shed , the sequence of the group - wise actuation being matched to the desired speed for weft insertion . as is implied by the above description of the embodiment fig1 the operation of the various elements is interrelated , and thus a control means 40 , including drive 41 , must be provided . based on the above description , implementation of such control means would be well within the capabilities of those skilled in the art . where the main jet nozzle 5 is conventional and known , the pre - blow nozzle 4 is a special design for the operation to be discussed below . the pre - blowing nozzle 4 shown in fig4 comprises a tubular feedthrough duct 25 mounted in a housing block 26 . the housing block 26 comprises two annular chambers 27 and 28 connected by magnetic valves ( not shown ) to a source of compressed air ( not shown ). the annular chamber 28 is connected by two hook - ups 29 and 30 through magnetic valves ( not shown ) to the compressed air source . thereby the annular chamber 28 may be exposed on one hand to the full jet air pressure and on the other to a pressure significantly lower than the full jet air pressure and adequate to merely put tension on the weft thread . the duct 25 issues into an injector nozzle 31 communicating with the annular chamber 28 . a flow of suction air is generated by this injector nozzle 31 in the duct 25 whereby the weft thread is subjected to the suction and is pulled through the duct 25 and then is blown out of a tube stub 32 . the annular chamber 27 is connected by the compressed - air connector 33 through a magnetic valve ( not shown ) to the compressed air source ( not shown ). the duct 25 comprises boreholes 34 sloping in an opposite direction relative to the normal direction of travel of the weft thread in the region of the annular chamber 27 . these boreholes allow blowing a jet of air into the duct 25 opposite to the normal direction of travel of the weft thread . the blowing pressure is adjustable by means of a control valve ( not shown ). the intake zone of the duct 25 facing the coiling device 2 is equipped with an optical weft monitor 35 connected by a hook - up cable 36 to a control means ( not shown ). a pneumatic weft catch means 18 is mounted on the side of the shed opposite the main jet nozzle 5 and points a slot 24 toward the zone of the shed . as shown by fig2 the slot 24 extends in the direction of travel of the reed 9 , and is located at the level of the u - shaped channel of the reed blades . fig2 further shows that the slot extends approximately in the direction corresponding to the path of travel of the u - shaped channel of the reed blades of the reed 9 which is a circular path about the batten spindle 7 . as shown by fig2 and 3 , the slot 24 extends approximately across half the possible travel distance of the reed 9 , starting at the reed &# 39 ; s rear dead ( i . e ., dwell ) point . a duct tapering toward a drain line 23 joins the slot 24 . blow nozzles 20 , 21 connected by magnetic valves ( not shown ) to a source of compressed air issue into the duct . another weft monitor 17 is mounted near the end of the slot 24 facing the fell 15 of the material and will be further discussed further below . the blow nozzle 20 blows the weft thread in the vicinity of the catch means 18 toward the weft monitor 17 and also pulls the end of the weft into the catch means . the blow nozzle 21 also essentially points away from the slot 24 , and pulls in tension on the weft thread in its vicinity . the method of the invention will now be discussed in relation to the occurrence of a defect in the insertion of a weft thread . the individual operations , including the actuation of the entire loom , are driven by a control means containing a microprocessor whereby the individual elements may be driven , and the drive means may be actuated at predetermined as well as at adjustable times , these times being also variable in regard to their frequency . once the weft monitor 19 at the exit of the shed determines that a weft thread is absent from its zone , a corresponding signal is fed to the central control . this signal triggers the process steps listed below , which may be controlled by a microprocessor . first the electric motor 16 of the scissors 14 is actuated in such a way that no cutting shall take place , that is , the defectively inserted weft thread remains connected to the ready supply of weft . the clamp 3 of the spool device 2 is actuated in such a way that one turn of the ready supply of weft thread is drawn - of - f . this take - off is implemented by the pre - blow nozzle 4 and the main jet nozzle 5 being loaded at reduced air pressures in the normal blowing direction to assist in removing weft thread from the coil . thereafter the supply of reduced pressure compressed air supplied to the pre - blow nozzle 4 and the main nozzle 5 is cut off , while the annular chamber 27 of the pre - blow nozzle 4 is loaded with compressed air . in this way the weft thread end between the defectively inserted weft thread and the main jet nozzle 5 is tensioned and as a weft thread loop is formed between the pre - blow nozzle 4 and the coiling device 2 . the magnitude of the pressures and / or the duration of blowing - in are adjustable by means of a valve ( not shown ). the error signal emitted by the weft monitor 19 also triggers shutdown of the loom . it is possible however that the loom may not be shut down sufficiently rapid such that the defectively inserted weft thread could still be beaten against the exposed fell of the material . therefore the loom is shut down in a predetermined position , for instance at 120 ° of its operative cycle . thereafter the defective weft is exposed again by newly forming the shed which was made available for its insertion . this may be carried out by reversing the loom correspondingly . however the loom also might be equipped with a special control which drives the loom into a weft thread seek - position , this is especially applicable when the individual units of the air jet loom are driven by individual motors . the batten 8 with the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 are moved back by reversing the loom to the extent that the blow apertures of the auxiliary nozzles 10 just protrude into the shed . this prevents the defective weft thread from catching on the auxiliary jet nozzles during the removal of the weft described below , or the catching of a newly inserted weft on the nozzles . this is a position somewhat deviating from the normal weft insertion position because dynamic conditions also must be taken into account when the weft threads are inserted normally . the position of the auxiliary nozzles to remove the weft thread defect corresponds to about 60 ° of the loom cycle , while the normal position of the nozzles to insert the weft thread is at about 80 ° of the loom operative cycle . the above process steps terminate the preparations to remove the defectively inserted weft thread . however one operational check remains to be carried out , in particular that the signal from the weft monitor 19 indicating the absence of a weft thread exiting the shed is actually due to a defectively inserted weft thread . in particular , the vicinity of the pre - blow nozzle 4 is examined for the presence of weft thread to determine if the absence of a weft thread exiting the shed was due to the absence of weft thread at the pre - blow nozzle . the yarn monitor 35 carries out the monitoring of the presence of a readied weft thread in the zone of the pre - blower nozzle 4 . once it has been ascertained that a weft thread is kept ready in the zone of the pre - blow nozzle , the program to remove the defectively inserted weft thread from the shed is carried out . to that end , the clamping means 3 releases at least another turn of the weft thread which then is blown into the shed by turning - on the pre - blow nozzle and the main jet nozzle . before the weft thread is blown into the shed the counter - air from the pre - blow nozzle 4 will have been turned off . the pre - blow nozzle and the main jet nozzle 5 are driven at full output , that is , at the operating pressure of the compressed air , however the time of blowing is less than for normal operating conditions . the blowing time is matched to the predetermined length of the weft thread to be blown - in . because one turn already had been taken from the coiling device 2 in the preparation to remove the defective weft , presently there are , following blowing in , at least two turns of the newly inserted weft thread in addition to the defectively inserted weft thread in the shed . together with turning on the pre - blower nozzle 4 and the main jet nozzle 5 , the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 also are turned on in their conventional staggered sequence , that is , they are loaded in groups with compressed air sequentially in the direction of weft travel . because one must expect that the z - shaped form of the weft thread between the fell of the material and the newly blown - in weft thread will not move as fast through the shed as an ordinary inserted weft thread , the invention provides that the time sequence of actuating the sequential groups of auxiliary jet nozzles 10 be reduced relative to the normal time sequence . both the blowing time of the pre - blower nozzle 4 and of the main jet nozzle 5 and the time sequence of actuating the auxiliary jet nozzles can be adjusted , whereby these parameters can be matched to the particular material being processed . by actuating the pre - blower nozzle 4 and the main jet nozzle 5 and the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 , the predetermined length of weft thread will be blown - in , and the defectively inserted weft thread still present near the fell of the material will be pulled on by the pulsating force the blowing nozzles exert on the weft thread . following the above described first step , the auxiliary nozzles 10 are once more loaded with compressed air in one or more cycles , whereby the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 once more exert a pulsating force on the z - shaped form of the newly inserted and defectively inserted weft thread . the sequence of loading the groups of auxiliary jet nozzles may be the same as in the first step or , where called for , may be somewhat slowed down . the number of these attempts at detachment generated solely by the auxiliary jet nozzles and relating to the defectively inserted weft thread is adjustable and furthermore may also be matched to the particular material being processed . when a material is being processed in which a defectively inserted weft thread may be detached comparatively easily from the fell of the material , then possibly this particular process step may be dispensed with . in the next step , the clamping means 3 is actuated to remove at least another turn of weft thread from the coiling device 2 . as much of the ready supply of weft thread is removed until the newly inserted weft thread with the defectively inserted weft thread is long enough to reach across the width of the material to the zone of the pneumatic catch means 18 mounted on the side of the material away from the main jet nozzle 5 . because the catch means weft monitor 17 , the operation of which shall be elucidated below , is mounted farther away from the material than the weft monitor 19 , one more turn must be detached off the spool coiling device 2 than if the weft thread length were normal . it may happen that following these steps , the newly inserted weft thread has fully detached the defectively inserted weft thread and together they were received in the pneumatic catch means 18 . however it is possible also that the defectively inserted weft thread still adheres to the fell 15 of the material , and that therefore further pulsating pulling by actuating the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 will be required . again this depends on the material to be woven and adjustments can be made in relation to that material . it is to be noted that the total weft thread length required from the ready supply of weft thread can be released in one or more steps , that is , several turns may be released at once or they may be released sequentially . the moment the weft thread enters the catch means 18 , it is pulled by the blowing of the nozzle 20 . the compressed - air loading through the nozzle 21 of the weft catch means 18 is also turned on in pulsations , whereby the weft catch means 18 also contributes to the pulsating pulling on the defectively inserted weft thread . provision is made so that the weft thread catch means 18 is jointly turned on and off with the last group of auxiliary jet nozzles 10 loaded in the sequence . following the end of the pulsating blowing loading cycles , the pneumatic catch means 18 remains on , while the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 will be turned off again . following a sufficient number of pulsating loadings , the air jet loom is moved into a given position forward , that is , in a position near the beat - up position , i . e ., illustratively the position at 20 ° of its operative cycle . thereby the weft thread still connected to the main jet nozzle 5 will be inserted into the scissors 14 which then are actuated , whereby the weft thread is cut off . during this motion the reed 9 moves the weft thread into a monitored position , i . e ., into the zone of the weft monitor 17 located at the end of the slot 24 of the catch means 18 . prior to cutting , the weft monitor 17 makes sure that a weft thread indeed did enter the yarn catch means . if otherwise , either the attempt at detachment will be repeated , or the air jet loom is stopped . following the cutting - off procedure , the loom is reset , whereby the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 again extend into the shed as far as they do when the loom is positioned at 60 ° of its operative cycle . thereupon the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 are again loaded with several sequences of compressed air in order to definitively remove from the shed the cut off newly inserted weft thread together with the defective weft thread . the pneumatic catch means ( 18 ) is driven in this process in synchronization with the blowing sequence of the last group of auxiliary jet nozzles . it is found in this regard that as a rule , the operation to remove the cut weft will be adequate with four cycles of compressed air loading of the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 and the catch means 18 . after this blowing - out procedure , the air jet loom once more is moved into a monitoring position , namely a position wherein the reed 9 would return any weft thread still in the shed to the zone of the yarn monitor 17 . if the yarn monitor 17 finds there is no weft thread present , the air jet loom is returned to its starting position whereupon the weaving resumes . if the yarn monitor 17 in this procedure should determine that a weft thread is still present , then either the attempts to detach the defectively inserted weft thread will be repeated by actuating the auxiliary jet nozzles 10 and the catch means 18 , or the loom is switched to the malfunction mode so that an operator may be called to remedy the defect . | 3 |
fig1 illustrates how , in order to facilitate head tracking , helical - scan digital recording apparatus records a serial data stream of channel words in three spectral response patterns f0 , f1 and f2 on successive parallel tracks of a magnetic recording medium . per convention , the tracks are shown shorter in length and more skewed from the direction of tape travel than is the actual case . pilot signals appear in the spectra of digital signals recorded in the sequence of f0 , f1 , f0 , f2 , . . . on the respective tracks of the magnetic recording medium . the pilot signals takethe form of notches or peaks at prescribed frequencies that are introduced into the frequency - domain spectral energy response ( fourier transform ) of the signals recorded on the tracks . when playing back from any one of these tracks of a particular pattern , certain deviations of the frequency - domain spectral energy response from expected values is ascertained . such deviations are ascribed to pick - up of the digital signals from the preceding and succeeding tracks , in order to estimate therelative proximity of the head to the preceding track and to the succeedingtrack , from which the tracking error of the head can be determined . the illustrated sequential pattern f0 , f1 , f0 , f2 is merely exemplary , since in practice the number of patterns and the recording sequence can be different from that of the illustration . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 142 , 421 describescertain of these variants . fig2 a , 2b and 2c illustrate the frequency spectra of the serial - bit datastreams of channel words bearing patterns f0 , f1 and f2 shown in fig1 respectively . in the frequency spectrum of the pattern f0 , there are notches at frequencies f 1 , and f 2 where the spectral energy is relatively small . in the frequency spectrum of the pattern f1 , there is a pilot signal ( peak ) at frequency f 1 = ω 1 / 2π where the spectral energy is relatively large , and there is a notch at frequency f 2 = ω 2 / 2π where the spectral energy is relatively small . in the frequency spectrum of the pattern f2 , there is a notch at frequency f 1 where the spectral energy is relatively small and a pilot signal ( peak ) at frequency f 2 where the spectral energy is relatively large . during the playback of the pattern f0 , a crosstalk effect between pilot signals ( peaks f 1 and f 2 ) of the patterns f1 and f2 of adjacent tracks is used to determine tracking error . on one hand , if the head deviates from the center of the pattern f0 toward the pattern f1 , the crosstalk of pilot signal from the pattern f1 becomes greater than that from the pattern f2 . as a result , frequency component f 1 of a playback signal becomes greater and frequency component f 2 becomes smaller . on the other hand , if the head deviates from the center of the pattern f0 toward the pattern f2 , the crosstalk of pilot signal from the pattern f2 becomes greater than that from the pattern f1 . as a result , on average , frequency component f 2 of a playback signal becomes greater and frequency component f 1 becomes smaller . when playing back the pattern f0 , then , comparing the average spectral energy of the playback signal at frequencies f 1 and f 2 enables the detection of deviation of head tracking . using this result , precise tracking is made possible by controlling the height of a head element with a voltage applied to a piezo - electric element the head is mounted on , or by controlling the traveling speed of the magnetic recording medium ( tape ). fig3 is a block diagram of a digital signal recording apparatus disclosedin u . s . pat . no . 5 , 142 , 421 issued 25 aug . 1992 to kahlman et alii , entitled &# 34 ; device for recording a digital information signal on a record carrier &# 34 ; and incorporated herein by reference . the schematic configuration and operation thereof will be described in regard to the conventional method for recording the patterns f0 , f1 and f2 . in fig3 - parallel - bit digital words are supplied via an input port 1 to a parallel - to - serial ( p / s ) converter 2 . the p / s converter 2 converts , for instance , each succeeding group of three 8 - parallel - bit digital words into a single 24 - serial - bit digital information word supplied via a converter output port 3 . a signal inserting portion 4 includes a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit inserter 4 . 1 and a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; bit inserter 4 . 2 each receiving as respective inputsignal the stream of 24 - serial - bit digital information words appearing at the output port 3 of the p / s converter 2 . the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit inserter 4 . 1 insertsa single - bit digital prefix consisting of a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; before the most significantbit ( msb ) of each 24 - serial - bit information word to generate a respective 25 - serial - bit &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ; information word supplied from an output port 5 of the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit inserter 4 . 1 . the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; bit inserter 4 . 2 inserts a single - bitdigital prefix consisting of a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; before the most significant bit ( msb ) ofeach 24 - serial - bit information word to generate a respective 25 - serial - bit &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ; information word supplied from an output port 7 of the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; bit inserter 4 . 2 . an encoder 6 includes a precoder 6 . 1 converting the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ; information words to respective 25 - serial - bit channel words supplied via a connection 9 . the encoder 6 further includes a precoder 6 . 2 converting the &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ; information words to respective 25 - serial - bit channel words supplied via a connection 11 . in the remainder of this specification and in the claims appended to this specification , in order to distinguish between the channel words supplied from the precoder 6 . 1 and the channel words supplied from the precoder 6 . 2 , the channel words supplied from the precoder 6 . 1 are referred to as &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel words ; and the channel words supplied from the precoder 6 . 2 are referred to as &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel words . if the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 are 2t precoders , the single - bit prefix code causes them to generate two 25 serial - bit channel words in which the corresponding even bits are the same , and the corresponding odd bits are bit - complementary . a 2t precoder comprises a two - input exclusive - or gate and a two - stage shift register providing an integrating feedback connection from the output connection ofthe exclusive - or gate to a first of its input connections . the exclusive - orgate receives the precoder input signal at its second input connection , supplies the precoder output signal at its output connection , and normallyreceives at its first input connection the precoder output signal as delayed 2t by passage through the two - stage shift register . the interval tis the sampling interval of the precoder input signal and the interval between clocked shifts of bits through the two - stage shift register . the feedback connection of the exclusive - or gate provided by the two - stage shift register is referred to as the &# 34 ; integrating feedback connection &# 34 ; or simply the &# 34 ; integrating connection &# 34 ;. the precoder 6 . 1 supplies 25 - serial - bit &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel words via the connection 9 as its output signal ; and the precoder 6 . 2 supplies 25 - serial - bit &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel words via the connection 11 as its output signal . based on these 25 - serial - bit channel words supplied in parallel from the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 , a control signal generator 10 compares the respective frequency - domain spectral energy characteristics of each word to the prescribed spectral energy characteristics for the track that is to be recorded by a digital recorder14 to determine which channel word deviates the least from the prescribed spectral response . the control signal generator 10 generates a control signal cs indicative of which of the channel words supplied from the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 deviates the least from the prescribed spectral response and should be selected for recording . control signal cs is supplied via a connection 17 to the selection control port of a selector 12 , which selects the output signal from one of the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 ( as delayed by a time compensator 8 ) that deviates the least from the prescribed spectral response , for application to the digital tape recorder14 . delays 8 . 1 and 8 . 2 of the time compensator 8 are needed to compensate for the time necessary for the control signal generator 10 to generate control signal cs for application to the selector 12 . the control signal cs is also supplied via the connection 17 to respective control ports of the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 to control the transfer of the contents of the shift register in the one of the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 the output from which is selected for recording to the shift register in the other of the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 , to provide for continuity of coding . the selector 12 receives via a connection 13 the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information output of the precoder 6 . 1 as delayed by the delay 8 . 1 and receives via a connection 15 the &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information output of the precoder 6 . 2 as delayed by the delay 8 . 2 . in response to the control signal cs the selector 12 supplies a selected one of the delayed output signals of the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 via a connection 19 to the digital recorder 14 as input signal for recording . some rate buffering is required in order that the bit modulation can be recorded at a constant bit rate by the digital recorder 14 . the delays 8 . 1 and 8 . 2 can be fixed delays , with the rate buffering being provided after the selector 12 ; or , alternatively , the delays 8 . 1 and 8 . 2 may be first - in / first - out ( fifo ) rate buffer memories that provide the necessary rate buffering in addition to always providing sufficient delay to complete the computations for deciding which of the output signals of the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 is to be recorded . fig4 is a detailed circuit diagram of an improved control signal generator for the fig3 digital signal recording apparatus , as operated to generate a serial data stream of channel words with a frequency response spectrum as shown in fig5 . as compared with the spectrum of pattern f1 shown in fig2 b , in the spectrum shown in fig5 dips occur on each side of f 1 . these dips indicate that the noise power of the spectrum is reduced next to the pilot signal frequency f 1 , which results in increased signal - to - noise ratio for the detection of pilot signal at frequency f 1 . the improved control signal generator of fig4 differs from that describedby kahlman et alii in that it includes code - to - arithmetic mappers 10 . 1 and 10 . 2 . the code - to - arithmetic mapper 10 . 1 converts the ones and zeros of the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information output of the precoder 6 . 1 to arithmetic descriptions of the i - nrzi modulation that switches between negative and positive arithmetic values of similar amplitude and is unaccompanied by a direct term . the code - to - arithmetic mapper 10 . 2 is similar in its construction to the code - to - arithmetic mapper 10 . 1 . the code - to - arithmeticmapper 10 . 2 converts the ones and zeros of the &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information output of the precoder 6 . 2 to arithmetic descriptions of the i - nrzi modulation that switches between negative and positive arithmetic values of similar amplitude and is unaccompanied by a direct term . by way of example , each of the mappers 10 . 1 and 10 . 2 can use the ones and zeros supplied thereto as a changing sign bit before an unchanging one , so the modulation is described in two &# 39 ; s complement arithmetic terms . a sine / cosine look - up table stored in read - only memory ( rom ), not shown , generates a complex carrier of frequency f 1 , having an angular frequency ω 1 and composed of sinω 1 t and cosω 1 t components . another sine / cosine look - up table stored inrom , not shown , generates a complex carrier of frequency f 2 , having anangular frequency ω 2 and composed of sinω 2 t and cosω 2 t components . a triangular wave generator 18 generates a triangular signal corresponding to a digital sum value of an intended frequency ( f 1 ) of the serial data stream of channel words , and a square wave generator 38 generates a square wave of frequency f 1 . thetriangular wave generator 18 and the square wave generator 38 can also be provided by look - up tables stored in rom . the generation of all system functions in rom simplifies processing the channel words in other than normal bit order . filter circuitry path0 determines how the spectral energy distribution of the i - nrzi modulation , when the generation thereof continues based on a &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word from the precoder 6 . 1 , deviates from the desired spectral energy distribution for a track recorded with the f1 pattern having a peak at frequency f 1 , a dip on either side of frequency f 1 and a notch at frequency f 2 . a weighted summation circuit 52 . 1 combines with appropriate weighting the computed deviation from the desired notch at zero frequency and the desired peak at frequencyf 1 , as furnished from a squaring circuit 22 . 1 , with the computed deviations from the other desired features . the computed deviations from the notch at the frequency f 2 , as furnished for orthogonal phases of the frequency f 2 by squaring circuits 28 . 1 and 34 . 1 , are weighted similarly to each other in the weighted summation circuit 52 . 1 . the computed deviations from the dip on either side of frequency f 1 , as furnished for orthogonal phases of the frequency f 1 by squaring circuits 44 . 1 and 50 . 1 , are weighted similarly to each other in the weighted summation circuit 52 . 1 . the effective weighting of the inputs to the weighted summation circuit 52 . 1 from the squaring circuits 28 . 1 and 34 . 1 is relatively large compared to the weighting of the input to the weighted summation circuit 52 . 1 from the squaring circuit 22 . 1 , since lackof correct pilot frequency f 1 is better tolerated than presence of incorrect pilot frequency f 2 by the tracking correction circuitry used during playback . the effective weighting of the inputs to the weighted summation circuit 52 . 1 from the squaring circuits 44 . 1 and 50 . 1 is relatively small compared to the weighting of the input to the weightedsummation circuit 52 . 1 from the squaring circuit 22 . 1 . the filter circuitrypath0 supplies , as the weighted sum output signal from the weighted summation circuit 52 . 1 therein , a first error signal e1 . the computation in the path0 system of the amount by which the spectral energy distribution of the i - nrzi modulation , when the generation thereof continues based on a &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word from the precoder6 . 1 , deviates from the desired notch at zero frequency and the desired peakat frequency f 1 peak is done in the following way . an integration circuit 16 . 1 receives the current &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word fromthe precoder 6 . 1 , as converted to arithmetic form by the code - to - arithmeticmapper 10 . 1 , and integrates it with a prestored value . a subtractor 20 . 1 subtracts the output signal of the triangular wave generator 18 from the output of the integration circuit 16 . 1 ; and a squaring circuit 22 . 1 for multiplies the resulting difference by itself ; and the resulting square issupplied to the weighted summation network 52 . 1 to provide a component of the first error signal e1 . the triangular wave generator 18 and the subtractor 20 . 1 provide detection circuitry for detecting any deviation from the prescribed digital sum needed for maintaining the desired pilot signal , of the digital sum value that the integration circuit 16 . 1 supplies . the squaring circuit 22 . 1 computes the energy of that deviation . the computation in the path0 system of the amount by which the spectral energy distribution of the i - nrzi modulation , when the generation thereof continues based on a &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word from the precoder6 . 1 , deviates from the desired notch at frequency f 2 is done in the following way . a multiplier 24 . 1 multiplies the output of the precoder 6 . 1by a sine - wave system function sinω 2 t of frequency f 2 ; anintegration circuit 26 . 1 integrates the product from the multiplier 24 . 1 ; and the squaring circuit 28 . 1 squares the integration results from integration circuit 26 . 1 for application to the weighted summation network52 . 1 . a multiplier 30 . 1 multiplies the output of the precoder 6 . 1 by a cosine - wave system function cosω 2 t of frequency f 2 ; an integration circuit 32 . 1 integrates the product from the multiplier 30 . 1 , and the squaring circuit 34 . 1 squares the integration results from integration circuit 32 . 1 for application to the weighted summation network52 . 1 . ( the phrase &# 34 ; system function &# 34 ; is used in digital electronics to referto a function in the analog regime that is described on a sampled - data basis by digital samples .) the computation in the path0 system of the amount by which the spectral energy distribution of the i - nrzi modulation , when the generation thereof continues based on a &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word from the precoder6 . 1 , deviates from the desired dip on either side of a peak at frequency f 1 is performed in the following way . a subtractor 36 . 1 subtracts a square wave of frequency f 1 supplied by the square wave generator 38 from the output signal of the precoder 6 . 1 . the square wave generator 38 and the subtractor 36 . 1 provide detection circuitry for detecting any deviation from the prescribed square wave of the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information serial - bit channel word that the precoder 6 . 1 supplies , as converted to arithmetic form by the code - to - arithmetic mapper 10 . 1 . a multiplier 40 . 1 multiplies the subtractor 36 . 1 difference output signal by a sine - wave system function sinω 1 t of frequency f 1 ; an integration circuit 42 . 1 integrates the product from the multiplier 40 . 1 ; and a squaring circuit 44 . 1 squares the integration results from the integrationcircuit 42 . 1 for application to the weighted summation network 52 . 1 . a multiplier 46 . 1 multiplies the subtractor 36 . 1 difference output signal bya cosine - wave system function cosω 1 t of frequency f 1 , an integration circuit 48 . 1 integrates the product from the multiplier 46 . 1 , and a squaring circuit 50 . 1 squares the integration results from the integration circuit 48 . 1 for application to the weighted summation network52 . 1 . filter circuitry path1 determines the amount by which the spectral energy distribution of the i - nrzi modulation , when the generation thereof continues based on a &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel word from the precoder6 . 2 , deviates from the desired spectral energy distribution for a track recorded with the f1 pattern having a peak at frequency f 1 , a dip on either side of frequency f 1 and a notch at frequency f 2 . a weighted summation circuit 52 . 2 in the filter circuitry path1 combines with appropriate weighting the computed deviation from the desired notch at zero frequency and the desired peak at frequency f 1 , as furnished from a squaring circuit 22 . 2 , with the computed deviations from the other desired features as supplied from squaring circuits 28 . 2 , 34 . 2 , 44 . 2 and 50 . 2 . the weighted summation network 52 . 2 supplies , as the sum output signal therefrom , a second error signal e2 . a comparator 54 compares the error signals e1 and e2 for generating the control signal cs , supplied to the selection control port of the selector 12 which selects the channel word having an error signal of a smaller value . the computation in the path1 system of the amount by which the spectral energy distribution of the i - nrzi modulation , when the generation thereof continues based on a &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel word from the precoder6 . 2 , deviates from the desired notch at zero frequency and the desired peakat frequency f 1 peak is done in the following way . an integration circuit 16 . 2 receives the current &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel word fromthe precoder 6 . 2 , as converted to arithmetic form by the code - to - arithmeticmapper 10 . 2 , and integrates it with a prestored value . a subtractor 20 . 2 subtracts the output signal of the triangular wave generator 18 from the output of the integration circuit 16 . 2 ; and a squaring circuit 22 . 2 for multiplies the resulting difference by itself ; and the resulting square issupplied to the weighted summation network 52 . 2 to provide a component of the second error signal e2 . the triangular wave generator 18 and the subtractor 20 . 2 provide detection circuitry for detecting any deviation from the prescribed digital sum needed for maintaining the desired pilot signal , of the digital sum value that the integration circuit 16 . 2 supplies . the squaring circuit 22 . 2 computes the energy of that deviation . the computation in the path1 system of the amount by which the spectral energy distribution of the i - nrzi modulation , when the generation thereof continues based on a &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel word from the precoder6 . 2 , deviates from the desired notch at frequency f 2 is done in the following way . a multiplier 24 . 2 multiplies the output of the precoder 6 . 2by a sine - wave system function sinω 2 t of frequency f 2 ; anintegration circuit 26 . 2 integrates the product from the multiplier 24 . 1 ; and the squaring circuit 28 . 2 squares the integration results from integration circuit 26 . 2 for application to the weighted summation network52 . 2 . a multiplier 30 . 2 multiplies the output of the precoder 6 . 2 by a cosine - wave system function cosω 2 t of frequency f 2 ; an integration circuit 32 . 2 integrates the product from the multiplier 30 . 2 , and the squaring circuit 34 . 2 squares the integration results from integration circuit 32 . 2 for application to the weighted summation network52 . 1 . the computation in the path1 system of the amount by which the spectral energy distribution of the i - nrzi modulation , when the generation thereof continues based on a &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel word from the precoder6 . 2 , deviates from the desired dip on either side of a peak at frequency f 1 is performed in the following way . a subtractor 36 . 2 subtracts a square wave of frequency f 1 supplied by the square wave generator 38 from the output signal of the precoder 6 . 2 . the square wave generator 38 and the subtractor 36 . 2 provide detection circuitry for detecting any deviation from the prescribed square wave of the &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information serial - bit channel word that the precoder 6 . 2 supplies , as converted to arithmetic form by the code - to - arithmetic mapper 10 . 2 . a multiplier 40 . 2 multiplies the subtractor 36 . 2 difference output signal by a sine - wave system function sinω 1 t of frequency f 1 ; an integration circuit 42 . 2 integrates the product from the multiplier 40 . 2 ; and a squaring circuit 44 . 2 squares the integration results from the integrationcircuit 42 . 2 for application to the weighted summation network 52 . 2 . a multiplier 46 . 2 multiplies the subtractor 36 . 2 difference output signal bya cosine - wave system function cosω 1 t of frequency f 1 , an integration circuit 48 . 2 integrates the product from the multiplier 46 . 2 , and a squaring circuit 50 . 2 squares the integration results from the integration circuit 48 . 2 for application to the weighted summation network52 . 2 . the operation of the control signal generator 10 when generating the f1 pattern has been described . when generating the f2 pattern , the operation of the control signal generator 10 is modified by transposing f 1 and f 2 , thereby also transposing ω 1 and ω 2 . when generating the f0 pattern , the operation of the control signal generator 10 is modified , disabling the triangular wave generator 18 and disabling the square wave generator 38 . irrespective of whether the f0 , f1 or f2 pattern is being generated , certain re - initialization procedures have to be followed subsequent to the decision being made as to whether to select a &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word provided by the precoder 6 . 1 or to select a &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel word provided by the precoder 6 . 2 to determine the i - nrzi modulation to be recorded . these re - initializationprocedures provide for continuity of coding and for enabling the control signal generator to establish a basis from which a decision can be made concerning which of the next pair of channel words is to be selected for recording . in the latter regard , when the channel word that is to be recorded next hasbeen determined , the contents of the integration circuits 16 . 1 , 26 . 1 , 32 . 1 , 42 . 1 and 48 . 1 or the contents of the integration circuits 16 . 2 , 26 . 2 , 32 . 2 , 42 . 2 and 48 . 2 have to be changed . if the newly selected channel word is of &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information type , the contents of the integration circuits 16 . 1 , 26 . 1 , 32 . 1 , 42 . 1 and 48 . 1 are changed to correspond to the contents of the integration circuits 16 . 2 , 26 . 2 , 32 . 2 , 42 . 2 and 48 . 2 , respectively . if the newly selected channel word is of &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information type the contents of the integration circuits 16 . 2 , 26 . 2 , 32 . 2 , 42 . 2 and 48 . 2 are changed to correspond to the contents of the integration circuits 16 . 1 , 26 . 1 , 32 . 1 , 42 . 1 and 48 . 1 , respectively . as noted previously , when the channel word that is to be recorded next has been determined , precoding information from the &# 34 ; integrating feedback connection &# 34 ; of the one of the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 supplying the channel word which is selected for recording must be transferred into the &# 34 ; integrating feedback connection &# 34 ; of the other of the precoders 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 . if the channel word selected for being recorded next was supplied from the precoder 6 . 1 , the contents of the shift register in the integrating feedback connection of its exclusive - or gate are transferred to corresponding positions in the shift register in the integrating feedback connection of the exclusive - or gate in the precoder 6 . 2 . on the other hand , if the channel word selected for being recorded next was supplied from the precoder 6 . 2 , the contents of the shift register in the integrating feedback connection of its exclusive - or gate are transferred to corresponding positions in the shift register in the integrating feedback connection of the exclusive - or gate in the precoder 6 . 1 . in practice , however , there is substantial time delay before this transfer can be completed in the prior - art digital signal recording apparatus described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 142 , 421 , which delay arises in the multipliers , integration circuits , and squaring circuits in the control signal generator 10 . this delay , which is particularly a problem when one attempts to digitize the control signal generator 10 , necessitates intermittently written buffer storage after the encoder 6 , as can be provided by the time compensator 8 , and necessitates intermittently read buffer storage before the encoder 6 , as can be provided by the parallel - to - serial converter 2 . the arrangements for this intermittent reading and writing of buffer storage are , in practice , difficult to arrange clocking for and can be avoided in accordance with the invention by performing precoding on a parallel - bit - word basis . referring to fig6 an input port 101 for receiving serially supplied 8 - parallel - bit words connects to the input port of a parallel - to - parallel ( p / p ) converter 102 . the p / p converter 102 converts each consecutive groupof three serial 8 - parallel - bit words supplied to its input port into three parallel 8 - parallel - bit digital words , i . e ., a 24 - bit information word , and supplies the converted word in parallel - bit form from its output port 103 . a signal inserting portion 104 affixes a single - bit digital word prefix to each 24 - bit information word supplied in parallel - bit form from the outputport 103 of the p / p converter 102 . the signal inserting portion comprises a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit inserter 104 . 1 for affixing a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit as prefix to the 24 - bit information word , and a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; bit inserter 104 . 2 for affixing a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; bit as prefix to the 24 - bit information word . the thus - obtained 25 - bit information words are supplied from output ports 105 and 107 to precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 , respectively , of an encoding portion 106 . for the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 , 2t precoders are preferably used to convert a 25 - bit information word into a 25 - bit channelword . these 2t precoders are suited for processing on a parallel - bit word basis and differ in their construction from those described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 142 , 421 suited for processing on a serial - bit word basis . the construction of these precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 , each of which includes 25exclusive - or gates , will be described in detail further on in this specification with reference to fig8 and 10 of the drawing , in which the signal inserting portion 104 is included in the encoding portion 106 . precoding still requires that bits that will be recorded later be determined based upon bits that will be recorded earlier . so time is required during precoding for ripple - through integration of the initialization bits and the successive bits used to form each channel word . however , the time required during precoding for ripple - through integration of these bits is only a fraction of the channel word interval . the input ports of parallel - to - serial ( p / s ) converters 108 . 1 and 108 . 2 of afirst signal converter 108 respectively connect from output ports 109 and 111 of the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 ; and the output ports of converters 108 . 1 and 108 . 2 respectively connect to input ports of delays 114 . 1 and 114 . 2 of a time compensator 114 . each of the converters 108 . 1 and 108 . 2 converts each 25 - parallel - bit channel word supplied thereto into a 25 - serial - bit channel word supplied at the bit rate associated with the i - nrzi modulation recorded on the magnetic recording medium . p / s converters 110 . 1 and 110 . 2 of a second signal converter 110 convert to serial - bit form the odd - numbered bit - places of each channel word ( hereinafter referred to as an &# 34 ; odd channel &# 34 ; word ) from the 25 - bit channelwords supplied in parallel from the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 . p / s converters 112 . 1 and 112 . 2 of a third signal converter 112 convert to serial - bit form the even - numbered bit - places of each channel word ( hereinafter referred to as an &# 34 ; even channel &# 34 ; word ) from the 25 - bit channel words supplied in parallel from the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 , respectively . fixed delays created by delay elements 114 . 1 and 114 . 2 of time compensator 114 compensate for the time taken by a control signal generator 116 to generate a control signal indicating to a selector 118 which of the channel words respectively generated by the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 and delayed by the delay elements 114 . 1 and 114 . 2 to select to a recording portion 120 . the control signal generator 116 generates first , second and third control signals cs1 , cs2 and cs3 on the basis of the channel word signals suppliedrespectively from the respective output ports 117 , 119 , 121 and 123 of the p / s converters 110 . 1 , 110 . 2 , 112 . 1 and 112 . 2 . the circuitry in the controlsignal generator 116 that decides which of the channel words generated by the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 is to be recorded , processes the odd - channelword supplied from the p / s converter 110 . 1 and the even - channel word supplied from the p / s converter 112 . 1 in parallel , and this circuitry alsoprocesses the odd - channel word supplied from the p / s converter 110 . 2 and the even - channel word supplied from the p / s converter 112 . 2 in parallel . these parallel processing procedures halve the time required to complete the decision procedure , the computations for which are clocked at the samebit rate as the i - nrzi signal that is to be recorded . accordingly , the computations can be completed in a little over half the time interval between serial - word channel word clocks that occur at one - twenty - fifth thebit rate of the i - nrzi signal that is to be recorded . the time for these computations combined with the time for ripple - through integration in the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 of the encoding portion 106 is sufficiently lessthan the time interval between channel word clocks , to afford plenty of time to re - initialize integrators within the control signal generator 116 and to set up initialization for ripple - through integration that is to take place when the next serial - word is clocked into the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 . the first and second control signals cs1 and cs2 that the control signal generator 116 supplies via its output ports 125 and 127 areapplied to the respective control ports of the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 . the third control signal cs3 the control signal generator 116 supplies viaits output port 127 is applied to the selection control port of the selector 118 . in accordance with the third control signal cs3 , the selector 118 selects avalue closer to an intended frequency characteristic between the 25 - serial - bit &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word supplied by the p / s converter 108 . 1 and the 25 - serial - bit &# 34 ; odd &# 34 ;- information channel word supplied by the p / s converter 108 . 2 , and transmits the selected word to the recording portion 120 . reductions can be made in the fig6 digital signal recording apparatus . corresponding bit places of the even channel words supplied in parallel from the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 are identical if they are of 2t type and single - bit prefixes are used , so one of the p / s converters 112 . 1 and 112 . 2 can be dispensed with , and the signal supplied from its output port to the control signal generator 116 can be supplied instead from the output port of the remaining one of the converters 112 . 1 and 112 . 2 . if theprecoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 are of 2t type and single - bit prefixes are used , corresponding bit places of the odd channel words they supply in parallel are bit complements of each other , so one of the p / s converters 110 . 1 and 110 . 2 can be dispensed with , and the signal supplied from its output port to the control signal generator 116 can be supplied instead by bit - complementing the signal from the output port of the remaining one of the converters 110 . 1 and 110 . 2 . fig7 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the digital signal recording apparatus of the present invention . in the drawing , the same numerals designate the same components as the apparatus of fig6 . accordingly , configuration and operation that are the same will not be described again . referring to fig7 output ports 117 &# 39 ;, 119 &# 39 ;, 121 &# 39 ; and 123 &# 39 ; of the first signal converter 108 are coupled directly to the input ports of a modified control signal generator 116 &# 39 ;, such that the second and third signal converters 110 and 112 of fig6 are eliminated from the circuit . in the operation of fig7 responsive to the 25 - parallel - bit &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word supplied from the precoder 106 . 1 , a p / s converter 108 . 3 within the first signal converter 108 supplies first through thirteenth bits of the channel word ( hereinafter referred to as the &# 34 ; leading bit group &# 34 ;) via output port 117 &# 39 ; to the control signal generator 116 &# 39 ;. at the same time the p / s converter 108 . 3 supplies the first through twelfth of these bits , it also supplies fourteenth through twenty - fifth bits of the channel word ( hereinafter referred to as the &# 34 ; trailing bit group &# 34 ;) via output port 121 &# 39 ; to the control signal generator116 &# 39 ;. responsive to the 25 - parallel - bit &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel word supplied from precoder 106 . 2 , a p / s converter 108 . 4 within the first signal converter 108 supplies first through thirteenth bits of the channelword ( hereinafter referred to as the &# 34 ; leading bit group &# 34 ;) via output port 119 &# 39 ; to the control signal generator 116 &# 39 ;. during the same time the p / s converter 108 . 4 also supplies fourteenth through twenty - fifth bits of the channel word ( hereinafter referred to as the &# 34 ; trailing bit group &# 34 ;) via theoutput port 123 &# 39 ; to the control signal generator 116 &# 39 ;. the modified control signal generator 116 &# 39 ; performs the same general calculations as the control signal generator 116 , but in somewhat different order , requiring modifications of the fig4 filter circuitry inregard to the triangular wave generator 18 , the square wave generator 38 and the sine and cosine signal generators . these modifications are readilymade by one of ordinary skill in the art of digital system design . this is particularly so where these generators are implemented using read - only memory ( rom ), since the order of the sequential reading of the samples of each of the various system functions is readily permuted . fig8 a is a detailed block diagram of the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit inserter 104 . 1 , the precoder 106 . 1 and the p / s converter 108 . 1 , each of which is shown in fig . 6 . referring to fig8 a , the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit inserter 104 . 1 is made up of 25 latches 104 . a through 104 . y . a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit is applied to the latch 104 . a whichstores the most significant bit , according to a system clock ( clock 1 ) and a load command signal load . the remaining latches 104 . b through 104 . y receive the 24 - bit information word supplied in parallel from the output port 103 of the p / p converter 102 . as shown in fig8 a , which provides a detailed circuit diagram of the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit inserter 104 . 1 , each of the 25 latches is made up of one d flip - flop , two and gates and one or gate . in the operation of the inserting portion 104 . 1 , when the load command signal is a logic high , a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit applied to the data port of the latch 104 . a and the 24 - bit information word supplied from the p / p converter 102 are latched and supplied from the q outputs of the respective d flip - flops . when the load command signal is a logic low , the latches maintain the output of each d flip - flop . the first input ports of xor gates 106 . a through 106 . y of the precoder 106 . 1 shown in fig8 a are respectively coupled to the respective output ports of the latches 104 . a through 104 . y of the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit inserter 104 . 1 . the second inputs of the xor gates 106 . a and 106 . b are tied to the respective outputs of the latches 106 . 3 and 106 . 4 . the respective outputs of the xor gates 106 . a through 106 . w connect to the second inputs of the xor gates 106 . c through 106 . y . the outputs of the xor gates 106 . x and 106 . y are coupled to the respective inputs of the latches 106 . 3 and 106 . 4 . the second least significant bit from the preceding channel word and the msb ( here , the inserted &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit ) of the current 25 - bit channel word are supplied to the xor gate 106 . a . the least significant bit ( lsb ) from the preceding channel word and the second msb bit ( here , the first bit of input data ) of the current 25 - bit channel word are supplied to the xor gate 106 . b . the output of the xor gate 106 . a and the second bit of the input data are supplied to the xor gate 106 . c . the output of the xor gate 106 . b and the third bit of the input data are supplied to the xor gate 106 . d . the xor gates 106 . e through 106 . y precode the remaining data of the 25 - bit channel word in similar manner . the outputs of the xor gates 106 . a through106 . y are the 25 - bit channel word ( precoded data ) supplied in parallel fromthe precoder 106 . 1 . fig1 is a detailed circuit diagram of the latches 106 . 3 and 106 . 4 of theprecoder 106 . 1 . referring to fig1 , when the load signal is a logic high , output signal 24 of the xor gate 106 . x supplied to the data port of a d flip - flop d2 via gates g8 and g9 is applied as the second lsb 24 &# 39 ; of the preceding channel word , to the second input of the xor gate 106 . a of fig8 according to the system clock ( clock 1 ). simultaneously , output signal 25 of the xor gate 106 . y applied to the data port of a d flip - flop d1 via gates g2 , g3 , g5 and g6 is supplied as the lsb 25 &# 39 ; of the preceding channel word , to the second input port of the xor gate 106 . b of fig8 according to the system clock signal ( clock 1 ). while the load command signal is low ( and until it goes high ), the q outputs of the d flip - flops d1 and d2 are maintained . since the output of the d flip - flop d1 is subject to the influence of the first control signal cs1 supplied from the first control signal output port 125 of the control signal generator 116 shown in fig6 if first control signal cs1 is high , the output 25 of the xor gate 106 . y is supplied to the gate g2 without change . if the first control signal cs1 islow , the output of the xor gate 106 . y is complemented . for instance , when the output 25 of the xor gate 106 . y is a logic high and the first control signal cs1 is a logic low , the output of the d flip - flopd1 is low . if the first control signal cs1 and the output 25 are both high , the output of the d flip - flop d1 is high . if the first control signal cs1 is a logic high , which indicates that the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word is selected , the initial value of the latch 106 . 3 of the precoder 106 . 1 stays unchanged . if the control signal cs1 is a logic low , which indicates that the &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information channel word is selected , the initial value of the latch 106 . 3 of the precoder 106 . 1 is complemented . p / s converter 108 . 1 of fig8 a receives the respective outputs of the xor gates 106 . a through 106 . y in parallel according to the system clock and load command signal , thereby supplying the received outputs as a serial 25 - bit channel word . fig8 shows the p / s converter 108 . 1 is composed of 25 latches 108 . a through 108 . y , which fig1 shows in detail . fig1 shows each latch being made up of two and gates , an or gate and a d flip - flop . when the load command signal is a logic high , the d flip - flops each receivethe output of a corresponding xor gate of the precoder 106 . 1 and supply it as the input of the first and gate of the latch of the next higher bit . ifthe load command signal is a logic low , each d flip - flop holds its q outputuntil the load command signal goes high . as the final output , a serial 25 - bit channel word is supplied from the output port 113 . the p / s converter 108 . 3 of fig7 has the same configuration as that of thep / s converter 108 . 1 of fig1 . however , the difference is that output port117 &# 39 ; of the latch 108 . a and the output port 121 &# 39 ; of the latch 108 . n are coupled to the control signal generator 116 . the p / s converter 110 . 1 of fig8 b is composed of thirteen latches 110 . a , 110 . c , . . . , and 110 . y . their configuration is the same as that of the respective latches of the p / s converter 108 . 1 shown in fig1 . responsiveto the load command signal and clock signal simultaneously occurring , odd channel words are selected from the 25 - bit channel word ( supplied in parallel from the precoder 106 . 1 ) to be loaded in parallel into these thirteen latches 110 . a , 110 . c , . . . , and 110 . y , so that a 13 - bit odd channel word is supplied serially from the output port 117 of the latch 110 . a . the p / s converter 112 . 1 of fig8 c has 12 latches 112 . b , 112 . d , . . . , and112 . x . their configuration is the same as that of the latches of the p / s converter 108 . 1 shown in fig1 . responsive to the load command signal and clock signal simultaneously occurring , even channel words are selectedfrom the 25 - bit channel word ( supplied in parallel from the precoder 106 . 1 ) to be loaded in parallel into these 12 latches 112 . b , 112 . d , . . . , and 112 . x , so that a 12 - bit even channel word is supplied serially from the output port 121 of the latch 112 . a . fig1 is a block diagram of the control signal generator 116 shown in fig6 which includes a path0 unit 116 . 1 , a path1 unit 116 . 2 , a detector 116 . 3 , and code - to - arithmetic mappers 116 . 4 - 116 . 7 . the code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 4 converts the ones and zeros supplied from the output port 117of the p / s converter 110 . 1 of fig6 to arithmetic descriptions of nrzi modulation that switches between negative and positive arithmetic values of similar amplitude and is unaccompanied by a direct term , which arithmetic descriptions are supplied from the output port 117 &# 39 ; of the code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 4 . a code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 5 converts the ones and zeros supplied from the output port 121 of the p / s converter 110 . 1 of fig6 to arithmetic descriptions of nrzi modulation that switches between negative and positive arithmetic values of similar amplitude and is unaccompanied by a direct term , which arithmetic descriptions are supplied from the output port 121 &# 39 ; of the code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 5 . a code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 6 converts the ones and zeros supplied from the output port 119 of the p / s converter 110 . 2 of fig6 to arithmetic descriptions of nrzi modulation that switches between negative and positive arithmetic values of similar amplitude and is unaccompanied by a direct term , which arithmetic descriptions are supplied from the output port 119 &# 39 ; of the code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 6 . a code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 7 converts the ones and zeros supplied from the output port 123 of the p / s converter 110 . 2 of fig6 to arithmetic descriptions of nrzi modulation that switches between negative and positive arithmetic values of similar amplitude and is unaccompanied by a direct term , which arithmetic descriptions are supplied from the output port 123 &# 39 ; of the code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 6 . the first and second input ports of a path0 unit 116 . 1 connect to the respective output ports 117 &# 39 ; and 121 &# 39 ; of the code - to - arithmetic mappers 116 . 4 and 116 . 5 . preset signal output port 137 of a path1 unit 116 . 2 is connected to the preset input port of the path0 unit 116 . 1 . the output port of the path0 unit 116 . 1 for supplying error signal e1 is coupled to the first input port of the detector 116 . 3 . the first and second input ports of path1 unit 116 . 2 connect to the respective output ports 119 &# 39 ; and 123 &# 39 ; of the code - to - arithmetic mappers 116 . 6 and 116 . 7 . preset signal output port 135 of the path0 unit 116 . 1 is connected to the preset input of the path1 unit 116 . 2 . the output port of the path1 unit 116 . 2 for supplying error signal e2 is coupled to the second input port of the detector 116 . 3 . the first and second control signal output ports 125 and 127 of the detector 116 . 3 are connected to the respective control ports ofthe precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 of fig6 and to the respective control portsof units 116 . 1 and 116 . 2 . third control signal output port 129 is coupled to the selection control port of the selector 118 . fig1 is a detailed circuit diagram of the path0 unit 116 . 1 of the control signal generator shown in fig1 . the first and second input ports of the path0 unit 116 . 1 connect to respective output ports 117 &# 39 ; and 121 &# 39 ; of the code - to - arithmetic mappers 116 . 4 and 116 . 5 of fig1 to receive two &# 39 ; s complement numbers descriptive of i - nrzi modulation that areused as input signal by arithmetic elements 122 , 124 , 134 , 138 , 146 , 150 , 158 and 174 . the unit 116 . 1 is composed of the integration circuits 122 , 124 through a squaring circuit 132 for forming a pilot signal at an intended frequency ( here , f 1 ) on the frequency spectrum of the 25 - bitserial data stream while at the same time forming a notch at zero frequency , the multipliers 134 , 138 through a squaring circuit 156 for forming a notch at an intended frequency ( here , f 2 ), the subtractors 158 , 174 through a squaring circuit 188 for forming dips on the skirts of the pilot signal ( f 1 ), and a weighted summation network 190 for summing the outputs of squaring circuits 132 , 144 , 156 , 172 and 188 , thereby generating error signal e1 . the odd channel word input from the output port 117 &# 39 ; and the even channel word input from the output port 121 &# 39 ; are added to a value ( the digital sumvalue of the preceding 25 - bit channel word ) prestored in respective integration circuits 122 and 124 . the respective outputs of the integration circuits 122 and 124 are summed in an adder 126 and then supplied to the first input port of the subtractor 130 . a triangular wave generator 128 is made up of a rom and generates a triangular wave signal corresponding to the digital sum value ( dsv ) of theserial data stream of channel words being descriptive of a prescribed frequency ( here , f 1 ), corresponding to the fundamental frequency component of the triangular wave signal . if the signal generated from the rom is a triangular wave of frequency f 1 ( for instance , 1 / 90t ) as shown in fig1 a , 8 - bit data ( for instance , 90a through 90l ) is stored using 5 - bit addresses which are indicative of values zero through sixteen in the rom table shown in fig1 b . the subtractor 130 subtracts the output of the triangular wave generator 128 from the output of the adder 126 . the difference value is squared in the squaring circuit 132 and applied to the weighted summation network 190 . the triangular wave generator 128 and the subtractor 130 provide detection circuitry for detecting any deviation from the prescribed digital sum needed for maintaining the desired pilot signal , of the digital sum value that the adder 126 supplies ; and the squaring circuit 132 computes the energy of that deviation . these computations are to implement a notch being formed at f = 0 hz ( in other words , the dc component ) and a pilot signal being formed at frequency f 1 . computations are also made to implement the introduction of a notch at frequency f 2 ( ω 2 / 290 ) by generating summand input signals for application to the weighted summation network 190 whenever there is energy at the frequency in the spectrum of the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word supplied by the precoder 106 . 1 . this is done as follows . a multiplier 134 multiplies the odd channel words by odd sine signal o sinω 2 t , and the resulting product is integrated in an integration circuit 136 . a multiplier 138 multiplies the even channel words by even sine signal e sinω 2 t , and the resulting product is integrated in an integration circuit 140 . the integration results from the integration circuits 136 and 140 are added in an adder 142 . the resulting sum is squared in the squaring circuit 144 , and the resulting square is applied to the weighted summation network 190 . a multiplier 146 multiplies the odd channel words by odd cosine signal o cosω 2 t , and the resulting product is integrated in an integration circuit 148 . the even channel words and even cosine signal e cosω 2 t are multiplied together in a multiplier 150 , and the resulting product is integrated in an integration circuit 152 . an adder 154 sums the integration results from the integration circuits 148 and 152 . the summed value is squared by the squaring circuit 156 and the resulting square is supplied as a summand to the weighted summation network 190 . a rom ( not shown ) generates a sine signal input for application to the multipliers 134 and 138 . the sine table stored in the rom is divided into an odd - sample sine table and an even - sample sine table . if the waveform ofthe sine signal is , for instance , 1 / 60t for frequency f 2 , as shown in fig1 a , one period of the sine signal is divided into sixty addresses , and data corresponding to the amplitude of a sampled sine signal is storedin each address of the sine table . data corresponding to the odd addresses of the sampled sine signal is stored in the odd - sample sine table . the even - sample sine table stores data corresponding to the even addresses of the sampled sine signal . as shown in fig1 b , the points corresponding tobits ( indicated by dots ) become alternately odd addresses or even addressesof the sine signal sampled by the period of 25 - bit channel word . in the drawing , the characters eb ( extra bit ) indicate where a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit is inserted , that is , the msb . similarly , the cosine signal supplied to the multipliers 146 and 150 may be generated by a rom having an odd - sample cosine table and an even - sample cosine table . when the sine signal and cosine signal are designed to be generated by a single rom , an address shifted by 45 ° with respect to the sine signal is applied and a corresponding value ( the cosine ) is read out . a dip is also introduced in portions of the frequency spectrum flanking thefrequency f 1 32 ( ω 1 / 2π ) by generating summand input signals for application to the weighted summation network 190 whenever there is energy in those portions of the frequency spectrum of the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word supplied by the precoder 106 . 1 . this is done as follows . a subtractor 158 subtracts , from the odd channel words , the odd samples of a sampled square wave signal ( fig1 c ) generated by a square wave generator 160 . the square wave generator 160 and the subtractor 158 provide detection circuitry for detecting any deviation from the prescribed square wave of the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information serial - bit odd channel word that the p / s converter 110 . 1 supplies , as converted to arithmetic form by the code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 4 . a multiplier 162 multiplies the output of the subtractor 158 by odd sine signal o sinω 1 t , and the resulting product is integrated in an integration circuit 164 . a multiplier 166 multiplies the output of the subtractor 158 by odd cosine signal o cosω 1 t , and the resulting product is integrated in an integration circuit 168 . a subtractor 174 subtracts , from the even channel words , even samples of a sampled square wave signal generated by the square wave generator 176 . thesquare wave generator 176 and the subtractor 174 provide detection circuitry for detecting any deviation from the prescribed square wave of the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information serial - bit odd channel word that the p / s converter 112 . 1 supplies , as converted to arithmetic form by the code - to - arithmetic mapper 116 . 5 . a multiplier 178 multiplies the output ofthe subtractor 174 by even - sample sine signal o sinω 1 t , and theresulting product is integrated in an integration circuit 180 . a multiplier182 multiplies the output of the subtractor 174 by even - sample cosine signal o cosω 1 t , and the resulting product is integrated in anintegration circuit 184 . an adder 170 sums the respective outputs of the integration circuits 164 and 180 ; the resulting sum is squared by the squaring circuit 172 ; and thesquared result is applied to the weighted summation network 190 . an adder 186 sums the respective outputs of the integration circuits 168 and 184 ; the resulting sum is squared by the squaring circuit 188 ; and the squared result is supplied to the weighted summation network 190 . then , the weighted summation network 190 sums the outputs of the squaring circuits 132 , 144 , 156 , 172 and 188 , thereby generating error signal e1 . the operation shown in fig1 is similarly performed in path1 unit 116 . 2 of fig1 . the difference is that the control signal input to the respective integration circuits ( not shown ) of unit 116 . 2 is second control signal cs2 , and that error signal e2 is generated from a weighted summation network ( not shown ) of unit 116 . 2 . when the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 are of 2t type , certain of the computations carried out in path0 andin path1 before integration procedures are similar in nature , permitting some sharing of hardware , if desired . the error signal e1 is indicative ofhow much the dsv in the serial data stream formed by next selecting the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information word deviates from a prescribed dsv ; and the error signal e2 is indicative of how much the dsv in the serial data stream formed by next selecting the &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information word deviates from that prescribed dsv . if the error signal e1 is smaller than the error signal e2 , the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information word from the precoder 106 . 1 will beselected for recording . if the error signal e2 is smaller than the error signal e1 , the &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information word from the precoder 106 . 2 will beselected for recording . if the error signals e1 and e2 are alike , it is preferable to record the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information word from the precoder 106 . 1 . the detector 116 . 3 of fig1 includes a comparator which selects the smaller value between error signals e1 and e2 and supplies the third control signal cs3 . the comparator is typically formed as a two &# 39 ; s complement subtractor receptive of error signals e1 and e2 with &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit sign extensions as minuend and subtrahend , the sign bit of the resulting difference being used as the third control signal cs3 . the third control signal cs3 determines which of the first and second control signals cs1 and cs2 will be generated at a time close to the end of the channel word interval . according to first and second control signals cs1 and cs2 generated from the detector 116 . 3 of fig1 , that is , when first control signal cs1 is high and second control signal cs2 is low , path0 having error signal e1 isselected so that the values of the respective integration circuits of path1are replaced with the values stored in the respective integration circuits 122 , 124 , 136 , 140 , 148 , 152 , 164 , 168 , 182 , and 184 corresponding to path0 shown in fig1 via preset output port 131 . fig1 a - 16g are operation waveform diagrams of blocks shown in fig6 . fig1 a illustrates the output waveform of the p / s converter 108 . 1 of the first converter 108 for converting the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information 25 - parallel - bit channel word supplied from the encoding portion 106 into a25 - serial - bit channel word according to the system clock ( clock 1 ) shown infig1 d . fig1 b illustrates the output waveform of the p / s converter 110 . 1 of the second converter 110 for receiving the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information25 - parallel - bit channel word from the encoding portion 106 and serially supplying only the odd channel words selected therefrom , as clocked in accordance with the system clock ( fig1 d ). fig1 c illustrates the output waveform of the p / s converter 112 . 1 of the third converter 112 for receiving the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information 25 - parallel - bit channel word from theencoding portion 106 and serially supplying only the even channel words selected therefrom , as clocked in accordance with the system clock fig1 e , 16f and 16g illustrate first , second and third control signals cs1 , cs2 and cs3 generated by the control signal generator 116 . the first and second control signals cs1 and cs2 are alternately high at the ends of cycles of 25 bits length . the first and second control signalscs1 and cs2 are respectively supplied to the first precoder 106 . 1 and to the second precoder 106 . 2 . the third control signal cs3 is supplied to theselector 118 . if the third control signal cs3 is high , the selector 118 selects the output of the p / s converter 108 . 1 as delayed by the delay 114 . 1 throughout the ensuing cycle of 25 bits length . if the third controlsignal cs3 is low , the selector 118 selects the output of the p / s converter108 . 2 as delayed by the delay 114 . 2 throughout the ensuing cycle of 25 bitslength . therefore , if the data is time - share - multiplexed into the odd channel wordsand even channel words shown in fig1 b and 16c , although delayed by the integration circuits , multipliers and squaring circuits of the control signal generator shown in fig1 , a reduction of at least twelve system clocks is provided for in the time required to compute a control signal , compared to the period of 25 system clocks per channel word . if the data is time - share - multiplexed into leading and trailing bit groups , a similar reduction is possible in the time required to compute a control signal . this enables a control signal to be generated in real time for selecting one output , that is , the one having the intended spectral characteristics , from between those supplied from the p / s converters 108 . 1 and 108 . 2 . fig1 is another detailed circuit diagram of path0 shown in fig1 , showing reductions that can be made in the fig1 path0 circuit . the two integration circuits 122 and 124 and the single adder 126 surrounded by a dashed line in fig1 are replaced in fig1 by a simpler , equivalent circuit made up of a single adder 192 and a single integration circuit 194 . the two integration circuits 136 and 140 and the single adder 142 surrounded by a dashed line in fig1 are replaced in fig1 by a simpler , equivalent circuit made up of a single adder 206 and a single integration circuit 208 . the two integration circuits 148 and 152 and the single adder 154 surrounded by a dashed line in fig1 are replaced in fig1 by a simpler , equivalent circuit made up of a single adder 216 anda single integration circuit 218 . the two integration circuits 164 and 180 and the single adder 170 surrounded by a dashed line in fig1 are replaced in fig1 by a simpler , equivalent circuit made up of a single adder 230 and a single integration circuit 232 . and the two integration circuits 168 and 184 and the single adder 186 surrounded by the same dashed line in fig1 are replaced in fig1 by a simpler , equivalent circuit made up of a single adder 244 and a single integration circuit 246 . when the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 are of 2t type , certain of the computations carried out in path0 and in path1 before integration procedures are similar in nature , permitting some sharing of hardware , if desired . fig1 shows another digital signal recording apparatus embodying the invention in which the parallel - bit words serially supplied from the precoders are converted to serial - bit format with a bit rate that is a multiple of the bit rate used during digital recording . components that are the same as those used in fig6 are numbered with the same numerals , and description of their operation will not be repeated . the configuration of fig1 is the same as that of fig6 except for a second converter 310 for converting the 25 - bit channel word supplied in parallel from the encoding portion 106 into a serial 25 - bit channel word according to a second clock ( clock 2 ) of twice the frequency of the systemclock signal ( clock 1 ). the second converter 310 replaces both the second converter 110 for converting the odd channel words from the 25 - parallel - bit channel word supplied from the encoding portion 106 of fig6 into a serial - bit channel word and the third converter 112 for converting the even channel words from the 25 - parallel - bit channel word supplied from the encoding portion 106 into a serial - bit channel word . the operation of fig1 will be explained with reference to fig1 a through 19d . in fig1 , the detailed configuration and operation of the p / p converter 102 , the signal inserting portion 104 , the encoding portion 106 , and the first converter 108 are the same as those in fig8 through 11 . fig1 a illustrates the output waveform of the p / s converter 108 . 1 of the first p / s converter 108 , which converts the 25 - parallel - bit &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word ( as supplied from the precoder 106 . 1 ) into a 25 - serial - bit &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word . fig1 b shows the first clock signal ( clock 1 ), in accordance with which the serial - bit signals from the first converter 108 are clocked . fig1 c illustrates the output waveform of the p / s converter 310 . 1 of the second converter 310 for converting the 25 - parallel - bit &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information channel word ( as supplied from the precoder 106 . 1 ) into a 25 - serial - bit channel word supplied at a bit rate twice as high as the 25 - serial - bit channel word supplied from the p / s converter 108 . 1 . fig1 d shows the second clock signal ( clock 2 ), in accordance with whichthe serial - bit signals from the second converter 310 are clocked . in the fig1 digital signal recording apparatus , the control signal generator 116 &# 34 ; receives the output of the second converter 310 which is time - compressed twofold in accordance with the second clock signal and thereby corresponds to half the original period of the 25 - parallel - bit channel word . the comparison between the respective frequency components of the time - compressed &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;- information 25 - serial - bit channel words and of the time - compressed &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ;- information 25 - serial - bit channel words supplied in parallel is carried out well within one 25 - parallel - bit channel - word interval , despite delay introduced into the computations by the integration circuits , multipliers and squaring circuits of the controlsignal generator 116 &# 34 ; similar to those shown in fig1 or 17 . accordingly , a control signal for selecting a 25 - parallel - bit channel word for an intended channel can be generated without having to depart from pipeline processing of channel words . twofold time compression is generally sufficient and is preferred , because of the ease with which the clock signals with rates in 2 : 1 ratio can be generated using simple counter circuitry , and because doubling of the clocking rate does not tend to require an excessively high clock rate . other alternative embodiments of the invention , in addition to those thusfar described , will be apparent to one skilled in the art of digital tape recorder design and acquainted with the foregoing specification ; and such alternative embodiments are intended to be considered as being withinthe scope of the claims appended to this specification . by way of specific example , the time compensator 114 after the first converter 108 used to delay the output signals from the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 as applied to the selector 118 not only can be fixed delay owing to the invention , but in certain designs of the sort shown in fig6 time compensation can be obtained at least in part by delaying the latching of channel words from the 2t precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 into the p / s converters 108 . 1 and 108 . 2 . by way of further specific example , in other embodiments of the invention the delays of the output signals from the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 as applied to the selector 118 are introduced before the first converter 108 ( e . g ., by respective word latches ), rather than being provided after the first converter 108 . in yet other embodiments of the invention , the selection between the output signals from the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 isperformed while the signals are still in 25 - parallel - bit format , and conversion to serial - bit format for recording is deferred until after the selection between channel words is completed . the triangular wave generator 128 of fig1 can be replaced by a triangular wave generator generating a triangular wave complementary to that generated by the generator 128 , and the subtractor 130 replaced by anadder , without changing operation . the square wave generators 160 and 176 of fig1 can be replaced by square wave generators generating square waves complementary to those generated by the generators 160 and 176 , and the subtractors 158 and 174 replaced by respective adders , without changing operation . analogous modifications can be made in the portions ofthe control signal generators shown in fig4 and 17 . methods of estimating the energies of deviations from their absolute values , rather than squaring the deviations , are known to digital designers , and circuitry using such methods are equivalents of the squaring circuitry shown in fig1 and 17 . embodiments of the invention wherein the precoders 106 . 1 and 106 . 2 are of an at type where a is three or is a still higher integer are also envisioned . | 6 |
this invention is directed to the use of s - n - butyl - n , n - diisopropyl thiocarbamate as a selective herbicide for use on sugarbeets , carrots and cabbage crops . sugarbeets , carrots and cabbage show a high degree of tolerance to s - n - butyl - n , n - diisopropyl thiocarbamate . the above herbicidal compound and those to which it is compared can be prepared by the general methods described in thiolcarbamates -- preparation and molar refractions , american chemical society , 81 , 714 ( 1959 ). the thiocarbamate compounds are known herbicides and their method of synthesis is well known . see u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 913 , 327 , 2 , 983 , 747 , 3 , 133 , 927 , 3 , 175 , 897 , and 3 , 185 , 720 , for example . however , in general the thiocarbamates produce unacceptable injury to sugarbeets , carrots and cabbage . therefore , it is quite unexpected to discover the high degree degree of tolerance exhibited toward s - n - butyl - n , n - diisopropyl thiocarbamate . it has been discovered that s - n - butyl - n , n - diisopropyl thiocarbamate is particularly effective in control of nutsedge and other weeds . this is particularly unexpected in that extremely close prior art homologs show no such superior control . the compound of the present invention can be prepared according to the teaching of the following example . a sodium dispersion in xylene was prepared by blending 75 grams ( g ) of finely divided sodium into 300 g ( 345 cubic centimeters ( cc )) of anhydrous xylene . the experimental equipment was an argon - flushed 1 liter , 4 - neck flask provided with a truebone stirrer , constant pressure dropping funnel air condenser and thermometer . anhydrous xylene ( 100 cc ) and 18 . 2 cc ( 0 . 119 mole ) of the sodium dispersion was added to the reaction flask producing a purplishhued dispersion . n - butyl mercaptan ( 13 . 4 g , 0 . 149 mole ) dissolved in 25 cc of xylene was added to the flask over a period of 4 . 5 minutes while the temperature of reaction mixture rose from 35 ° c . to 76 ° c . the reaction mixture was heated to reflux and 19 . 5 g ( 0 . 119 mole ) of diisopropylcarbamyl chloride was reacted with the reaction mixture over 7 . 5 minutes . the resultant reaction mixture was then heated at reflux for 1 . 5 hours , cooled and allowed to stand for 2 days . the mixture was then filtered through super - cell . the filter cake was washed with 25 cc of toluene and the filtrate combined and evaporated on a steam bath to produce 25 . 4 g of a liquid . the fraction from 142 ° c . to 143 . 5 ° c . was recovered as product . the product was 17 . 72 g of a liquid having an n d 30 of 1 . 4753 . yield was 68 . 6 % of theoretical of the title compound . the structure was confirmed by infrared spectrascopy . this compound will be referred to as compound no . 1 . compound no . 1 was comparatively tested with other thiocarbamate herbicides for selectively controlling watergrass [ echnichloa crusgalli ( l .) beauv . ], foxtail ( seteria sp . ), johnsongrass ( sorghum halepense ), wild cane ( sorghum bicolor ), and nutsedge ( cyperus spp .) by pre - emergent application on these weeds and sugarbeets , carrots and cabbage . the additional herbicides tested are s - tert - butyl n , n - dipropyl thiocarbamate , described in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 913 , 327 ( compound no . 2 ) and s - n - propyl n , n - di - n - butyl thiocarbamate , described in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 913 , 327 ( compound no . 3 ). a mini field test carried out in which compounds 1 , 2 , and 3 were pre - plant incorporated ( ppi ) at 6 lb / a approximately 3 inches deep in a loam soil and two rows of yellow nutsedge tubers were planted 1 inch apart and 1 . 5 inches deep through the plots which werew 11 feet long and 4 feet wide . compound no . 1 was also applied ppi at 3 lb / a . each plot also contained four rows of cotton planted 1 . 5 inch deep and rows of yellow foxtail , watergrass , johnsongrass , wild cane , sugarbeets , cabbage and carrots , planted 0 . 5 inch deep . the results taken 3 weeks after treatment are shown in table i . the percent control of the weeds is based on the total injury to the plants due to all factors of injury . the rating system is from 0 to 100 percent , where the value represents percent control . for example , 0 represents no herbicidal effect with growth equal to untreated controls and 100 represents complete control . the results are reported in table i . table i__________________________________________________________________________ % injury or control 21 days after treatmentcomp . rate nut - yellow water - johnson wild sugarno . ( lb / a ) grass foxtail grass grass cane beets carrots cabbage__________________________________________________________________________1 3 58 70 90 60 35 0 0 0 6 100 90 97 85 40 0 10 02 6 40 90 94 95 90 0 0 1003 6 50 80 70 90 94 90 30 90__________________________________________________________________________ the compound of the present invention is useful as an herbicide , especially as a pre - emergence herbicide , and can be applied in a variety of ways at various concentrations . the compound is applied to the soil where control of undesirable vegetation is desired . preferably , the pre - emergence application is made a day or two before planting of the sugarbeets , carrots , cabbage or crop , on the data of planting or a day or two after planting of the sugarbeets , carrots or cabbage . in the preferred practice , the compound herein defined is formulatd into herbicidal compositions , by admixture , in herbicidally effective amounts , with the adjuvants and carriers normally employed for facilitating the dispersion of active ingredients for agricultural applications , recognizing the fact that the formulation and mode of application of a toxicant may affect the activity of the material in a given application . thus , the active herbicidal compound may be formulated as granules of relatively large particle size , as wettable powders , as emulsifiable concentrates , as powdery dusts , as solutions or as any of several other known types of formulations , depending upon the desired mode of application . preferred formulations of pre - emergence herbicidal applications are wettable powders , emulsifiable concewntrates and granules . these formulations may contain as little as about 0 . 5 % to as much as about 95 % or more by weight of active ingredient . crop injury and herbicidal effectiveness depends upon several factors , including the nature of the soil where control is desired and the types of seeds or plants to be controlled . therefore , the rate of which dispersion readily in water or other dispersants . the wettable powder is ultimately applied to the soil either as a dry dust or as a dispersion in water or other liquid . typical carriers for wettable powders include fuller &# 39 ; s earth , kaolin clays , silicas and other readily wet organic or inorganic diluents . wettable powders normally are prepared to contain about 5 % to about 95 % of the active ingredient and usually also contain a small amount of wetting , dispersing , or emulsifying agent to facilitate wetting and dispersion . emulsifiable concentrates are homogeneous liquid compositions which are dispersible in water or other dispersant , and may consist entirely of the active compound with a liquid or solid emulsifying agent , or may also contain a liquid carrier , such as xylene , heavy aromatic naphthas , isophorone and other non - volatile organic solvents . for herbicidal application , these concentrates are dispersed in water or other liquid carrier and normally applied as a spray to the area to be treated . the percentage by weight of the essential active ingredient may vary according to the manner in which the composition is to be applied , but in general comprises about 0 . 5 % to 95 % of active ingredient by weight of the herbicidal composition . granular formulations wherein the toxicant is carried on relatively coarse particles , are usually applied without dilution to the area in whih suppression of vegetation is desired . typical carriers for granular formulations include sand , fuller &# 39 ; s earth , bentonite clays , vermiculite , perlite and other organic or inorganic materials which absorb or which may be coated with the toxicant . granular formulations normally are prepared to contain about 5 % to about 25 % of active ingredients which may include surface - active agents such as heavy aromatic naphthas , kerosene or other petroleum fractions , or vegetable oils ; and / or stickers such as destrins , glue or synthetic resins . typical wetting , dispersing or emulsifying agents used in agricultural formulations include , for example , the alkyl and alkylaryl sulfonates and sulfates and their sodium salts ; polyhydric alcohols ; and other types of surface - active agents , many of which are available in commerce . the surface - active agent , when used , normally comprises from 0 . 1 % to 15 % by weight of the herbicidal composition . dusts , which are free - flowing admixtures of the active ingredients with finely divided solids such as talc , clays , flours and other organic and inorganic solids which act as dispersants and carriers for the toxicant , are useful formulations for soil - incorporating application . pastes , which are homogeneous suspensions of a finely divided solid toxicant in a liquid carrier such as water or oil , are employed for specific purposes . these formulations normally contain about 5 % to about 95 % of active ingredient by weight , and may also contain small amounts of a wetting , dispersing or emulsifying agent to facilitate dispersion . for application , the pastes are normaly diluted and applied as a spray to the area to be affected . other useful formulations for herbicidal applications include simple solutions of the active ingredient in a dispersant in which it is completely soluble at the desired concentration , such as acetone , alkylated naphthalenes , xylene and other organic solvents . pressurized sprays , typically aerosols , wherein the active ingredient is dispersed in finely divided form as a result of vaporization of a low boiling dispersant solvent carrier , such as the freons , may also be used . the phytotoxic compositions of this invention are applied to the plants in the conventional manner . thus , the dust and liquid compositions can be applied to the plant by the use of power - dusters , boom and hand sprayers and spray dusters . the compositions can also be applied from airplanes as a dust or a spray because they are effective in very low dosages . in order to modify or control growth of germinating seeds or emerging seedlings , as a typical example , the dust and liquid compositions are applied to the soil according to conventional methods and are distributed in the soil to a depth of at least 1 / 2 inch below the soil surface . it is not necessary that the phytotoxic compositions be admixed with the soil particles since these compositions can also be applied merely by spraying or sprinkling the surface of the soil . the phytotoxic compositions of this invention can also be applied by addition to irrigation water supplied to the field to be treated . this method of application permits the penetration of the compositions into the soil as the water is absorbed therein . dust compositions , granular compositions or liquid formulations applied to the surface of the soil can be distributed below the surface of the soil by conventional means such as discing , dragging or mixing operations . the herbicide can also be applied in the crop furrow or it can be applied by injection along - side the crop and furrow in rows spaced several inches from the seed . | 0 |
fig1 shows a pool skimming device 10 of the invention . the device 10 has a tubular frame 12 member composed of sections 12a , 12b , 12c , 12d and 12e attached to one another in spigot and socket fashion to form the illustrated bow shape . the central section 12c has a ball float 14 attached to it . tied to the ends of the bow - shaped frame member 12 and extending inwardly therefrom are short cords 16 which carry clips 18 to which swivels 20 , of the kind normally used on fishing traces , are attached . the swivels 20 are attached to opposite ends of an elongate net 22 which is formed into a channel shape in cross - section by means of ball floats 24 secured to the net material . a towing handle 26 , in the form of a length of rope , has its ends secured to the frame member 12 at points 28 as illustrated . in addition to the towing handle , there is a tilting handle 30 , also in the form of a length of rope , which is in the form of an endless loop passing through eyelets 32 connected eccentrically to the ball floats 24 . the handles are attached to one another at a clip 34 . fig2 illustrates a first mode of use of the device 10 . the device is placed in the water 36 of a swimming pool and the action of the floats 14 and 24 is to maintain the frame and net at the surface of the water and to maintain the net at the illustrated orientation , with the channel shape mouthing laterally . to ensure that this orientation of the net is maintained , the floats 24 may include lead weights at appropriate positions , the lead weights causing them to float at the same orientation in all situations . an operator grasps the center of the towing handle and pulls the device across the surface of the pool . the orientation of the net ensures that floating debris , such as leaves , are captured by the net . the length of the net is substantial so a large proportion of the width of the pool can be swept clear of floating debris in a single pass . once the pool surface has been swept clear of the floating debris , the operator pulls upwardly on the towing and tilting handles to lift the device out of the water . the eccentric attachment of the tilting rope to the ball floats 24 causes the net to swivel relative to the frame member 12 to the orientation seen in fig3 in which the channel - shape of the net mouths upwardly . this reorientation of the net ensures that the captured debris cannot fall out of the net when it is lifted out of the water . the device , in the fig3 orientation , can now be transported to a rubbish tip and emptied of its contents . fig4 shows the same device in a stationary mode adjacent the standard return flow inlet which returns water to the pool under pressure from the filtration unit ( not shown ). the inlet is fitted with a bend which directs the incoming water in such a direction that the water swirls around the pool in the manner indicated by the arrow 46 . in fig4 the device 10 includes an anchor 48 which has a clevis 50 engaging the frame member 12 , and a pivoted linkage 52 which has a terminal element 52a that rests upon the coping at the edge of the pool . the anchor 48 is secured in this position by means of a weight 54 placed upon the terminal element 52a , with the frame member and net of the device 10 extending outwardly into the pool . the net is in a position to catch floating debris transported around the pool by the swirling water . when the pool is clean , or the net full of floating debris , the operator pulls upwardly on the tilting handle to lift the device clear of the water . as before the net reorientates itself so as to mouth upwardly , thereby preventing the captured material from falling out , and the device can be carried to the rubbish tip for emptying . when the skimming operation has been completed , the device 10 can be dismantled by detaching the swivels 20 from the clips 18 , detaching the towing handle from the frame member and separating the various sections of the frame member by pulling them apart from one another . this enables the device to be stored compactly when not in use . the net which is used to skim large leaves and floating debris from the surface of the pool will have a large aperture size to reduce drag in the water . it may however be replaced with a net having a smaller aperture size if it is desired to skim small floating particles . alternatively , the skimming device may be supplied with a second net having a smaller aperture size which can be draped over the existing net to provide a composite net structure having an appropriately small aperture size to capture small floating particles . fig5 illustrates a modified embodiment of the invention . in this figure , components corresponding to those of fig1 to 4 are indicated with the same reference numerals . in fig5 the net 22 is secured to the bow - shaped frame member 12 by means of fasteners 60 . the frame member 12 is of hollow tubular construction and , as in the first embodiment , is composed of a series of short tubular lengths connected to one another spigot and socket fashion . a single rope handle 62 is connected to the frame member 12 as illustrated . as thus far described , the embodiment of fig5 is virtually identical to the first embodiment , with the various floats 14 , 24 maintaining the net 22 at an orientation in which it mouths laterally at the stirface of a swimming pool . as with the first embodiment , the handle 62 can be used to tow the skimming device across the water to collect leaves and other floating debris in the net 22 . after a manual skimming operation of this kind , the handle 62 is pulled vertically upwardly , with the result that the net 22 is reorientated so as to mouth upwardly . the handle 62 can then be used to carry the device to a tip where the debris , that has accumulated in the net can be disposed of . it will be appreciated that in the embodiment of fig5 the single handle 62 performs the functions of the towing and tilting handles 26 and 30 in the first embodiment . in fig5 spray heads 64 are set into holes formed for the purpose in the frame member 12 . one end 66 of the frame member 12 is plugged closed , while the other , open end has connected to it a pipe bend 68 . the opposite end of the pipe bend 68 is connected via a valve 70 to a further pipe bend 72 which is in turn connected to a tee - piece 74 . the branch 76 of the tee - piece 74 is dimensioned to make a friction fit in the return flow inlet through which filtered water is returned to the , swimming pool from the conventional filtration unit . the opposite end of the tee - piece 74 has connected to it a short length of pipe 80 from which a slender conduit 82 extends . the relevant end of the conduit 82 passes through the wall of the pipe length 80 and is chamfered to establish a venturi effect when water flows through the pipe length as described below . the various connections between the pipe bends 68 and 72 , tee - piece 74 and pipe length 80 are merely frictional connections , permitting the various components to be swivelled relative to one another to appropriate orientations for the net to be supported in the illustrated manner at the surface of the water . when correctly oriented , the conduit 82 extends above the water surface . in use with the pump of the filtration unit operational , a portion of the water flow arriving at the pool through the return flow inlet is directed into the pool through the pipe length 80 . this flow of return water sets up a swirling motion in the pool similar to that described in relation to the first embodiment . with the valve 70 open , another portion of the return flow enters the frame member 12 from which it issues via the spray heads 64 . the spray heads 64 are of a known type , commonly used for garden irrigation , which are designed to produce 180 ° sprays . the spray heads are oriented for their sprays 84 to be directed towards the mouth of the net 22 . floating debris is conveyed about the pool due to the swirling motion , and arrives in the direction indicated by the arrows 46 to be captured by the net 22 . the sprays 84 assist in forcing the debris into the mouth of the net , and in retaining it there for subsequent disposal . to empty the net 22 , the frame member 12 is disconnected from the pipe bend 68 . the handle 62 is then lifted vertically to tilt the frame and net as described previously , whereafter the device can be transported to the tip . the venturi created by the inner end of the conduit 82 causes ambient air to be sucked into the flow of water passing through the pipe length 80 . it is believed that the aeration of the inflowing water could assist in purifying the pool water . in the above embodiments there are separate floats supporting the frame member and net . in other embodiments , such as the fig6 version described below , one or more single floats of appropriate shape can serve to support both the tubular member and the net . fig6 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention . once again , components corresponding to those of the earlier embodiments are marked with the same reference numerals . in fig6 the bow - shaped frame member of the earlier embodiments is replaced by a straight tubular frame member 12 . as in fig5 the frame member 12 is provided with spaced apart spray heads 64 directed towards the net 22 . the net 22 in this embodiment is of semi - rigid , resilient , moulded plastics construction . the opposite ends of the net are retained as interference fits in channel - shaped grooves 100 formed in spaced apart floats 102 . in practice , the net 22 can be moulded either in a flat or slightly curved configuration , so that when it is bent to the illustrated channel - shape , its inherent resilience retains it securely in the groove 100 . the floats 102 are of moulded plastics construction and are somewhat bullet - shaped as illustrated . they are formed with round openings 103 , near to their leading ends 104 , which receive the opposite ends of the tubular frame member 12 as tight interference fits . the shape of the floats 102 enables them to float at the illustrated orientation at the surface of the water in a swimming pool , with the net 22 mouthing laterally . it will be appreciated that in the embodiment of fig6 the floats 102 replace the floats 14 and 24 of the earlier embodiments . the leading ends 104 of the floats 102 are formed with attachment points 106 to which the ends of a rope 62 are attached , the rope 62 in this case carrying a plastics grip 106 facilitating comfortable hand - engagement by a user . it will be apparent from fig6 that the pool skimming device of this embodiment is not limited to a single net , and that further tubular frames , nets and floats , designated 12a , 22a and 102a respectively , can be added to the basic unit , in extendable modular fashion , as required . in the result it is possible to build up the pool skimming device to a required overall length , merely by adding further components . the otherwise exposed opening 103 at the remote end of the device can be plugged , both to improve the aesthetics to and prevent ingress of water , by means of a plastics plug element 108 . the inflow connection apparatus consisting , in fig5 of components 68 , 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 , 80 and 82 , is replaced in fig6 by an inflow connection apparatus 110 . the apparatus 110 has a first swivel connector 112 which is releasably connected to the opening 103 of the nearside ( as illustrated ) float 102 . a cranked pipe section 114 is connected between the swivel connector 112 and a further , similar swivel connector 116 , by two elbows 118 and 120 . a tee - piece 122 is connected to the swivel connector 116 and supports a standpipe 124 , corresponding to the conduit 82 of fig5 . one end 126 of the tee - piece is fitted with a flange 128 and engages in use behind the threaded ring 130 of a conventional pool return flow inlet unit 132 which is recessed in the wall of the pool . it will be appreciated that swivelling movements at the connectors 112 , 116 will serve to raise and lower the net 22 relative to the return flow inlet , thereby permitting account to be taken of fluctuating water levels in the swimming pool . in operation , the embodiment seen in fig6 operates in the same way as that of fig5 with a portion of the return flow of water passing through the branch 134 of the tee - piece into the swimming pool , and with the remainder of the flow entering the tubular frame member 12 . the flow issuing from the branch 134 sets up a swirling flow in the pool , as described previously , so that leaves and other floating debris eventually migrate about the pool towards the net 22 . the sprays emanating from the spray heads in the tubular frame member 12 assist in driving the leaves into the net and in retaining them there . it will be appreciated that where the pool skimming device includes a number of tubular frame members 12 arranged end - to - end as described above , the water flow which is not lost through the sprays in any one frame is able to pass on to the next frame , and so on . as before , the device can be disconnected from the return flow inlet when the net is full of leaves and floating matter , with the handle 62 then being used to lift the net clear of the water for emptying thereof at a remote dump site . it will also be appreciated that the device can also be towed manually about the pool surface by the handle 62 . in this connection the modular nature of the fig7 embodiment , with the facility for creating a long expanse of net 22 , will enable a considerable surface area to be swept for leaves and floating matter in a single pass . a special feature of the fig6 embodiment arises out of the use of bullet - shaped floats 102 as illustrated . the symmetrical shape of each float enables the entire skimming apparatus to be flipped over so that the net mouths in the opposite direction . it would of course be necessary to swivel the pipework components to the appropriate orientations to suit the new orientation of the net , and to ensure that the branch 134 points in the right direction to set up the swirl of swimming pool water in the opposite direction . it should also be noted that , while reference has been made to the use of spray heads on the tubular frame member , suitable spray means can also be provided merely by apertures formed in the tubular member . | 4 |
referring initially to fig1 , there is shown a transfer table 01 , which is configured to perform a process in accordance with the present invention . fig1 a ) shows a side view of the transfer table 01 and fig1 b ) shows a top plan view of the transfer table . the transfer table 01 is essentially divided into two parts , and consists of a transport carriage 02 and a roll transport structure 03 configured as a part of the transport carriage 02 of the transfer table 01 . the transport carriage 02 can preferably be moved on wheels 04 on tracks 06 , which are also shown , for example , in fig2 , transversely to a longitudinal axis 07 of a roll to be transported . additionally , a lifting device 08 can be provided as part of the transport carriage 02 , with which the height of the transfer table 01 can be adjusted on one side or on both sides . the lifting device 08 can preferably be supported on the tracks 06 . the lifting device 08 can be , for example , a correcting element 08 , such as an actuator cylinder 08 , and especially can be configured as a hydraulic piston 08 or as a pneumatic piston 08 . a bearing ring 09 is provided on the transport carriage 02 , and which accommodates a transport rail 11 for the roll transport structure 03 and for its drive 12 , rotatably mounted thereon . a rotary movement of the bearing ring 09 is achieved through the use of a preferably electromotive bearing ring rotary drive 13 , which is preferably equipped with a planetary gear system , and which has an angular sensor that is not specifically shown in fig1 . in addition , a return of the bearing ring 09 to its starting position can be implemented via springs and / or by use of the rotary drive 13 . the bearing ring 09 is configured in the form of a rolling - contact bearing . the bearing ring 09 preferably has a circular shape and thus is preferably configured as a 360 ° closed ring . the rotational movement of the bearing ring 09 amounts to at least +/− 10 °, preferably amounts to +/− 15 °, but can also amount to 360 ° or more . the margin or end face surfaces of the rail 11 on the bearing ring 09 is rounded at the end surfaces at the transfer points and adjacent the tracks 06 , which are embedded in concrete , so that the rail 11 will not collide with the concrete edges during rotation . the roll transport structure 03 can be centered in the longitudinal direction of the transport rail 11 by the provision of an initiator 14 . the initiator 14 can be implemented , for example , as a photoelectric sensor , which stops the drive 12 for the roll transport structure when the center position is reached . a simple stop would also be an option in this case . in a simpler embodiment of the transfer table of the present invention , the lifting device 08 , including the hydraulic pistons 08 , can also be dispensed with . fig2 shows a side view of a roll changer 15 with a transfer table 01 for implementing a process for orienting a roll of material in accordance with the present invention . on a first roll support , which is comprised of two axially spaced roll support arms 16 lying one in front of another , in the plane of fig2 , an expiring roll of material 17 is clamped between bearing journals . a new material roll 18 has been transported , in advance , to the roll changer 15 and is transferred to the roll changer 15 via the roll transport structure 03 . the new material roll 18 is in a stand - by position in front of the roll changer 15 , as is depicted in fig2 . in this standby position , it can be the situation that the longitudinal axis 19 of the new material roll 18 is not yet aligned parallel to the center axis 21 of the bearing journals of a second roll support , which second roll support is , in turn , comprised of two roll support arms 22 lying one in front of another in the plane of fig2 . the oblique position of the new material roll 18 is schematically indicated in fig2 by a slightly perspective representation . a new material roll 18 ′, and having a smaller diameter is indicated by dashed lines . its respective longitudinal axis is labeled 19 ′. in the stand - by position , which is depicted in fig2 , the new material roll 18 or 18 ′ is first pre - positioned , centered between the roll support arms 22 . in the stand - by position which is shown in fig2 , the diameter of the new material roll 18 or 18 ′ is determined by a sensor 23 , such as , for example , a diameter sensor 23 , which is preferably positioned in the frame of the roll changer 15 , again as may be seen in fig2 . this diameter determination is accomplished by measuring a distance of the upper side of the roll 18 or 18 ′ from the diameter sensor 23 . if the overall height of the diameter sensor 23 is known , the roll diameter can be determined in this way . however , the roll diameter can also be determined in a different manner , for example by scanning a barcode label on the new material roll 18 or 18 ′. from the diameter of the new material roll 18 or 18 ′, a measuring position is determined , into which measuring position the second roll support with the roll support arms 22 is pivoted . in the depiction of fig2 , the roll support arms 22 are already shown in the measuring position . the roll support arm 22 ′, which is pivoted into the measuring position for the material roll 18 ′, which has a smaller diameter , is also indicated , in fig2 , by dashed lines . as has already been specified in connection with fig1 , the transfer table 01 can be moved , through the use of the wheels 04 on the transport carriage , on the tracks 06 , and transversely to the roll longitudinal axis 19 , in the direction of the motion arrow 24 , as seen in fig2 . the bearing ring 09 is rotatably mounted on the transfer table 01 , and can be actuated via a bearing ring rotary drive 13 , which is especially constituted as an electric motor 13 . the roll transport structure or roll carriage 03 is mounted on the rotatable bearing ring 09 , and can be moved back and forth in the image plane of fig2 on the transfer table 01 via the roll transport structure drive 12 . position detection elements 26 , such as , for example , first sensors 26 , are attached to the roll support arms 22 , preferably at their ends , which position detection sensors 26 are spaced at a defined distance “ x ” from the center axis 21 of the bearing journals of the roll support arms 22 , as seen in fig2 and 3 . the first , position detection sensors 26 are preferably positioned on the roll support arm 22 such that in a measuring position , the center axis 21 of the bearing journals , the longitudinal axis 19 of the new material roll 18 , and the first sensor 26 lie within a single plane , as is shown in fig2 . this offers the advantage that the measuring position of the roll support arms 22 also corresponds to the loading position , and the roll support does not need to be readjusted following measurement . in the measuring position for the material roll 18 ′, as is indicated by the dashed lines of fig2 , the longitudinal axis 19 ′ or the center axis 21 ′ and the position of the sensor 26 ′ do not lie within a single plane . therefore , in this case , the roll support arm 22 does need to be pivoted again after measurement . if a lifting device 08 is provided in the transfer table 01 , the material roll 18 or 18 ′ could also be raised to achieve alignment , and a readjustment of the roll support can be dispensed with . it is also conceivable for separate or existing sensors to be provided for the most frequently processed roll diameter , such as , for example , between 1 , 250 and 1 , 500 mm , which separate or existing sensors are attached to the roll support arm 22 in such a way that the measuring position always corresponds to the loading position , and the corresponding sensors are activated following measurement of the roll diameter . in a preferred embodiment of the present , the further process sequence for loading a roll of material 18 , 18 ′ onto the axle will be specified , as taken in the context of fig3 , which shows a top plan view of the roll changer 15 of fig2 . the expiring material roll 17 is clamped with its roll core supported in spaced bearing journals 27 , which are each respectively mounted on one of a pair of spaced roll support arms 16 of the first roll support . the roll support arms 22 of the second roll support are in the axle - loading position , as depicted in fig2 and 3 . in other words , they are spaced further from one another , in an axial direction , than they would be in the clamped position , so that the material roll 18 can be moved into position , on the transfer table 01 , between the bearing journals 28 of the second roll support , as shown in fig3 . this positional movement is accomplished by moving the transport carriage 02 on the tracks 06 in the direction of the roll changer 15 , and transversely to the longitudinal axis 19 of the material roll 18 . a leading longitudinal or peripheral edge 29 of the new material roll 18 first passes the first sensors 26 . in this passing , a respective distance z 1 and z 2 from each of the end surfaces 31 of the roll to the sensors 26 is measured . if z 1 = z 2 , in the most favorable case , the longitudinal axis 19 of the new material roll 18 is already aligned parallel with the center axis 21 of the bearing journals 28 . however , if there is a winding error in the material roll 18 or if there is a core offset in the material roll 18 , a further criterion must be used for the coaxial alignment of the material roll 18 with the center axis 21 of the bearing journals 28 . in this instance , wherein z 1 may not be equal to z 2 , the material roll 18 is first displaced further toward the roll changer 15 at a constant speed . this is followed by a detection of the roll core , in which the sensor 26 records and stores the measuring points m 1 and m 2 , as the core passes through a laser beam . the points m 1 and m 2 are detected separately at the two ends of the core portion of the material roll 18 , and from these points , an axial offset “ y ” is determined , as depicted in fig3 . naturally , other sensors that determine the core position , such as , for example , by evaluating a change in a magnetic field , as the core passes through , can also be used for this measurement . the axial offset “ y ” could also be determined simply from the difference in distance between the measuring points m 1 on both sides of the roll changer 15 . when an axial offset , “ y ”≠ 0 , the bearing ring 09 can be rotated , by utilization of the bearing ring rotary drive 13 , and the roll transport structure 03 can again be moved transversely of the roll longitudinal axis 07 until the axial offset “ y ” has been corrected . however , the rotary drive 13 for the bearing ring 09 can also be switched back on momentarily , and the roll support arm 22 on the side of the correct core position is caused to move first into the core . the material roll 18 , which is being supported by the roll transport structure 03 , with the actuated bearing ring 09 , is automatically rotated , until the second side of the core is also aligned . the other roll support arm 22 can then also be moved into the core . the further axle - loading process is implemented in a generally known manner . when the new material roll 18 is in the clamped state , each of the first , position detection sensors 26 also measures the distance to the end surface 31 of the new material roll 18 adjacent it . because the end surface 31 does not necessarily extend parallel to the adjacent roll support arm 22 of the roll support , as is illustrated by the dotted edge line in fig3 , the edge distance measurement z 1 or z 2 should be performed in the outer area of the end surface 31 , if at all possible , in other words near the uppermost material layer of the new material roll 18 . as the desired value for the edge alignment , a machine - based standard distance from the end surface 32 of the expiring material roll 17 to the allocated roll support arm 16 , with a correct winding , can be preset . any deviations , between the actual position of the end surface of the expiring material web and the assumed standard value are small near the center of the roll . with modified embodiments , however , the distance from the roll support arm 16 to the end surface 32 of the expiring material roll 17 can also be measured by a position - detecting element 33 , a second sensor 33 , in order to precisely determine the desired value for the new material roll 18 . a comparison of the actual value and the desired value provides a positional deviation . when a positional deviation exists , the clamped new material roll 18 is moved in an axial direction until a position that corresponds with the desired value is reached . in this movement , the distance between the end surface 31 of the new material roll 18 and the first sensor 26 does not change . instead , the roll support with the material roll 18 is moved , in order to compensate for the deviation from the desired value by adjusting the position of the new material roll 18 . the new material roll 18 is displaced in an axial direction by a synchronous movement of the roll support arms 22 of the second roll support along a second motion axis 34 , as seen in fig3 , by the use of a positioning drive . similarly , the roll support arms 16 of the first roll support can be adjusted along a first motion axis 36 , as also seen in fig3 , by the use of a separate , second positioning drive , in order to compensate for the existing edge offset . the displacement of the new material roll 18 , to adjust the edge position , can be performed either via a continuous measurement and movement , or via a one - time measurement , a determination of the resultant deviation and a repositioning of the new material roll 18 by the determined amount of deviation . a second sensor 33 , which corresponds to the first sensor 26 , is provided respectively on each of the roll support arms 16 of the first roll support , as may be seen in fig3 . when the roll change has been completed , this first roll support can take on another new material roll , and the distance to the end surface of this additional new material roll is determined again . the same process can also be used , in a similar manner , for small material rolls 18 ′, with the exception of the now necessary , above - described , re - pivoting of the roll support arms 22 . in fig4 , a further embodiment of a device for orienting the new material roll 18 in the roll changer 15 , in accordance with the present invention , is illustrated . the overall process is similar to the process already described in connection with fig1 - 3 . a sensor or sensors 37 , such as , for example , distance sensors 37 , which are preferably attached to the roll supports 22 near the second motion axis 34 , measure the distances s 1 and s 2 from the longitudinal or peripheral edge 29 of the new material roll , as the transfer table 01 is being moved into the roll changer 15 . if the measured values for s 1 and s 2 are unequal , the material roll 18 is rotated until the measured values are equal . afterward , the material roll 18 is moved fully into the roll changer 15 , and is loaded onto the axle . fig5 shows an embodiment of the present invention , and with a sensor , or sensors 38 , such as , for example , touch sensors 38 , which are attached to the roll support arms 22 . in this embodiment , no complicated systems for evaluating the measured values are necessary , because the alignment is implemented directly via a contact measurement . to orient the material roll 18 in this embodiment , first the roll support arms 22 are moved toward each other along the motion axis 34 , so that the longitudinal or peripheral edge 29 of the new material roll 18 , which is being moved in transversely to the longitudinal axis 19 , is able to strike or to contact the touch sensors 38 . if the material roll 18 lies obliquely to the motion axis 34 , as is indicated in fig5 , the leading part of the longitudinal or peripheral edge 29 will first touch the touch sensor 38 shown on the right roll support arm 22 . this touch sensor 38 can switch the bearing ring rotary drive 13 directly to clockwise rotation , until the other side of the material roll 18 also actuates the left touch sensor 38 , which stops the bearing ring rotary drive 13 . with this operation , the longitudinal axis 19 of the material roll 18 is now aligned parallel to the center axis 21 of the bearing journals 28 . an even simpler variation of the present invention can be implemented when the touch sensor 38 that is first actuated , switches the bearing ring 09 to a free - running mode of operation , and the material roll 18 is rotated and oriented on the roll transport structure 03 by virtue of the movement of the transfer table 01 in the direction toward the roll changer , as indicated by arrow 24 of fig2 . when the second touch sensor 38 is touched , the bearing ring 09 and thereby also the roll transport structure 03 are stopped again . the roll support arms 22 are then moved apart from each other and into the axle - loading position and the transfer table 01 can be moved into position between the bearing journals 28 , where the further axle - loading process is now able to be implemented in a generally known manner . to further illustrate the options for utilizing the sensors 26 ; 33 , which are provided for orienting the new material roll 18 in edge alignment , in fig6 the roll changer 15 is shown , again in a top plan view . the procedural for minimizing edge offset has already been specified in detail in connection with fig3 . the expiring material roll 17 is clamped between the roll support arms 16 of the first roll support . the new material roll 18 is in its position prior to clamping . in the clamping process , the roll support arms 22 of the second roll support are moved in respective opposing axial directions , with respect to each other , and both toward the roll center , until the bearing journals 28 become engaged in the core of the new material roll 18 , which material roll core is not specifically shown here . the first sensor 26 is preferably fastened to the roll support arm 22 of the second roll support , and can be the same sensor that is used , as described above , for alignment of the roll . with this sensor 26 , in the clamped state of the new material roll 18 in the roll changer , the distance to the end surface 31 of the new material roll 18 is measured . the end surface 31 of the new material roll 18 does not necessarily extend parallel to the roll support arm 22 of the roll support , as is again indicated by the dashed edge line shown in fig6 . to orient a material roll 18 , which is being delivered for loading onto the axle of a roll changer 15 , a device according to the following preferred embodiment can also be used , as is shown in fig7 : an infeed unit 41 for a position detection element 42 , and especially for an alignment element 42 , such as , for example , an alignment cone 42 with a conical tip , is mounted on the roll support arms 16 ; 22 of the roll support . this alignment element 42 is located on the same radius as the bearing journals 27 ; 28 . the material roll 18 is moved with the transfer table 01 to a defined axle - loading position , as based upon the previously determined diameter of the material roll 18 . the roll support arms 16 ; 22 of the roll support are rotated to an aligned position , based upon the predetermined diameter of the new material roll 18 , with that aligned position being defined by the axle - loading position , minus the angle offset between the bearing journals 27 ; 28 and the alignment cone 42 . in this position , as shown in fig7 a , the alignment cone 42 is moved forward toward the core , in order to align the oblique material roll 18 . the alignment cone 42 is then retracted , as seen in fig7 b , and the roll support arms 27 ; 28 are rotated into the axle - loading position , as depicted in fig7 c . the aligned material roll 18 can then be loaded onto the axle . the alignment cone 42 can be moved in the infeed unit 41 by the use of at least one positioning drive 43 , as shown schematically in fig7 a , such as , for example , an actuator cylinder , and especially a pneumatic cylinder , relative to the bearing journals 27 ; 28 , and can be moved especially linearly in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the adjacent bearing journal 27 ; 28 . these alignment cones 42 are preferably positioned adjacent to all four bearing journals 27 ; 28 . in fig8 and 9 , a further embodiment of a roll changer 15 , in accordance with the present invention , is illustrated , in which embodiment the position detection elements are arranged on the side frame of the roll changer 15 . in this embodiment , the position detection elements are laser sensors 44 , 45 , which are permanently attached to the roll changer . in connection with this embodiment , as depicted in fig8 and 9 , the method for aligning the new material roll 18 or 18 ′, which is implemented using the depicted embodiment of the present invention , is also described . as the material roll 18 or 18 ′ is being moved into a theoretical axle - loading position in the roll changer 15 , the edge of the material roll 18 or 18 ′, that is moving forward rapidly in the transport direction , is detected by the laser sensors 44 , 45 . the theoretical axle - loading position for the transfer table is the position in which the material roll 18 or 18 ′ is aligned coaxially with the rotational axis of the bearing journals 27 ; 28 , and is arranged centrally on the transfer table . if the material roll 18 or 18 ′ is in an oblique position , an axial offset “ z ” of the material roll can be determined as the transfer table 01 is being moved into the roll changer 15 . on one hand , the axial offset “ z ” can be determined through a determination of the position of the points m 3 and m 4 , as depicted in fig9 , that actuate the respectively allocated laser sensors 44 , 45 . to accomplish this , a length measuring system 46 , with an absolute scale , is positioned on the track 06 . the length measuring system 46 determines the absolute position of the transfer table 01 on the track 06 as the point m 3 passes through the laser sensor 44 , and determines the position of the transfer table 01 on the track 06 as the point m 4 passes through the laser sensor 45 which has respectively been allocated to it . from these two known measurements , the axial offset “ z ” over the entire length of the new material roll 18 is determined through the use of a differential formation . the axial offset “ z ” is then divided in half and the theoretical axle - loading position for the transfer table 01 is corrected by the amount “ z ”/ 2 , so that , depending upon the amount of the axial offset , the transfer table is either moved “ z ”/ 2 further into the roll changer , or is stopped “ z ”/ 2 in front of it . the axial offset “ z ” can also be determined by measuring the time interval between detection of the point m 3 and of the point m 4 , and multiplying that determined time interval by a speed of movement of the transfer table . with this preferred embodiment of the present invention , it can also be determined whether the material roll 18 or 18 ′ is arranged with its longitudinal axis 19 , 19 ′ centered on the transfer table 01 . the absolute position of the transfer table 01 in the theoretical axle - loading position , when the material roll 18 , 18 ′ is straight and centrally positioned , is known . if the roll lies on the transfer table in parallel offset , a parallel axial offset “ v ” must also be determined . to accomplish this determination , after the transfer table 01 has been moved into the theoretical axle - loading position for the new material roll 18 , 18 ′, the actual position of the transfer table 01 is determined by the length measuring system 46 . if this deviates from the theoretical axle - loading position , the transfer table 01 must , in turn , be corrected by this amount “ v ”. the calculation of the deviation in position of the material roll 18 , 18 ′, both oblique position and additional axial offset , can be combined as the transfer table 01 is being moved into the roll changer 15 . once the transfer table 01 has reached the corrected axle - loading position , the bearing journals 27 , 28 are introduced into the core . in one preferred embodiment of the present invention , the bearing journals 27 , 28 have centering tips 47 , as seen in fig9 , which centering tips 47 facilitate the introduction of the bearing journals 27 , 28 into a core of an obliquely positioned roll such as a new material roll 18 . as the bearing journals 27 , 28 are being introduced into the core of the material roll 18 , 18 ′, the bearing ring 09 of the transfer table 01 is momentarily switched on , and the roll transport structure 03 is able to rotate to the necessary position as the bearing journals 27 , 28 are being inserted into the core . the roll transport structure 03 is preferably connected to the transport carriage 02 via springs 48 , such that , following the axle - loading process , the structure is rotated back to the starting position by the springs 48 , which springs 48 are depicted schematically in fig9 . if the determination of the axial offset “ z ” produces the result that the oblique position of the material roll 18 , 18 ′ is greater than a maximum catch range for the centering tips 47 , an error signal is generated , and the axle - loading process is stopped . in this case , the material roll must either be repositioned on the transfer table , or the axle - loading process must be performed manually on the roll changer . in fig1 , a preferred embodiment of a centering tip 47 , for use in the present invention , is shown , and such as can be used on bearing journals 27 , 28 or on the alignment cone 42 . fig1 a ) shows a perspective view , fig1 b ) shows a view from below and fig1 c ) is a sectional representation that is taken along the line a - a in fig1 b ). the centering tip 47 has a central bore hole 49 and also four continuous connecting bore holes 51 . on an upper side 52 of the centering tip 47 , and that faces the material roll , which is not specifically shown here , the centering tip 47 has a tapered surface shape 53 that extends to the peripheral edge of the centering tip 47 . the angle α of this tapered shape 53 , as seen in fig1 , in relation to the rotational axis of the bearing journals , preferably measures 35 °. the roll changer , in accordance with the present invention , is preferably arranged in a web - fed rotary printing press . the processes of transporting the material roll into position and / or of orienting the roll and / or of loading the roll onto the axle are preferably implemented through the utilization of a shared control unit . this control unit , which is not specifically depicted , is preferably configured as a control panel of a printing press . while preferred embodiments of methods and a device for orienting a material roll to be transported to a roll changer , in accordance with the present invention , have been set forth fully and completely hereinabove , it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that various changes in , for example , the particular material on the roll , the overall operation of the roll changer , and the like could be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
embodiments of the electronic key system for a vehicle of the present invention applied to a system for a motorcycle ( hereinafter , simply referred to as electronic key system embodiments ) will now be described with reference to fig1 through 8f . as shown in fig1 , an electronic key system 10 of this embodiment comprises a portable transceiver 12 carried by a user , and a controller 14 mounted on the vehicle . the portable transceiver 12 can be either a key type having an ic chip built - in or a card type having an ic chip built in , however , in the case where a keyless system is adopted , the card type is mainly used . in this embodiment , a description will be given assuming that the portable transceiver 12 comprises a card type . also , since the portable transceiver 12 is generally called an electronic key , in the following description , the portable transceiver will also be referred to as an electronic key . the electronic key 12 is a card type , as described above , and as shown in fig2 , internally comprises a battery 20 , a power supply circuit 22 , a cpu 24 , a receiving circuit 26 and a transmission circuit 28 . the power supply circuit 22 provides electrical power from the battery 20 to the receiving circuit 26 , transmission circuit 28 and cpu 24 . the receiving circuit 26 has a receiving antenna , not shown , and receives a request signal sr or the like transmitted through the receiving antenna from the controller 14 , and extracts and demodulates it from a carrier wave . the demodulated signal is supplied to the cpu 24 . the carrier wave frequency of the request signal sr is 100 khz to 300 khz . the cpu 24 executes at least two computer programs ( request signal comparison means 30 and acknowledgement signal generating means 32 ). the request signal comparison means 30 compares whether or not a signal supplied from the receiving circuit 26 is the request signal sr , and if it is the request signal sr , transfers control to the acknowledgement signal generating means 32 . the acknowledgement signal generating means 32 reads out id data stored in a rom , not shown , in response to a request from the request signal comparison means 30 , and adds an attribute representing acknowledgment to the id data for output as transmission data dt to the transmission circuit 28 . the transmission circuit 28 has a transmission antenna , not shown , and performs modulation of a carrier wave based on transmission data dt supplied from the cpu 24 , for transmission as an acknowledgement signal sa through the transmission antenna . the carrier frequency for the acknowledgement signal sa is 200 mhz to 500 mhz . on the other hand , as shown in fig3 , the controller 14 mounted in the vehicle is constituted by a system lsi , for example , and comprises a power supply circuit 40 , a cpu 42 , a receiving circuit 44 , a transmission circuit 46 , an input circuit 48 , an output circuit 50 , a first drive circuit 52 ( actuator drive ), a second drive circuit 54 ( main relay drive ), and a third drive circuit 56 ( led drive ). peripheral to this controller 14 , there are provided at least a battery 60 , a main - switch 62 , a handlebar actuator 64 , a main relay 66 , a warning lamp 68 ( led ), an activation switch 70 and a transmission antenna 72 . the main switch 62 has two fixed connection points 62 a and 62 b , and one movable connection point 62 c , with one fixed connection point 62 a being connected to the battery 60 , and the other fixed connection point 62 b being connected to the input circuit 48 and the main relay 66 . as well as the other fixed connection point 62 b of the main switch 62 , the activation switch 70 is also connected to the input circuit 48 . a starter switch 74 is connected to this input circuit 48 , and operation is caused by an on operation of the starter switch 74 . in the following description , description will mainly focus on the case where processing operations are carried out based on operation of the main switch 62 . on / off states of the activation switch 70 and on / off states of the main switch 62 are supplied to the cpu 42 through the input circuit 48 . the power supply circuit 40 of the controller 14 supplies electrical power from the battery 60 to the cpu 42 , the receiving circuit 44 , and the transmission circuit 46 , etc . the receiving circuit 44 has a receiving antenna , not shown , and an acknowledgement signal sa is received from the electronic key 12 through the receiving antenna , and extracted and demodulated from a carrier wave . the demodulated signal is supplied to the cpu 42 . the cpu 42 executes at least four programs ( request signal generating means 80 , acknowledgement signal comparison means 82 , monitoring means 84 and peripheral instruction means 86 ). the request signal generating means 80 reads out request data dr ( data constituting the source of the request signal sr ) from a rom , not shown , in response to the on operation of the activation switch 70 and on operation of the main switch 62 , for output to the transmission circuit 46 . also , after starting the engine , the request signal generating means 80 reads out request data dr from the rom every fixed time and outputs the data . the fixed time is set to between 10 and 100 seconds , taking into consideration consumption of the battery by the electronic key 12 . the transmission circuit 46 modulates a carrier wave based on the request data dr supplied from the cpu 42 , and transmits , via the transmission antenna 72 , a request signal sr . as shown in fig4 a and fig4 b , the transmittable range of the request signal sr is a spherical range ( the range shown by circle a in fig4 a and fig4 b ) of a diameter of 1 - 1 . 5 m with the transmission antenna 72 fitted to the vehicle 100 at the center , and is a narrow range compared to the transmittable range of the acknowledgement signal sa ( a range of a few m radius with the electronic key 12 as the center ). therefore , as shown in fig4 a and fig4 b , if it is assumed that the vehicle 100 is , for example , a scooter provided with a space that can hold a helmet , not shown , below a seat 102 , it is preferable to provide the transmission antenna 72 close to the center of the vehicle 100 so that when the user boards the vehicle , opens the seat 102 , or is traveling , etc ., communication is reliably established with the electronic key 12 carried by the user . here , when considering a linking line 108 of the center 104 a of the front wheel 104 and the center 106 a of the rear wheel 106 , the vicinity of the center of the vehicle 100 is a range from a point p 1 that is ¼ of the line to a point p 2 that is ¾ of the line , with the center 104 a of the front wheel 104 as a reference , for example . with this embodiment , the transmission antenna 72 is arranged close to the front of the seat 102 . the acknowledgement signal comparison means 82 compares whether or not a signal supplied from the receiving circuit 44 is an acknowledgement signal sa , and if it is the acknowledgement signal sa , it compares whether or not id data contained in the acknowledgement signal sa matches id data stored in a memory , not shown . the monitoring means 84 monitors presence or absence of arrival of an acknowledgement signal sa ( whether or not an id match is detected by the acknowledgement signal comparison means 82 ) based on output of the request signal sr . the request signal generating means 80 awaits input of the acknowledgement signal sa from the point in time where request data dr is output , and if an acknowledgement signal sa does not arrive within a specified time ( if an id match is not detected by the acknowledgement signal comparison means 82 ), the count value is incremented by 1 . at the point in time that the count value becomes a specified value or greater , a warning signal se is output to the third drive circuit 56 . in particular , if an acknowledgement signal sa does not arrive within a specified time from the point in time where request data dr is output based on the on operation of the activation switch 70 and the main switch 62 , at that stage the warning signal se is output to the third drive circuit 56 . also , if an acknowledgement signal sa does arrive within a specified time from the point in time where request data dr is output based on the on operation of the activation switch 70 , the monitoring means 84 activates the peripheral instruction means 86 . the peripheral instruction means 86 outputs a lock release signal to the first drive circuit 52 in response to a request ( lock release ) from the monitoring means 84 , outputs an enabling signal to the output circuit 50 , and also outputs an on signal to the second drive circuit 54 . the first drive circuit 52 drives an actuator 64 for the handlebar in response to input of the lock release signal from the cpu 42 , and releases a locked state of the handlebar 110 ( refer to fig4 a and fig4 b ). the output circuit 50 outputs an ignition / injection enabling signal to an ecu 111 ( electronic control unit ) in response to input of the enabling signal from the cpu 42 . the ecu 111 determines fuel injection amount and injection timing for the engine based on information from various sensors , in response to input of the ignition / injection enabling signal . the second drive circuit 54 is put into an on state based on input of an on signal from the cpu 42 , and after that starts the engine and enters a travel possible state in a step where the main relay 66 is turned on by an on operation of the main switch 62 . the third drive circuit 56 drives the warning lamp 68 in response to input of the warning signal se from the cpu 42 , and the warning lamp 68 emits light . it is possible to use an led , for example , as the warning lamp 68 . if the main switch 62 is turned off , the main relay 66 becomes off , and the engine is also stopped at the same time . if a locking operation is then carried out , for example , putting the handlebar 110 in a locked state , the comparison operation for the acknowledgement signal sa in the controller 14 is stopped , the ignition / injection enabling signal from the output circuit 50 is stopped , and the second drive circuit 54 is turned off . next , four representative processing operations of the electronic key system 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the timing charts of fig5 a to fig8 f . a request signal sr is a signal having a pulse string based on request data dr , and the acknowledgement signal sa is a signal having a pulse string based on data contained in id data , but in fig5 a to fig8 f , they have each been shown as single pulse signals to simplify description . first of all , normally , if the activation switch 70 is turned on at time t 1 in fig5 a with the user holding the electronic key 12 , then as shown in fig5 c the request signal sr is transmitted from the controller 14 ( refer to time t 2 ) and communication with the electronic key 12 commences . when the user is in possession of the electronic key 12 , the request signal sr is received by means of the receiving circuit 26 of the electronic key 12 ( refer to fig2 ). as shown in fig5 d , the electronic key 12 transmits an acknowledgement signal sa in response to receipt of the request signal sr ( refer to time t 3 ). the acknowledgement signal sa is supplied through the receiving circuit 44 of the controller 14 to the cpu 42 ( refer to fig3 ), and id data included in the acknowledgement signal sa is compared . when it is judged that the id data matches , the locked state of the handlebar 110 is released ( unlocked ) by means of the controller 14 and the first drive circuit 52 , as shown in fig5 e ( refer to time t 4 ). at this time , the second drive circuit 54 is turned on , and the ignition / injection enabling signal is output from the output circuit 50 of the controller 14 to the ecu 111 . continuing on , at time t 5 in fig5 b , if the main switch 62 is turned on with the user holding the electronic key 12 , then as shown in fig5 c the request signal sr is transmitted from the controller 14 ( refer to time t 6 ) and communication with the electronic key 12 is carried out . when the user is carrying the electronic key 12 , then in the same way as described above , as shown in fig5 d , the electronic key 12 transmits the acknowledgement signal sa in response to receipt of the request signal sr ( refer to time t 7 ). the acknowledgement signal sa is supplied to the cpu 42 via the receiving circuit 44 of the controller 14 , id data contained in the acknowledgement signal sa is compared , and if it is judged that id data matches , then control transfers to the next step , namely a step where the request signal sr is output every fixed time + τ . from this stage , the vehicle 100 is traveling , and during this travel the request signal sr is output from the controller 14 every fixed time τ . that is , communication with the electronic key 12 is carried out every fixed time τ , and an acknowledgement signal sa is output from the electronic key 12 at substantially every fixed time τ . next , the processing operation when it has been detected that there is no electronic key 12 at the time the vehicle 100 is started will be described with reference to fig6 a through 6f . first of all , at time t 11 in fig6 a , if the activation switch 70 is turned on while the user is not holding the electronic key 12 , as shown in fig6 c , the request signal sr is transmitted from the controller 14 ( refer to time t 12 ), but in the controller 14 there is no receipt of an acknowledgement signal sa corresponding to the output request signal sr ( refer to time t 13 in fig6 d ). as a result , the warning signal se is output from the monitoring means 84 to the third drive circuit 56 , and in this way , as shown in fig6 f , the warning lamp 68 is lit . naturally , in this case , processing such as lock release for the handlebar 110 etc . is not carried out ( refer to fig6 e ). the user notices that the electronic key 12 is not being carried because of the lighting of the warning lamp 68 , and starting the engine while not holding the electronic key 12 can be avoided . next , a description will be given , with reference to fig7 a through 7f , of processing operations when the electronic key 12 has not been detected at the time of starting the vehicle 100 . first of all , at time t 21 in fig7 a , if the activation switch 70 is turned on while the user is holding the electronic key 12 , then as shown in fig7 c the request signal sr is transmitted from the controller 14 ( refer to time t 22 ), and communication with the electronic key 12 commences . when the user is in possession of the electronic key 12 , the request signal sr is received by means of the receiving circuit 26 of the electronic key 12 , and as shown in fig7 d , the electronic key 12 transmits an acknowledgement signal sa ( refer to time t 23 ). id data included in the acknowledgement signal sa is compared in the controller 14 , and when it is judged that the id data matches , the locked state of the handlebar 110 is released , as shown in fig7 e ( refer to time t 24 ). at this time , the second drive circuit 54 is turned on , and the ignition / injection enabling signal is output from the output circuit 50 of the controller 14 to the ecu 111 . continuing on , at time t 25 in fig7 b , if the main switch 62 is turned on without the user noticing that the electronic key 12 has been dropped , then as shown in fig7 c the request signal sr is transmitted from the controller 14 ( refer to time t 26 ), and there is no receipt of an acknowledgement signal sa corresponding to the output request signal sr in the controller 14 ( refer to time t 27 in fig7 d ). as a result , the warning signal se is output from the monitoring means 84 to the third drive circuit 56 , and in this way the warning lamp 68 is lit , as shown in fig7 f . the user is made aware of the fact that the electronic key 12 has been dropped by the lighting of the warning lamp 68 , and it is possible to avoid the electronic key 12 becoming lost . next , a description will be given , with reference to fig8 a through 8f , of processing operations for the case where it is detected that there is no electronic key 12 during travel of the vehicle 100 . first of all , processing from switching on the activation switch 70 up to switching on the main switch 62 ( processing from time t 31 to time t 37 ) is the same as the processing from time t 1 to t 7 in fig5 a through 5f , and so description of this processing will be omitted . if the engine is started in response to an on operation of the main switch 62 , control passes to a step for outputting the request signal sr every fixed time τ , as described above . from this stage , the user is traveling on the vehicle 100 , and during such travel , the request signal sr is output from the controller 14 every fixed time τ . while traveling on the vehicle 100 , if the electronic key 12 is dropped , for example , receipt of the acknowledgement signal sa is not carried out by the controller 14 ( refer to time t 38 in fig8 d ). when the acknowledgement signal sa is not received by the monitoring means 84 within a specified time from output of the request data dr , the count value is incremented by 1 . then , in a process of sequentially outputting the request signal sr , at time t 39 when the count value becomes a specified value or higher , a warning signal se is output from the monitoring means 84 to the third drive circuit 56 , and in this way the warning lamp 68 is lit , as shown in fig8 f . the user notices that the electronic key 12 has been dropped as a result of the lighting of the warning lamp 68 , and it is possible to avoid the electronic key 12 becoming lost . in this way , in the electronic key system 10 of this embodiment , in the event that the user turns the activation switch 70 on while not holding the electronic key 12 , since it will be detected that the acknowledgement signal sa is not received in the receiving circuit 44 , regardless of output of the request signal sr from the controller 14 , a warning is output via the monitoring means 84 , and the user will notice that he / she is not in possession of the electronic key 12 . if the user drops the electronic key 12 at the time of starting the engine , for example , since the acknowledgement signal sa is not detected in the receiving circuit 44 , regardless of output of the request signal sr from the controller 14 in response to the main switch 62 being turned on , a warning is output via the monitoring means 84 and the user will notice that they have dropped the electronic key 12 . if the user drops the electronic key 12 during travel of the vehicle 100 , since the acknowledgement signal sa is not detected in the receiving circuit 44 , regardless of output of the request signal sr from the controller 14 at every fixed time τ , a warning is output via the monitoring means 84 and the user will notice that they have dropped the electronic key 12 . in this way , it is possible to check whether or not the user is holding the electronic key 12 during at least three stages , namely when starting the controller 14 , when turning on the main switch 62 , and during travel of the vehicle 100 . as a result , even if the electronic key system 10 of this embodiment is applied to a motorcycle , for example , in the event that the user drops the electronic key 12 , that fact can be made known to the user and it is possible to make the probability of losing the electronic key 12 extremely low . in particular , with the embodiment described above , the output period τ for the request signal sr from the controller 14 is set at 10 to 100 seconds . if the output period τ of the request signal sr is made short , it is possible to improve precision of checking whether or not the user is in possession of the electronic key 12 . however , a battery 20 is provided in the electronic key 12 and the acknowledgement signal sa is output using electrical power from the battery 20 . therefore , as the output period τ of the request signal sr becomes shorter , battery consumption increases and the battery 20 must be replaced more often . by setting the output period τ of the request signal sr at 10 to 100 seconds , it is possible to reduce consumption of the battery in the electronic key 12 , and it is possible to reduce the frequency with which the battery 20 needs to be replaced . also , with this embodiment , the periods in which the acknowledgement signal sa is not detected during travel of the vehicle 100 , for example , are counted , and a warning is output when that count value is a specified value or higher . since there will be times when arrival of the acknowledgement signal sa is delayed , or the acknowledgement signal sa itself is missing due to the effects of noise etc . during travel , it is possible to prevent frequent warning output by causing a particular dead - zone to be held . with the above - described example , lighting of a dedicated warning lamp 68 has been given as an example of warning output , but it is also possible to output a warning sound using a dedicated buzzer . alternatively , it is possible to randomly light an indicator lamp inside an already existing meter , output a specified sound pattern by means of the horn , or cause a direction indicator to light up with a different lighting pattern from normal . however , since the horn and the direction indicator are safety components , it is important not to operate them for the purpose of warning when starting the engine , and to use them as conventional safety components . the electronic key system for a vehicle of the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments , and obviously various structures can be introduced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
with reference to fig1 , portions of a printing system or reprographic system suitable for incorporating concepts of the present application are shown . only portions of the reprographic system that facilitate an understanding of the present application are shown . it is to be understood that although the present application is described in terms of a reprographic system , the concepts described herein are equally suitable for printing systems and other systems having a finishing system . as shown , the exemplary system includes a scanner 10 which may be any of a variety of scanners known in the art such as , e . g ., a flathead scanner . the scanner 10 scans input documents 12 to produce digital documents which are then input to a processor 14 . the processor 14 also includes a network connection 16 for receiving electronic documents 18 over the network . a user interface 19 is provided for interacting with a user of the system , i . e ., receiving commands from the user , such as finishing options , and displaying job status and system status information to the user on a display screen 20 . in some embodiments , a pointing device 21 , such as , e . g . a mouse or a touchpad , is provided . also included in the reprographic system is a main storage system 22 including , e . g ., one or more disk storage units 24 and random access memory ( ram ) 26 . the disk storage units include , but are not limited to , hard drives , optical drives such as , e . g ., cd and dvd drives , and floppy drives . the disk storage units may be either locally or remotely connected . the processor 14 provides digital documents and user - programmed finishing system options to a finishing system 28 for final processing . the finishing system includes several subsystems including , but not limited to , a stapling subsystem 30 , a hole - punch subsystem 32 , and other finishing system subsystems 34 such as , e . g ., a saddle - stitching subsystem and a folding subsystem for providing v - folding , c - folding , and z - folding capabilities to the finishing system 28 . the finishing system 28 produces finished documents 36 which are finished in accordance with the user - programmed finishing parameters . with reference now to fig2 , a finishing option window 40 is shown on the user interface 19 in accordance with concepts of the present application . the exemplary finishing window 40 includes a tool mode selection area 42 , a document mimic 44 and finishing parameter location area identifiers 46 - 56 . also shown , but not necessary for embodiments of the present application , is a text summary 58 for providing a textual description of current finishing parameter settings . the tool mode selection area 42 includes text and / or icons representing various finishing options appropriate for the particular finishing system 28 . for example , in the figure , a staple tool 60 is shown outlined in bold indicating that the staple tool is currently selected . of course , the staple tool 60 could also be represented as an iconic view of a stapler . other tool selections shown , include , without limitation , a punch tool 62 , a v - fold tool 64 , a c - fold tool 66 , and a z - fold tool 68 . alternately , tool selections can be made by other means such as , e . g ., a drop - down menu selected by the user . as shown in the figure , each of the aforementioned non - selected tools is shown with a light gray outline indicative of not being currently selected or interactive . in the embodiment described , only one tool mode may be active at a given time . the document mimic 44 is an abstract representation of the user &# 39 ; s job , and reflects any finishing parameters set from any current tool mode selections as described in further detail below . finally , as shown in the figure , a pointer 70 is provided for selecting various of the finishing options 42 and / or finishing location identifiers 46 - 56 . the pointer 70 is shown as a standard arrow pointer indicating that the pointer 70 does not presently overlap any of the tool mode selections or location identifiers 46 - 56 . it is to be understood that the pointer 70 may be controlled in various embodiments by any of a number of means known in the art , including the pointing device 21 and / or a touch - screen display device 20 . although preferred embodiments include finishing parameter location area identifiers 46 - 56 in the finishing option window , alternate embodiments may operate without visible location area identifiers , or may display particular location area identifiers when the pointer 70 is in the vicinity of an operable and available location for the corresponding selected tool . with reference now to fig3 , methods of the present application are illustrated with respect to the staple tool 60 . as shown , the user has placed the pointer 70 over the location indicator 52 and the pointer 70 has taken on the graphical appearance of a hand - operated stapler . additionally , the location identifier 52 has been embellished , in this case by means of a bold dark border , to indicate that the system is prepared for the user to select a stapling option in the top left corner of the document mimic 44 , that is , the location identifier 52 is now active . the text summary area 58 correctly shows that no staple option has yet been selected . with reference now to fig4 , and continuing reference to fig3 , the user has activated the indicated stapling option by , e . g ., clicking a button on a mouse ( not shown ) which controls the position of pointer 70 . of course , on systems including a touch - screen user interface , the user may activate options by making an appropriate selection on the display screen of the user interface . the user has further moved the pointer 70 away from the location identifier 52 , and the location identifier 52 is now embellished further by showing a graphical representation of a first staple 72 overlaid on the document mimic 44 . the text summary area 58 has been updated to indicate that the user has selected one staple at the top left corner of the document mimic 44 . it should be further noted that only location identifiers 46 and 56 remain in conjunction with the embellished location identifier 52 . the remaining location identifiers 48 - 50 and 54 have been removed from the display because stapling in these locations would be contradictory to the staple indicated in location identifier 52 . in this way , the user is relieved of any manual necessity to keep track of which options conflict with the user &# 39 ; s initial selection of a stapling location identifier 52 . alternately , rather than removing the location identifiers from the display , any location identifiers which are to be disabled can be made unavailable by other means such as , e . g ., graying out the appropriate location identifiers and making them non - selectable or otherwise altering the appearance of the location identifiers . further , particularly with reference to the stapling tool , but not limited to the stapling tool , the graphical representations of the effects of respective tools are preferably shown in a direction or alignment which corresponds to the direction in which the particular machine will orient the respective tool operation . for example , the orientation of the graphical representation of each staple preferably corresponds to the orientation of the physical staple in the finished output document . continuing with fig5 , the user has placed the pointer 70 over the location identifier 46 in anticipation of selecting a staple option in the top right corner of the document mimic 44 . with reference now to fig6 , the user has activated the staple option for location identifier 46 and , therefore , a second staple 74 is shown in that location . it can be further seen in the figure that each of the first staple 72 and the second staple 74 have been rotated 90 ° because the system is now aware that a top stapling operation has been requested and the text summary 58 has been further updated to indicate that two staples have been selected at the top of the document . the rotation of the first and second staples 72 , 74 , provides additional positive feedback to the user , showing graphically , in a wysiwyg format , how the final output document is currently programmed to be finished . with reference now to fig7 , a method of undoing a previous selection is shown . in the figure , it is assumed that the user has previously selected one staple in the top left corner of the document mimic 44 as previously shown in fig4 , and the user has now moved the pointer 70 over the location identifier 52 encompassing the previously selected first staple 72 . because a staple has already been previously selected for the indicated location , the pointer 70 , rather than mimicking a hand stapler , now represents a hand operated staple remover . this provides graphical confirmation to the user that selecting this option , by means of a click of the mouse button for example , will undo the previous staple selection . in this manner , the user is provided with a convenient and easy method of undoing previously selected options because of the flip - flop nature of the options . as shown now with reference to fig8 , the user has selected the unstaple operation and , therefore , the document mimic 44 has returned to its original state , and each of the location identifiers 46 - 56 is once again shown in the finishing window 40 . the text summary area 58 has also reverted to its original setting showing no staples in the document . while operation of the staple tool of one embodiment of the present application is described above , with reference to fig2 - 8 , it is to be appreciated that operation of other tools such as , e . g ., the punch tool 62 , operate in a similar fashion and are , therefore , not described in detail herein . further , it is to be appreciated that appropriate graphical representations of the document mimic 44 or representations within the document mimic 44 are shown for each of the available tool modes provided in the tool mode area 42 . for example , if one of the folding tool modes 64 - 68 is selected and active , the document mimic 44 may be morphed somewhat to represent a document in the process of being folded , or partially folded , in accordance with the folding option selected . alternately , the pointer 70 may take on the representation of an appropriately folded document , with light gray or dashed lines presented in the document mimic at the corresponding fold locations . as another example , in the case of undoing a previously selected hole punching operation , the pointer may take on the appearance of a patch for performing a hole - patching operation . in a preferred embodiment , regardless of which tool mode is selected , all presently selected tool modes can be shown in the document mimic 44 . for example , the document mimic 44 may show that the location identifiers on the left side of the document mimic include punched holes , even though the staple tool may be currently selected . in other words , one feature of the present application is a progressive disclosure and interactive behavior of the document mimic 44 so that the user , at any time , sees a wysiwyg graphical representation of the final output document to be prepared by the finishing system 28 . with reference now to fig9 , a flowchart is provided showing one method for implementing each of the tool functions 42 . it is to be appreciated that the flowchart shown in fig9 is generic with respect to the tools 60 - 68 shown in the tool modes 42 . because each tool mode operates in essentially the same fashion as the remaining tool modes , each tool mode can function in a manner similar to that shown in the figure . it is to be further understood that the arrangement of decision steps and function steps as shown in the figure is arbitrary and presented here only for a further understanding of the present application . alternate arrangements of the decision steps and function steps are included within the scope of the present application . in a first step 80 , it is determined which tool mode has currently been selected by the user such as , e . g ., the staple tool mode , the punch tool mode , or other tool mode . in step 82 , the page mimic 44 is displayed including all currently selected tool functions such as , e . g ., staples and punched holes , if any , and available locations for the currently selected tool mode , if any . the text summary 58 is also displayed showing the current status of each of the tool modes 42 . in a step 84 , the location of the pointer 70 is determined and at step 86 , it is determined whether or not the pointer is currently within one of the location identifier areas 46 - 56 where a tool operation has previously been selected . if not , at step 88 , it is then determined if the pointer is over a location identifier that is available for selection of a tool function . if not , at step 90 , a normal pointer is displayed indicating that no action can be taken at the present location . at this time , if either the user or system has indicated that the function should terminate , the routine is exited at step 94 . otherwise , processing returns to the first step 80 in order to update the display status based on any user input . it is to be understood that while the method shown in fig9 is being described in terms of the decisions being made in a sequential , hierarchical fashion , this is only for purposes of explaining the present application . in many embodiments , for example , many of the functions shown in the flow chart will be activated based on events detected by the operating system , such as a mouse click for example , as is well known in the art . returning to step 86 , if it is determined that the pointer is over a location identifier where a previous operation has been selected , therefore , at step 96 , the pointer is displayed as an appropriate undue type of graphic such as , e . g ., a hand operated stapler remover . if , however , at step 88 it was determined that the pointer is over an available location identifier , at step 98 , the pointer is displayed as a graphical representation of the appropriate tool , such as , e . g ., a hand operated stapler . in either of the above two cases , processing continues at step 100 where it is determined if the user has selected an action by clicking , e . g ., a button on a mouse pointer and , if so , at step 102 , the indicated function is performed and appropriate status indicators in the storage system 22 are updated to indicate the current state which should be shown in the document mimic 44 . it will be appreciated that various of the above - disclosed and other features and functions , or alternatives thereof , may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications . also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives , modifications , variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims . | 6 |
the following description of the exemplary embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings . the same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements . the following detailed description does not limit the invention . instead , the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims . the following embodiments are discussed , for simplicity , with regard to the terminology and structure of bop systems . however , the embodiments to be discussed next are not limited to these systems , but may be applied to other systems that require the supply of force when the ambient pressure is high such as in a subsea environment . reference throughout the specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed . thus , the appearance of the phrases “ in one embodiment ” or “ in an embodiment ” in various places throughout the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment . further , the particular features , structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . as discussed above with regard to fig2 , the accumulator 30 is bulky because of the low efficiency of nitrogen at high pressures . as the offshore fields are located deeper and deeper ( in the sense that the distance from the sea surface to the seabed is becoming larger and larger ), the nitrogen based accumulators become less efficient given the fact that the difference between the initial charge pressure to the local hydrostatic pressure decreases for a given initial charge of chamber 52 , thus , requiring the size of the accumulators to increase ( it is necessary to use 16 320 - l bottles ), and increasing the price to deploy and maintain the accumulators . according to an exemplary embodiment , a novel arrangement , as shown in fig4 , may be used to generate the force f . fig4 shows an enclosure 36 that includes a piston 38 capable of moving inside the enclosure 36 . the piston 38 divides the enclosure 36 into a chamber 40 , defined by the cylinder 36 and the piston 38 . chamber 40 is called the closing chamber . enclosure 36 also includes an opening chamber 42 as shown in fig4 . the pressure in both chambers 40 and 42 may be the same , i . e ., the sea pressure ( ambient pressure ). the ambient pressure in both chambers 40 and 42 may be achieved by allowing the sea water to freely enter these chambers . thus , as there is no pressure difference on either side of the piston 38 , the piston 38 is at rest . when a force is necessary to be supplied for activating a piece of equipment , the rod 44 associated with the piston 38 has to be moved . this may be achieved by generating a pressure imbalance on two sides of the piston 38 . although the exemplary embodiment , which is shown in fig4 , describes how to generate the undersea force without the use of the accumulators , however , as will be discussed later , according to another exemplary embodiment , the accumulators still may be used to supply the supplemental pressure . fig4 shows the enclosure 36 ( which may be a cylinder ) that includes the piston 38 and a rod 44 connected to piston 38 . the opening chamber 42 may be connected to a low pressure storage recipient 60 . a valve 62 may be inserted between the opening chamber 42 and the low pressure recipient 60 to control the pressures between the opening chamber and the recipient 60 . the low pressure recipient 60 may include a piston 61 that is placed in the low pressure recipient 60 to slide inside the low pressure recipient 60 to divide a compressible fluid , inside the low pressure recipient 60 , from the enclosure 36 . the low pressure recipient 60 may include a bladder or a sealing element instead of the piston 61 . the compressible fluid ( first fluid ) may be , for example , air . the low pressure storage recipient 60 may have any shape and may be made of steel , or any material that is capable of withstanding seawater pressures . however , the initial pressure inside the low pressure recipient is about 1 atm or lower to improve the efficiency , when the recipient is at the sea level . after the recipient is lowered to the sea bed , the pressure inside the recipient may become higher as the sea level exerts a high pressure on the walls of the recipient , thus compressing the gas inside . other fluids than air may be used to fill the low pressure recipient . however , the pressure inside the recipient 60 is smaller than the ambient pressure p amb , which is approximately 350 atm at 4000 m depth . as shown in fig4 , when there is no need to supply the force , the pressure in both the closing and opening chambers is p amb while the pressure inside the recipient 60 is approximately p r = 1 atm . when a force applied to the rod 44 is required for actuation of a piece of equipment in the rig , the valve 62 opens such that the opening chamber 42 may communicate with the low pressure storage recipient 60 . the following pressure changes take place in the closing chamber 40 , the opening chamber 42 and the recipient 60 . the closing chamber 40 remains at the ambient pressure as more seawater enters via pipe 64 to the closing chamber 40 as the piston 38 starts moving from left to right in fig4 . the pressure in the opening chamber 42 decreases as the low pressure p r becomes available via the valve 42 , i . e ., seawater ( second fluid , which may be incompressible ) from the opening chamber 42 moves to the recipient 60 to equalize the pressures between the opening chamber 42 and the recipient 60 . thus , a pressure imbalance is achieved between the closing chamber 40 and the opening chamber 42 and this pressure imbalance triggers the movement of the piston 38 . fig5 shows a graph of the pressure versus volume for the closing chamber 40 and the recipient 60 . the pressure of the closing chamber 40 remains substantially constant ( see curve a ) while the volume of the closing chamber 40 expands from a small initial volume , v 1 , to a larger final volume , v 2 , while the pressure in the recipient 60 slightly increasing from approximately 1 atm due to the liquid received from the opening chamber 42 , as shown by curve b . thus , according to an exemplary embodiment , a large force f is achieved without using any canister charged with nitrogen at high pressure . therefore , the system shown in fig4 advantageously provides a reduced cost solution to generating a force as the low pressure recipient 60 is filed with , for example , air at sea level surface . in addition , the device for generating the force may have a small size as the size of the low pressure recipient is smaller compared to the existing accumulators . in one exemplary embodiment , the low pressure recipient may be a stainless steel container having a 250 l volume . another advantage of the device shown in fig4 is the possibility to easily retrofit the existing deep sea rigs with such a device . according to an exemplary embodiment shown in fig6 , a numerical example is provided for appreciating the effectiveness of the low pressure recipient 60 . the example shown in fig6 is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments but only to offer to the reader a better understanding of the force generated by the low pressure recipient 60 . fig6 shows the enclosure 36 including the piston 38 with the various pressures acting on it . more specifically , the pressure in the closing chamber 40 is p amb , the pressure in the opening chamber is p atm , when the opening chamber 42 communicates with the low pressure recipient 60 , and the pressure acting on rod 44 is p mud , which is the column pressure or wellbore pressure depending on the application . the net force f net , which is calculated in this example , is constant along the entire stroke of the piston . this is different from conventional devices in which the force decreases as the piston in the accumulator moves due to the lost pressure as the nitrogen gas expands . preferably , a constant pressure would ensure enough pressure / force to cut the drill pipe when needed . assuming that p amb is 4 , 500 psi , p atm is 14 . 5 psi , p mud is 15 , 000 psi , d 1 is 22 in , and d 2 is 5 , 825 in , the net force f net is given by : f net = p amb ( π / 4 )( d 1 ) 2 − p atm ( π / 4 )[( d 1 ) 2 −( d 2 ) 2 ]− p mud ( π / 4 )( d 2 ) 2 = 1 , 298 , 850 lbf . assuming that p atm is 4 , 500 psi , the net opening force f net is − 284 , 639 lbf . according to an exemplary embodiment , the ambient pressure ( high pressure ) may be between 200 and 400 atm and the p atm ( low pressure ) may be between 0 . 5 and 10 atm . according to another exemplary embodiment , the low pressure recipient 60 may be used in conjunction with nitrogen based accumulators as shown in fig7 . the closing chamber 40 of the enclosure 36 is connected not only to the seawater via pipe 64 but also to the accumulator 30 that is capable of supplying supplemental pressure . when appropriate conditions are reached , a valve 66 may close the sea water supply to the closing chamber 40 and valve 46 may open to allow the supplemental pressure from the accumulator 30 to reach the closing chamber 40 . according to an exemplary embodiment , the hydraulic liquid from accumulator 30 mixes with the seawater from the closing chamber 40 . according to another exemplary embodiment , another piston ( not shown ) separates the hydraulic liquid of accumulator 30 from the seawater inside the closing chamber 40 . optionally , the valve 66 opens when the pressure in the accumulator 30 becomes less than a preset threshold . the variation of pressure as a function of volume for the accumulator 30 is illustrated by shape c in fig8 . thus , the supplemental pressure ( curve c ) decreases as the piston 38 moves , producing a diminishing supplemental force on the rod 44 . the profile of curve c is given by an appropriate equation of state for the particular gas used in the accumulator 30 , depending on whether the temperature or heat transfer is considered to be constant or negligible , i . e ., whether the change of state for the gas is isothermal or adiabatic , respectively . however , as one of ordinary skill in the art knows , the product of pressure and volume of an ideal gas is proportional to the gas temperature , as illustrated by curve c in fig8 . thus , in a conventional accumulator , when the pressure of the canisters is released to a specific device , the pressure decreases as the volume increases . on the contrary , the pressure in the closing chamber 40 does not change inversely proportional with the increase of volume of this chamber as shown by curve a in fig5 , i . e ., the pressure stays substantially constant when the volume of the closing chamber 40 increases . however , when the supplemental pressure from accumulator 30 is combined with the low pressure of the low pressure recipient 60 , the pressure exerted on the piston 38 from the closing chamber 40 has the profile shown by curve d in fig8 , i . e ., a high pressure that slightly decreases with the movement of the piston 38 . according to an exemplary embodiment , the pressure from accumulator 30 , p ac , may be released after the low pressure storage recipient 60 becomes activated , thus producing the pressure profile shown by curve e in fig8 . it is noted that according to this profile , the pressure in the closing chamber is p amb after valve 62 has been opened and increases to p amb + p ac when the supplemental pressure from the accumulator 30 is made available . the spike in pressure shown in fig8 in profile e may be advantageous as discussed next . returning to fig1 , the bop is shown to include two elements 26 and 28 . element 28 may be an annular blowout preventer while element 26 may be a ram blowout preventer . the annular blowout preventer 28 is a valve , that may be installed above the ram preventer 26 to seal the annular space between the pipe and the wellbore or , if no pipe is present , the wellbore itself . the annular blowout preventer does not cut ( shear ) the lines or pipes present in the wellbore but only seals the well . however , if the annular blowout preventer fails to seal the wellbore or is not enough , the ram preventer may be activated . the ram preventer may use rams to seal off pressure on a hole that is with or without pipe . if the hole includes a pipe , the ram preventer needs enough force to shear ( cut ) the pipe and any cords that might be next or inside the pipe such that the well is completely closed , to prevent a pressure release to the atmosphere . thus , the force providing devices discussed in the exemplary embodiments may be used to provide the necessary force to the annular blowout preventer , the ram preventer , both of them , etc . other applications of the force providing exemplary embodiments may be envisioned by one skilled in the art , such for example , applying the force to any subsea valve on the bop stack or production trees . various valves and pilots may be added between each chamber and the low pressure recipient 60 and / or accumulator 30 as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art . two exemplary diagrams showing the implementation of the low pressure recipient 60 are shown in fig9 and 10 . however , these examples are intended to facilitate the understanding of the reader and not to limit the exemplary embodiments . fig9 shows the cylinder 36 connected to the pipe 64 and the low pressure recipient 60 via the valve 62 . valve 62 is connected to a plunger valve 68 that is connected to a pilot accumulator 70 . the pilot accumulator 70 may be , for example , a 2 . 5 - l recipient . the pilot accumulator 70 may be connected , via a coupler 72 to an autoshear valve pilot 74 and an autoshear arm pilot 76 . a port i is provided to connect line 64 to seawater and a port ii is connected to coupler 72 and to an auto - shear disarm pilot . in another exemplary embodiment shown in fig1 , the plunger valve 68 is substituted with a valve that is connected to the valve pilot 74 . valve 62 is discussed in more details with regard to fig1 a and b . fig1 a shows the enclosure 36 connected to the low pressure recipient 60 via a a shuttle valve 67 and the valve 62 . the shuttle valve 67 may be a spring bias type to prevent seawater ingress and to maintain the correct position to vent . valve 62 ( which is produced by hydril , houston , tex ., us ) may be a 3 - way 2 - position valve that is spring loaded to maintain its position . as shown in fig1 a , the opening chamber 42 is connected to a vent port 62 a in the valve 62 that is always open to seawater . however , the port 62 b of valve 62 , which is connected to the low pressure recipient 60 , is blocked to maintain the low pressure in the low pressure recipient 60 . when functioned by an external pilot ( not shown ), an internal spool of the valve moves compressing spring 62 c , blocking the vent port 62 a , and opening the opening chamber 42 to the low pressure recipient 60 . after valve 62 is piloted by the external pilot it looks as shown in fig1 b , in which a free communication is allowed between the opening chamber 42 and the low pressure recipient 60 . element 62 e shown in fig1 a blocks the vent port 62 a in fig1 b . according to an exemplary embodiment , illustrated in fig1 , there is a method for generating a force by moving a piston inside an external enclosure of a water submerged device , the piston dividing the external enclosure into a closing chamber and an opening chamber and the opening chamber communicating with a low pressure recipient via a pipe having a valve , the valve separating a pressure source in the opening chamber from the low pressure recipient , and the low pressure recipient containing a volume of a first fluid . the method includes a step 1200 of applying a first pressure to the closing and opening chambers , wherein the first pressure is generated by a weight of the water at a certain depth of the device , a step 1210 of applying a second pressure to the first fluid of the low pressure recipient , the second pressure being lower than the first pressure , a step 1220 of opening the valve between the opening chamber and the low pressure recipient such that a second fluid from the opening chamber moves into the low pressure recipient and compresses the first fluid , and a step 1230 of generating the force by producing a pressure imbalance on the piston . according to an exemplary embodiment , one or more pressure sensors may be inserted into the low pressure recipient 60 to monitor its pressure . when the pressure sensor determines that the pressure inside the recipient 60 is far from 1 atm , the operator of the rig is informed of this fact such that the operator may rely on other force generator for closing the ram preventer in case of an emergency or for replacing the recipient 60 . alternatively , the recipient 60 may be provided with a hydraulic equipment ( not shown ) which starts pumping the water out of the recipient when the sensor senses that the pressure inside the recipient is above a certain threshold . in another exemplary embodiment , the hydraulic equipment may pump out the water from the recipient 60 after the valve 62 has been opened and the ram preventer has closed . it is noted that after the recipient 60 is filled with water it cannot be used to generate the force unless the low pressure is reestablished inside the recipient 60 . according to another exemplary embodiment , more than one recipient 60 may be used either simultaneously or sequentially , or a combination thereof . further , at least one recipient 60 may be connected to a device that empty the recipient 60 of the seawater after the valve 62 has been opened and the seawater entered the recipient . thus , according to this embodiment , the recipient 60 may be reused multiple times . according to another exemplary embodiment , the pressure difference between ( i ) the sea water pressure at 2000 to 4000 m in the closing chamber and ( ii ) the atmospheric pressure inside the recipient 60 generates an appropriate force for closing the ram preventer . however , if the seabed is deeper than 4000 m from the sea level , adapters ( for example , pressure reducing valves ) may be used to reduce the pressure difference such that the ram preventer is not damaged by the excessive pressure difference . on the contrary , if the sea bed lies at less than 2000 m from the sea surface , the pressure difference might not be enough to create enough force to close the ram preventer . thus , according to an exemplary embodiment , accumulators may be used to supplement the hydrostatic pressure . however , even if no accumulators are used , the force may be generated as long as there is a pressure difference between the opening chamber and the low pressure storage recipient . the disclosed exemplary embodiments provide a system and a method for generating a force undersea with a reduced consumption of energy and at a low cost . it should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention . on the contrary , the exemplary embodiments are intended to cover alternatives , modifications and equivalents , which are included in the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . further , in the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the claimed invention . however , one skilled in the art would understand that various embodiments may be practiced without such specific details . although the features and elements of the present exemplary embodiments are described in the embodiments in particular combinations , each feature or element can be used alone without the other features and elements of the embodiments or in various combinations with or without other features and elements disclosed herein . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . the patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims , and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art . such other example are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims . | 4 |
referring now more particularly to fig1 , there is schematically shown , a portion of an exemplary reformer tube set 100 within which the present invention may be implemented to provide a uniform flow rate and processing efficiency . the exemplary tube set 100 includes numerous individual tubes 101 , each being filled with a catalyst material to receive an incoming flux 103 of raw material and to provide an outgoing flux 105 of processed material . it will be appreciated that the processed material may include a desired material as well as byproducts of the reformation process . moreover , it will be appreciated that the illustrated tube set 100 is shown in simplified form for the purpose of clarification , and that an actual reformer tube set may include a greater or lesser number of tubes , e . g ., from 1 to 1000 tubes , and each tube will typically be of a much greater length relative to its width than is illustrated . for example , typical reformer tubes are between 10 and 16 meters in length . to minimize maintenance and idle costs associated with the operation of the tube set 100 , it is desirable to ensure that each tube 101 is loaded with catalyst ( not shown in fig1 ) to a uniform density and that each tube 101 is of similar flow resistance . this will ensure that the incoming flux 103 of raw material is divided equally among the tubes for processing . in particular , the proportion of the incoming flux 103 of raw material that is allocated to each tube 101 will depend , according to the laws of parallel resistance , upon the relative differences in resistance to flow between the tubes 101 . if there are no substantial differences in flow resistance across the tube set 100 from tube to tube , then the incoming flux 103 of raw material will be divided equally among the tubes 101 of the set 100 . as noted above , the parameters that affect flow rate and processing efficiency for each tube are flow resistance , tube volume , and catalyst density . although these parameters are not entirely dependent , each will be addressed separately herein for the sake of clarity . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the degree to which and manner in which each of these parameters may affect the others . pursuant to one aspect of the invention , in order to ensure uniform flow resistance across the tubes 101 of the tube set 100 , each tube 101 is checked for contaminating deposits and is cleaned if necessary . in an embodiment of the invention , empty tubes are first inspected for contamination . in an particular embodiment of the invention , the inspection mechanism is a video camera mounted on an extended flexible member such as a rod , for lowering into the tube of interest . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , the inspection mechanism comprises a laser sensor to measure the total amount of foreign matter in the tube . referring now more particularly to fig2 , a cross - sectional side view of a contaminated tube 200 is shown . in the illustrated example , the tube wall 201 is contaminated by multiple deposits 203 , 205 of byproduct materials . in the case of petroleum refinement , the deposits 203 , 205 may be tar - like deposits , sulfur or other mineral deposits , or other byproduct or contaminant substances . in the illustrated embodiment of the invention , a laser sensor system 207 is used to analyze the content of the tube . the laser system 207 may be a scanning or sweeping laser system , or other system configured to analyze substantially all of the interior of the tube 200 . the laser sensor system 207 in an embodiment of the invention determines the volume of the tube 200 that is displaced by the deposits 203 , 205 . although very small deposits need not be removed , it is desirable to clean the tube 200 if the amount of contaminant displacement exceeds a certain threshold , e . g ., 5 % of the nominal volume of the tube 200 . those of skill in the art will be aware of the means available to remove contaminant deposits such as those illustrated in fig2 , and these means need not be further discussed herein . in order to ensure uniform processing , each tube 200 is checked for flow resistance after the removal of any deposits to the extent such is required . referring now to fig3 , each tube 200 is connected to a flow checker system 300 to check the flow resistance . the flow checker system 300 comprises a computer 301 , an airflow source 303 connected to the computer 301 so as to be computer - actuated , and a flow and / or pressure sensor 305 , e . g ., a manometer , connected to the computer 301 so as to be computer readable . in operation , the airflow source 303 is mechanically connected to the tube 200 ( with the deposits 203 , 205 having been removed ). at this point , the computer 301 executes a program , e . g ., a body of computer - executable instructions stored on a computer - readable medium such as a hard drive , to verify the flow resistance of the tube 200 . the flow checker process executed by the computer 301 is illustrated via process 400 in the flow chart of fig4 a . at stage 401 of the process 400 , the computer 301 actuates the airflow source 303 , e . g ., via a digital relay , to force air through the tube 200 . as the air passes through the tube 201 , the manometer or other flow and / or pressure sensor 305 is caused to measure the flow resistance of the tube 201 at stage 403 . for example , the computer 301 may read a digital or analog output of the sensor 305 at this stage . the measurement of the flow resistance will be based upon a difference in pressure or flow caused by any obstruction . for example , a tube 201 with a partially obstructed output , and hence higher flow resistance , will exhibit both decreased flow and increased pressure relative to a similar tube without any obstruction . the computer 301 optionally repeats the measurements at either the same or different input conditions at stage 405 . at stage 405 , the computer 301 logs the measured values in a chart , e . g ., an excel chart or other chart . after a desired number of tubes have been analyzed , e . g ., one hundred tubes , the computer 301 identifies in stage 407 via a chart or listing any tubes that fall outside of a predetermined range or variance relative to the other tubes analyzed . for example , the computer 301 may list as abnormal any tube that exhibits a flow resistance that is more than 5 % different from the average flow resistance of the set of tubes . the overall process of filling , incorporating the procedure of fig4 a , but also incorporating additional processes , will now be discussed with reference to fig4 b . the illustrated combined process 450 starts at a time when the catalyst tubes are empty , either because they are new tubes or because they have been recently emptied and cleaned . at stage 451 , the tube is video inspected to determine whether closer scanning of the tube is to be performed . any manner of video inspection may be used , but in an embodiment of the invention , a video camera is lowered on an arm or wire the tube interior , and transmits video of the surface under inspection to a video display , such as a small monitor or laptop computer outside the tube . if such inspection reveals that scanning necessary , e . g ., because there are ambiguous video inspection results that may or may not indicate contamination , then the process proceeds to stage 453 . at stage 453 , the tube interior is closely scanned to identify dirt or contamination deposits that may need to be removed . although any suitable scanning means may be used , in an embodiment of the invention , such scanning is executed via a rotating laser scanner lowered into the tube interior . the laser scanner measures the inside radius of the tube , to detect any deposits therein . if the scanning of stage 453 reveals depots to be removed , the process flows stage 455 . at stage 455 , the tube inside wall is cleaned . although any suitable process of cleaning may be used , in one embodiment , the cleaning is executed via a brushing device inserted into the tube , for accomplishing mechanical , e . g ., abrasive , removal of any identified deposits . the cleaning may focus only on identified deposits or may be executed uniformly within the tube . after cleaning is accomplished at stage 455 , or in the event that either of stages 451 or 453 resulted in a decision that no scanning or cleaning , respectively , was needed , the process flows to stage 457 . at stage 457 , the pressure drop through the tube is measured . although it will be appreciated that there are several ways to measure such a pressure drop , the pressure drop is measured in one embodiment of the invention via the apparatus described with reference to fig3 . after the pressure drop is initially measured , the tube is filled with catalysts and the pressure drop again measured in stage 459 . the loading of stage 459 may be executed via the loading mechanism described below or via another mechanism . finally , at stage 461 , the average pressure drop across a plurality of such filled tubes for parallel use as in fig1 is calculated , and it is verified that the reading for the present tube is within a predetermined variance of that average . in an embodiment of the invention , a variance of ± 2 % is used to indicate a maximum acceptable deviation from the average . if the pressure reading for the tube is within the accepted level , then the process terminates , and otherwise , any necessary corrective action such as emptying , rechecking , and refilling , are executed as necessary . referring now more particularly to fig5 - 6 of the drawings , there is shown an illustrative automated catalyst loading system 500 in accordance with the invention that is adapted for automatically filling the cleaned and checked tubes , such as tube 201 in stage 459 of process 450 , with particulate catalyst of uniform density and with minimum damage to catalyst particles and tube structures . the illustrated automated loading system 500 includes a fork fill tube 501 having a vertically disposed connecting tube portion 502 mounted on and communicating with an upper end of a reformer tube 201 to be filled and a fill tube portion 504 supported by and communicating at an angle with a side of the vertical connecting tube portion 502 . the vertical connecting tube portion 502 and the reformer tube 201 have respective lips 505 , 506 which define a coupling joint for facilitating releasable securement of the tubes 201 , 501 together . for directing particulate catalyst into the forked fill tube 501 and in turn into the reformer tube 200 for continuous uniform filling , a selectively operable motor driven catalyst dispenser 510 is provided . the catalyst dispenser 510 includes an open top hopper 511 for holding a supply of catalyst 512 which in this case has a support frame or structure 513 at one end to facilitate mounting of the hopper 511 in a processing facility . the bottom of the hopper 511 is defined by an endless conveyor belt 514 trained about a pair of horizontally spaced drums or pulleys 515 , 516 such that an upper leg of the endless belt 514 extends along a bottom opening 518 of the hopper 511 . the drums or pulleys 515 , 516 in this instance are rotatably supported by underlining frame members 520 of the hopper 511 . for moving the conveyor belt 514 to transfer catalyst 512 from the hopper 511 , a drive motor 521 is operably coupled to the pulley or drum 515 . operation of the motor 521 will thereby direct catalyst from the hopper to a downstream end of the conveyor belt 514 ( i . e ., the right hand end as viewed in fig7 - 8 ) for direction into a discharge shoot 522 defined by a semi - circular cover 524 mounted at one end of the hopper 511 , and in turn its an upper end of the fill tube portion 504 and the reformer tube 200 . for controlling the flow of catalyst 512 introduced into the reformer tube 200 , a loading rope or line 530 is suspended within the reformer tube 200 for lifting movement as the catalyst fills the tube . the loading rope 530 may be of a known type having damper members 531 in the form of a plurality of radially extending transverse bristles disposed at spaced intervals along the rope . the brush bristles of the damper members 531 preferably are flexible springs having a transverse radial dimension slightly less than the radius of the reformer tube 200 for reducing the speed of the falling catalyst particles so that breakage is avoided and the catalyst more uniformly fills the tube without undesirable voids . in keeping with a further aspect of the loading system , for further facilitating the efficient and uniform introduction of catalyst 512 into the reformer tube 200 , an automatic loading rope take - up device 540 is provided for withdrawing the loading rope 530 from the reformer tube 200 at a predetermined rate . to this end , in the illustrated embodiment , the take - up device 540 includes a motor driven take - up spool 541 to which an upper end of the loading rope 530 is secured such that upon selective rotation of the take - up spool 541 , the rope 530 is wound about the take - up spool 541 as it is raised from the reformer tube 200 at a predetermined calibrated rate as determined by the rotational speed of the take - up spool 541 . the take - up spool 541 in this case is rotatably mounted in a frame 542 which can be appropriately mounted in the processing facility , such as by hanging from the ceiling by an upstanding hook 544 mounted on the upper most end of the frame 542 . the illustrated take - up spool 541 comprises an inner cylindrical hub 544 to which laterally spaced circular side plates 545 are fixed , and a plurality of circumferentially spaced rods 546 are interposed between the side plates 545 in outward radial relation to the inner hub 544 which define an interrupted , non circular , winding surface of the drum . for rotating the take - up spool 541 , the central hub 544 has a drive shaft 548 which is driven by a drive motor 549 mounted on the frame 542 via a drive belt or chain 550 . with an upper end of the loading rope 530 secured to the take - up spool 541 , rotation of the take - up spool 541 by the drive motor 549 will cause the take - up rope to be wound upon the take - up drum and raised from the reformer tube at a predetermined rate governed by the operating speed of the motor 549 . the plurality of circumferentially spaced rods 546 that define the effective non - circular winding surface of the take - up spool 541 cause the loading rope 530 to be raised with irregular movement for preventing build - up of catalyst on the damper members 531 , while also facilitating positioning of the damping members 531 in flattened positions on the take - up spool 541 during such rotary take - up movement . to further facilitate continuous loading of catalyst into the tube without undesirable build - up of catalyst on the loading rope 530 , the loading rope 530 is trained about a rotatable eccentric spool 560 disposed adjacent the take - up spool 541 which is effected for successively causing the rope to swing or move up and down as it is drawn onto the take - up spool 541 . the eccentric spool 560 in this case comprises a central rotatable drive shaft 561 , a pair of laterally disposed circular side plates 562 mounted on the drive shaft central hub 563 , and a pair of diametrically opposed rods 564 disposed between the side plates 562 outwardly of the drive hub 563 . rotation of the eccentric drive spool 560 by a drive belt or chain 566 coupled to the output shaft 551 of the drive motor 549 will cause the eccentric spool 560 to rotate simultaneously as the take - up spool 541 rotates to lift the loading rope 530 from the reformer tube 200 . the diametrically opposed rods 564 of the rotating eccentric spool 560 successively engage and swing the loading rope 530 in up and down fashion to dislodge and prevent accumulation of catalyst on the damper members 531 as the rope 530 is raised from the reformer tube 200 . in accordance with a further important aspect of the catalyst loading system 500 , a control is provided for controlling operation of the drive motors 521 and 549 such that loading rope 530 is raised from the reformer tube in calibrated synchronized relation to the operating speed of the feed conveyor belt 514 for ensuring continuous , uninterrupted loading of catalyst with enhanced uniformity . to this end , operation of the motors 521 , 549 may be driven under the control of a computer such as the computer 301 , or such other computer 570 dedicated exclusively to the drive motors 521 , 549 . within the computer 301 and / or 570 , computer - readable code stored on a computer - readable medium such as a disc or drive is read and executed by the computer processor . such code acts to operate the drive motors 521 and 549 in a synchronized manner via suitable output drivers such as a digital to analog converter or transducer . the motor synchronization may be based either on empirical data regarding flow rates and settling and the like , or via feedback that adjusts the relative speeds of the motors based on the actual instantaneous fill level within the tube . in the latter case , detection of fill level may be via optical measurement or other suitable measurement technique . as will be understood by a person skilled in the art , the loading rope 530 should be raised at a rate such that the lower - most damping member 531 of the loading rope 530 is raised from the reformer tube 200 at a speed such that it stays just above the level of catalyst deposit in the tube . more importantly , by means of the computer control , the rate at which the loading rope 530 is lifted from the reformer tube 200 is synchronized with the speed of the loading conveyor belt 514 for the particular loading operation . in each case , continuous loading of catalyst into the reformer tube 200 permits quicker , more uniform filling of the tubes . indeed , the possibility of human error associated with conventional practices of filling reformer tubes is eliminated since a large number of tubes may be loaded in exactly the same manner and speed , resulting in uniformity of the filled tubes 200 and reduced pressure drop variations therein . the catalyst loading system 500 of the present invention has been found to enable up to 20 % faster loading as compared to manual techniques with more uniform consistency of the catalyst loaded into the tubes . it has been found that such improved loading efficiency and performance is enabled by virtue of the ability to automatically and continuously fill the reformer tubes 200 in a predetermined controlled manner without interruption . to facilitate such continuous automated loading of the tubes , it will be understood that the hopper 511 should be maintained at least partially filled with catalyst by personnel or by an automatic filler ( not shown ). it will be further appreciated that since the continuous automated filling system 500 fills the tubes 200 with enhanced particle uniformity , there is no need to tap the tubes to prevent voids in the loaded catalyst typical of prior art procedures . as a result , the automated loading system 500 eliminates the need for vibrational elements and thus reduces the production of catalyst dust . in order to remove any small amounts of dust from the catalyst that may occur during transfer from the conveyor belt 514 into the intake duct 522 , a vacuum device 580 may be mounted in communication with a vacuum outlet 581 formed by a screened wall in the discharge shoot cover duct 524 . it will be appreciated that a new and useful system for reformer tube filling and processing has been described herein by way of example . however , it is contemplated that other implementations of the disclosure may differ in detail from the foregoing examples . all references to the disclosure or examples thereof are intended to reference the particular example being discussed at that point and are not intended to imply any limitation as to the scope of the disclosure more generally . all language of distinction and disparagement with respect to certain features is intended to indicate a lack of preference for those features , but not to exclude such from the scope of the disclosure entirely unless otherwise indicated . recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range , unless otherwise indicated herein , and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein . all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . | 1 |
the present invention will now be described in conjunction with the drawings , beginning with fig1 which shows an inflatable mattress and pillow support assembly 10 constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention . assembly 10 includes an inflatable pad or mattress support 12 having a generally rectangular parallelepiped configuration . mattress 12 includes a pair of upstanding or vertical longitudinally - extending side walls 14 , 16 ( fig7 ) and a pair of upstanding or vertical transversely - extending end walls 18 , 20 ( fig6 ). the sidewalls 14 , 16 join the end walls 18 , 20 at four rounded corners 22 . the mattress 12 further includes an upper or top support surface 24 and a lower or bottom support surface 26 ( fig6 ). any one of several well - known plastic sheet materials may be used to fabricate mattress 12 in a generally known fashion . a layer of flocked plastic material or similar fabric 28 may be applied to the upper support surface 24 to provide a plush appearance and to increase surface friction and resist sliding over surface 24 . mattress 12 is preferably formed as an inflatable “ air ” mattress which can be inflated with a gas such as ambient air using a conventional air pump or other suitable means . a conventional valve 30 is provided in , for example , sidewall 14 for receiving the nozzle of an air pump or the like . an array of shallow embossed recesses or dimples 32 is formed on the upper surface 24 and lower surface 26 of mattress 12 by internal strips of plastic material which are bonded to and extend between these surfaces in a known manner to prevent the mattress from ballooning outwardly . as seen in fig2 mattress 12 is formed with a storage compartment 36 , preferably located adjacent one end wall 18 , 20 . in the embodiment shown in fig2 compartment 36 is formed adjacent end wall 20 as a generally rectangular basin or pocket having a pair of opposed upstanding longitudinally - extending interior lateral walls 38 , 40 ( fig7 ) and a pair of opposed upstanding transversely - extending interior transverse walls 42 , 44 ( fig6 ). the four internal compartment walls 38 - 44 extend from the lower support surface 26 upwardly to the upper support surface 24 and thereby define a deep pocket having a depth substantially equal to the inflated thickness of the mattress 12 as represented by arrow 46 in fig6 . although compartment 36 is shown having a rectangular section or shape , it can be formed with any perimeter form or shape , such as round , oval , polygonal or irregular . the storage compartment 36 further includes a base or floor 48 . in the example shown , floor 48 is simply a rectangular portion of the lower surface 26 extending between the walls 38 - 44 . in this manner , a thin web or sheet of plastic material serves as floor 48 . the internal walls 38 - 44 are likewise formed of a thin sheet of plastic material . by locating storage compartment 36 adjacent an end portion of mattress 12 near an end wall such as end wall 20 , three relatively small interconnected tubular air channel segments 50 , 52 , 54 are defined around three sides of the storage compartment 36 and a larger air chamber 58 is defined adjacent the innermost transverse wall 42 and the opposite end wall 18 . for reasons discussed below , it is preferable to locate storage compartment 36 within that interior portion of air mattress 12 that corresponds to the general location of one &# 39 ; s head when one is lying prone on top of the mattress . mattress 12 further includes a pair of interior connector members 60 located adjacent the respective interior corners 62 of storage compartment 36 . another connector member 64 is provided along the top edge 66 of end wall 20 . in the example shown in fig2 connector member 64 is a detachable type of connector such as a half zipper strip or a strip of hook - and - loop fabric type connector . the purpose of connector members 60 , 64 is to detachably anchor and release pillow 70 to and from the mattress 12 . pillow 70 is preferably formed as an inflatable pad , although it may be formed as a batting - stuffed head support or simply a sheet of plastic material . preferably , pillow 70 includes a conventional air valve 30 ( fig3 ) for inflating the pillow in a known fashion . pillow 70 may take any form or shape . in the examples shown , pillow 70 is generally trapezoidal in top and bottom plan views , and generally longitudinally inwardly tapering or wedge - shaped in side elevation views as positioned on mattress 12 . pillow 70 includes a corrugated or furrowed top surface 72 and a corrugated or furrowed bottom surface 74 ( fig6 ). as seen in fig6 and 7 , the pillow 70 can be formed with a single internal cavity or air chamber 76 . the pillow 70 is dimensioned to completely cover and overlie the storage compartment 36 so as to form a closed storage compartment . preferably , the pillow 70 substantially overlies all or a portion of air channel segment 56 and all or portions of air channel segments 52 and 54 , as well as a small portion of air chamber 58 . in this manner , when the pillow 70 is placed over storage compartment 36 , the storage compartment is completely covered and concealed from normal view by the overlapping pillow . the correct positioning and alignment of the pillow 70 over the storage compartment 36 is ensured by connector members 80 and 82 ( fig2 and 3 - 5 ). connector member 80 detachably mates with complimentary connector member 64 and therefore may be respectively formed as a half zipper strip or a strip of hook and loop fabric fastener . the connector members 82 are shown as rigid plastic pin members having a shaft 84 and an enlarged head 86 . each connector member 82 also includes a planar base 88 which is bonded or otherwise fixed to the bottom surface 74 of pillow 70 . the connector members 60 are located on the mattress 12 so as to align with and freely receive the shaft and head of each respective connector member 82 . as further seen in fig4 and 5 , each connector member 60 is formed as a rigid plastic socket or cup having a floor 90 , a sidewall 92 and a roof 94 . roof 94 is bonded or otherwise attached within chamber 58 to the upper support surface 24 of mattress 12 , and is accessible through an aperture 96 formed therein . a contoured slot 98 is formed in roof 94 of connector member 60 for receiving the shaft and head of connector member 82 . a necked down region 100 of roof 94 defines a generally figure - eight shaped slot 98 . the head 86 of connector member 82 is dimensioned to pass freely into an enlarged opening 102 in slot 98 and the cylindrical shaft 84 is dimensioned to resiliently pass through the necked down region 100 with a snap - fit over - center action . in this manner , the shaft of connector member 82 is held rigidly within a small opening 104 of slot 98 . the connector member 82 is axially held within connector member 60 by head 86 which is larger than the small opening 100 . the connector member 82 can be removed from the socket of connector member 60 with a reverse movement through the necked down region 100 and out through the enlarged opening 102 . instead of fully and freely detachably connecting the pillow 70 to the mattress 12 , it is possible to permanently connect the pillow 70 to the mattress 12 with a tethered connection such as shown in fig3 . a strip or web 106 of thin flexible plastic material is bonded at one longitudinal end portion to mattress 12 and at its other longitudinal end portion to the pillow 70 so as to form a flexible living hinge between the pillow 70 and mattress 12 . as further seen in fig3 the pillow 70 can be pivoted over the storage compartment 36 along an arc defined by dashed lines 108 . when the pillow 70 overlies and overlaps the storage compartment 36 in a symmetrical centered position over compartment 36 , as shown in fig1 and 6 , the storage compartment 36 is completely concealed from normal view . items stored in the compartment 36 are securely held therein by pillow 70 , which is properly positioned on mattress 12 so as to support one &# 39 ; s head in a normal sleeping or resting position on mattress 12 . the connector members 60 , 82 snugly and securely hold the pillow 70 against the mattress 12 so as to positively prevent items stored in the compartment from falling out . there has been disclosed the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated . however , it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention , as defined by the appended claims . for example , connectors 60 and 82 can be formed as complimentary hook and loop type fabric fasteners , circular snap connectors of the type used in clothing , or any other suitable connector . the same applies for connectors 64 and 80 . | 0 |
the following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit application and uses . furthermore , there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description . a first embodiment is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 shows an internal combustion diesel engine 1 provided connected to a selective catalytic reduction ( scr ) system 4 that comprises an scr catalyst 3 , provided in an exhaust pipe 2 connected to the engine . the selective catalytic reduction ( scr ) system 4 has a transportation device 100 for providing a mass flow of a diesel emission fluid into the scr system 4 . in detail , the selective catalytic reduction ( scr ) system 4 , working based on an scr reduction strategy , feds in the exhaust pipe 2 , upstream the scr catalyst 3 , a diesel exhaust fluid ( def ). according to an embodiment illustrated in fig1 the transportation device 100 comprises a circuit 4 ′ for supplying a diesel exhaust fluid ( def ) mass flow rate to an injector 5 , located upstream the scr catalyst 3 . the circuit 4 ′ comprises a pressure pump 6 and a pressure line 7 connecting the pump 6 to the injector 5 . the pressure pump 6 is configured to supply to the injector 5 a def from a tank 8 wherein the def is stored . the operation of the transportation device 100 of the scr system 4 is controlled by an electronic control module ( ecm ) 9 based on a scr reduction strategy . the ecm 9 comprises a pressure regulator 10 , which reads a pressure value from a pressure sensor 11 inserted in the pressure line 7 , and compares the read pressure value with a predetermined set point value . the electronic control module 9 , on the basis of result of the comparison , generates and sends an activating electric signal to the transportation device 100 , in particular to the pressure pump 6 , so that the pressure pump 6 works maintaining the predetermined pressure set point for the injector 5 , typically 5 bar . in fact , the accuracy of the def injected mass is strictly dependent on the pressure value in the pressure line 7 . in detail , the electronic control module regulates a parameter value of the electric signal as a function of the pressure value read by the pressure sensor 11 . according to an embodiment , the electric signal is a power width modulated signal ( pwm ) and the parameter , which is regulated by the electronic control module , is a duty cycle of the pwm signal . the scr system 4 comprises a map correlating a def mass flow rate , fed in the scr system 4 , with the parameter value of the electric signal generated by the electronic control module 9 . this map is empirically determined under predetermined operating condition of the engine , for instance when the scr system is new and correctly working . hence , the electronic control module 9 works to maintain a predetermined pressure set point generating and sending to the pressure pump 6 an electric signal for any injection mass flow rate requested by the scr reduction strategy . the pressure shall be stable in each operating condition for the injector 5 , from zero injected quantity , injector 5 closed , up to maximum injected quantity , injector 5 fully open , and during the whole intermediate range . in this way , it is possible to establish , under the predetermined operating condition , a correlation between the requested mass flow rate , which can be seen as a loss in the pressure circuit , in steady state conditions , and the parameter value of the electric signal sent to the transportation device 100 , as shown in the graph of fig2 named “ nominal ” a map correlating a def mass flow rate fed in the scr system 4 and the parameter value of the electric signal can be easily determined by the empirical data of the graph named “ nominal ” in fig2 . subsequently the method provides to monitor , during the operation of the diesel engine 1 , the parameter value of the electric signal , generated by electronic control module 9 , for each diesel exhaust fluid ( def ) mass flow rate fed in the scr system 4 and to determine , for each diesel exhaust fluid ( def ) mass flow rate fed in the scr system 4 , the difference between the monitored parameter value and the parameter value previously empirically determined , stored in the map , and corresponding to the def mass flow rate requested and injected in the scr system 4 . if the difference , which can be positive or negative , exceeds a threshold , a fault is diagnosed . in particular , if the monitored parameter value exceeds the empirically determined parameter value for that requested mass flow rate , a leak is present in the pressure line 7 . otherwise , if the parameter value of the electric signal is lower than the expected one , an obstruction ( e . g ., freezing ) could have happened ( fig3 ). during normal operation of the diesel engine 1 the parameter value of the electric signal is affected by a certain tolerance due to pressure system components production dispersion and aging , and operating conditions such as , for instance , the operating engine temperature . in order to keep into consideration the above named tolerance of the parameter value of the electric signal , an embodiment of the invention provides that the empirically created map is replaced by a new map correlating a def mass flow rate , fed in the scr system 4 , and the parameter value of the electric signal generated by the electronic control module 9 and sent to the transportation device 100 , the new map being created with a determined frequency during normal engine operation in steady state conditions . according to an embodiment the new map is created with a predetermined frequency determined on the basis of the number of hours of operation of the diesel engine 1 or , alternatively , on the basis of the distance covered by a vehicle ( not illustrated ) provided with the diesel engine 1 . a further embodiment provides for the activation of a warning signal if a fault is diagnosed . the warning signal can be acoustic and / or luminous and it is generated by an alarm device 12 connected to the electronic control module 9 . the method has several important advantages and benefits . first , it allows increasing robustness , reliability , and precision of diesel exhaust fluid injected quantity , also avoiding problems due to injector aging drift . the method can be tailored to any injector characteristic curve , giving the required flexibility to apply it to any vehicle and in particular to automobiles or passenger cars . in addition , the embodiments allow an improvement in no x emissions , ensuring emissions legislation requirements for the vehicles provided with an engine operating according to the embodiments . while at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing summary and detailed description , it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist . it should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples , and are not intended to limit the scope , applicability , or configuration in any way . rather , the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment , it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents . | 8 |
a saw blade connector 20 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention may be best understood by referring to fig1 - 3 . the saw blade connector 20 is suitable for use with a well - known saw blade 22 , such as a reciprocating saw blade . such saw blades 22 are designed for replacement when the saw blade 22 is worn . as may be best seen by referring to fig3 , the saw blade connector 20 includes a collar 30 , a locking and anchoring assembly 32 , and a shaft 34 . the shaft 34 is suitably a cylindrical member formed from a high strength material and includes first and second ends 36 and 38 . the first end 36 is formed as a hex shank and is commonly used for quick connection to a handle of a hand tool or a chuck of an electrically operated machine , such as a reciprocating saw . the first end 36 includes a detent groove 40 sized and configured for locking engagement with a correspondingly shaped and configured locking mechanism ( not shown ), such as a ball bearing . although the shaft 34 is described and illustrated as including a hex shank first end 36 for replaceable attachment to a hand tool or a chuck , it should be apparent that the invention is not intended to be so limited . as a non - limiting example , the shaft 34 and , therefore , the resulting saw blade connector 20 , may be pressed fit or integrally formed with a handle for permanent attachment with a hand tool . as a result , such embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention . the second end 38 of the shaft 34 is suitably barrow - shaped and includes a slot 42 extending partially through a longitudinal direction of the shaft 34 . the slot 42 is sized and configured to receive one end of the saw blade 22 , as is described in greater detail below . the second end 38 also includes a lock mechanism bore 44 and an anchor bore 46 . both the lock mechanism bore 44 and the anchor bore 46 extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shaft 34 . the lock mechanism bore 44 and anchor bore 46 are sized to receive components of the locking and anchoring assembly 32 . in that regard , and as may be best seen by referring to fig4 , the lock mechanism bore 44 extends from an outside perimeter of the first end 38 through to the slot 42 and is sized to receive a lock mechanism 48 therein . as may be best seen by referring back to fig3 , the lock mechanism 48 includes a bearing member , such as ball bearings 50 a and 50 b . although the bearing member is illustrated and described as being a pair of ball bearings 50 a and 50 b , other types of bearing members , such as a single ball bearing or a pin , are also within the scope of the present invention . it has been discovered by the inventors of the present invention that two ball bearings 50 a and 50 b are preferred in the present embodiment . two ball bearings 50 a and 50 b are preferred as the reduced diameter of two ball bearings , as opposed to a single ball bearing , allows for a shorter travel of the lock mechanism as it is reciprocated between the locked and unlocked positions . the locking and anchoring assembly 32 also includes an anchor 52 sized to be received within the anchor bore 46 . the anchor 52 , as received within the anchor bore 46 , is positioned to lockingly engage a portion of the saw blade 22 when the saw blade is inserted within the slot 42 of the shaft 34 , as is described in greater detail below . still referring to fig3 , the collar 30 is mounted on the shaft 34 for reciprocating movement of the saw blade connector 20 between locked and unlocked positions . the collar 30 is suitably mounted to the shaft 34 on a biasing member 54 , such as a coil compression spring . the biasing member 54 biases the collar 30 and , therefore , the saw blade connector 20 into the locked position , as seen in fig5 . the collar 30 is suitably locked to the shaft 34 by a well - known spring clip 56 sized to be lockingly received within a correspondingly shaped annular groove 58 formed in the shaft 34 . as may be best seen by referring to fig4 and 5 , the collar 30 includes a detent 60 integrally formed within one end of the collar 30 . the detent 60 is positioned to reciprocate the bearing member 48 into and out of interference engagement with the saw blade 22 . the detent 60 includes a ramp 62 and a bearing cavity 64 . the ramp 62 and bearing cavity 64 both extend around the inside perimeter of one end of the collar 30 . the ramp 62 is adjacent the bearing cavity 64 and is positioned to assist reciprocating the bearing member 48 into and out of the locked and unlocked positions . operation of the saw blade connector 20 may be best understood by referring to fig4 - 6 . when the saw blade connector 20 is displaced into the unlocked position of fig4 , the first and second ball bearings 50 a and 50 b are free to be displaced upwardly into the bearing cavity 64 , such that an attachment end 70 of the saw blade 22 may be insertably received within the slot 42 . the attachment end 70 of the saw blade 22 include a tang 72 extending therefrom . as the saw blade 22 is inserted in the slot 42 , the tang 72 slides under the anchor 52 and the first and second ball bearings 50 a and 50 b are positioned adjacent a bore ( not shown ) extending through the attachment end 70 of the saw blade 22 . after the saw blade 22 is received within the slot 72 , the collar 30 is displaced into the locked position , assisted by the biasing member 54 . as seen in fig5 and 6 , the collar 30 is displaced towards the first end 36 of the shaft 34 and into the locked position . as the collar 30 is displaced into the locked position , the ball bearings 50 a and 50 b are displaced within the lock mechanism bore 44 to at least partially seat the second ball bearing 50 b within the bore extending through the attachment end 70 of the saw blade 22 . as received , the ball bearings 50 a and 50 b are placed into selective interference engagement with the saw blade 22 to lock the saw blade 22 within the saw blade connector 20 . additionally , the anchor 52 engages the tang 72 to further assist in restraining the saw blade 22 within the saw blade connector 20 . to remove the saw blade 22 from within the saw blade connector 20 , the collar 30 is reciprocated into the unlocked position , thereby allowing the ball bearings 50 a and 50 b to retreat within the bearing cavity 64 and the saw blade 22 is then extracted from within the slot 42 . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
with reference to fig1 there is shown a first embodiment of the present invention including a rectangular box - shaped main body portion 1 . the box 1 shown with sliding doors provided therein , however , any suitable enclosure means , such as doors or drawers , may or may not be provided . the box 1 is preferably constructed of wood , plastic , sheetmetal , or any other suitable resilient material . the box 1 is shown with the substantially horizontal bottom wall thereof mounted on a frame platform depicted generally as 2 . the platform 2 is constructed of two longitudinal side rails 3 which are of sufficient depth to provide stable support for the box 1 . the side rails 3 are joined together by cross members 17 which are shown more clearly in fig2 . the vertical support members 4 provide vertical support for the apparatus in its mounted position . preferably , the vertical support members 4 are hingedly affixed to the platform 2 at their upper ends as depicted at 5 . thus , the vertical support members 4 can be folded up in storage position against the platform 2 as shown in fig2 . tubular struts 6 are secured at one end to the vertical support members 4 and pivot at the side rails 3 so as to form a truss and thereby reduce any relative wobbling between the platform 2 and the vertical support members 4 to an undetectable level . this arrangement is shown in fig4 . the vertical support members 4 are secured at their lower ends 7 to the counter top 8 by any suitable means . such means may include , for example , an anti - skid surface provided on the end 7 of the vertical support member 4 to frictionally engage with the couner top 8 and prevent slipping of the vertical support members 4 . alternatively , the counter top 8 may be provided with a receiving aperture into which the end 7 may be inserted for stabilization of the vertical support member 4 with respect to the counter top 8 . horizontal support for the box 1 is provided by means of securing same to the external ceiling structure 9 by way of any suitable latching means . the latching means of fig1 ( shown more clearly in fig3 ) includes a dowel 10 which is slidably fitted into the receiving aperture 11 provided in the trailer ceiling . the dowel 10 slides within a cavity 16 provided in the box 1 . a threaded stud 14 is secured to dowel 10 ( see fig3 ) and is inserted through a vertical slot in the box 1 for varying the height of the dowel 10 . a knob 13 threads onto the outside end of the stud 14 which can slide vertically in the slot 12 to control the height of the dowel 10 . the dowel 10 is held in its desired position by tightening the knob 13 against the surface 15 and thereby holding dowel 10 in a stationary position . thus , by selectively raising or lowering the position of the dowel 10 , the storage apparatus is adaptable to conform to the varying counter - to - ceiling height dimensions of various sizes and types of trailers . also , changes in ceiling height due to thermal expansion or contraction can be adjusted to by adjusting the height of dowel 10 . optionally , a dowel cross member 18 can be affixed between the side rails 3 at the ends thereof as shown in fig4 . the dowels 18 serve as convenient towel racks when the apparatus is mounted for use . also , hooks ( not shown ) can be provided along the outwardly - facing surfaces of the side rails 3 for conveniently handing utensils thereon . fig2 shows the platform 2 in its folded storage position . the side rails 3 serve to protect the folded vertical support members 4 from damage , while the end cross dowels 18 serve as handles for the platform 2 . in erecting the apparatus as above described , the apparatus is held above the counter top 8 and the vertical support members 4 are folded down into contact with the counter top 8 . next , the dowel 10 is positioned in the ceiling aperture 11 and tightened in place by turning knob 13 . in this manner , vertical loads from the storage apparatus are transmitted through vertical support members 4 to the counter top 8 . horizontal loads , which would be minimal , are transmitted to the trailer ceiling 9 by way of the dowel 10 . it is estimated that total normal set - up and take - down time for this embodiment takes from 15 to 20 seconds . in an alternate embodiment of the invention , the vertical support members 4 are provided with supporting plates with flanged edges at their upper ends ( not shown ). the plates serve to support the box 1 in an elevated eye level or overhead position , without the need for platform 2 . the lower ends of the vertical support members 4 are threaded or tapered and the counter top 8 is provided with threaded or tapered receiving flanges for securing the vertical support members 4 in position thereon . in erecting this embodiment , the vertical support members 4 are screwed or inserted into the counter top flanges and the box 1 lifted up and rested on the supporting plates . horizontal support means similar to the dowel 10 arrangement of fig1 is also provided . in a third embodiment of the invention , the folding vertical support members 4 can be secured directly to the lower surface of box 1 , eliminating the necessity of platform 2 of fig1 . this embodiment is conducive to the same variations as described above with respect to the fig1 embodiment . in yet another embodiment of the invention , the lower surface of box 1 is provided with downwardly - projecting carriage bolts ( not shown ). preferably , the lower surface of the box 1 is provided with four apertures through which the carriage bolts are inserted . also , the platform 2 is provided with four receiving apertures through which the carriage bolts are passed . threaded knobs or tip ends are secured to the carriage bolts from beneath the platform 2 to secure the box 1 firmly to the platform 2 . the carriage bolts serve the additional function of acting as legs for the box 1 when box 1 is in an unmounted position . the knobs or tip ends are replaced on the carriage bolts after dismounting of the box 1 to protect underlying surfaces from damage by the carriage bolt ends . in this manner , box 1 can serve as a storage apparatus on any suitable desired surface . also , the carriage bolts can serve in securing the box 1 to any vertical surface by means of supporting brackets provided on the vertical surface and adapted to receive the carriage bolts for securement of the box 1 thereto . it is further contemplated that box 1 can be provided with a carrying handle on the upper surface thereof to provide easy transportability of the box 1 by a single person . it should be noted that the box 1 is not restricted to being supported by only two vertical support members 4 as shown in the drawings . for example , the apparatus can be provided with four vertical support members , thus eliminating the need for horizontal support means or ceiling securement . it will be obvious from the foregoing disclosure that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . furthermore , all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein . | 1 |
fig2 shows a cross section of an x - ray detector 200 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention . the detector 200 comprises a cathode or entrance window 204 which is fabricated from a material that is substantially transparent to x - rays , such as beryllium , in the shape of a spherical polygon . a grid 206 , also in the shape of a spherical polygon , is positioned concentrically with the entrance window 204 . the entrance window 204 and the grid 206 form a drift region 210 in the form of the spherical polygon . a potential applied to the entrance window 204 causes the electric field lines at the entrance window ( not shown in fig2 ) to radially point to a sample in a sample holder at position 202 . the acceleration region 212 is defined by the grid 206 and the readout structure 208 also in the shape of a spherical polygon . the readout structure 208 is shown in more detail in fig3 and discussed below . the spherical polygonal shape of the detector can cover a large spherical angular range 20 from 7 to ˜ 27 ( 180 °-˜ 360 °) which is ideal for diffraction pattern measurements . when an x - ray is absorbed in the spherical drift region 210 of the detector a fast photoelectron is produced . in the energy range of interest , this fast electron travels perpendicularly the radial field while producing secondary ionization in the form of electron - positive ion pairs . the range of this fast electron sets the physical limit of the spatial resolution of the detector , which is typically of order several tens of microns at high pressure . this parallax free structure can have large drift volume and be used therefore for a good efficiency even at high x - ray energies . fig3 shows an enlarged view of a portion 300 of the anode and electrical readout structure . in the figure , elements that correspond to those in fig2 have been given corresponding numeral designations . for example , entrance window 204 in fig2 corresponds to entrance window 304 in fig3 . the entrance window 303 and the grid 306 form a drift region 310 as discussed above . an acceleration region 312 is formed between the grid 306 and a readout structure 308 . the readout structure comprises a resistive anode 314 formed on an insulating substrate 316 , for example , a ceramic substrate . a readout electrode structure 318 is formed on the opposite side of the insulating substrate 316 . the anode 314 is a resistive layer that has no defined conductive paths , but which is a reasonably homogeneous material of predetermined resistivity . the anode is connected to ground at the edges , so that electrical energy absorbed from the electron avalanche cloud eventually dissipates . however , the anode material is resistive enough that there is a time delay for the dissipation . that is , there is a temporary accumulation of electric charge in the local region of the anode 314 upon which an electron avalanche cloud is incident . positioned on the opposite side of the insulating substrate 316 that supports the resistive anode 314 is a readout electrode structure 318 which comprises two orthogonal serpentine delay lines . as the electron avalanche cloud encounters the resistive anode 314 , the deposited charge creates a capacitive coupling between the anode and the delay lines of the readout electrode structure 318 through the insulating substrate 316 . this capacitive coupling induces currents in certain paths of the delay lines of the readout structure 318 . these currents are detected by a detection circuit ( not shown in fig3 ) and have a temporal signature indicative of the parallel paths in which they were induced . thus , the capacitively - induced charges may be used to determine the position of the electron cloud in the detection sphere . the readout arrangement is described in more detail in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 340 , 819 , which is incorporated in its entirety by reference . the inventive spherical configuration offers several unique improvements over conventional designs . in particular , for a conventional parallel plate gaseous detector , such as that shown in fig1 , the maximal and the average electric field strength ( e ) in the amplification region are equal and defined by the potential difference divided by the electrode separation : where v is the voltage applied the amplification region and x is the distance between the grid and the anode . the electric field strength is uniform in the gap between the grid and the anode . a so - called field enhancement factor can be defined as the maximum electric field divided by the average electric field . a field enhancement factor of 1 . 0 therefore represents no enhancement over the average field . in the inventive structure , for two concentric spherical electrodes , the maximal electric field is given by the following equation : where v is the voltage applied between the spherical electrodes , a is the radius of the inner spherical electrode and b is the radius of the outer spherical electrode . in the case of a spherical amplification structure , like that provided in the inventive structure , the inner spherical electrode corresponds to the grid and the outer spherical electrode corresponds to the anode . this structure provides a field enhancement factor ( b / a ) which is larger than 1 . 0 . fig4 shows a plot 400 of the field strength in one quadrant of a spherical amplification structure . the lines , such as line 402 , represent equipotential surfaces and the spacing of the lines indicates field strength . as shown in the figure , field strength increases from the resistive anode 308 towards the grid 304 . this field enhancement offers several advantages . for example , unlike the conventional parallel plate avalanche counter where there is no field enhancement , the inventive detector can be operated at a smaller voltage compared to the conventional design , thereby increasing the detector stability . further , the amplitude of the electric field increases in the direction toward the grid . this non - uniformity of the field inhibits the formation of electrical streamers , and therefore spark propagation , from the anode . in addition , due to a higher field strength close to the grid , the majority of the electron avalanche multiplication takes place near the grid . therefore , most of the avalanche signal is created close to the grid surface , which reduces the rise - time of the electronic signal . another benefit is that most of the positive ions that are created during the secondary ionization are created close to the grid to which they are attracted and cleared by collision with the grid . consequently , they do not have to drift across the entire acceleration region and are cleared more rapidly . therefore , the so - called “ space - charge effect ” is less pronounced than in conventional detectors and the local count - rate capability of the inventive detector is increased . fig5 shows a typical laboratory x - ray diffraction system 500 for performing single crystal diffraction experiments . the system 500 includes an x - ray source 502 that produces a primary x - ray beam 504 with the required radiation energy , focal spot size and intensity . x - ray optics 506 are provided to condition the primary x - ray beam 504 to a conditioned , or incident , beam 508 with the required wavelength , beam focus size , beam profile and divergence . a goniometer and sample holder 510 is used to establish and manipulate geometric relationships between the incident x - ray beam 508 , the crystal sample 512 and the x - ray detector 514 . the incident x - ray beam 508 strikes the crystal sample 512 and produces scattered x - rays 516 which are recorded in the detector 514 . the detector 514 may be constructed as a spherical polygon as described above with the sample 512 located at the center or origin of the sphere . the system may further include a sample alignment and monitor assembly that comprises a sample illuminator 518 , typically a laser , which illuminates the sample 512 and a sample monitor 520 , typically a video camera , which generates a video image of the sample to assist users in positioning the sample in the instrument center and monitoring the sample state and position . fig6 is a cross - section through the center of an illustrative embodiment of the inventive detector showing mechanical construction details . as with fig3 , elements that correspond to those in fig2 and 3 have been given corresponding numeral designations . for example , entrance window 604 in fig6 corresponds to entrance windows 204 and 304 in fig2 and 3 , respectively . the detector elements are mounted in a metal housing 630 which has circular recesses 632 and 634 that hold the various components . for example , recess 634 holds the entrance window 604 . the entrance window 604 is mounted in recess 634 with an insulating material 636 , which may , for example , be an epoxy compound . similarly , the grid 606 and the readout structure are mounted in recess 632 by means of insulating material 638 . the entire housing 630 is filled with a working gas mixture as discussed above . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to a number of embodiments thereof , it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 6 |
with reference to fig1 , there are shown two prior art hf nets , in geo - proximity but in tele - non - communication with each other , i . e . being unable to intercommunicate . the first net 10 comprises a plurality of transceivers 12 indicated by “ smileys ”, able to establish telecommunication channels therebetween , indicated by dashed lines 14 . similarly , the second net 20 comprises a second plurality of transceivers 22 , indicated by star shapes . these too , are able to establish telecommunication channels therebetween , indicated by dotted lines 24 . as illustrated , the hf nets 10 , 20 may span the world ; it being a feature of hf telecommunication that , by bouncing signals off the ionosphere , telecommunication is enabled across vast distances . it will be appreciated though , that individual transceivers need not be separated by vast distances , and hf telecommunication may be used between cities , and is sometimes used between ships and military installations that are geographically quite close together . as illustrated , the two nets 10 , 20 overlap in geographical range . this is a common state of affairs , which , where the two nets serve different users , perhaps in very different industries , such as military and civil , or different nationalities , may be an adequate state of affairs , and may even be highly desirable . in practice , operating in certain parts of the world , there are several hf nets that overlap each other partially or fully . to keep the nets independent , preventing interference between different nets , the individual nets are assigned with a limited number of discrete frequencies for telecommunication , and there are international bodies that regulate the distribution of frequencies . to provide security , the ‘ handshake ’ between transceivers may be coded , and to prevent unauthorized listeners , hf telecommunication may be encrypted . not all hf wavelengths are equally appropriate for telecommunication over all distances under all conditions . for telecommunication between two locations , there are a number of preferred wavelengths , and the optimal wavelength actually varies with fluctuations in the ionosphere . consequently preferred wavelengths vary throughout the seasons and around the clock . transceivers that are ale ( automatic link establishment ) enabled are known . these are able to send out a handshake signal on a number , say n , of frequencies in turn , thereby allowing the called transceivers to monitor the quality of the link . in this manner the optimal channel , i . e . wavelength is chosen for a particular communication requirement . referring now to fig2 , there is shown a flowchart that illustrates the procedure of scanning a net in accordance with ale - std188 - 141b . receiving transceiver selects ( step 30 ) the first channel ( channel 1 ) and monitors ( step 32 ) for ale signals on the channel . if a signal is received , a link is established ( step 34 ) with the calling transceiver , and the quality of that link is determined . if not , the transceiver selects ( step 36 ) channel 2 . if an ale signal is received ( step 38 ) and if a link is established ( step 40 ) with the targeted transceiver , the quality of that link is determined . the transceiver continues to scan for signals on each channel in turn until an ale is determined and a link is established . when the last , or nth channel is monitored ( step 42 ), if a link is established ( step 46 ) with the calling transceiver , the quality of that link is determined . if not , the receiving transceiver goes back ( step 48 ) and starts scanning the first channel ( step 30 ) again . such prior art methods are detailed in the mil - std188 - 141b standard and have proven useful for establishing a link on the appropriate channel for optimal communication between selected users on a net . although the protocols and standards for this scanning procedure have been developed by the military , the technology has proven useful for linking diplomatic missions , oil exploration teams , drilling platforms and the like , and there are a multitude of applications where it has been found to be appropriate . it will be appreciated however , that there are scenarios where a single , autonomous , functioning , isolated net of transceivers provides a state of affairs that provide a less than ideal telecommunication system . with reference now to fig3 , there is shown one embodiment of a multi - net 50 , which is a hierarchical telecommunications network of a plurality of the hf nets of the prior art , as illustrated and described hereinabove . the multi - net 50 allows transceivers 12 , 22 on different nets to intercommunicate freely , thus transceiver 54 on network 1 can establish a communication channel 52 with transceiver 12 on network 2 . it will be appreciated that not all transceivers within a net 1 of a multi - net 50 need necessarily be able to scan the channels of other nets 2 covered by the multi - net . however , in one aspect , the present invention provides a transceiver capable of scanning the channels of more than one hf telecommunication net . this is facilitated by the provision of a multi - net task manager 60 and , with reference to fig4 , there is shown a flowchart that illustrates the novel procedure of scanning a multi - net of the present invention , henceforth known as the ‘ multi net scan ’. a transceiver capable of performing multi - net scans is put into multi - net scanning mode ( step 62 ), and the multi - net task manager 60 scans , in turn , the individual nets 1 , 2 , . . . n with which the transceiver capable of scanning the channels of more than one hf telecommunication net is compatible ( step 64 , step 66 . . . step 68 ). each individual net is scanned by the procedure described above with reference to fig2 . ( a ) only the nets assigned to the multi - net operation are scanned . ( b ) a call will only be answered when the address matches the radio self address ( c ) the scan operation on each net is performed in accordance with the directives of the mil - std188 - 141b standard . in consequence of the above , there is no interference between nets , and stray hf signals from transmitters not on a net within the multi - net are ignored . as stated above , a multi - net transceiver may communicate with any prior art transceiver on one of the nets within the multi - net by transceiving on a suitable channel within the appropriate net . it will be appreciated that where a multi - net transceiver attempts to communicate with a second multi - net transceiver , any appropriate channel selected from any common net may be used for the telecommunication . with reference now to fig5 , there is shown a flowchart 70 illustrating the hierarchical procedure for establishing a link between transceivers on a multi - net in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . firstly , the calling transceiver is put into multi - net mode ( step 72 ) and a call is initiated ( step 74 ) to a targeted transceiver at a particular geographical location and tuned into a specific net , i . e . targeted net and address 76 . the call is sent out on the best channel of the net ( step 78 ), and , if a valid reply is obtained ( step 80 ), a link can be established ( step 82 ). if no valid reply is obtained ( step 84 ), the calling transceiver in multi - net scan mode continues to scan the channels of the second and other nets in turn . in this manner , even under poor conditions , and where the separation of the calling transceiver and receiving transceiver may vary , such as where one or the other is located on a mobile platform such as a ship , airplane or vehicle , a telecommunication link of an appropriate quality may generally be established . it will be appreciated that although the multi - net default call length is generally in accordance with the defaults of the first net , the user is typically given the option of changing the call length , by defining the number of channels for example . although a call between two multi - net transceivers may be established on any of the nets , there is no multi - net call per se . fig6 is a functional block diagram illustrating the requirements for multi - net sounding appropriate to a multi - net . a transceiver equipped for hf multi - net telecommunication , henceforth a multi - net transceiver , preferably includes a multi - net task manager 60 , so that when the transceiver is operated in multi - net scan mode 62 , a timer associated with net 1 91 sounds net 1 and facilitates establishment of appropriate channels for optimal communication with the various transceivers on net 1 . likewise , there is provided a timer associated with net 2 92 that sounds net 2 and facilitates establishment of appropriate channels for optimal communication with the various transceivers on net 2 , and similar timers are provided for all subsequent nets up to and including the timer 93 for the nth net . although the individual nets use their own dedicated timer for sounding purposes , the multi - net task manager 60 manages the sounding calls to avoid collisions . thus the present invention is directed to enabling intercommunication between stations on different hf nets . different hf nets are interconnected to provide a “ multi - net ”, which is essentially a hierarchical net . a multi - net transceiver of the present invention will be able to scan more than one net , and typically up to about 20 nets , having a unique self address in each net . an appropriate multi - net transceiver may scan all the channels included in all the nets within the multi - net . such transceivers are preferably configured such that when an individual incoming call is received from another transceiver , the multi - net transceiver will , once tuned in to the appropriate net and channel , stop scanning the various channels and nets , and instead , answers the call . when initiating a call to a multi - net radio , the time length of the call sign should be extended according to the number of channels within the multi - net . in this manner , a receiving radio scanning the multi - net will be able to receive the call . a radio not in multi - net mode , when calling a multi - net radio , should be set to send out a longer than usual call sign , so that the receiving multi - scan transceiver will be tuned into the transmission channel at some time during the call sign . in general , a transceiver can initiate an individual call to any other transceiver on the same net . the length of the call signal is a function of the number of channels of the net . the sounding settings of each net within the multi - net may be activated , meaning that the radios ( transceivers ) of each net should generate sounding calls intermittently in accordance with the time - settings of the net . typically calling will ensue from ten minutes after a transceiver is switched on at pre - programmed sounding group intervals . the radio software of the multi - net transceiver should manage the calls to avoid collisions . a listening transceiver in a net will respond to an individual call that includes the net name currently being scanned , and its self address on that net . as illustrated by the flowchart of fig6 , advantageously , the bidirectional feature developed by tadiran communication and described above is expanded to allow a quality assessment for the link between all transceivers on all channels of all nets . thus there is provided for the first time , a system , method and equipment that enable hf communication between transceiver stations on different nets . from a different perspective , one may understand the present invention as providing a means of integrating several individual nets into a hierarchical net structure , or multi - net . it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to what has been described hereinabove merely by way of example . rather , the invention is limited solely by the claims which follow , in which the word “ comprise ” and variations thereof , such as “ comprising ”, “ comprised ”, and the like , imply that the listed components and steps are included but not generally to the exclusion of other components or steps . | 7 |
referring to fig1 - 3 , shown therein is an apparatus for inducing sleep in infants . the apparatus comprises a base 2 comprising a bottom plate 4 and four side wall plates 6 held to the bottom plate 4 by means of screws in a manner well known in the prior art in order to form a generally open rectangular box . provided on the bottom plate 4 are pairs of front and rear mounting blocks 8 and 10 . provided respectively on the front and rear support blocks 8 and 10 are front and rear journalled bearings 12 and 14 . extending respectively through the front and rear pair of journalled bearings 12 and 14 are front and rear shafts 16 and 18 . further provided on the bottom plate 4 is a motor 20 which drives and is coupled to differential transmission 22 . the motor 20 is fixed to the bottom plate 4 by means of slotted mounting holes . the differential transmission 22 provides two outputs which extend transversely to the base 2 . on one of the two outputs is provided a first pulley 24 and on the other is provided an eccentric 26 . the first pulley 24 is connected to a second pulley 28 by means of a first belt 30 . the second pulley 28 is provided on one end of the shaft 16 . provided approximately in the center of the shall 16 is first elliptical cam 32 and a third pulley 34 . third pulley 34 is coupled by means of belt 36 to a fourth pulley 38 provided on the rear shaft 18 . an idler pulley 38 engages with belt 36 at a point between third pulley 34 and fourth pulley 38 and is movably coupled to the base 2 so as to adjust the tension of the belt 36 . the tension of the first belt 30 is adjusted by moving the motor 20 in the slotted mounting holes . provided on opposite ends of the rear shaft 18 are second and third elliptical cams 40 and 42 . said second and third elliptical cams 40 and 42 being provided out of phase , as is shown in fig3 . said first elliptical cam 32 further being provided out of phase with third elliptical cam 42 , as is shown in fig1 . an on / off switch 44 and a speed controller 46 are further provided in one of the side walls 6 of the base 2 for turning the power to the motor 20 on and off and adjusting the speed of the electric motor 20 . a platform 50 comprising a top plate 51 and side walls 52 which are coupled together in the prior art manner with screws to form a generally rectangular - shaped open box with the opening facing downward . the size of the generally rectangular box of the platform 50 is larger than the size of the generally rectangular shape of the base 2 . the platform 50 is further provided with a front cam follower block 54 on the bottom surface of the top plate 51 . in addition , a pair of rear cam follower plates 56 are provided on the bottom surface of the top plate 51 of the platform 50 . the positions of the front and rear cam follower blocks 54 and 56 are provided such that they correspond to the positions of the first , second and third cams 32 , 40 and 42 . as a result , when the platform 50 is placed on the base 2 , the front cam follower block 54 rides on the first cam 32 and the rear cam follower blocks 56 ride on the second and third cams 40 and 42 . the base 2 and platform 50 are further coupled together by means of transversely extending from and rear rods 60 and 62 . the ends of the from and rear transversely extending rods 60 and 62 are respectively coupled to the base 2 and platform 50 utilizing ball couplers 64 which allow not only limited rotational movement of the ends of the rods 60 and 62 about the coupling axes but also limited longitudinal movement of the platform 50 relative to the base 2 . the eccentric 26 provided on the transmission 22 is further coupled by means of a rod 66 to the rear portion of the platform 50 . the two ends of the rod 66 are coupled respectively to the platform 50 and eccentric 26 also by means of ball couplings 68 similar to the couplings 64 . an infant retaining means 72 similar in shape and construction to a car seat can be integrally provided on top of the platform 50 . alternately , if an infant retaining means 72 is not provided , attachment members 74 ( shown in dashed lines in fig1 and 2 ) may be provided . by means of these attachment members 74 , a separate infant retainer means such as a car seat , carrier , etc . can be fastened or attached to the platform 50 . as a result of the above - described construction , the platform 50 is coupled to the base 2 so that the platform 50 has greater than two degrees of freedom of motion and preferably has four or more . still further , the first , second and third cams 32 , 40 and 42 are removably coupled to the front and rear shafts 16 and 18 and the relative angular positional relationship between the first , second and third cams 32 , 40 and 42 together with the eccentric 26 are arranged and figured so that as the motor is operated , the platform 50 is moved in at least three significant degrees of freedom of motion and preferably four , namely roll , pitch , vertical and longitudinal . in operation , the infant is retained in the infant retainer means 72 . next , the on / off switch 44 is moved to the on position and the speed control 46 is advanced to a desired speed . the rotational speed of the motor 20 as transmitted through the transmission 22 , pulleys 24 , 28 , 34 and 38 , belts 30 and 36 , eccentric 26 , rod 66 , and shafts 16 and 18 to cause rolling , pitching , vertical moving and longitudinal moving of the platform 50 at a gentle rate . the roll , pitch , vertical and longitudinal movement is caused by the elliptically - shaped cams 32 , 40 and 42 and the eccentric 26 which all operate to move the platform 50 in the various degrees of freedom of motion . as the platform 50 moves in roll , pitch and vertically , rods 60 and 62 impart yaw and transverse movements to the platform 50 . the speed of the movement can be varied by turning the speed control 46 and due to the combination of the first , second and third cams 32 , 40 and 42 together with the eccentric 26 and rods 60 and 62 , the motion of the platform 50 is complex with a relatively long period . as a result of the complex motion in greater than two degrees of freedom of motion with a long period of repetition , a motion similar to that experienced by an infant in an automobile is created and sleep is induced in the infant . still further , the motion is more characterized as being similar to that of a boat in water and comprising mostly a rolling motion in roll , pitch and yaw with minor motion vertically and transversely . still further , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the motion created for the platform 50 can be changed to a different motion by various different ways in the present invention . in particular , the motion can be changed by varying the relative angular positional relationship of the first , second and third cams 32 , 40 and 42 together with the eccentric 26 ; providing each one of the first , second and third cams 32 , 40 and 42 in different shapes instead of the identical shapes shown in the figures so that the cams can be interchanged ( i . e ., the third cam 42 can be installed on the shaft to replace the first cam 32 and the first cam 32 can be installed on the rear shaft 18 to replace the third cam 42 ); and providing an additional set of one or more cams in different shapes than those installed and the additional set of one or more additional cams could be utilized to replace one of the first , second or third cams 32 , 40 or 42 to create a different motion . also , the motion of platform 50 can be made more random by selecting pulley ratios for the pulleys 24 , 28 , 34 and 38 such that the shafts 16 and 18 rotate at different speeds than the output shaft of the differential transmission 22 . referring to fig4 - 6 , shown therein is a second embodiment of an apparatus for inducing sleep in infants . the apparatus comprises a base 2 2 comprising a bottom plate 4 2 and four side wall plates 6 2 held to the bottom plate 4 2 by means of screws in a manner well known in the prior art in order to form a generally open rectangular box . provided on the bottom plate 4 2 are pairs of front mounting blocks 8 2 and cam plate 10 2 . provided on the support block 8 2 are journalled bearings 12 2 . extending through the pair of journalled bearings 12 2 is shaft 16 2 . further provided on the bottom plate 4 2 is a motor 20 2 which drives and is coupled to differential transmission 22 2 . the motor 20 2 is fixed to the bottom plate 4 2 by means of slotted mounting holes . the differential transmission 22 2 provides two outputs which extend transversely to the base 2 2 . on one of the two outputs is provided a first pulley 24 2 and on the other is provided an eccentric 26 2 . the first pulley 24 2 is connected to a second pulley 28 2 by means of a belt 30 2 . the second pulley 28 2 is provided on one end of the shaft 16 2 . provided on each end of the shaft 16 2 are two elliptical cams 33 2 and 34 2 . the tension of the belt 30 2 is adjusted by moving the motor 20 2 in the slotted mounting holes . an on / off switch 44 2 and a speed controller 46 2 are further provided in one of the side walls 6 2 of the base 2 2 for turning the power to the motor 20 2 on and off and adjusting the speed of the electric motor 20 2 . a platform 50 2 comprising a top plate 51 2 and side walls 52 2 are coupled together in the prior art manner with screws to form a generally rectangular - shaped open box with the opening facing downward . the size of the generally rectangular box of the platform 50 2 is larger than the size of the generally rectangular shape of the base 2 2 . the platform 50 2 is provided with a pair of cam follower pin blocks 55 2 on the bottom surface of the top plate 51 2 of the platform 50 2 . pins 56 2 in the pin blocks 55 2 engage generous slots in cams 33 2 and 34 2 so as t allow longitudinal movement of platform 51 2 . the base 2 2 and platform 50 2 are coupled together by means of the pins 56 2 engaging cams 33 2 and 34 2 and the ball coupler 64 2 , attached to the bottom on the platform 50 2 , which slides on cam 10 2 attached to the base 2 2 . the ball coupler 64 2 allows rotational movement of the platform 50 2 relative to the base 2 2 . the eccentric 26 2 provided on the transmission 22 2 is further coupled by means of a rod 66 2 to the rear portion of the platform 50 2 . the two ends of the rod 66 2 are coupled respectively to the platform 50 2 and eccentric 26 2 also by means of ball couplings 68 2 similar to the coupling 64 2 . as a result of the above - described construction , the platform 50 2 is coupled to the base 2 2 so that the platform 50 2 has greater than two degrees of freedom of motion and preferably has four or more . still further , the first and second cams 33 2 and 34 2 and cam plate 10 2 with the eccentric 26 2 are arranged and configured so that as the motor is operated , the platform 50 2 is moved in at least three significant degrees of freedom of motion and preferably four , namely roll , pitch , yaw and longitudinal . in operation , the on / off switch 44 2 is moved to the on position and the speed control 46 2 is advanced to a desired speed . the rotational speed of the motor 20 2 as transmitted through the transmission 22 2 , pulleys 24 2 and 28 2 , belt 30 2 , shaft 16 2 , eccentric 26 2 and rod 66 2 , causes rolling , pitching , vertical movement and longitudinal movement of the platform 50 2 at a gentle rate . the roll , pitch , vertical and longitudinal movements are caused by the elliptically - shaped cams 33 2 and 34 2 , cam plate 10 2 and the eccentric 26 2 which all operate to move the platform 50 2 in the various degrees of freedom of motion . as the platform 50 2 moves longitudinally , cam plate 10 2 imparts yaw and transverse movements of the platform 50 2 . the speed of the movement can be varied by turning the speed control 46 2 and due to the combination of the first and second rotating cams 33 2 and 34 2 together with cam plate 10 and the eccentric 26 2 , the motion of the platform 50 2 is complex with a relatively long period . as a result , a complex motion substantially the same as the first embodiment is created . still further , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the motion created for the platform 50 2 in this second embodiment can be changed to a different motion by various different ways in the present invention . in particular , the motion can be changed by varying the relative angular positional relationship of the first and second rotating cams 33 2 and 34 2 , and or eccentric 26 2 ; eccentric 26 2 offset ; providing each one of the first and second cams 33 2 and 34 2 in different shapes instead of the identical shapes shown in the figures ; changing the contour of cam plate 10 2 ; plus providing an additional set of one or more cams , or cam plate , in different shapes than those installed . also , the motion of the platform 50 2 can be made more random by selecting pulley ratios of the pulleys 24 2 and 28 2 such that the shall 16 2 rotates at a different speed than the output shaft of the differential transmission 22 2 and eccentric 26 2 . referring to fig7 - 9 , shown therein is a third embodiment of an apparatus for inducing sleep in infants . the apparatus comprises a base 2 3 comprising a bottom plate 4 3 and four side wall plates 6 3 held to the bottom plate 4 3 by means of screws in a manner well known in the prior art in order to form a generally open rectangular box . provided on the bottom plate 4 3 are pairs of front mounting blocks 8 3 and camplates 10 3 and 11 3 . provided on the support blocks 8 3 are journalled bearings 12 3 . extending through the pair of journalled bearings 12 3 is shaft 16 3 . further provided on the bottom plate 4 3 is a motor 20 3 which drives and is coupled to differential transmission 22 3 . the motor 20 3 is fixed to the bottom plate 4 3 by means of slotted mounting holes . the differential transmission 22 3 provides two outputs which extend transversely to the base 2 3 . on one of the two outputs is provided a first pulley 24 3 and on the other is provided an eccentric 26 3 . the first pulley 24 3 is connected to a second pulley 28 3 by means of a belt 30 3 . the second pulley 28 3 is provided on one end of the shaft 16 3 . provided approximately in the center of the shaft 16 3 is an elliptical cam 32 3 . the tension of the belt 30 3 is adjusted by moving the motor 20 3 in the slotted mounting holes . an on / off switch 44 3 and a speed controller 46 3 are further provided in one of the side walls 6 3 of the base 2 3 for turning the power to the motor 20 3 on and off and adjusting the speed of the electric motor 20 3 . a platform 50 3 comprising a top plate 51 3 and side walls 52 3 are coupled together in the prior art manner with screws to form a generally rectangular - shaped open box with the opening facing downward . the size of the generally rectangular box of the platform 50 3 is larger than the size of the generally rectangular shape of the base 2 3 . the platform 50 3 is provided with a front cam follower block 54 3 and a cam follower pin block on the bottom surface of the top plate 51 3 . pin 56 3 in pin block 55 3 engages a generous slot in cam 32 3 , so as to allow longitudinal movement of the top plate 51 3 . the base 2 3 and platform 50 3 are coupled together by means of the pin 56 3 engaging cam 32 3 and the ball couplers 64 3 , attached to the bottom of the platform 50 3 , which slide on cams 10 3 and 11 3 attached to the base 2 3 . the ball coupler 64 3 allows rotational movement of the platform 50 3 relative to the base 2 3 . the eccentric 26 3 provided on the transmission 22 3 is further coupled by means of a rod 66 3 to the rear portion of the platform 50 3 . the two ends of the rod 66 3 are coupled respectively to the platform 50 3 and eccentric 26 3 also by means of ball couplings 68 3 similar to the couplings 64 3 . as a result of the above - described construction , the platform 50 3 is coupled to the base 2 3 so that the platform 50 3 has greater than two degrees of freedom of motion and preferably has four or more . still further , with the eccentric 26 3 are arranged and figured so that as the motor is operated , the platform 50 3 is moved in at least three significant degrees of freedom of motion and preferably four , namely roll , pitch , yaw and longitudinal . in operation , the on / off switch 44 3 is moved to the on position and the speed control 46 3 is advanced to a desired speed . the rotational speed of the motor 20 3 as transmitted through the transmission 22 3 , pulleys 24 3 and 28 3 , belt 30 3 , shaft 16 3 , eccentric 26 3 and rod 66 3 , causes rolling , pitching , vertical movement and longitudinal movement of the platform 50 3 at a gentle rate . the roll , pitch , vertical and longitudinal movements are caused by the elliptically - shaped cam 32 3 , camplates 10 3 and 11 3 and the eccentric 26 3 which all operate to move the platform 50 3 in the various degrees of freedom of motion . as the platform 50 3 moves longitudinally , cam plates 10 3 and 11 3 impart yaw and transverse movements to the platform 50 3 . the speed of the movement can be varied by turning the speed control 46 3 and due to the combination of the rotating cam 32 3 together with the camplates 10 3 and 11 3 and the eccentric 26 3 , the motion of the platform 50 3 is complex with a relatively long period . as a result , a complex motion substantially the same as in the first and second embodiments is created . still further , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the motion created for the platform 50 3 in this third embodiment can be changed to a different motion by various different ways in the present invention . in particular , the motion can be changed by varying the relative angular positional relationship of the rotating cam 32 3 , and eccentric 26 3 ; eccentric 26 3 off set ; providing each one of the camplates 10 3 and 11 3 ; plus providing an additional set of one or more cams , or cam plates in different shapes than those installed . also , the motion of platform 50 3 can be made more random by selecting pulley ratios of the pulleys 24 3 and 28 3 such that the shaft 16 3 ; rotates at a different speed than the output shaft of the differential transmission 22 3 and eccentric 26 3 . additionally , the speed of the electric motor can not only be adjusted manually , but also it would be within the scope of the present invention to provide a means ( either mechanical , electromechanical , electrical or microprocessor controlled with software ) to automatically vary or adjust the speed of the motor with the passage of time . such devices are already known in the prior art . also , the pulleys together with the belts could be replaced by chains and sprockets and the total number of pulleys / sprockets and belts / chains could be reduced or increased , dependent on the desired level of complexity . still further , while the present invention has been described in terms of utilization of a motor driving eccentric cams , the means for moving the platform in the various degrees of freedom of motion could also be mechanical , electromechanical , pneumatic or hydraulic pistons or solenoids and such means for moving the platform in the various degrees of freedom of motion could be controlled or operated by other means than a motor and speed controller . such means could include a microprocessor or random generator . it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above - described embodiment is of one of many possible embodiments which could be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . | 0 |
the host material zns of the el film of the invention has an atomic ratio s / zn in the range of 1 . 02 to 1 . 13 . if this ratio is less than 1 . 02 , a sufficient increase will not be achieved in luminescence brightness , whereas if it is in excess of 1 . 13 , the zns will exhibit impaired characteristics as a semiconductor and is liable to be lower in luminescence brightness and therefore unsuitable . examples of rare earth elements suitable for doping the el film are those having an atomic number of 59 to 69 ( pr to tm ), among which tb , sm , tm , eu and pr are desirable . the proper element is selected in accordance with the desired luminescence color . the film is doped with such a rare earth element in an amount suitably of 0 . 5 to 3 at . %. the el film is formed by the physical vapor deposition process resorting to sputtering , vacuum evaporation or the like on a substrate suitable for el devices and having on its surface an ito or like electrode which is covered with an insulating layer . more specifically , the el film is prepared , for example , by radio - frequency sputtering or electron beam vacuum evaporation using zns and a sulfide of rare earth element , such as tb 2 s 3 , sm 2 s 3 , tm 2 s 3 , as a compound for supplying the desired rare earth element . since the process incorporates an excessive amount of s atoms into the film along with the rare earth element , the s / zn ratio of the el film can be controlled to the range of 1 . 02 to 1 . 13 easily by adjusting the amount of the sulfide . for example , tb 2 s 3 , when used , is adjusted to such an amount that 0 . 5 to 3 at . % of tb will be present in the film , whereby the s / zn ratio is controllable to the above range . usually , it is suitable that the substrate temperature be 150 ° to 200 ° c . for vacuum evaporation or 150 ° to 250 ° c . for sputtering . instead of using the sulfide of rare earth element , incorporation of an excessive amount of s atoms is also possible to effect vacuum evaporation or sputtering in the presence of h 2 s gas or with addition of elemental s to the material . it is further possible to form an el film first with an s / zn ratio of 1 . 0 and thereafter heat - treat the film in an s gas atmosphere . other processes , such as the ale process and mbe process can also be resorted to . generally , it is suitable that the el film formed be 0 . 3 to 1 . 5 μm in thickness . the el film formed is then covered with an insulating layer , on which an electrode is further formed . when required , a protective layer of seal glass or the like , a layer filled with an inulating oil , other attachment are provided on the resulting assembly to give a thin film el device of the invention . examples of useful insulating materials for the insulating layers of the present device are those usually used , such as al 2 o 3 , sio 2 , y 2 o 3 , tio 2 , hfo 2 and si 3 n 4 , and a composite material composed of such compounds . also usable are highly dielectric materials . generally , it is suitable that each insulating layer be 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 μm in thickness . an ito or like transparent electrode is used as at least one of the pair of electrodes . the other electrode can be , for example , a film of al , ni , au or the like formed by vacuum evaporation . an example is given below wherein an excessive amount of s atoms are supplied along with tb in forming an el film by using tb sulfide ( tb 2 s 3 ) as a material for providing luminescent centers ( rare earth element supplying compound ). an el device of the following structure was prepared by the method described below . first , a glass substrate bearing a transparent electrode ( ito film ) was coated with a lower insulating layer having a thickness of about 2000 angstroms and composed of si 3 n 4 and sio 2 by radio - frequency sputtering . a zns : tb , s film , about 8000 angstroms in thickness , was formed over the layer similarly by radio - frequency sputtering using a finely divided mixture of zns and tb 2 s 3 as the target . the film was further coated with an upper insulating layer having a thickness of about 2000 angstroms and composed of si 3 n 4 and al 2 o 3 . finally an al film was formed on this insulating layer by vacuum evaporation to provide an upper electrode . for comparison , another el device was prepared in the same manner as above except that tbf 3 conventionally used was employed in place of tb 2 s 3 to form a zns : tb , f film . fig2 shows variations in the s / zn ratio of el films at varying tb concentrations . for providing luminescent centers , tb 2 s 3 and tbf 3 were used for the respective el films ( referred to as zns : tb s film and zns : tb , f film , respectively ). when the tb concentration is low , i . e . below about 0 . 5 at . %, the s / zn ratio of either film is about 1 and is close to the stoichiometric ratio . at higher tb concentrations , the s / zn ratio of the zns : tb , f film is 1 or lower , whereas the same ratio of the zns : tb , s film tends to increase beyond 1 , indicating that an excessive amount of s atoms are incorporated in the film . fig1 the solid line represents the optical excitation spectrum of the zns : tb , s film having an s / zn ratio of 1 . 025 . at a peak wavelength of about 342 nm , the spectrum reveals a new band of very strong excitation which differs from direct collision excitation or band excitation . fig3 shows the tb concentration dependence of the luminescence intensity of the el film when the new excitation band is selectively excited . at tb concentrations of below 0 . 5 at . %, there is no difference between the zns : tb , s film and the zns : tb , f film , but at higher tb concentrations , the luminescence intensity of the zns : tb , s film remarkably increases . this result closely matches the tb concentration dependence of the s / zn ratio of the same film shown in fig2 and is attributable to the presence of an excess of s atoms , beyond the stoichiometric ratio , which affords a new excitation level of high efficiency . we have investigated the new excitation band in detail as to the temperature characteristics of the excitation intensity , the influence of heat treatment on the intensity , the tb concentration dependence of the intensity , etc . and found that the band is due to the presence of tb related complexes associated with sulfur interstitials . fig4 shows the tb concentration dependence of the luminescence intensity of the el device incorporating the zns : tb , s film . the luminescence intensity steadily increases as the tb concentration increases to about 2 at . % but conversely decreases as the concentration further increases . this is attributable to the absolutely small amount of tb in the range of low concentrations and the diminished energy of hot electrons in the range of high concentrations where electrons are subjected to impurity scattering due to tb , with the result that tb is not excited efficiently in these concentration ranges . accordingly , relatively high brightness is available in the tb concentration range of 0 . 5 to 3 at . %. as already stated , the excessive s atoms combine with tb to form complex centers of high excitation efficiency , so that the concentration of excessive s atoms should be nearly equal to the tb concentration . in view of the fact that in the zns film , tb ion is present in the zn site , the relationship between the s / zn ratio of the film and the tb concentration thereof can be expressed by the equation ## equ1 ## wherein c tb is the tb concentration ( at . %). this relationship closely matches the experimental values indicated by the broken line of fig2 . it therefore follows that the s / zn ratio required for the optimum tb concentration range of 0 . 5 to 3 at . %, as calculated from equation ( 1 ), is in the range of : while tb serves as the element for providing luminescent centers in the example given above , it is known that the eleven elements with an atomic number of 59 to 69 , i . e . pr to tm , are the same as tb in excitation process and closely resemble one another , so that the same effect as already described above can be achieved by these rare earth elements . to sum up , the present invention provides a thin film el device of the zns type wherein a rare earth element affords luminescent centers and which is adapted to achieve an increased excitation efficiency at the luminescent centers to exhibit improved luminescence brightness by making the s / zn ratio of the zns film greater than the stoichiometic ratio , that is by giving the film an s / zn ratio of 1 . 02 to 1 . 13 . | 8 |
as shown more particularly on fig1 and 2 , the feed roll of the invention denoted in its entirety by the reference 1 has been designed to receive at least one heat sealing packaging tubing reel 2 , such as the one described in the patent fr 2 775 252 . to this effect , the feed roll 1 includes a body 3 provided in particular with means 4 for supporting at least one packaging tubing reel 2 . moreover , the body 3 is equipped with an outlet head 5 for the tubing and means 6 for guiding the tubing between the reel 2 and the outlet head 5 . according to the example shown , the means 4 for supporting the reel 2 are formed by a spindle 8 intended to pass through the centre of the reel and come to rest in two cradles 9 fitted in the body 3 of the feed roll 1 . of course , the support means 4 could be embodied in another way , such as in the form of two rolls on which the reel 2 would come into support on its external surface . the outlet head 5 includes at least one window 10 for the outlet of the tubing 11 derived from the reel 2 , as shall appear subsequently . the head 5 also includes means 15 for cutting the tubing 11 and means 16 for welding the tubing 11 . for reasons to be explained subsequently , the cutting means 15 are preferably , but not exclusively , placed upstream of the welding means 16 with respect to the reeling off direction of the tubing 11 , as indicated by the arrow f 1 . according to the example shown , the cutting means 15 include a mobile knife 20 borne by an arm 21 oscillating around a horizontal axis 21 1 . the knife 20 , with a length greater than or equal to the width of the packaging tubing 11 , is designed to cooperate with a fixed cutting throat 22 having a length approximately equal to that of the knife 20 . thus , the knife 20 and the throat 22 form a sort of jaw able to be opened or closed by the movements of the oscillating arm 21 which thus bears a portion of the cutting means 15 . it is to be noted that the arm 21 is preferably controlled on opening by elastic return means so as to be kept in an open position a , as shown on fig1 . similarly , the welding means 16 include a heating bar 25 mounted integral with the oscillating arm 21 . the heating bar 25 is intended to cooperate with a counter - bar 26 so as to press an element or portion of the tubing 11 to be welded . the length of the heating bar 25 and that of the counter - bar 26 is greater than or equal to the width of the packaging tubing 11 . according to the example shown , the heating bar 25 is mobile , whereas the counter - bar 26 is fixed . thus , the oscillating arm 21 bears a portion of the welding means 16 . of course , it is possible to invert the positions of these two elements . it is to be noted that the knife 20 and the throat 22 , as well as the bar 25 and the counter - bar 26 , are placed approximately transversally to the tubing 11 and more particularly to its reeling off direction f 1 . finally , the feed roll 5 includes means 6 for guiding the tubing 11 between the reel 2 and the outlet head 5 and have been adapted so as to preferably , but not exclusively , bring the tubing 11 as far as downstream of the cutting means 15 with respect to the reeling off direction f 1 and directing the tubing 11 towards the outlet window 10 . first of all , the guiding means 6 include a guiding roll 30 and a pressing roll 31 between which the packaging tubing 11 is intended to pass as shown by the dot - and - dash lines on fig1 and 3 . the guiding means 6 further include means 32 for driving the guiding roll 30 so as to ensure a forward movement or reeling off the tubing 11 by placing the roll 30 in rotation . according to the example shown , the drive means are constituted by a handle 32 integral with the roll 30 and accessible from the outside of the body 3 of the feed roll 1 . of course , the drive means 32 could be embodied in a form other than a handle , such as , but not exclusively , in the form of a controlled motor so as to function automatically or be controlled by a switch accessible from the outside of the body 3 . similarly , the means 32 could ensure a driving in rotation of the single pressing roll 31 or of the two guiding 30 and pressing 31 rolls simultaneously . the guiding means 6 also include at least one guiding plate 33 extending upstream and downstream of the guiding 30 and pressing 31 rolls with respect to the reeling off direction f 1 . this guiding plate 33 is adapted so as to guide the tubing in front of and behind the rolls 30 and 31 , as well as during the time it is initially introduced between the rolls 30 and 31 . according to the example shown , it is to be noted that the guiding plate 33 is curved and forms an angle immediately in front of the guiding roll 30 . the plate 33 , together with the guiding roll 30 , delimits an introduction zone 34 which forms a sort of tunnel in which the extremity of the tubing 11 is introduced when initially placing the reel 2 . according to a preferred characteristic of the invention , the guiding plate 33 extends between the guiding 30 and pressing 31 rolls . so that the rolls 30 and 31 carry out their guiding and drive functions , the plate 33 then defines at least one zone 35 in which the pressing 31 and guiding 30 rolls are able to guide and press the tubing 11 simultaneously . according to the example shown , the plate 33 defines two lateral zones 35 for guiding the tubing 11 between the rolls 30 and 31 . the guiding roll 30 then has a central recess 36 for passage of the plate 33 , and , on both sides of this recess 36 , a shoulder 37 for cooperating with the pressing roll 31 so as to ensure the guiding and driving of the tubing 11 . first of all , the reel 2 is placed and then the tubing 11 is passed between the rolls 30 and 31 by a user or operator . in order to do this , the user applies the tubing 11 against the plate 33 by making it move forwards as far as the roll 30 . the tunnel shape of the introduction zone 34 then facilitates the tubing 11 being taken up by the guiding 30 and pressing 31 rolls . the user then activates the control means 32 so as to have the tubing 11 move between the elements making up the cutting 15 and welding 16 means as far as the outlet window 10 from which the tubing can be directly pulled by the hand of the user . when the user wishes to carry out a package from the tubing 11 , he pulls a tubing length in keeping with the dimensions of the product to be packed . the operator then uses as a device for the simultaneous control of the cutting 15 and welding 16 means a handle 40 embodied at the extremity of the oscillating arm 21 and lowered by the operator in the direction of the arrow f 2 . in this working position b shown on fig3 , the feed roll 1 firstly cuts the tubing 11 with the knife 20 , and secondly seals with the heating element 16 the extremity of the cut tubing element . the heating element 16 is kept at a temperature corresponding to the melting temperature of at least one of the constituents of the tubing by a regulation system not forming part of the present invention . with the feed roll 1 of the invention , the operator has therefore embodied from the tubing 11 and by a single manoeuvre of the oscillating arm 21 a sort of bag open on one side through which it is possible to introduce a product to be packed . once the product is inside this bag , the operator can reintroduce the non - closed extremity of the bag into the window 10 so as to place this open extremity at the level of the welding means 16 . then , via acting on the handle 40 in the direction of the arrow f 2 , the user welds the fourth side of the bag and packs and seals the product placed inside the packaging obtained from the tubing 11 . thus , having regard to the positioning of the welding means 16 downstream of the cutting means 15 with respect to the direction f 1 of reeling off of the tubing , it is possible to weld a portion of the packaging introduced from outside the head 5 . according to a preferred embodiment of the feed roll of the invention , so as to ensure that the extremity of the tubing element reintroduced into the head 5 does not damage the extremity or edge 42 of the tubing derived from the reel and situated at the level of the cutting means 15 , the outlet head 5 includes a second window 41 known as a welding head placed above the outlet head 10 . this welding window 41 is adapted so as to allow introduction from outside the head of the portion of the packaging intended to be closed by the welding means 16 . thus , during introduction of the packaging to be closed into the welding window 41 , its extremity is situated above the extremity 42 of the tubing 11 derived from the reel 2 and is thus unable to damage it or push it back before or during the welding operation . fig5 and 6 show a second embodiment variant of the feed roll on the invention and which differs from the embodiment variant described with respect to fig1 to 4 in that the cutting head 5 includes a non - return feeder 55 placed between the cutting means 15 and the welding means 16 . one extremity of this feeder 55 is preferably secured to the arm 21 between the knife 20 and the welding bar 25 , whereas the other extremity extends as far as the window 10 , as shown on fig5 . the feeder 55 thus extends via its own weight at the level of the lower portion of the outlet window 10 . of course , it is possible to mount the feeder 55 between the cutting throat 22 and the counter - bar 26 . the feeder 55 is made of a flexible material having a melting temperature higher than the welding temperature of the tubing 11 so as to avoid being altered by the welding means 15 . the feeder 55 provides a non - return function so as to prevent access to the cutting means 15 from the outside of the head 5 via the outlet window 10 . in fact , having regard to the position of the non - return feeder 55 , the tubing 11 originating from the reel 2 comes out of the window 10 by passing below the feeder 55 which contributes in guiding the tubing 11 as far as the window 10 . on the other hand , when a tubing extremity to be welded is reintroduced through the window 10 , the feeder 55 limits this introduction so that the extremity of the tubing can only be reintroduced into the head 5 as far as the level of the welding means 16 . in this way , the feeder 55 ensures that the reintroduced portion of the tubing is not cut again by the cutting means 16 and thus avoids the formation of waste which would be likely to damage a padding of the groove 22 . it is to be noted that the non - return feeder 55 is embodied in a material which does not alter the effectiveness of the welding means 16 so that the tubing originating from the reel 2 is fully welded when it is pressed between the heating bar 25 and the counter - bar 26 with insertion of the feeder 55 between the tubing 11 and the bar 25 . having regard to the presence of the non - return feeder 55 , it is then no longer necessary to provide at the level of the head 5 a second window , known as a welding window , situated above the outlet window 10 , as shown in the first embodiment variant . according to a preferred , but not exclusive , embodiment of the invention , the outlet head 5 is movable and the body 3 has means for fixing the head 5 which are adapted to allow a mounting of the head according to at least two separate orientations . thus , according to the examples shown on fig1 and 4 , the head 5 can be adapted on the body 3 so that the reel 2 is placed below the head , as shown on fig1 , or above the head 5 , as shown on fig4 . the means for fixing the head 5 on the body 3 can be constituted by screws ( not shown ) intended to pass into additional perforations 45 and 46 fitted respectively on the body 3 and the head 5 . this faculty of mounting the outlet head 5 according to two separate orientations makes it possible to configure the feed roll of the invention according to the location where it is to be used . thus , when the reel is placed below the head 5 , as shown on fig1 , the feed roll 1 can be applied on a support s , such as a wall or a lower part of a bench top . to this end , the body 3 includes means ( not shown ) for fixing or hooking to the support . when the feed roll 1 is in the configuration shown on fig4 , with the reel being placed above the head 5 , it is possible to place the feed roll on a bench top or a table p , the body 3 then being provided with feet 47 . so as to ensure optimum guiding of the tub ing 11 , regardless of the installation orientation of the feed roll 1 , the guiding means 6 include , downstream of the guiding roller 30 in the reeling off direction f 1 of the tubing 11 , a tunnel 50 ensuring guiding of the tubing inside the head 5 as far as upstream of the cutting 15 and welding 16 means . so as to facilitate introduction of the tubing , the tunnel 50 preferably has at its extremity orientated towards the rollers 30 , 31 a flared entrance zone 51 , as shown on fig1 . the tunnel 50 advantageously defines , regardless of the orientation of the body 3 , a support and guiding surface for the tubing 11 and guides the tubing so as to direct it towards the outlet window 10 of the outlet head 5 . when the head is able to be dismantled , the guiding means 6 and in particular the tunnel 50 are integral with the body 3 . moreover , the tunnel 50 is adapted to then extend inside the outlet head 5 as far as possible close to the cutting means 15 . according to the examples shown previously , the guiding means and more particularly the plate 33 and the rollers 30 and 31 are adapted to have the tubing take an angled path so as to reduce as much as possible the total spatial requirement of the feed roll 1 . of course , the path of the tubing could also be rectilinear . according to the previously shown examples , the outlet head 5 is movable . of course , it is possible that the outlet head is integral with the body 3 without being able to be dismantled . similarly , the guiding tunnel 50 is preferably used when the head can be dismantled , but this guiding tunnel could be used for a feed roll conforming to the invention not having any dismountable outlet head . according to the examples shown , the means 40 for the simultaneous control of the cutting 15 and welding 16 means are formed by a handle and an oscillating arm . however , these control means 40 could be embodied in any other way and could be motorised . the invention is not limited to the examples described and illustrated as various modifications can be made without departing from its context . | 1 |
fig1 illustrates an embodiment of an overall system 100 in accordance to the present disclosure . system 100 includes a companion device 300 which may be in communication with user device 200 . a detailed discussion of companion device 300 and user device 200 is provided below with respect to fig2 - 3 . companion device 300 may receive a gps signal from one or more gps satellites 101 such that companion device 300 may know its location and may broadcast such location information to monitoring center 102 via cellular network 103 or web interface 104 . cellular network 103 may be any type of communications network such as a gsm , cdma , edge , wimax network , and the like . cellular network 103 may also provide gprs and sms data services between companion device 300 and monitoring center 102 . companion device 300 may also be connected to monitoring center 102 through the web interface 104 via a home network , wifi hotspot , or similar connection when such networks are accessible . because companion device 103 is able to connect to such networks , a monitored user is not restricted to being within a particular area such as their home , and are more able to go out and accomplish every day tasks while still having the security of being monitored . user computer 105 may be connected to monitoring center 102 via web interface 104 . user computer may be utilized to provide profile information to monitoring center 102 for a user of companion device 300 and may be configured to obtain information from companion device . fig2 illustrates an example embodiment of a personal user device 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . personal user device 200 is designed to accompany a monitored user . the design of such a device may be such that it can be worn on by the monitored user , such as around the writs using wrist band 201 . user device 200 is communicatively coupled to companion device 300 by any via communications link 202 which may utilize any suitable communication means ( e . g ., cordless phone protocols , bluetooth , zigby , and the like ). user device 200 may include processor 203 which controls various systems in user device 200 . for example , processor 203 is connected to communications link 202 such that when a call is received over communications link 202 , processor 203 may direct audio to output at speaker / microphone 204 . processor 203 may likewise direct audio obtained at speaker / microphone 204 to communications link 202 for transmission to companion device 300 . processor 203 may also monitor other systems of user device 200 and trigger alerts for a user . the types of alerts triggered can vary based on preferences of the type of system employed or based on preferences of the user . alerts may include : an alarm when the communication like connection is disconnected due to long distance , an alarm to indicate low battery life on user device 200 , a distress alarm when a user desires to draw attention to themselves , a fall alarm may be sent to monitoring center 102 upon sensing a monitored user has fallen , an emergency alarm sent to monitoring center 102 , and the like . such alerts could be audible and output through speaker 204 , could be in the form of a vibrating alert using vibrating alert module 206 , or could be silent and sent to monitoring center 102 which will respond accordingly . in some embodiments a data transmission may be obtained over communications link 202 . such data transmissions could originate from monitoring center 102 for the purpose of activating or configuring user device 200 . a configuration message may be stored to memory module 205 . data transmissions may also trigger pre - determined alters or notifications , and may function to activate portions of user device 200 such as to allow for the monitoring center 102 to talk to the monitored user using speaker / microphone 204 . sensor module 207 may be provided to sense various aspects related to a monitored user . sensor module 207 may be linked to devices on user device 200 which are configured to monitor health information such as pulse , blood pressure , blood sugar levels , blood - oxygen levels , etc . sensor module 207 may also be equipped with accelerometers or other similar sensors which may sense when a monitored user falls or has a potentially harmful impact . in response to receiving data from sensor module 207 , processor 203 may relay a data communication to communications link 202 , which can then be delivered to the appropriate destination . call button 208 may be included on user device 200 to accept an incoming call , or to make an outgoing call . call button 208 may be programmed to call monitoring center 102 , or one of several other contacts to assist the monitored user . processor 203 may be further configured to accept voice commands via speaker / microphone 204 upon activation of call button 208 , and route communications to a requested destination . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of a companion device 300 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure . companion device 300 may include a speaker 301 , microphone 302 , and display screen 303 . the illustrated embodiment also includes a plurality of functional buttons 304 305 , which may be pre - configured to execute desired functions . for example , companion device 300 includes a help button 304 . when pressed by a monitored user , help button 304 may cause companion device 300 to contact monitoring center 102 . an agent at monitoring center 102 may then interact with the monitored user via the speaker 301 and microphone 302 . in the event that the agent receives no response , protocols may be implemented within the monitoring center that locate and the monitored user and send assistance to the location . companion device 300 further includes call button 305 . when pressed , call button 305 may be configured to call one or more preselected numbers , and in some embodiments the user may select those numbers from a list or speak a voice command to dial a pre - designated number . display screen 303 may be included with companion device 300 . display screen 303 may include various signal strength indicators such as cellular network strength 306 , and gps network strength 307 . display screen 303 may also provide for a display of battery power indicator 308 , bluetooth connection indicator 309 , date and time 310 , and audio mode indicator 311 . because many times a monitored user will not necessarily be technologically adept , it may be preferable to display only items that are simple to understand . it is further noted that companion device 300 may be configured to implement any of the functionality described with respect to user device 200 , e . g ., sensor module , alert , and communications functionality . companion device 300 may also include additional capabilities such as an local area tracker which may indicate to a monitored user when they are leaving a specified service area . companion device 300 may also be configured to trigger alerts when a user is experiencing low signal qualities , low battery , and the like . referring now to fig4 , an embodiment of the electronic aspects of companion device 300 is shown . the type of connection between the various components is a matter of design choice , and may vary depending upon the specific component chosen to perform for a particular function . further , where a specific component is indicated , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the indicated component may be substituted with other , functionally equivalent components that are readily available in the marketplace . electronics 400 includes microprocessor 401 . microprocessor 401 controls overall operation of the device according to programming stored in memory 402 , which can be sram memory . electronics 400 may include inputs 403 , which can be inputs such as switches or buttons , are included as inputs to microprocessor 401 and can be used to input data or provide for activation of pre - designated functionality controlled by microprocessor 401 . in embodiments of the companion device , there is one button dedicated for activation of voice communications with the monitoring center . leds / display 404 may be used to display function and status indicators . the programming stored in memory 402 may be placed there at the time of manufacture , and additional , new or modified programming may be uploaded to the device using a wired connection via the included diagnostic interface 405 , user interface 406 , or wirelessly via the cellular transceiver 407 received by antenna 408 . cellular transceiver 407 may be of the gsm / gprs variety , and may include a sim card 409 . cellular transceiver 407 allows two - way voice and data communication between the remote device and the monitoring center 104 from fig1 . voice communications are further enabled by a direct connection between cellular transceiver 407 and an audio codec 410 , which encodes and decodes the digital audio signal portion of the wireless transmission , and an associated speaker 411 and microphone 412 . data communications preferably use the cellular data channel and / or the cellular control channel , which can make use of short message service ( sms ) capabilities in the network . this has additional benefits in that it provides redundancy for cellular systems in which service for both types of data communication is supported . also , for those cellular systems in which the voice channel cannot be used simultaneously with the data channel , or in which the data channel is simply unavailable , the control channel can provide a data link between the call center and the device . electronics 400 may also include short range wireless transceiver 413 and associated antenna 414 , which , if included , allow for short range wireless voice and data communications with peripheral devices such as personal device 200 . wireless transceiver 413 may be designed and implemented using any wireless communication standards such as bluetooth , 802 . 11 protocols , and the like , or any others which are known in the art . microprocessor 401 can be programmed to pass through voice communications received by cellular transceiver 407 to a voice - capable peripheral when such a peripheral is employed when communications on the companion device and are activated . voice communications received from a voice enabled peripheral , such as personal device 200 , can be passed through to cellular transceiver 407 for transmission . data generated by the device or received from a peripheral , if any , may be stored by microprocessor 401 in memory 415 , which can be non - volatile memory such as serial flash memory until required by microprocessor 401 or until it is to be transmitted by the device . gps receiver 416 and antenna 417 receive signals transmitted by gps satellites , the signal used to establish the geographical location of the device and the person being monitored . in one embodiment , data from gps receiver 416 is passed through to microprocessor 401 , which in turn processes the data to determine a location and associated time , and stores it in the serial flash memory 415 pending transmission using cellular transceiver 407 . while electronics 400 are shown with a gps receiver which passes the gps signal data to the microprocessor for processing , a gps engine which includes both the gps receiver and the capability to process the gps signal to produce a location determination and associated time indication may also be used according to the concepts described herein . using a stand alone gps engine would free processing bandwidth in the microprocessor , thereby allowing the microprocessor to perform other additional functions . cellular transceiver 407 may also be used to geographically locate the device through well known methods of cell tower triangulation , or may be used to provide location information used in assisted gps schemes . geographical location using cellular transceiver 407 may be performed in addition to , in conjunction with , or as a substitute for the gps receiver 416 . other known methods for geographically locating the device may also be employed . either of memories 402 and 415 , or memory resident on the microprocessor , may be used individually , or may be used in any combination to store the operating program and parameters for the operation of the device , as will be discussed later , and may further be used to store prerecorded messages which can be played through speaker 411 as part of the monitoring and alarm management system which may be utilized in response to various user situations . a siren / speaker 423 may also be included in the device and controlled by microprocessor 401 . siren 423 is also used as part of the alarm system and can be activated to provide an audible alarm . this alarm can be utilized to notify a user of a possible problem or to act as a panic alarm to warn those in the vicinity that the person being monitored may be in need of assistance , and can aid responders in the location of the person being monitored . the siren can be activated automatically by the microprocessor as part of the alarm management system or can be activated remotely by sending a signal to the microprocessor using cellular transceiver 407 . siren 423 can be a separate device or could be combined with the functionality of speaker 411 . in the embodiment shown in fig4 , power to the processor and other electronic components is provided though power controller 418 by external battery 419 , or internal battery 420 when the external batter is disconnected or the voltage of the external battery falls below a threshold . external battery 419 is removable and is preferably rechargeable by a separate recharging unit . also , the user will preferably have multiple external batteries so that a charged external battery can be immediately inserted when a discharged battery is removed . internal battery 420 is preferably internal to the housing and not accessible by the person being monitored . the internal battery allows the device to continue to operate normally while the external battery is being replaced . as the internal battery is intended to supply power to the device only during the transitioning from a depleted external battery to a charged external battery , or to provide a short amount of time to acquire a charged battery , the internal battery does not need to have a large capacity . internal battery 420 is charged using power from external battery 419 using voltage converter 421 and / or a battery charger which may be connected to the device through voltage converter 421 . fig5 illustrates a functional data flow diagram of an embodiment of a system 500 as provided in the present disclosure . the first actor is the companion device 501 or device that initiates a call to the monitoring center 502 . at the same time as the call , a data packet is sent with location information and conditions of the device . the data packet is received by a [ gprs ] gateway 503 , that unwraps the ‘ envelope ’ of the message and calls the web services component 504 and ‘ post ’ the payload of the original message plus parameters associated to the message , such as timestamp , mobile originator , a message identifier and the gateway 503 that handled that packet . web services component 504 will in turn store that message and its parameters on a table within data services block 505 . the same web services component 504 will provide a user portal 506 that allows members to access and update their information , and perform other member - oriented functions such as locating devices . in some embodiments , user portal 506 may be accessible to other authorized persons beside the user of device 501 , to enable those persons to locate the user , update information on behalf of the user , and the like . the voice call that was initiated by the user is received by the telephony services component 507 , which routes it to help desk specialist 508 in standby . telephony services component 507 also stores the call and routing information on data services block 505 . help desk application component 508 immediately loads the information and plots the location of that device and member , based on the call information that was stored on data services block 505 by telephony services component 507 . business services component 509 runs in the background performing tasks that are independent of any actors initiation , such as message receiving , parsing , decoding and storage of monitoring information , monitoring alert thresholds , etc . the system components discussed above may be implemented in many ways which will be apparent to those of skill in the art . some example implementations are provided below : data services block 505 may include business database 510 where all data is stored and maintained . a simple implementation of business database 510 may use microsoft sql server 2005 or 2008 standard edition . ms sql server is a very efficient database server and it can be easily deployed either on the premises of monitoring center 502 or hosted by a 3rd party data provider . a logical design of the database may be implemented which includes generating tables , indexes , columns , relationships , etc . these elements will vary based on the data requirements , and the need for storing and maintaining data . a message gateway can include gprs gateway 503 and sms gateway 511 . the message gateway is a logical entity that can receive and process an ip message . for gprs messages gprs gateway 503 is preferably implemented as an on - premise windows service that encapsulates a socket application that can read a stream of bytes and interpret it as an individual message . the message itself is described by a data protocol and it is dependent on the device manufacturer . messages from the same manufacturer will follow a single standard and will be self - describing based on message types and sub - types . the message gateway will ordinarily be designed such that it is able to handle large volumes of messages . for that , in some embodiments it is preferable that the message gateway does not implement any business logic , but rather , limit itself to receiving , validating and storing the payload of the message . in such embodiments , business services component 509 is primarily responsible for the decoding of the payload and storing the contents of the message according to its categories and association with a specific account . for receiving sms messages , the most common and efficient method to implement an sms gateway 511 is to contract a 3rd party provider that can abstract the intricacies of the operation and just provide us with the payload of the data message by calling an exposed web service , implemented on web services component 504 . in one embodiment , business services component 509 is a stand - alone service that implements business rules . those rules could be from how to handle an incoming data packet , processing it , decoding it and storing it in the proper tables on the database , to thresholds on medical profiles and alerting , sending out automated text messages , or activating a help desk specialist if such thresholds are exceeded . a typical implementation of business service component 509 is one or more microsoft windows services that perform a specific function or a well defined set of functions . the advantage of such technology is that is perfectly integrated to the windows server operating system , it can be installed , monitored and controlled ( start , stop ) using resources on the operating system making for a simple and easy implementation . the other advantage is that you can create multiple instances of such services allowing for horizontal scalability . those services can monitor a queue from microsoft message queuing product , or lookup a database table for an incoming message , and take an action such as reading the message , translating it and storing into other specialized tables and at the same time associate . in general , business service component 509 can be an instance of any business rule that needs to be performed on a regular basis , or based on a trigger , but independently of a human action . the complexity of business service component 509 will depend on the function it is designed to perform , e . g ., the type of data that will be monitored for a user , automated actions to be taken , etc . the cost in this component is primarily on the development life cycle . an embodiment of a help desk application 512 may be a windows forms ( desktop ) application that allows help desk specialist 508 to interact with business services component 509 , data service block 505 , business database 510 , and telephony system 507 , and implement the mapping component of the application . other possible alternatives are to develop the application as a web application hosted by the monitoring center &# 39 ; s 502 web services component 504 or even leverage an existing help desk application 512 from a 3rd party company that already performs that kind of service and then ‘ plug - in ’ or extend their application . help desk application 512 preferably implements a dynamically - created script that takes in consideration specific member needs , medical conditions and personal selections . help desk application 512 may load the most basic information about the caller so that the specialist can start handling the call knowing the caller name and other few basic information . the application 512 may also start loading the complementary information and plotting charts or maps . the telephony service 507 infrastructure represents the set of services provided either on - premise or remotely that , as a basic service , has the ability to receive and route a call to a ‘ ready and able ’ help desk specialist 508 . other requirements for the telephony service 507 infrastructure are the ability to re - route calls in case no specialists are available to take calls , update the business database 510 , either directly or indirectly , record calls , perform 3 - way and conferencing and outbound calls , aside from automated dialing . embodiments of user portal 506 may be implemented as a web application that allows members or surrogates to subscribe to services , maintain information about themselves and execute a basic set of services such as locate device ( s ) on a map . the web application of user portal 506 may be hosted by web services component 504 and may have access to many aspects of the monitoring center infrastructure such as data services block 505 , and business database 510 , it may also provide access to a help desk specialist 508 . examples of possible monitored user situations , and possible steps taken within the monitoring center and systems in general will be described below . it is noted that these examples are given for the purposes of illustrating the capabilities of the described devices , user portal , and monitoring center , and are not meant to be limiting in any manner . many steps may be rearranged , combined , added to , or omitted based on preferences of a manufacturer , service provider , and / or user of embodiments of the present disclosure . fig6 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which outlines a possible method of handling a transaction where a help button is pressed by a monitored user . in block 601 an emergency button , such as help button 304 or call button 208 on a device , is pressed . an emergency call is placed to a monitoring center , such as monitoring center 502 , and device / subscriber identification and gps location data are transmitted with the call 602 . the call is received by the monitoring center 603 , is prioritized as an emergency , and routed to a specialist based on the specialist &# 39 ; s availability , language match , specialty , and the like 604 . a specialist 508 may then be assigned to the call 605 . after the specialist 508 makes contact , the caller either responds 608 , does not respond , cannot be understood , or the call is dropped 609 . in the event that the caller responds to voice contact , successful communication with specialist 508 is established 610 . the specialist determines the type of emergency 611 . in some circumstances the monitored user may have specific health concerns which are already known to and displayed to specialist 508 in monitoring center 502 . the specialist may then check to see if the caller has an established protocol for the type of emergency 612 . if an established protocol for the type of emergency exists , the specialist follows the protocol 613 . if there is no established protocol for the type of emergency , a default emergency protocol may be followed by the specialist 614 . default emergency protocols may be user specific or based on a best practices approach for a monitoring center . such protocols will vary and may be configured to account for many types of scenarios . in the event that the caller is unable to respond verbally , unable to be understood , or the call is dropped 615 , a specialist 508 may initiate a default emergency protocol for the caller 616 . after the call is ended , a specialist may log the call , the actions taken , and may note any further follow - up that may be required 617 . the call may then be dispositioned and added to the consumer &# 39 ; s history 618 . fig7 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which outlines a possible method of handling a transaction where a fall detection is registered from a monitored user . this method may be used in conjunction with the systems and devices described above . in this scenario , a fall or sudden impact is sensed by the device 701 . such a fall may be sensed by sensor module 207 and may cause a device to initiate an emergency call to monitoring center 102 . when an emergency call is automatically placed to center , the device / subscriber identification and gps location data may be transmitted with the call 702 . the call is then received by the center 703 , is prioritized as a “ fall ,” and routed to a specialist based on the specialist &# 39 ; s availability , language match , specialty , and the like 704 . after the specialist accepts the call 705 , the caller &# 39 ; s account profile , history , and gps location may be displayed to the specialist 706 . the specialist may then attempt voice contact with the user 707 . the user will either respond 708 , will not respond , cannot be understood , or the call will have been dropped 709 . in the event that the caller responds , successful communication with the specialist is established 708 and the specialist follows the user &# 39 ; s fall protocol preferences 710 . in the event that the caller is unable to respond verbally , unable to be understood , or the call is dropped 709 , the specialist may initiate a standard emergency protocol for the caller 711 . after the situation is handled and the call transaction is completed , the specialist may log the call , document the actions taken , and note whether any further follow - up required 712 . the call may then be dispositioned and added to the consumer &# 39 ; s history 713 . fig8 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which outlines a possible method of routing an incoming , user initiated , emergency call to a monitoring center . in the flowchart , a button , such as help button 304 or call button 208 , is pressed on a device 801 . an emergency call is automatically placed to center , and device / subscriber identification and gps location data may transmitted with the call 802 . the call is received by a telephony infrastructure 803 , such as telephony services component 507 , which is in communication with other portions of monitoring center 502 . when the call is received , it may be prioritized as emergency and routed to a specialist , e . g ., specialist 508 , that is in ‘ ready ’ status 804 . a specialist accepts the call 805 . the specialist is activated and the member &# 39 ; s information is populated in a help desk application 806 , such as help desk application 512 . fig9 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which outlines a possible method of routing an incoming non - emergency call from a user to a monitoring center . in this flowchart , a non - emergency button , such as call button 305 or 208 on a device , is pressed 901 . a non - emergency call is placed to center , and device / subscriber identification and gps location data may be transmitted with the call 902 . the call is received by the monitoring center 903 and is prioritized as a “ non - emergency ” call and is routed to a specialist based on the specialist &# 39 ; s availability , language match , specialty , and the like 904 . a specialist accepts the call 905 and the user &# 39 ; s account profile , history , and gps location may be displayed to the specialist 906 . this display may be made via help desk application 508 discussed above , in combination with other elements of monitoring center 502 . the specialist may then attempt voice contact 907 . in the event that the caller responds to voice contact , successful communication with the specialist is established 908 and the specialist determines the type of non - emergency service being requested 910 . the specialist may check to see if the caller has the proper account level for the type of non - emergency service being requested 911 . if the caller has the proper account level for the non - emergency service requested , the specialist renders the service according to company guidelines 912 . if the caller does not have the proper account service level for the non - emergency service being requested , the specialist may attempt to up - sell the account level or flag the account for follow - up by sales staff 913 . in the event that the caller is unable to respond verbally , unable to be understood , or the call is dropped 909 , the specialist may follow a company standard non - emergency dropped call protocol 915 . after a non - emergency call , the specialist may log the call , document the actions taken , and note any further follow - up actions that may be required 916 . the call may also then be dispositioned and added to the consumer &# 39 ; s history 917 . fig1 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which outlines a possible method of displaying user information to a help - desk specialist in a monitoring center . for example , when a button on device is pressed 1001 , a call is placed to the monitoring center , and device / subscriber identification and gps location data may be transmitted with the call 1002 . when the call is received by the monitoring center 1003 , a ready specialist may be selected . the member &# 39 ; s telephone number is detected by automatic number identification (“ ani ”) and may be matched to the receiving specialist on the business database , and the call is routed 1004 . the receiving specialist accepts the call 1005 . the initial member information matching the calling ani is displayed on the help desk application and detailed information for that member is displayed 1006 . fig1 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which outlines a possible method of mapping a user &# 39 ; s last known location for use at a monitoring center . when a button on a device is pressed 1101 a call is placed to center , and device / subscriber identification and gps location data may transmitted with the call 1102 . the call is received by the monitoring center 1103 , a ready specialist is selected , the user &# 39 ; s ani may be matched to the receiving specialist on the business database and the call is routed 1104 . the receiving specialist accepts the call 1105 . the initial user &# 39 ; s information matching the calling ani may be automatically displayed on the help desk application 1106 and a map component may load and display a map with the user &# 39 ; s last reported location 1107 . this information may then be used by the specialist to provide a number of services , including giving directions to a user , or directing a third party to a user &# 39 ; s location . fig1 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which outlines a possible method of tracking a user &# 39 ; s location history . similar to case 6 above , when a button on device is pressed 1201 , a call is placed to center , and device / subscriber identification and gps location data may be transmitted with the call 1202 . the call is received by the monitoring center and a ready specialist is selected . the user &# 39 ; s ani may be matched to the receiving specialist on the business database and the call is routed 1203 . the receiving specialist accepts the call 1204 . the initial user &# 39 ; s information matching the calling ani may be automatically displayed on the help desk application and a map component may load and display a map with the member &# 39 ; s last reported location 1205 . the receiving specialist may select one or more points to be tracked 1206 . the initial member &# 39 ; s information matching the calling ani may be displayed on the help desk application 1207 , and a map component may load and display a map with the member &# 39 ; s last reported location ( s ) 1208 . as with case 6 shown above , this information may then be used by the specialist to provide a number of services , including giving directions to a user , or directing a third party to a user &# 39 ; s last known location , or toward a last known path traveled by a user . fig1 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which outlines a possible method finding a primary or secondary emergency contact for a user in the context of a user event . an emergency contact may include a family member / guardian , medical personnel , or any other person that a user may desire to contact . such contacts may be pre - determined , or stated in the context of a user - initiated call . in this method a button on device is pressed 1301 which causes a call to be placed to center . the device / subscriber identification and gps location data may be transmitted with the call 1302 . when the call is received by the center 1303 , a ready specialist may be selected , the user &# 39 ; s ani may be matched to the receiving specialist on the business database , and the call is routed 1304 . the receiving specialist accepts the call 1305 and the initial member &# 39 ; s information matching the calling ani may be automatically displayed on the help desk application , and the map component may load and display a map with the user &# 39 ; s last reported location 1306 . optionally , the receiving specialist may select a number of points to be tracked 1307 . in this case , the map component may re - load to show the last reported location , and / or the number of points requested by the specialist and those points are in chronological [ reported ] order 1308 . the receiving specialist may select , e . g ., by right - clicking or hovering over , a location point and request an emergency contact 1309 . the help desk application displays a list of emergency contact information and locations 1310 . optionally the receiving specialist may request an emergency contact &# 39 ; s location to be plotted on the map 1311 . the selected emergency contact &# 39 ; s location may then be displayed on the map 1312 . fig1 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which outlines a possible method for a monitoring center specialist to communicate with an emergency services contact in the context of a user event . when a button on device is pressed 1401 , a call is placed to center . the device / subscriber identification and gps location data may be transmitted with the call 1402 . the call is received by the center , a ready specialist is selected , the user &# 39 ; s ani may be matched to the receiving specialist on the business database , and the call is routed 1403 . the initial user &# 39 ; s information matching the calling ani may be displayed on the help desk application and the map component may load and display a map with the user &# 39 ; s last reported location 1404 . the specialist may then select the last location point and requests emergency services 1405 . the help desk application displays the phone numbers to the closest emergency services 1406 . the specialist initiates a call out to the emergency service provider 1407 . after the ems provider answers 1408 , the specialist may conference the ems provider with the member &# 39 ; s cell phone 1409 . cases 10 - 11 : access to user &# 39 ; s portal for information update and services fig1 - 16 illustrate flowcharts in accordance with embodiments of the present invention which outlines possible methods for accessing a user portal for obtaining information , adding services , updating user information , and the like . as stated above , an authorized user may utilize the portal for many reasons including account maintenance , profile / service updates , etc . from a computer , member may navigate to the web services public internet user portal url 1501 1601 , this portal may be user portal 506 as described above . a login page may be displayed 1502 1602 , wherein a user enters his / her login information and hit enter 1503 1603 . initially , it may be preferred to display a welcome page with a name , basic user information , and a list of services that can be performed by the user 1504 , 1604 . the user may select the data he / she needs to maintain and updates it 1505 . after selections are made , the portal may update the information in the business database and display the updated information 1506 . the portal application may also be utilized by a user to track a monitored user . after logging on , a user may select a tracking option 1605 . the mapping interface may be displayed with a number of points and related information for the last number of reported locations 1606 . this feature may assist a family member or guardian in tracking a monitored user in the event that the monitored user may be lost or unavailable . when a portal session is completed , a user may log off 1507 1607 , or the session may be automatically terminated . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . moreover , the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process , machine , manufacture , composition of matter , means , methods and steps described in the specification . as one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention , processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps , presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps . | 0 |
in one aspect , the present invention is a poly ( n - arylenebenzimidazole ) consisting of repeat units having the general structural formula ## str3 ## wherein the catenation of oxygen is selected from the group consisting of meta - meta , para - para , and para - meta . ar is a radical having the formula ## str4 ## wherein u is a radical selected from the group of ## str5 ## wherein r is a bond or is a radical selected from the group of ## str6 ## wherein x is a radical selected from the group consisting of : ## str7 ## and n is an integer between 4 and 1000 . an especially preferred poly ( n - arylenebenzimidazole ) is provided when ar is a radical represented by either : ## str8 ## x being selected from the group consisting of : ## str9 ## x being selected from the group consisting of : ## str10 ## in another aspect , the present invention is a di ( hydroxyphenyl - n - arylenebenzimidazole ) having the general structure ## str11 ## wherein the catenation of the hydroxy radicals is selected from the group consisting of meta - meta , para - para , and para - meta . u is selected from the group consisting of ## str12 ## and r is a bond or is a radical selected from the group of ## str13 ## in another aspect , the present invention is a process for synthesizing poly ( n - arylenebenzimidazole ) s by aromatic nucleophilic displacement . the process includes reacting a di ( hydroxyphenyl - n - arylenebenzimidazole ) with an activated aromatic dihalide or aromatic dinitro compound have the general structure ## str15 ## wherein x is a radical selected from the group consisting of ## str16 ## y is a member selected from the group consisting of ci , f , and no 2 . the reaction is carried out in a polar aprotic solvent selected from the group consisting of n , n - dimethylacetamide , n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , sulfolane , diphenylsulfone , n - cyclohexyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , and dimethylsulfoxide . the reaction is carried out in the presence of an alkali metal base , selected from the group consisting of potassium carbonate , sodium carbonate , potassium hydroxide , and sodium hydroxide , and the reaction is carried out with the application of heat . especially good results are obtained when x is selected from the group consisting of ## str17 ## and when ar is either ## str18 ## and y is either ci or f , preferably f , and the solvent is sulfolane . films prepared from the poly ( n - arylenebenzimidazole ) s of the present invention have very desirable properties . having generally described the invention , a more complete understanding thereof can be obtained by reference to the following examples which are provided herein for purposes of illustration only and do not limit the invention . the following example illustrates the reaction sequence in fig . i for the preparation of monomers . a mixture of 1 , 4 - bis ( 2 - aminoanilino ) benzene ( 28 . 73g , 0 . 099 mol ), phenyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoate ( 42 . 96g , 0 . 201 mol ), diphenylsulfone ( 126 . 45g ), and toluene ( 100 ml ) was heated under a nitrogen atmosphere for three hours at 150 ° c . the toluene was removed and the temperature increased to 290 ° c . and maintained for two hours . a vacuum was subsequently applied and maintained for one hour . the cooled purple reaction mixture was poured into warm toluene , and the solid recovered by filtration . the crude solid was washed in hot toluene and subsequently dried at 110 ° c . to afford a purple powder ( 44 . 2g , 90 % crude yield ), mp [ differential scanning calorimetry ( dsc ), heating rate of 10 ° c ./ min ] sharp peak at 403 ° c . the solid was recrystallized twice from n , n - dimethylacetamide ( dmac ) using charcoal to afford a white powder ( 26 . 95g , 55 % yield ). the compound exhibited a sharp melt by dsc ( heating rate of 10 ° c ./ min ) with a peak at 407 ° c . anal . calcd . for ( c . sub . 32 h 22 n 4 o 2 : c , 77 . 72 %; h , 4 . 48 %; n , 11 . 33 %; found : c , 77 . 48 %; h , 4 . 41 %; n , 11 . 39 %. a mixture of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( 2 - aminoanilino ) biphenyl ( 20 . 0g , 0 . 055 mol ), phenyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoate ( 24 . 31 g , 0 . 114 tool ), diphenylsulfone ( 125 . 29g ), and toluene ( 135 ml ) was heated under a nitrogen atmosphere for three hours at 150 ° c . the toluene was removed and the temperature increased to 290 ° c . and maintained for two hours . a vacuum was subsequently applied and maintained for three - quarters hour . the gray reaction mixture was washed successively in hot toluene and acetone and subsequently dried at 110 ° c . to afford a gray powder ( 27 . 06g , 87 % crude yield ), mp ( dsc ) broad peak at 483 ° c . the solid was recrystallized from dmac using charcoal to afford a light pink powder ( 24 . 24 g , 78 % yield ). the compound exhibited a broad melt by dsc with a peak at 487 ° c . anal . calcd . for c 38 h 26 n 4 o 2 : c , 79 . 98 %; h , 4 . 59 %; n , 9 . 82 %; found : c , 80 . 41 %; h , 4 . 76 %; n , 10 . 01 %. the following example illustrates the reaction sequence in fig2 for the preparation of the polymer where x is equal to a sulfonyl group , y is f , u is 1 , 4 - phenylene , and the catenation of the hydroxy groups is para - para . into a 100 ml three necked round bottom flask equipped with nitrogen inlet , thermometer , mechanical stirrer , and dean stark trap was placed 1 , 1 &# 39 ;-( 1 , 4 - phenylene )- bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) benzimidazole ] ( 2 . 3866 g , 4 . 8 mmol ), 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- difluorodiphenylsulfone ( 1 . 2270 g , 4 . 8 mmol ) pulverized anhydrous potassium carbonate ( 1 . 8176 g , 13 . 2 mmol ), sulfolane ( 15 . 8 g , 19 % solids w / w ) and toluene ( 50 ml ). the mixture was heated to 140 °- 150 ° c . for three and one - half hours and then heated to 210 ° c . for three hours . the viscous solution was precipitated in a water / acetic acid ( 10 / 1 ) mixture , washed successively in hot water and methanol and dried at 110 ° c . to provide an off - white polymer ( 3 . 30 g , 97 % yield ) with a t g of 270 ° c . the inherent viscosity of a 0 . 5 % solution in m - cresol at 25 ° c . was 0 . 77 dl / g . the following example illustrates the reaction sequence in fig2 for the preparation of the polymer where x is equal to an isophthaloyl group , y is f , u is 1 , 4 - phenylene , and the catenation of the hydroxy groups is para - para . into a 100 ml three necked round bottom flask equipped with nitrogen inlet , thermometer , mechanical stirrer , and dean stark trap was placed 1 , 1 &# 39 ;-( 1 , 4 - phenylene )- bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) benzimidazole ] ( 2 . 4006 g , 4 . 9 retool ), 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - fluorobenzoyl ) benzene ( 1 . 5645 g , 4 . 9 mmol ) pulverized anhydrous potassium carbonate ( 1 . 8658 g , 13 . 5 mmol ), sulfolane ( 17 . 25 g , 19 % solids w / w ) and toluene ( 50 ml ). the mixture was heated to 140 °- 150 ° c . for three and one - half hours and then heated to 210 ° c . for three hours . the viscous reaction mixture was cooled and diluted with 10 ml nmp ( 12 . 6 % solids w / w ). the viscous solution was precipitated in a water / acetic acid ( 10 / 1 ) mixture , washed successively in hot water and methanol and dried at 110 ° c . to provide an off - white polymer ( 3 . 74 g , 99 % yield ) with a t , of 219 ° c . the inherent viscosity of a 0 . 5 % solution in nmp at 25 ° c . was 0 . 75 dl / g . unoriented thin films cast from a nmp solution gave tensile strength , tensile modulus , and elongation at 23 ° c . of 10 . 2 ksi , 362 ksi , and 4 %, respectively . the following example illustrates the reaction sequence in fig2 for the preparation of the polymer where x is equal to a sulfonyl group , y is f , u is 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- biphenylene , and the catenation of the hydroxy groups is para - para . into a 100 ml three necked round bottom flask equipped with nitrogen inlet , thermometer , mechanical stirrer , and dean stark trap was placed 1 , 1 -( 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- biphenylene )- bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) benzimidazole ] ( 3 . 0103 g , 5 . 3 mmol ), 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- difluorodiphenylsulfone ( 1 . 341 2 g , 5 . 3 mmol ), pulverized anhydrous potassium carbonate ( 2 . 1068 g , 15 . 2 retool ), sulfolane ( 19 . 61 g , 18 % solids w / w ) and toluene ( 45 ml ). the mixture was heated to 140 °- 150 ° c . for three and one - half hours and then heated to 200 ° c . for three hours . the viscous reaction mixture was precipitated in a water / acetic acid ( 10 / 1 ) mixture , washed successively in hot water and methanol and dried at 110 ° c . to provide an off - white polymer ( 4 . 00 g , 97 % yield ) with a t g of 289 ° c . the inherent viscosity of a 0 . 5 % solution in nmp at 25 ° c . was 0 . 60 dl / g . unoriented thin films cast from a nmp solution gave tensile strength , tensile modulus , and elongation at 23 ° c . of 12 . 1 ksi , 365 ksi , and 4 %, respectively , the following example illustrates the reaction sequence in fig2 for the preparation of the polymer where x is equal to an isophthaloyl group , y is f , u is 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- biphenyl , and the catenation of the hydroxy groups is para - para . into a 100 ml three necked round bottom flask equipped with nitrogen inlet , thermometer , mechanical stirrer , and dean stark trap was placed 1 , 1 &# 39 ;-( 4 - 4 &# 39 ;- biphenyl )- bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) benzimidazole ] ( 2 . 0340 g , 3 . 6 mmol ), 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - fluorobenzoyl ) benzene ( 1 . 1488 g , 3 . 6 mmol ), pulverized anhydrous potassium carbonate ( 1 . 3098 g , 9 . 5 mmol ), sulfolane ( 14 . 58 g , 18 % solids w / w ) and toluene ( 50 ml ). the mixture was heated to 140 °- 150 ° c . for three and one - half hours and then heated to 210 ° c . after one and one - quarter hours the viscous reaction mixture was diluted with 14 . 14 g sulfolane ( 10 % solids w / w ) and stirring continued at 210 ° c . for an additional one hour . the viscous reaction mixture was cooled and precipitated in a water / acetic acid ( 10 / 1 ) mixture , washed successively in hot water and methanol and dried at 110 ° c . to provide an off - white polymer ( 2 . 97 g , 98 % yield ) with a t g of 244 ° c .. the inherent viscosity of a 0 . 5 % solution in nmp at 25 ° c . was 0 . 59 dl / g . unoriented thin films cast from a nmp solution gave tensile strength , tensile modulus , and elongation at 23 ° c . of 12 . 1 ksi , 341 ksi , and 5 %, respectively . polymer characterization is presented in the following table 1 and unoriented thin film properties are presented in table 2 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________polymer characterization ## str19 ## temperature of 5 % weight η . sub . inh , t . sub . g , loss , ° c .. sup . 4x u dl / g . sup . 1 ° c .. sup . 3 air n . sub . 2__________________________________________________________________________so . sub . 2 ## str20 ## 0 . 60 289 465 493 ## str21 ## 0 . 77 . sup . 2 270 469 467co ## str22 ## 0 . 37 268 463 484 ## str23 ## 0 . 48 . sup . 2 242 489 522 ## str24 ## ## str25 ## 0 . 62 259 472 510 ## str26 ## 0 . 86 . sup . 2 238 487 513 ## str27 ## ## str28 ## 0 . 59 244 468 515 ## str29 ## 0 . 75 219 506 512 ## str30 ## ## str31 ## 0 . 63 243 490 502 ## str32 ## 0 . 46 223 522 514__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 inherent viscosity obtained on 0 . 5 % nmethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone solutions at 25 ° c . . sup . 2 inherent viscosity obtained on 0 . 5 % mcresol solutions at 25 . degree c . . sup . 3 determined by differential scanning calorimetry at a heating rate of 20 ° c ./ min . . sup . 4 determined by thermogravimetric analysis at a heating rate of 2 . 5 ° c ./ min . table 2__________________________________________________________________________unoriented thin film tensileproperties ( 23 ° c .) ## str33 ## η . sub . inh str . mod . elong ., x u dl / g . sup . 1 ksi ksi % __________________________________________________________________________so . sub . 2 ## str34 ## 0 . 60 12 . 1 365 4 ## str35 ## ## str36 ## 0 . 62 12 . 3 353 5 ## str37 ## 0 . 86 . sup . 2 11 . 0 350 5 ## str38 ## ## str39 ## 0 . 59 12 . 1 341 5 ## str40 ## 0 . 75 10 . 2 362 4 ## str41 ## ## str42 ## 0 . 63 12 . 5 318 7 ## str43 ## 0 . 46 11 . 2 345 5__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 inherent viscosity obtained on 0 . 5 % nmethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone solutions at 25 ° c . . sup . 2 inherent viscosity obtained on 0 . 5 % mcresol solutions at 25 . degree c . | 2 |
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . fig3 illustrates a cross sectional view of a cmos image sensor according to the present invention . as shown in fig3 , a p - type well ( not shown ) is formed in a p - type substrate 10 . also , channel stop regions cs 12 are formed in a surface of the p - type well 11 , wherein the channel stop regions cs function as isolation regions for electrically isolating pixels from one another . the channel stop regions cs 12 are formed by forming field oxide layers ( not shown ) in field regions of the substrate 10 through a locos ( local oxidation of silicon ) process and then implanting channel stop ions to the portions of the substrate 10 below the field oxide layers . a n - type photodiode 19 and a source / drain region 20 are respectively formed in the p - type well of each of the pixel areas . a polysilicon gate 16 a is formed on the source / drain region 20 . a voltage source vd for applying a voltage to the source / drain region 20 and a gate oxide 15 a are provided . fig4 a to 4f are cross sectional views illustrating processes for making an active region in a cmos image sensor according to the present invention . as shown is fig4 a , a p - type well is formed in a p - type substrate 10 by implanting p - type ions thereto . a pad oxide layer 11 and nitride layer 12 are sequentially formed on the p - type well . a photoresist pattern 13 is then formed on the nitride layer 12 to expose a portion of the nitride layer 12 corresponding to field regions . referring to fig4 b , a pad oxide pattern 11 a and a nitride pattern 12 a are formed by selectively etching the pad oxide layer 11 and nitride layer 12 using the photoresist pattern 13 as a mask and then stripping the photoresist pattern 13 . referring to fig4 c , a field oxide 14 is formed on the exposed portion of the substrate 10 by performing a thermal oxidation process . subsequently , the nitride pattern 12 a and pad oxide pattern 11 a are removed . referring to fig4 d , a cvd process is performed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 , including the field oxide 14 , to form a gate oxide layer 15 thereon . then , a polysilicon layer 16 is deposited on the gate oxide layer 15 . as shown in fig4 e , after a photoresist pattern 17 is formed on the polysilicon layer 16 in such a way that a portion of the polysilicon layer 16 corresponding to the field oxide 14 is exposed , channel stop ions of high density are implanted using the photoresist pattern 17 as a mask . the channel stop ions are the same conductive type as the substrate 10 , that is , p - type . consequently , the implanted channel stop ions constitute a p - type ion area 18 below the field oxide 14 , which constitute a channel stop region together with the field oxide 14 . referring to fig4 f , the polysilicon layer 16 and gate oxide layer 15 are selectively etched using the photoresist pattern 17 as a mask . as a result , a gate oxide 15 a and a polysilicon gate 16 a are formed on the circuit area of the substrate 10 . according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the gate oxide 15 a is formed in such a way that both sides of the gate oxide 15 a overlap with the field oxide 14 . subsequently , n - type photodiode 19 ( see fig3 ) and source / drain region 20 ( see fig3 ) are sequentially formed using a conventional process . in forming the isolation regions for the cmos image sensor according to the present invention , the oxide layers are formed in the pixels by gate oxide and cvd oxide deposition instead of a shallow trench isolation sti process according to the related art . accordingly , a silicon substrate etching process required for performing a sti process can be avoided , at least in the inner area of the substrate corresponding to each pixel . thus , it is possible to minimize a stress between the oxide layer and the silicon substrate . using the gate oxide and cvd oxide , a threshold voltage is increased in the field region contrary to an active region for forming a transistor to result in no effect on the operation of a circuit . that is , while the related art sti process is still used in the circuit area , the sti process is replaced with locos process in the imaging area . in the cmos image sensor according to the present invention , it is possible to decrease a parasitic capacitance between the poly - silicon gate electrode and the substrate , thereby decreasing noise caused by coupling . also , it is possible to minimize the surface deformation of the silicon substrate when performing the process for isolation of the pixels , thereby decreasing a dark signal and a dark defect . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 , therein is shown a perspective rear view of a preferred face panel 10 of the instant invention molded of a thermoplastic polymer or resin such as , without limitation thereto , impact modified polystyrene , polyethylene , pvc , pvc structural foam or a thermoset resin such as , without limitation thereto , a phenol - formaldehyde resin . the face panel 10 has four flanges 11 extending perpendicularly therefrom and integrally molded therewith . each flange 11 is perforated therethrough with a plurality of apertures 12 . referring now to fig2 , therein is shown a perspective front view of the face panel of 10 of fig1 . it should be understood that the face panels of the instant invention can be made of any suitable material such as , without limitation thereto , galvanized sheet steel , sheet aluminum and wood or wood compositions such as chip board . preferably , the face panels of the instant invention are made of thermoplastic or thermoset resins . it should be understood that when the panels and / or fasteners of the instant invention are made of molded thermoplastic , then recycled thermoplastic can be used to help advance the quality of the environment . referring now to fig3 , therein is shown a perspective view of a preferred “ snap - strap ” 17 of the instant invention molded of a thermoplastic polymer or resin such as , without limitation thereto , a plasticized polyvinyl chloride material or a thermoset resin such as , without limitation thereto , a polyurethane resin . the strap 17 comprises projections 18 therefrom molded integrally therewith . the projections 18 are dimensioned to be an interference fit when pressed through an aperture 12 of a flange 11 of the face panel 10 shown in fig1 . fig4 shows a top view of the snap - strap 17 of fig3 . fig5 shows a side view of the snap - strap 17 of fig3 . referring now to fig6 , therein is shown an end view of a hollow block structure 19 assembled when the projections 18 of the snap - straps 17 are pressed through the apertures of the flanges 11 of the face panels 10 . referring now to fig7 , therein is shown an end view of the hollow block structure 19 of fig6 from the other end . in use , a number of block structures 19 are arrayed in a horizontal course with the side aligning tabs 13 fitted under the adjoining face panel . then another horizontal course of block structures 19 is pressed in staggered fashion above the first course so that locking tabs 15 ( also called snap buttons herein ) of the face panels 10 engage with the holes or openings 16 in the upper aligning tabs 14 . then , if desired , additional horizontal courses of block structures 19 are laid until the wall or footing form is as high as desired . reinforcing steel rods can , of course , be inserted as desired as the courses are laid . if larger panels are used , then a wall can be formed from one course of the block structures of the instant invention . referring again to fig5 , it will be noted that the preferred shape of the projections 18 is in the form of a chevron in cross - section . however , it should be understood that other shapes ( such as a spheroid ) can be used if desired . the outside diameter of the projections 18 is somewhat larger than inside diameter of the apertures 12 so that the projections 18 are an interference fit when the projections 18 are pressed through the apertures 12 to assemble the block structure 19 of fig6 . referring again to fig1 , it is preferable to mold four flanges 11 from the face plate 10 as shown so that half or even quarter blocks can be assembled by sawing the face plate 10 in half or in quarters . although the block assembly 19 of fig6 and 7 is assembled from identical face plates 10 , it should be understood that a face plate which is a mirror image of the face plate 10 is preferred so that the side aligning tabs of a block assembly face the same direction . referring now to fig8 , therein is shown a top view of two of the assemblies 19 of fig6 and 7 engaged end to end . closed cell polystyrene foam thermal insulation panels 20 are then inserted as shown and are highly preferred as providing not only thermal insulation but added strength to the form to withstand the hydraulic pressure of the fluid concrete poured into the form before the fluid concrete cures . and , if larger panels are used , then an insulated wall , insulated with , for example and without limitation thereto , fiberglass or blown - in cellulose insulation , can be formed from one course of the block structures of the instant invention even if the wall is not filled with concrete . the exterior and / or interior of the face panels of the instant invention are preferably “ finish - faced ”. the term “ finish - faced ” means an external surface not requiring further finishing . such an external surface could be , for example and without limitation thereto , a stucco type of surface or vertical lines that could disguise , if desired , the vertical joints of the wall . the face panels can , of course , be molded of a colored thermoplastic or thermoset polymer or resin so that the finished wall does not require painting . the instant invention can be used , of course , to make footings , foundation walls and walls above grade . an important benefit of the instant invention is that by the use of snap - straps of different lengths , walls and the like can be constructed of different thicknesses . the use of relatively long face panels of appropriate design permits the ready adaptation of the instant invention to the construction of curved walls . referring now to fig9 , therein is shown a base - plate system 21 for use with the hollow blocks of the instant invention . the base - plate system 21 consists of a front face 22 and a rear face 23 connected by snap straps 24 ( all of which are preferably injection molded of a thermoplastic or thermoset resin ). in use , the base plate system 21 can be , for example , grouted to a footing . the locking tabs ( 15 of fig6 ) of the first course of hollow blocks of the instant invention are then located over and pressed into the holes 25 in the front and rear faces 22 and 23 . alternatively , the first course of hollow blocks of the instant invention can simply be grouted to the footing . referring now to fig1 , therein is shown a perspective view of a preferred half block outer corner 26 for use with the hollow blocks of the instant invention which is preferably also molded of a thermoplastic or thermoset resin . referring now to fig1 , therein is shown a perspective view of a preferred full block outer corner 27 for use with the hollow blocks of the instant invention which is preferably also molded of a thermoplastic or thermoset resin . referring now to fig1 , therein is shown a perspective view of a preferred full inner corner 28 for use with the hollow blocks of the instant invention which is preferably also molded of a thermoplastic or thermoset resin . referring now to fig1 , therein is shown a perspective view of a preferred end cap 29 for use with the hollow blocks of the instant invention ( which is preferably also molded of a thermoplastic or thermoset resin ) if it is desired to end a wall or footing . the end cap 29 can be held in place by screws , not shown , driven through the end of a hollow block to engage the tabs 29 a of the end cap 29 . referring now to fig1 , therein is shown a perspective view of a preferred top cap 29 for use with the hollow blocks of the instant invention ( which is preferably also molded of a thermoplastic or thermoset resin ) if it is desired to finish the top of a wall or footing . the top cap 29 preferably has locking tabs ( like the locking tabs 15 of fig1 ) molded with the skirt 30 a of the top cap 29 to engage with the holes in the aligning tabs of the hollow block of the instant invention . the snap strap 17 of fig3 is an example of a fastener for the indirect connection of a flange of one face panel to a flange of another face panel . referring now to fig1 , therein is shown a strap 31 perforated therethrough with apertures 32 . of course , the flanges of the face plates discussed above can be molded or otherwise formed to have projections which are dimensioned to be an interference fit when pressed through the apertures 32 of the strap 31 . and , of course , the flanges of one panel can have apertures while the corresponding flanges of the other panel can be molded or otherwise formed to hae projections which are dimensioned to be an interference fit when pressed through said apertures . however , referring now to fig1 , therein is shown a “ x - mass tree clip ” fastener ” 33 available from k - international of gurnee , ill . thirty two of such fasteners 33 can be used to attach one face plate 10 of fig1 to another face plate 10 of fig1 by pressing said fasteners through the apertures 32 of the strap 31 of fig1 and the apertures 12 of the face plate 10 of fig1 to produce a block assembly similar to the block assembly 19 of fig6 . the outside diameter of the chevrons 34 of the fastener 33 are dimensioned to be an interference fit in the apertures 32 and 12 . a simple length of wire can be used as a fastener to attach one panel to another panel by passing the wire through the apertures of the flanges of the panels and bending the wire around the apertures . the fastener 33 is but one example of a whole family of press - fit fasteners which are commercially available . for example , and without limitation thereto , said k - international offers snap rivets , viking clips , quick grip fasteners , dart clips , ratchet rivet fasteners and arrow clips . and , of course , conventional fasteners such as nuts and bolts can also be used . referring now to fig1 , therein is shown a perspective rear view of a preferred face panel 35 of the instant invention molded of a thermoplastic polymer or resin such as , without limitation thereto , impact modified polystyrene , polyethylene or a thermoset resin such as , without limitation thereto , a phenol - formaldehyde resin . the face panel 35 has four flanges 40 extending perpendicularly therefrom and integrally molded therewith . each flange 40 is perforated therethrough with a plurality of apertures 41 . each panel 35 has side aligning tabs 36 , upper aligning tabs 39 , holes 38 and locking tabs 37 . two panels 35 can be joined together by pressing fasteners 33 of fig1 through the apertures 41 of each face plate 35 . alternatively , any desired fastener can be used for this purpose . referring now to fig1 , when it is desired to produce a poured reinforced concrete wall , a preferred fastener for connecting the face panels together is a number of steel concrete reinforcing rods 42 positioned in the apertures 41 of the panels 35 of fig1 . preferably , the outside diameter of the rods 42 is smaller than the inside diameter of the apertures 41 . while the instant invention has been described above according to its preferred embodiments , it can be modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure . this application is therefore intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the instant invention using the general principles disclosed herein . further , the instant application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the following claims . | 4 |
the invention relates to the use of organo sulfur containing compounds to stabilize heavy metals ( e . g . cadmium and lead ) found in ash , particularly ash from foundry cupolas , so that the ash will pass tclp testing . organo sulfur containing compounds which will stabilize ash include organo sulfur containing compounds selected from the group consisting of thiocarbamates , thiocarbonates , trimercaptotriazines , alkali or alkaline earth metal salts thereof , and mixtures thereof , preferably dimethyldithiocarbamate , diethyldithiocarbamate , polythiocarbonate , alkali metal salts thereof , trisodium trimercaptotriazine , and mixtures thereof . the amount of the organo sulfur compound used is an amount effective to stabilize any residual metals remaining after treatment with the iron salt , generally this is from 1 weight percent to 12 weight percent based upon the weight of the ash to be treated , preferably from 2 weight percent to 6 weight percent based upon the weight of the ash to be treated . preferably used as the iron salts in the process are ferrous sulfate , ferric sulfate , ferrous chloride , ferric chloride , preferably ferric sulfate . the amounts of iron salt is such that the weight ratio of iron salt to organo sulfur compound is preferably from 5 . 0 : 1 . 0 to 1 . 0 : 5 . 0 , more preferably 3 . 0 : 1 . 0 to 1 . 0 : 3 . 0 . increased amounts of iron salt can be used without detrimental effect on the process , but the costs of the process will be increased . preferably , after the preferred amount of iron salt is added to the mixture , a commodity acid , such as phosphoric acid , hydrochloric acid , or sulfuric acid , preferably phosphoric , will be used to lower the ph to 4 - 5 if the addition of the iron salt has not already done this . preferably the alkaline earth metal containing compound is selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide , magnesium hydroxide , calcium oxide , calcium hydroxide , and mixtures thereof . most preferably used as the alkaline earth metal containing compound is magnesium hydroxide or magnesium oxide . the weight ratio of alkaline earth metal containing compound to organo sulfur compound is from 1 . 0 : 20 . 0 to 20 . 0 : 1 . 0 , preferably 1 . 0 : 5 . 0 : 5 . 0 : 1 . 0 . the alkaline peat moss extract is a liquid and comprises humic acid , fulvic acid , a blend of humic acid and fulvic acid , and salts thereof . the weight ratio of alkaline peat moss extract to organo sulfur compound is from 1 : 5 to 5 : 1 ., preferably from 1 : 2 to 2 : 1 . the weight ratio of organo sulfur compound to ash to be treated is from 0 . 25 : 1000 to 40 : 1000 , preferably 2 . 5 : 1000 to 20 : 1000 . after the ash is treated by the process , the metal ions are less soluble when exposed to an acidic medium . when the reactants are used under the proper conditions , it is believed that the metal ions become fixed ( a physical binding or immobilization of the metals ) in the aggregate which results after the treated slurry of ash is cured . additionally , stabilization or buffering against the acidic conditions , is accomplished by ph control . this gives additional protection against metals solubilizing under acidic conditions . it should be apparent that the process does not remove the metals from the treated ash . instead it contains the metals in the aggregate which results from treating the ash by the process . a preferred general process for stabilizing the metals in ash is as follows : 1 . add 1000 parts ash ( typically cupola ) consisting of a mixture of bottom ash and fly ash having a weight ratio of 0 : 100 to 70 : 30 , preferably about 50 : 50 , to a batch mixer tank . 2 . add enough water to make an ash / water slurry ( from 5 weight percent to 150 weight percent , preferably 15 to 21 weight percent , of water based upon the weight of the ash ). 3 . add an iron salt ( from 2 weight percent to 6 weight percent , based upon the weight of the ash to be treated ), and if necessary a commodity acid , for instance sulfuric acid , hydrochloric acid , or preferably phosphoric acid , over a period of about 5 minutes to reduce the ph of the slurry to 4 . 0 to 5 . 0 , preferably 4 . 5 to 5 . 0 . 4 . add the organo sulfur containing compound ( amersep mp - 3r ) and alkaline peat moss extract ( oca 15 - 400 ), both in amounts of 0 . 25 % to 10 % based upon the ash to be treated . 5 . add an alkaline earth metal hydroxide over a period of several minutes ( generally 5 minutes to 10 minutes ). sufficient alkaline earth metal containing compound is added to preferably raise the ph to at least 7 . 5 . typically , the organo sulfur containing compound is added first and then the alkaline earth metal hydroxide is added , and mixing is continued for several minutes until the mixture is uniform . 6 . mix the slurry and reagents until they are uniform , typically for approximately 5 to 10 minutes , and allow the treated mixture to cure for about 18 hours or until a hardened aggregate results . after the treatment process , the concentration of unstabilized metals in the cured mixture is measured according to the tclp test to determine if the levels are below the required concentrations . in some applications , it is desirable to add lime to raise the ph of the slurry to facilitate a buffer against the effects of acid rain . sufficient lime is added to the slurry after it is treated with the organic sulfur containing compound and magnesium oxide and / or magnesium hydroxide to raise the ph to about 9 - 11 . the lime is typically added over a period of 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture is uniform . in such cases the slurry is mixed until it is uniform , typically for about 5 to 10 minutes . the epa toxicity characteristic leaching procedure ( tclp ) test is described in test method 1311 , federal register , mar . 29 , 1990 , revised jun . 29 , 1990 , and is herein incorporated by reference . essentially , tclp leach testing involves exposing a sample to an severe acidic conditions which accelerate the leaching process . the leaching process takes approximately 18 to 24 hours for tclp . samples which have concentrations of metals below the concentration levels established by the tclp test are classified as non hazardous . consequently , they can be disposed of less stringently with less expense . as mp - 3r -- amersep ® mp - 3r metals precipitant which is 40 - 55 % by weight sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate in water . as 5320 -- amersep ® 5320 coagulant which is liquid ferric sulfate at a 40 to 50 weight percent concentration in water with about 1 weight percent sulfuric acid . oca 15 - 400 -- oca 15 - 400 , sold by organic products company , inc ., is an alkaline extract of peat moss which comprises a liquid blend of extracts such as humic acid and fulvic acids . the cas # for oca 15 - 400 is 1415 - 93 - 6 . the test procedure used in the following examples is as follows : a one kilogram sample of combined fly ash and bottom ash was treated as follows : 1 . add 300 ml of water to the ash sample , mix one minute . 2 . add 2 % by weight amersep 5320 and mix one minute . 3 . add drew oca 15 - 400 and amersep mp - 3r in amounts as set forth in table i and mix one minute . 4 . add 2 % by weight of mgo and mix seven minutes . table i______________________________________ additive (% by weight ) heavy metals ( ppm ) example oca 15 - 400 mp - 3r cadmium lead______________________________________control 0 0 1 . 46 1 . 031 0 2 0 . 044 0 . 482 1 0 0 . 067 0 . 363 2 0 0 . 064 0 . 334 1 2 0 . 061 0 . 365 2 2 0 . 067 0 . 33______________________________________ the results in table i show that cadmium and lead levels in the extraction of fluid are significantly reduced with the addition of oca 15 - 400 . on the other hand , no synergistic effect is noted when mp - 3r is mixed with oca 15 - 400 . | 0 |
for its purposes , the present invention uses a short path distillation column or a molecular distillation column . at the operational conditions of the present invention it efficiently separates all the neutral compounds from black - liquor soaps or tall oil soaps or soaps derived from tall oil . in a vacuum distillation column , including vacuum film evaporators , the distance to the condensation surface is much longer than the mean free path of molecules to the operation pressure . this adversely affects the efficiency and , at the same time , it represents an enormous load to vacuum production systems ; that is why the operation pressure of these devices is normally higher than 1 mbar . so , to separate low volatility compounds , temperature must be arisen , but in many cases it is not possible because the distillate quality is put at risk . however , in a molecular distillation column , the vacuum way to get the condenser is not obstructed because a short distance or a distance that is slightly longer than the mean free path of distillation molecules separates the condenser from the evaporator . normally , in a molecular distiller , the mean free path of molecules has a few centimeters . nevertheless , in order to achieve higher distillation rates , the distance between the evaporation surface and the condensation surface is slightly longer than the distance of the mean free path . in an industrial size molecular distillation column , operation pressures even reach values of 0 . 001 mbar . short path distillation columns ( evaporation and condensation surfaces are near ) are adequate for the purposes of the present invention . when it is said that such surfaces are near , it means that the distance between those surfaces is less than approximately 100 centimeters ( it is preferred between approximately 3 and 50 centimeters ). the operation system of a short path distillation column is very similar in many aspects to the operation system of a molecular distiller . falling film short path distillation columns with or without scraper , flat , rotary or others , short path distillation column - centrifuges , multistage short path distillation columns and others are adequate types of columns for the purposes of the present invention . it is important to point out that when a multistage molecular distillation column is used to separate neutrals , it is possible to obtain more than one neutral distillate current of different compositions . fig1 shows a short path distillation column provided with a scraper - distributor that is used in the present invention ( available from uic inc .). others short path distillation columns can also be used . fig1 shows a short path distillation column 1 with an evaporation surface 2 located near to a hollow internal condenser 3 in which a thermal fluid flows . the source of this heat transference fluid is not shown . the raw material 5 is fed from the top to a double wall graduated feeder 6 that allows recirculation of a heat transference fluid , which maintains the raw material in liquid state . the heating fluid source is not shown . the raw material 5 flows from the feeder 6 to the column 1 through the heated line 37 through the recirculation of a thermal fluid ( not shown ) and it runs down to the evaporator surface 2 and a revolving scraper distributor 7 spreads the raw material 5 on the surface 2 . a motor 8 provided with a speed control device that is near to the top of the evaporator 1 makes the axis and the revolving scraper distributor rotate 11 . the combined effect of gravity and the revolving scraper distributor 7 allows a thin and uniform layer to cover the evaporator surface 2 . the thin layer is heated on the evaporator surface by circulating a heat transference fluid through the column jacket 1 . the heat transfer fluid is heated in the source 12 and enters via line 13 and exits via line 14 of the column jacket 1 . heat transfer fluid temperature in the column jacket 1 is generally 50 ° c . higher than heat transference fluid temperature in the inner condenser 3 of the column 1 . an adequate heat transfer fluid could be water , pressure water , steam , ethylene glycol , oil , special or similar thermal fluids . the space 15 between the evaporator surface 2 and the inner condenser 3 is evacuated by vacuum line way 16 connected to a double wall cold trap 21 . inside of it , there is a cooling medium ( liquid air or dry ice with isopropanol , for example ). the combination of vacuum and heat allows volatile components to escape from the thin layer , to travel through space 15 , and to condense on the inner condenser 3 . more volatile components are retained in the cold trap . the distillate that is not shown flows down on the evaporator surface 2 as a thin layer and arrives the flask 19 heated line way 35 through a thermal fluid recirculation that does not appear in the figure . the distillate flows down through the outer surface of the inner condenser 3 and it gets to the flask 20 heated line way 36 through a thermal fluid recirculation that does not appear in the figure . a rotary vane vacuum pump ( not shown ) provided with an exhaust gas filter and connected to the cold trap 21 at exit 4 produces vacuum in the space 15 . a pressure sensor 26 sends an electric signal to a pressure meter , which indicates the pressure in the space 15 . a micrometric valve 34 located at the entry of the vacuum pump allows regulating pressure by the controlled entrance of air , inert gas or nitrogen . column 1 and its accessories are fixed to a metallic bearing over a base . an electric panel ( not shown ) contains the connections for the pressure sensor , the motor , the diffusion pump , the vacuum rotary pump and the baths for the heat transference fluids . the present invention is further illustrated in the following examples , which are intended as exemplifying the invention and are not intended to be taken as limiting . 590 kgr . of black - liquor soap with a water content of 33 . 7 % in weight and 12 . 4 % in weight of unsaponifiables or neutrals were mixed with 276 kgr . of soft water in a feeding container of a niro spray dryer . then , the mixture was homogenized and heated at 50 ° c . the temperature of entrance combustion gas current was adjusted to 200 - 220 ° c . and black - liquor soap solution was fed to an average flow of 192 kgr / hr . the temperature of exit gas and steam mixture fluctuated between 107 and 114 ° c ., resulting in a current of 87 kgr / hr of dry black - liquor soap with an average humidity of 1 . 0 % in a dry basis and with an unsaponifiable percentage of 18 . 7 % on a dry soap basis . the drying operation was carried out at atmospheric pressure . centrifuging and drying of black - liquor soap in a thin film evaporator 100 kgr . of black - liquor soap with a water content of 33 . 2 % in weight was weighed and centrifuged at 10000 rpm for 30 minutes . light phase that contained around 27 . 3 % in water weight was recovered and was fed at 7kgr / hr in a thin film evaporator with a heat transference surface of 0 . 15 m 2 . this evaporator is provided with scraping knives that rotate separated from the inner wall of the thin film evaporator at 0 . 5 mm of distance and 1000 rpm of speed . black - liquor soap was fed at 50 ° c . and it gets in contact with the thin film evaporator surface that is at a temperature of 210 ° c . and the column at a pressure of 500 mbar . black - liquor soap leaving from the thin film evaporator had an average humidity of 1 . 0 % in weight . drying of black - liquor soap mixed with unsaponifiables in a thin film evaporator 100 kgr of black - liquor soap with a water content of 33 . 2 % in weight were weighed and mixed with 10 kgr of unsaponifiables obtained as it is described in example 5 . then , they were fed 5 at kgr / hr in a thin film evaporator with a heat transfer surface of 0 . 15 , m 2 provided with scraping knifes that rotate separated from the inner wall of the thin film evaporator at 0 . 5 mm of distance and at 1000 rpm of speed . the mixture of black - liquor soap and unsaponifiables was fed at 50 ° c . and it gets in contact with the thin film evaporator surface that is at a temperature of 150 ° c . and the column at a pressure of 200 mbar . the dehydrated mixture flew off from the thin film evaporator with an average humidity level of 1 . 0 % in weight . 100 gr . of melted cto at 75 ° c . with a content of 17 . 0 % in weight of unsaponifiables were gradually poured in a 250 ml flask provided with stirring device and reflux condenser . this contained 60 gr . of an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide at 25 . 0 % in weight maintained at 90 ° c . the resulting mixture was maintained under reflux for 5 hours . 25 gr . of the mixture were taken and extracted four times with 60 ml of hexane . the hexane extract was centrifuged at 4000 rpm and was desolventized in a rotary vaporator at reduced pressure . 1 gr . of the residue was weighed and its acid number was 1 . 5 . 10 gr . of black - liquor soap were weighed in a 100 - ml beaker and they were dried in an oven at 125 ° c . for 5 hours , determining a humidity percentage of 33 . 7 %. then , 25 gr . of dry black - liquor soap were extracted for 48 hours in a soxhiet extractor with 200 ml of hexane . the hexane extract was desolventized and 4 . 7 gr . of unsaponifiable mass were recovered . at the same way , 10 gr . of black - liquor soap were weighed and then they were mixed with 50 gr . of water . they were acidulated with 2 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid . centrifuging the mixture at 4000 rpm separated the oily phase that was formed . the organic phase once washed had an acid number of 152 . 500 kgr of black - liquor soap were dried as it was described in example 1 to a humidity of 1 . 0 % in weight . 500 gr . of dry black - liquor soap were melted at 200 ° c . and they were loaded at the entrance 5 of the device feeder 6 ( fig1 ). feeder temperature was maintained at 210 ° c . through thermal oil circulation . condenser 3 temperature remained at 80 ° c . through a haake thermostated bath . distillation column jacket temperature was heated at 300 ° c . through thermal oil circulation provided from the heating bath 12 ( fig1 ). castrol ht - 5 was used as thermal oil . distillation column pressure remained at 0 . 009 mbar through a leybold heraeus vacuum pump , model trivac , type d2a / ws provided with a diffusion pump . the rollers rotated at 150 rpm and the average feeding was of 1 . 5 ml / min . after processing raw materials , 411 . 7 gr . of the residue and 83 . 3 gr . of the distillate were recovered . the percentage of unsaponifiable of refined black - liquor soap or residue was of about 2 . 2 % in weight . at the same way , 10 gr . of the residue were weighed , mixed with 50 gr . of water and acidulated with 2 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid . centrifuging the mixture at 4000 rpm separated the oily phase that was formed . the organic phase was washed and its acid number was 182 . 25 gr . of the distillate were weighed , dissolved with 250 gr . of hexane and extracted three times with 30 gr . of an aqueous solution of ethanol at 50 % in weight neutralized at ph 7 . the aqueous extract was titrated with sulfuric acid 0 . 01 n in an automatic titrator . the free alkalinity was of 0 . 4 mgr . of sulfuric acid per distillate gram . the distillate was analyzed chromatographically , as it is described in the procedure below . table 2 shows the relative composition of distillate components . 10 gr . of the distillate of example 5 were weighed and mixed with 40 gr . of an aqueous solution of koh at 15 % and 40 gr . of toluene . then they were loaded to a parr pressure reactor , model 4522 . here , they reacted under agitation at 254 ° c . and 59 bar for 3 hours . once the reactor content cooled down , the mixture was poured in a separator , recovering the organic phase . this phase was washed with 25 ml of an aqueous ethanol solution 1 : 1 in volume . this operation was repeated until the resulting aqueous solution of the organic phase washing had a neutral ph . the separated organic phase was desolventized . the recovered solids weighed 9 . 3 gr . and the analysis of their composition showed 42 . 0 % of free sterols and 14 . 6 % of free fatty alcohol ; this means a rise of sterols of almost 20 % and fatty alcohols , 25 %. 10 gr . of neutralized tall oil ( initial acid number 141 ) obtained as it is described in example 4 were weighed in a 100 - ml beaker and dried in an oven at 125 ° c . for 5 hours , determining a humidity percentage of 30 . 1 % in weight . then , 25 gr . of neutralized and dry tall oil were extracted for 48 hours in a soxhlet extractor with 200 ml of hexane . the hexane extract was desolventized and 4 . 9 gr . of the unsaponifiable mass were recovered . 500 kgr . of neutralized tall oil previously analyzed were dried as it is described in example 2 to a humidity of 1 . 0 % in weight . 500 gr . of neutralized and dry tall oil were melted at 220 ° c . and they were loaded at the entrance 5 of the equipment feeder 6 shown in fig1 . feeder temperature was maintained at 230 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil . condenser temperature 3 remained at 80 ° c . through a haake thermostated bath . distillation column jacket temperature was heated at 320 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil provided from the heating bath 12 in fig1 . castrol ht - 5 was used as thermal oil . equipment pressure was maintained at 0 . 07 mbar through a leybold heraeus vacuum pump , model trivac , type d2a / ws provided with a diffusion pump . rollers rotated at 150 rpm and the average feeding was 1 . 5 ml / min . after processing the whole load , 385 . 4 gr . of the residue was recovered and an unsaponifiable percentage of 1 . 8 % in weight was determined through extraction with soxhlet . at the same way , 10 gr . of the residue were weighed , mixed with 50 gr . of water and acidified with 2 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid . centrifuging the mixture at 4000 rpm separated the oily phase that was formed . the organic phase was washed and its acid number was 174 . 89 . 2 gr . of the distillate were recovered from which 25 gr . were weighed , dissolved with 250 gr . of hexane and extracted three times with 30 gr . of an aqueous solution of ethanol at 50 % in weight that was neutralized at ph 7 . the aqueous extract was titrated with sulfuric acid 0 . 01 n in an automatic titrator . the free alkalinity was of 0 . 3 mgr . of sulfuric acid per distillate gram . table 3 shows the relative composition of the compounds . 150 gr . of melted tall oil pitch , with an acid number of 108 . 1 , were gradually poured at 155 ° c . in a 250 ml flask provided with a stirring device and reflux condenser that contained 55 gr . of an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide at 25 % in weight maintained at 90 ° c . the resulting mixture was maintained at reflux for five hours . 50 gr . of the mixture were extracted four times with 80 ml of hexane . the hexane extract was centrifuged at 4000 rpm and desolventized in a rotary evaporator at reduced pressure . 1 . 0 gr . of the residue was weighed and its acid number was 1 . 8 . 10 gr . of neutralized tall oil pitch were weighed in a 100 - ml beaker and they were dried in an oven at 125 ° c . for 5 hours , determining a humidity percentage of 22 . 1 % in weight . then , 25 gr . of the neutralized and dry tall oil pitch were extracted for 48 hours in a soxhlet extractor with 200 ml of hexane . the hexane extract was desolventized and 10 . 4 gr . of unsaponifiable mass were recovered . 500 kgr of the analyzed tall oil pitch were dried to a humidity of 1 . 0 % in weight , according to the described procedure in example 2 . 500 gr . of neutralized and dry tall oil were melted at 220 ° c . and they were loaded at the entrance 5 of the equipment feeder 6 shown in fig1 . feeder temperature was maintained at 230 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil . condenser temperature 3 remained at 80 ° c . through a haake thermostated bath . distillation column jacket temperature was heated at 320 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil provided from the heating bath 12 in fig1 . castrol ht - 5 was used as thermal oil . equipment pressure was maintained at 0 . 07 mbar through a leybold heraeus vacuum pump , model trivac , type d2a / ws provided with a diffusion pump . rollers rotated at 150 rpm and the average feeding was 1 . 5 ml / min . after processing raw materials , 305 . 6 gr . of the residue was recovered and an unsaponifiable percentage of 4 . 7 % in weight was determined through extraction with soxhlet . at the same way , 10 gr . of the residue were weighed , mixed with 50 gr . of water and acidified with 2 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid . centrifuging the mixture at 4000 rpm separated the oily phase . the organic phase was washed and its acid number was 175 . 8 . 194 . 3 gr . of the distillate were recovered from which 25 gr . were weighed , dissolved with 250 gr . of hexane and extracted three times with 30 gr . of an aqueous solution of ethanol at 50 % in weight that was neutralized at ph 7 . the aqueous extract was titrated with sulfuric acid 0 . 01 n in an automatic titrator . the free alkalinity was of 0 . 2 mgr . of sulfuric acid per distillate gram . 500 gr . of distillate produced according to example 7 were weighed , melted at 100 ° c . and loaded to the feeder of the short path distillation device shown in fig1 . feeder temperature was maintained at 100 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil . condenser temperature 3 remained at 70 ° c . through a haake thermostat bath . distillation column jacket temperature was heated at 140 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil provided from the heating bath 12 in fig1 . castrol ht - 5 was used as thermal oil . equipment pressure was maintained at 0 . 05 mbar through a leybold heraeus vacuum pump , model trivac , type d2a / ws provided with a diffusion pump . rollers rotated at 150 rpm and the average feeding was 3 . 0 ml / min . 215 . 5 gr . of the distillate , mainly composed by fatty alcohols , were recovered . sterol percentage in the distillate current was of 3 . 9 % in weight . table 4 shows the relative composition of fatty types of alcohol in the condensing : distillation bottom was collected and loaded again in the feeder of the short path distillation column . feeder temperature was maintained at 140 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil . condenser temperature 3 remained at 130 ° c . through a haake thermostat bath . distillation column jacket temperature was heated at 230 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil provided from the heating bath 12 in fig1 . castrol ht - 5 was used as thermal oil . equipment pressure was maintained at 0 . 05 mbar through a leybold heraeus vacuum pump , model trivac , type d2a / ws provided with a diffusion pump . rollers rotated at 150 rpm and the average feeding was 3 . 0 ml / min . 203 . 2 gr . of distillate with a sterol content of 66 . 1 % in weight were recovered . table 5 shows the relative composition of sterols : 100 gr . of distillate produced according to example 9 , which contained 66 . 1 % in weight of sterols , were weighed , melted at 120 ° c . and loaded to the feeder of the short path distillation device shown in fig1 . feeder temperature was maintained at 120 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil . condenser temperature 3 remained at 50 ° c . through a haake thermostat bath . distillation column jacket temperature was heated at 120 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil provided from the heating bath 12 in fig1 . castrol ht - 5 was used as thermal oil . equipment pressure was maintained at 0 . 1 mbar through a leybold heraeus vacuum pump , model trivac , type d2a / ws provided with a diffusion pump . rollers rotated at 150 rpm and the average feeding was 3 . 0 ml / min . 66 . 0 gr . of the residue with a sterol content of 90 . 2 % in weight were recovered and loaded again in the feeder of the short path distillation column . feeder temperature was maintained at 150 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil . condenser temperature 3 remained at 130 ° c . through a haake thermostat bath . distillation column jacket temperature was heated at 245 ° c . through circulation of thermal oil provided from the heating 12 in fig1 . castrol ht - 5 was used as thermal oil . equipment pressure was maintained at 0 . 05 mbar through a leybold heraeus vacuum pump , model trivac , type d2a / ws provided with a diffusion pump . rollers rotated at 150 rpm and the average feeding was 3 . 0 ml / min . 57 . 4 gr . of distillate with a sterol content of 96 . 1 % in weight were recovered . table 6 shows the relative composition of sterols : . 33 . 6 gr . of distillate produced according example 7 were weighed in a 500 - ml flask provided with a thermometer helder that controls the bottom temperature connected to a vigreux column , claisen , condenser , elbow and collector that are united to a leybold heraeus vacuum pump , model trivac , type d2a / ws provided with a diffusion pump . distillation was carried out at a constant pressure of 0 . 1 mbar . table 7 shows the at different temperatures : the identification of the unsaponifiable substance components and the unsaponifiable substance fractions obtained according to the procedure of the present invention was carried out through a gaseous capillary chromatography . the chromatographic method used is the result of an extensive survey about the more convenient conditions and techniques for determining the different components in the unsaponifiable substance and its distilled fractions . at the same time , precisely weigh 0 . 1 mgr ., 50 mgr . of 5β - colestan - 3α - ol calculate the weight percentage of the compound of interest through the following formula : % x = a x · m p a p · m m · 100 although the invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions , one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the preferred versions , which have been presented for the purpose of illustration and not of limitation . therefore , the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions provided herein . | 1 |
other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the succeeding , detailed description thereof . the invention is best understood by referring to the drawing . the drawing depicts a spray apparatus , including the paint pushout apparatus of this invention , for applying a two - component paint . the color resin is fed through color valve 7 , through metering pump 4 , through line 2 into spray gun 1 , while at the same time the clear crosslinking agent is fed from crosslinking agent supply line 6 , metered by positive displacement pump 5 , and fed through line 3 into spray gun 1 . at the beginning of the paint pushout cycle of the apparatus ( i . e ., the cycle whereby solvent is dispensed into the paint apparatus to pushout the paint ), color valve 7 of the color resin being sprayed is closed . at this time , control valves 9 and 15 are closed , the solvent port control valve 25 is opened , viscous material supply control valve 14 is opened , and the viscous material positive displacement pump 18 is started . with control valves 9 and 15 closed , the viscous material 21 flows from the viscous material supply tank 20 through supply line 19 , check valve 17 , positive displacement pump 18 , and control valve 14 into the second compartment 27 of chamber 12 . this forces separating means 13 to the left and displaces a controlled flow of solvent out of the prefilled first compartment 26 of chamber 12 . the controlled flow of the solvent through supply line 11 , control valve 25 , through solvent port 24 into the common color change manifold 28 of color change apparatus 23 , through master color displacement pump 4 , color supply line 2 and three - way dump valve 30 , which is open to the spray gun and line 2 , forces a controlled flow of the color component ahead of it and out through the spray gun 1 . at the end of the spray cycle , the spray gun is shut off , the viscous material positive displacement pump 18 is stopped and viscous material supply valve 14 is closed . subsequently , solvent control valve 9 is opened , viscous material return valve 15 is opened , and dump valve 30 is opened to line 2 and solvent recovery tank 29 . solvent from high pressure supply line 10 flows through valve 9 , line 11 , valve 25 , solvent port 24 , through color changer 28 , through line 2 , out through dump valve 30 , into solvent recovery tank 29 . at this time , flush solvent under the high pressure of the solvent supply line 10 forces the separating means 13 in chamber 12 to the right , filling the first compartment 26 of the chamber with solvent and pushing the viscous material in the second compartment 27 of the chamber past control valve 15 through line 16 . in the preferred embodiment of this invention , the apparatus would include a means for returning the viscous material from line 16 back to supply tank 20 . however such viscous material can instead be disposed of , if such is desired . at the end of the solvent fill cycle , valve 25 is closed and subsequently valve 9 is closed . three way valve 30 is opened to the spray gun and line 2 , then valve 22 is opened , allowing high pressure air from air supply line 8 to blow out the color change head , color line and clear the gun of solvent . valve 30 is then opened to solvent recovery tank 29 , valve 22 is closed and a new color line is opened to prefill the color change head and color supply line 2 , color pump 4 , while dumping a small amount of new color to the solvent recovery tank 29 . thereafter , valve 30 is opened to spray gun 1 and a new paint cycle is started . pumps 4 and 18 are positive displacement gear pumps . while pump 4 must be flushable pump , pump 18 need not be flushable . the flushable pumps , as compared to non - flushable pumps , include a by - pass valve around the gears within the pump . during color change operation , this valve is opened so that high velocity air or solvent is permitted to by - pass the gears and pass from the pump inlet to outlet port , as well as through the pump ( gears ). this allows a rapid scrubbing action to take place in ( through ) pump 5 , color supply line 2 , dump valve 30 to recovery tank 29 on spray gun 1 . exemplary of such a flushable pump is that taught in u . s . patent application ser . no . 601 , 110 , filed apr . 18 , 1984 . during the solvent pushout cycle , pump 4 and pump 18 are set to operate at the same rate of material delivery . the pump can be driven at the proper rpm by step motors , which may be manually controlled or be automatically controlled by a microprocessor or programable controller . the viscous material 21 may be a material , such as dioctyl phthlate , which is compatible with the paint and solvent and which has a viscosity similar to that of the paint being pushed out . this assures that in the event that any viscous fluid leaks past the separating means in the chamber , it will not adversely affect the system or painting operation . generally a viscosity of about 14 to 26 seconds measured with a # 4 ford cup at 80 ° f . would be suitable for the viscous material employed in the paint pushout process of this invention . the amount of solvent ahead of the separation means in the chamber must be sufficient to fill the spray apparatus to within a given distance of about , e . g ., one foot of spray head 1 , during the solvent dispensing cycle . for example , in a standard paint assembly operation , the length of hose 2 to spray gun 1 is about 10 feet long , and the amount of solvent required to be dispensed into the spray apparatus during the solvent dispensing cycle to push the paint to within about a foot of spray gun 1 is between about 150 - 200 cc . separating means 13 between the first and second compartments of the chamber may be a solid movable separating means . preferably , chamber 12 is a cylindrical chamber and as is depicted in the drawing , the separating means 13 therein comprises two circular , disc shaped pistons arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chamber and a stabilizing means for the pistons , e . g ., a bar , whereby the pistons are affixed apart from each other . the separating means should form a liquid tight seal with the walls of the chamber so as to prevent the viscous material and solvent from leaking past the separating means . while the apparatus of this invention has been taught as having particular usefulness with a two component paint spraying apparatus , the apparatus of this invention is not limited to such a system . it may , for example , be used to push paint out of a one component paint spraying apparatus between color changes . while particular embodiments of this invention , e . g ., relative the viscosity of the material , amount of solvent to be dispersed into the paint spraying apparatus , separating means , etc ., have been discussed above , they are not meant to be limiting to the apparatus of this invention . selection of the optimal characteristic of such variables of the invention would be well within the skill of those in the art . in view of the disclosure , many modifications of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art . it is intended that all such modifications which falls within the true scope of this invention be included within the terms of the appended claims . | 1 |
a new and novel meter for metering electrical energy is shown in fig1 and generally designated 10 . it is noted at the outset that this meter is constructed so that the future implementation of higher level metering functions can be supported . meter 10 is shown to include three resistive voltage divider networks 12 a , 12 b , 12 c : a first processor — an adc / dsp ( analog - to - digital converter / digital signal processor ) chip 14 : a second processor — a microcontroller 16 which in the preferred embodiment is a mitsubishi model 50428 microcontroller : three current sensors 18 a , 18 b , 18 c ; a 12v switching power supply 20 that is capable of receiving inputs in the range of 96 – 528v ; a 5v linear power supply 22 : a non - volatile power supply 24 that switches to a battery 26 when 5v supply 22 is inoperative ; a 2 . 5v precision voltage reference 28 ; a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 30 ; a 32 . 768 khz oscillator 32 ; a 6 . 2208 mhz oscillator 34 that provides timing signals to chip 14 and whose signal is divided by 1 . 5 to provide a 4 . 1472 mhz clock signal to microcontroller 16 ; a 2 kbyte eeprom 35 ; a serial communications line 36 ; an option connector 38 : and an optical communications port 40 that may be used to read the meter . the inter - relationship and specific details of each of these components is set out more fully below . it will be appreciated that electrical energy has both voltage and current characteristics . in relation to meter 10 voltage signals are provided to resistive dividers 12 a – 12 c and current signals are induced in a current transformer ( ct ) and shunted . the output of ct / shunt combinations 18 a – 18 c is used to determine electrical energy . first processor 14 is connected to receive the voltage and current signals provided by dividers 12 a – 12 c and shunts 18 a – 18 c . as will be explained in greater detail below , processor 14 converts the voltage and current signals to voltage and current digital signals , determines electrical energy from the voltage and current digital signals and generates an energy signal representative of the electrical energy determination . processor 14 will always generate a watthour delivered ( whr del ) and , watthour received ( whr rec ), depending on the type of energy being metered , will generate either a volt amp reactive hour delivered ( varhr del )/ a volt amp reactive hour received ( varhr rec ) signal or volt amp hour delivered ( vahr del )/ volt amp hour received ( vahr rec ) signal . in the preferred embodiment , each transition on conductors 42 – 48 ( each logic transition ) is representative of the measurement of a unit of energy . second processor 16 is connected to first processor 14 . as will be explained in greater detail below , processor 16 receives the energy signal ( s ) and generates an indication signal representative of said energy signal . it will be noted again that meter 10 is a wide range meter capable of metering over a voltage range from 96 – 528v . the components which enhance such a wide range meter include the divider network 12 a – 12 c , which as previously noted are connected to receive the voltage component . the dividers generate a divided voltage , wherein the divided voltage is substantially linear voltage with minimal phase shift over the wide dynamic range , i . e . 96 – 528 volts . a processing unit ( processors 14 and 16 ) are connected to receive the divided voltage and the current component . the processing unit processes the divided voltages and the current components to determine electrical energy metering values . it will be appreciated from the following description that processors 14 and 16 require stable supply voltages to be operable . a power supply , connected to receive the voltage component and connected to processors 14 and 16 , generate the necessary supply voltages from the phase a voltage component over the wide dynamic range . power supply 20 could also run off of phase b and phase c voltages or a combination of the above . however , a combination embodiment would require additional protection and rectifying components . in relation to the preferred embodiment of meter 10 , currents and voltages are sensed using conventional current transformers ( ct &# 39 ; s ) and resistive voltage dividers , respectively . the appropriate multiplication is accomplished in a new integrated circuit , i . e . processor 14 . processor 14 is essentially a programmable digital signal processor ( dsp ) with built in multiple analog to digital ( a / d ) converters . the converters are capable of sampling multiple input channels simultaneously at 2400 hz each with a resolution of 21 bits and then the integral dsp performs various calculations on the results . for a more detailed description of processor 14 , reference is made to u . s . pat . no . 5 , 555 , 508 , which is incorporated herein by reference and which is owned by the same assignee as the present application . meter 10 can be operated as either a demand meter or as a time - of - use ( tou ) meter . it will be recognized that tou meters are becoming increasingly popular due to the greater differentiation by which electrical energy is billed . for example , electrical energy metered during peak hours will be billed differently than electrical energy billed during non - peak hours . as will be explained in greater detail below , first processor 14 determines units of electrical energy while processor 16 , in the tou mode , qualifies such energy units in relation to the time such units were determined , i . e . the season as well as the time of day . all indicators and test features are brought out through the face of meter 10 , either on lcd 30 or through optical communications port 40 . power supply 20 for the electronics is a switching power supply feeding low voltage linear supply 22 . such an approach allows a wide operating voltage range for meter 10 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the so - called standard meter components and register electronics are for the first time all located on a single printed circuit board ( not shown ) defined as an electronics assembly . this electronics assembly houses power supplies 20 , 22 , 24 and 28 , resistive dividers 12 a – 12 c for all three phases , the shunt resistor portion of 18 a – 18 c , oscillator 34 , processor 14 , processor 16 , reset circuitry , eeprom 35 , oscillator 32 , optical port components 40 , lcd 30 , and an option board interface 38 . when this assembly is used for demand metering , the billing data is stored in eeprom 35 . this same assembly is used for tou metering applications by merely utilizing battery 26 and reprogramming the configuration data in eeprom 35 . the additional time - of - use billing data is stored in the internal ram of processor 16 , which ram is backed by battery 26 . consider now the various components of meter 10 in greater detail . primary current being metered may be sensed using conventional current transformers . the shunt resistor portion of devices 18 a – 18 c are located on the electronics assembly . the phase voltages are brought directly to the electronic assembly where resistive dividers 12 a – 12 c scale these inputs to processor 14 . in the preferred embodiment , the electronic components are referenced to the vector sum of each line voltage for three wire delta systems and to earth ground for all other services . resistive division is used to divide the input voltage so that a very linear voltage with minimal phase shift over a wide dynamic range can be obtained . this in combination with a switching power supply allows the wide voltage operating range to be implemented . referring briefly to fig2 , each resistive divider consists of two 1 meg , 1 / 2 watt resistors 50 / 52 , 54 / 56 and 58 / 60 , respectively . resistors 50 – 60 are used to drop the line voltage at an acceptable watt loss . each resistor pair feeds a resistor 62 , 64 and 66 , respectively . resistors 62 – 66 are metal film resistors having a minimal temperature coefficient . this combination is very inexpensive compared to other voltage sensing techniques . resistors 50 – 60 have an operating voltage rating of 300 vrms each . these resistors have been individually tested with the 6 kv ieee 587 impulse waveforms to assure that the resistance is stable and that the devices are not destroyed . resistors 62 – 66 scales the input voltage to be less than 1 volt peak to peak to processor 14 . resistors 62 – 66 should be in the range of from about 100 ohms to about 1 k ohms to assure this maximum voltage and maintain maximum signal . on grounded , three wire delta systems , those components of the electronics assembly operating on logic voltage levels ( including the battery connector ) can be at an elevated voltage . in such situations , the two , 1 meg resistor combinations ( 50 / 52 , 54 / 56 , 58 / 60 ) provide current limiting to the logic level electronics . the worse case current occurs during testing of a 480 v , 3 wire delta meter with single phase excitation . it will be appreciated that energy units are calculated in processor 14 primarily from multiplication of voltage and current . the preferred embodiment of processor 14 , referenced above as being described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 555 , 508 , includes three analog to digital converters . the necessity for three converters is primarily due to the absense of voltage transformers , present in prior meters . the m37428 microcontroller 16 is a 6502 ( a traditional 8 bit microprocessor ) derivative with an expanded instruction set for bit test and manipulation . this microcontroller includes substantial functionality including internal lcd drivers ( 128 quadraplexed segments ), 8 kbytes of rom , 384 bytes of ram , a full duplex hardware uart , 5 timers , dual clock inputs ( 32 . 768 khz and up to 8 mhz ), and a low power operating mode . during normal operation , processor 16 receives the 4 . 1472 mhz clock from processor 14 as described above . such a clock signal translates to a 1 . 0368 mhz cycle time . upon power fail , processor 16 shifts to the 32 . 768 khz crystal oscillator 32 . this allows low power operation with a cycle time of 16 . 384 khz . during a power failure , processor 16 keeps track of time by counting seconds and rippling the time forward . once processor 16 has rippled the time forward , a wit instruction is executed which places the unit in a mode where only the 32 . 768 khz oscillator and the timers are operational . while in this mode a timer is setup to “ wake up ” processor 16 every 32 , 768 cycles to count a second . consider now the particulars of the power supplies shown in fig1 . as indicated previously , the off - line switching supply 20 is designed to operate over a 96 – 528 vac input range . it connects directly to the phase a voltage alternating current ( ac ) line and requires no line frequency transformer . a flyback converter serves as the basis of the circuit . a flyback converter is a type of switching power supply . as used herein , the “ ac cycle ” refers to the 60 hz or 50 hz input to power supply 20 . the “ switching cycle ” refers to the 50 khz to 140 khz frequency at which the switching transformer of power supply 20 operates . it will be noted that other switching cycle frequences can be used . referring now to fig4 , power supply 20 for use in electronic meters includes a transformer 300 having primary and secondary windings . the input voltage ( phase a voltage ) is provided to the primary winding so that current may flow therethrough . as will be appreciated from fig5 , the secondary winding defines the output of the power supply . referring back to fig4 , a switching member 302 is connected to the primary winding of transformer 300 . switching member 302 permits and prevents the flow of current through the primary winding . switch member 302 is operable in response to a control signal , which control signal is generated by control circuit 304 . controller 304 generates the control signal in response to a limit signal generated by the start / feedback circuit 306 in response to the output of power supply 20 . voltage clamp 308 serves to limit the voltage applied to transformer 300 and switch 302 . surge protection circuit 309 is provided at the input to protect against surges appearing in the phase a voltage . referring now to fig5 , transformer 300 and switch 302 are shown in greater detail . it will be appreciated that switch 302 is a transistor . at the beginning of each switching cycle , transistor 302 “ turns on ”, i . e . becomes conductive , and magnetizes the core of transformer 300 by applying voltage across the primary 310 . at the end of each cycle , transistor 302 turns off and allows the energy stored in the core of transformer 300 to flow to the output of the power supply , which “ output ” can be generally defined by secondary 312 . simultaneously , energy flows out of the bootstrap or tertiary winding 314 to power the control circuitry 304 . feedback circuit 306 and controller 304 control the output of power supply 20 by varying the on time of transistor 302 . controller 304 will be described in greater detail in relation to fig5 . transistor 302 is connected through inverter 316 to receive the output of an oscillator formed from inverters 318 , 320 and 322 . it will be recognized that such inverters form a ring oscillator . the oscillator has a free - run frequency of 50 khz . the on time of transistor 302 may vary between 200 ns and 10 μs . the off time is always between 8 and 10 μs . during operation , the bootstrap winding 314 of transformer 300 ( pins 10 and 11 ) powers controller 304 , but this power is not available until the power supply has started . the control circuit is a current - mode regulator . at the beginning of a switching cycle , transistor 302 is turned on by the oscillator output . if left alone , transistor 302 would also be turned off by the oscillator output . transistor 302 remains on until the current in primary 310 of transformer 300 ( pins 8 and 13 ) ramps up to the threshold current level i th represented as a voltage v th . as will be explained below , v th is generated by feedback circuit 306 . when the primary current of transformer 300 , represented as a voltage v t and sensed by resistor 326 , ramps up to the threshold level v th , pin 1 of comparator 324 terminates the on period of the oscillator by forcing the oscillator output high , which output in turn is inverted by inverter 316 , shutting off transistor 302 . transistor 302 then turns off until the next switching cycle . since the v th indirectly controls the on time of transistor 302 , controller 304 regulates the output voltage of the power supply by comparing the sensed current in transformer 300 to this threshold level . transistor 362 and pin 7 of comparator 326 can disable the oscillator . transistor 362 , described in greater detail in fig7 , disables the oscillator when the line voltage exceeds 400 volts . comparator 328 disables the oscillator when the controller 304 has insufficient voltage to properly drive transistor 302 . the voltage in controller 304 , vc , will be described in relation to fig5 . consider now feedback circuit 306 , shown in fig6 . when connected to the phase a voltage , resistor 330 slowly charges capacitor 332 . the high value of resistor 330 and the 400 volt limit by voltage clamp 308 limit the power dissipation of resistor 330 . after a few seconds , capacitor 332 charges above 13 volts . transistors 334 and 336 then provide positive feedback to each other and snap on . controller 304 can run for tens of milliseconds from the charge stored in capacitor 332 . normally , power supply 20 will successfully start and begin to power itself in this period . if it fails to start , transistors 334 and 336 turn off when the charge across capacitor 332 drops below 8 . 5 volts and capacitor 332 again charges through resistor 330 . this cycle repeats until the supply starts . with high input voltages and without resistor 338 ( fig5 ), the current sourced by resistor 330 can hold the control and start - up circuits in a disabled state that does not recycle . when capacitor 332 drops below 8 . 5 volts , resistor 338 places a load on the control circuit supply . this load insures that the start - up circuit recycles properly with high input voltages . as indicated above , when the primary current of transformer 300 sensed by resistor 326 ramps up to the threshold level v th , pin 1 of comparator 324 can terminate the on period of the oscillator . when the voltage on capacitor 332 is less than 13 volts , zener diode 340 provides no voltage feedback . under these conditions , the base - emitter voltage of transistor 336 sets the current threshold i th to about 650 ma . this maximum current limit protects transistor 302 , as well as those transistors in voltage clamp 306 , and prevents transformer 300 from saturating . as the voltage on capacitor 332 , which is representative of the output voltage of the supply , approaches the proper level , zener diode 340 begins to conduct and effectively reduces the current threshold , i . e . effectively reduces v th . each switching cycle will then transfers less power to the output , and the supply begins to regulate its output . when the regulating circuitry requires on times of transistor 302 less than about 400 ns , the current sense circuitry does not have time to react to the primary current of transformer 300 . in that case , the regulating circuit operates as a voltage - mode pulse width modulator . resistor 342 ( fig5 ) generates a negative step at pin 3 of comparator 324 at the beginning of each switching cycle . the regulator feedback voltage at pin 2 of comparator 324 , which contains little current information at the beginning of each switching cycle , translates the step at pin 3 into various input overdrives of comparator 324 , thereby driving the output of comparator 324 to a logic high level . the propagation time of the comparator 324 decreases with increasing overdrive , i . e . as the negative step increases , and the circuit acts as a pulse width modulator . the negative step will increase due to the changing level of v th . any leakage inductance between the bootstrap winding ( pins 10 and 11 of transformer 300 ) and the output winding ( pins 3 and 4 of transformer 300 ) causes inaccurate tracking between the voltage on capacitor 332 and the output voltage of the supply . this leakage inductance can cause poor load regulation of the supply . the bootstrap and output windings are bifilar wound ; they are tightly coupled , have little leakage inductance , and provide acceptable load regulation . since the two windings are in direct contact , the bootstrap winding requires teflon insulation to meet the isolation voltage specifications . a 100 % hi - pot test during manufacture insures the integrity of the insulation . consider now the details of voltage clamp 308 , shown in fig7 . a 528 vac input corresponds to 750 vdc after rectification . switching transistors that can directly handle these voltages are extremely expensive . by using the voltage clamp of the present invention , relatively inexpensive switching transistors can be utilized . in power supply 20 , the switching member 302 is shut down during parts of the ac cycle that exceed 400 volts . the switching transistor , transistor 302 , in conjunction with two other transistors 344 and 346 , can hold off 750 vdc . during surge conditions , these three transistors can withstand over 1500 volts . in the preferred embodiment , transistors 302 , 344 and 346 are 600 - volt mosfets . because high - voltage electrolytic capacitors are expensive and large , this voltage clamp 308 has no bulk filter capacitor after the bridge rectifier 348 . without a bulk filter capacitor , this switching converter must shut down during parts of the ac cycle . it intentionally shuts down during parts of the ac cycle that exceed 400 volts , and no input power is available when the ac cycle crosses zero . the 2200 μf output capacitor 350 ( fig5 ), provides output current during these periods . as discussed above , transistors 344 and 346 act as a voltage clamp and limit the voltage applied to switching member 302 . at a 528 vac line voltage , the input to the clamping circuit reaches 750 volts . during lightning - strike surges , this voltage may approach 1500 volts . when the voltage at the output of bridge rectifier 348 exceeds 400 volts , zener diodes 352 and 354 begin to conduct . these diodes , along with the 33 kω resistors 356 , 358 and 360 , create bias voltages for transistors 344 and 346 . transistors 344 and 346 act as source followers and maintain their source voltages a few volts below their gate voltages . if , for example , the output of bridge rectifier 348 is at 1000 volts , the gates of transistors 344 and 346 will be at approximately 400 and 700 volts respectively . the source of transistor 344 applies roughly 700 volts to the drain of 346 ; the source of 346 feeds about 400 volts to switching member 302 . transistors 344 and 346 each drop 300 volts under these conditions and thereby share the drop from the 1000 volt input to the 400 volt output , a level which the switching converter 302 can withstand . as zener diodes 352 and 354 begin to conduct and as transistors 344 and 346 begin to clamp , transistor 362 turns on and shuts down the switching converter . although transistors 344 and 346 limit the voltage fed to the converter to an acceptable level , they would dissipate an excessive amount of heat if the switching converter 302 consumed power during the clamping period . when switching converter 302 shuts down , transistor 302 no longer has to withstand the flyback voltage from transformer 300 . resistor 364 takes advantage of this by allowing the output voltage of the clamp to approach 500 volts ( instead of 400 volts ) as the input to the clamp approaches 1500 volts . this removes some of the burden from transistors 344 and 346 . zener diodes 352 and 354 are off and the converter 302 runs when the output of bridge rectifier 348 is below 400 volts . during these parts of the ac cycle , the 33 kω resistors 356 , 358 and 360 directly bias the gates of transistors 344 and 346 . the voltage drop across transistors 344 and 346 is then slightly more than the threshold voltages of those transistors along with any voltage drop generated by the channel resistance of those transistors . during the off time of transistor 302 , about 10 μs , the 33 kω resistors can no longer bias the gates of transistors 344 and 346 . diode 366 prevents the gate capacitance of transistors 344 and 346 and the junction capacitance of zeners 368 and 370 from discharging when transistor 302 is off . this keeps transistors 344 and 3460 n and ready to conduct when transistor 302 turns on at the next switching cycle . if the gates of transistors 344 and 346 had discharged between switching cycles , they would create large voltage drops and power losses during the time required to recharge their gates through the 33 kω resistors . in the preferred embodiment , two 33 kω resistors are used in series to obtain the necessary voltage capability from 966 surface - mount packages . this power supply must withstand an 8 kv , 1 . 2 × 50 μs short - branch test . varistor 372 , resistors 374 , 376 and 378 , and capacitor 380 protect the power supply from lightning strike surges . a 550 vac varistor 372 serves as the basis of the protection circuit . it has the lowest standard voltage that can handle a 528 vac input . the device has a maximum clamping voltage of 1500 volts at 50 amps . a varistor placed directly across an ac line is subject to extremely high surge currents and may not protect the circuit effectively . high surge currents can degrade the varistor and ultimately lead to catastrophic failure of the device . input resistors 374 and 376 limit the surge currents to 35 amps . this insures that the clamping voltage remains below 1500 volts and extends the life of the varistor to tens of thousands of strikes . resistor 378 and capacitor 380 act as an rc filter . the filter limits the rate of voltage rise at the output of the bridge rectifier . the voltage clamping circuit , transistors 344 and 346 , is able to track this reduced dv / dt . current forced through diodes 382 , 384 and capacitor 386 ( fig5 ) is also controlled by the limited rate of voltage rise . resistors 374 and 376 are 1 watt carbon composition resistors . these resistors can withstand the surge energies and voltages . resistor 378 is a flame - proof resistor that acts as a fuse in the event of a failure in the remainder of the circuit . the values of resistors 374 , 376 and 378 are low enough so that they do not interfere with the operation of the power supply or dissipate excessive amounts of power . finally it is noted that resistors 388 and 390 act to generate the power fail voltage pf . by using the wide voltage ranging of the invention , a single meter can be used in both a four wire wye application as well as in a four wire delta application . it will be recognized that a four wire delta application includes 96v sources as well as a 208v source . in the past such an application required a unique meter in order to accommodate the 208v source . now all sources can be metered using the same meter used in a four wire wye application . while the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that modification and variations may be made without departing from the principles of the invention as described herein above and set forth in the following claims . | 7 |
example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 shows a clamping joint 1 according to the disclosure where the pipe 14 to be connected has already been pushed lightly onto the conical region of the support sleeve 3 or the lead - in cone 11 . the connector 2 has a lead - in cone 11 which makes it possible for the pipe 14 to be connected to be inserted . the lead - in cone 11 makes it possible to dispense with a previous widening of the pipe 14 , which saves on one operating step during assembly and , as a result , makes the assembly simpler and quicker . the pipe 14 , which is produced from a polymer material or from a composite material , is widened as it is being inserted over the lead - in cone 11 , as a result of which the insertion of the connector 2 or of the support sleeve 3 is made possible . the clamping sleeve 6 , which is already pre - assembled on the connector 2 , serves , among other things , for guiding the pipe 14 during the insertion , which can be seen from fig2 . when reaching the clamping sleeve 6 , the pipe 14 is directed along the inside contour or the inside diameter of the clamping sleeve 6 and along the support sleeve 3 . the sealing element 5 , which is preferably formed by an o - ring seal , serves for the optimum tightness of the clamping joint 1 . the sealing element 5 is arranged on the support sleeve 3 and is situated in a groove 12 which is provided for this purpose and which prevents the displacement of the sealing element 5 . the pipe 14 is pushed into the clamping joint 1 as far as up to the radius 13 and is then fastened to the clamping sleeve 6 , which is already pre - assembled on the connector 2 . the clamping sleeve 6 , as already mentioned , is pre - assembled on the connector 2 . the connector 2 has a stop 4 on the opposite end of the lead - in cone 11 of the support sleeve 3 . said stop serves , among other things , for the pre - assembly of the clamping sleeve 6 . the clamping sleeve 6 is fastened on the stop collar 4 . the pre - assembly and the removal of the clamping sleeve 6 from the stop collar 4 are ensured by means of the radially elastic region 9 of the clamping sleeve 6 . a radially elastic region 9 on the clamping sleeve 6 is formed by the arrangement of segments 7 on the clamping sleeve 6 , which can be seen in fig7 . for the pre - assembly , the segments 7 can be widened slightly in the radial direction in order to insert the stop collar 4 of the connector 2 . through their elasticity they are then clamped on the stop collar 4 in a fixed manner , the inside contour of the segments 7 having a channel 8 , which corresponds to the width of the stop collar 4 , as a result of which the clamping sleeve 6 is fixed or positioned in an axial manner on the stop collar 4 . the elastic region 9 consists of at least two segments 7 . it is advantageous when both the clamping sleeve 6 and also the stop collar 4 have a phase 15 which simplifies the pushing down of the clamping sleeve 6 from the stop collar 4 onto the inserted pipe 14 . fig3 illustrates this operation . the elastic region 9 , which is formed by the segments 7 , is deformed in a manner such that the clamping sleeve 6 is pushed in the direction opposite to the insertion of the pipe 14 , as a result of which the phase 15 of the clamping sleeve 6 can be pushed over the phase 15 of the stop collar 4 and , as a result , the clamping sleeve 6 can be pushed onto the inserted pipe 14 . by the inside contour or the inside diameter of the clamping sleeve 6 having a tapering in the rigid region 10 of the clamping sleeve 6 , the inside diameter in the rigid region 10 reducing in the direction of the elastic region 9 , during the assembly or the clamping operation , the tapered part of the clamping sleeve 6 or the clamping sleeve 6 is moved in the direction of the sealing element 5 . by means of the sealing element 5 and the groove 12 provided for said sealing element , the support sleeve 3 has an enlarged cross section at this position , which brings about a clamping action when the clamping sleeve 6 is displaced in the direction of the sealing element 5 . fig4 shows the finished assembled clamping joint 1 . it can also be seen from fig4 that the clamping would be strengthened by tensile force on the pipe 14 as the clamping sleeve 6 would also move in said same direction and thus would appear at the sealing element 5 on account of the tapered diameter of the clamping sleeve 6 or the pipe 14 situated in between would be crimped accordingly . the stop collar 4 serves after the assembly for the purpose of also defining the clamping sleeve 6 in the other direction and ensuring that it cannot be removed . no such clamping joint , where the fitting on of the clamping sleeve is effected against the direction in which the pipe is inserted , is known from the prior art , as such an operation up to now has been perceived as not logical since , as a result , the pipe in the case of the known clamping joints would be pushed down again by the support sleeve . in addition , in the case of conventional clamping joints which are pre - assembled , the clamping sleeve is also attached on the support sleeve , however not on the side of the stop collar but on the side of the pipe to be inserted . an assembly in said direction of the pipe 14 is possible by means of the development of the inside contour or of the tapering of the inside diameter of the clamping sleeve 6 of the present disclosure and the cross - sectional widening of the support sleeve 3 by the sealing element 5 , a mere cross - sectional widening on the support sleeve 3 without a sealing element 5 being equally conceivable in order to achieve said clamping effect where the clamping is strengthened instead of removed when there is tensile force on the pipe . it can also be seen from fig4 that the inside diameter of the connector 2 has approximately the same cross section or diameter as the pipe to be inserted . as a result , a narrowing of the line in the case of pipe couplings or fitting connections is able to be reduced with the clamping joint according to the disclosure . in addition , an optimum transition is formed by the lead - in cone 11 such that no flow - impairing obstructions are created by the inserted connector 2 . fig5 shows a pipe coupling 16 which is suitable for connecting pipes 14 . the coupling 16 has a clamping joint 1 according to the disclosure on both sides . the pipe coupling 16 is shown in the pre - assembled state . such clamping joints 1 are also suitable , for example , for connections on fittings . fig6 shows a clamping joint 1 according to the disclosure which is arranged on a distributor . the clamping sleeve 6 of the clamping joint 1 according to the disclosure , which is shown separately in fig7 , has an elastic region 9 . the radially elastic region 9 is composed of segments 7 which are arranged along the circumference . the number and size of the segments 7 are to be adapted to the requirements of the clamping joint 1 and to its dimension . in addition , the clamping sleeve 6 has a rigid region 10 which makes it possible for the inserted pipe 14 to be clamped . the inside contour or the inside diameter in the rigid region 10 is tapered in the direction of the elastic region 9 , as a result of which , as described previously , the clamping action is achieved in dependence on the support sleeve 3 . the clamping sleeve 6 preferably has a web 17 on the outer circumference , which web serves for the assembly . the clamping joint 1 can be mounted with the aid of a corresponding assembly tool by means of the web 17 on the clamping sleeve 6 . the foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure . individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment , but , where applicable , are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment , even if not specifically shown or described . the same may also be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure , and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure . | 5 |
it is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention , while eliminating , for purposes of clarity , many other elements which are conventional in this art . those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other elements are desirable for implementing the present invention . however , because such elements are well known in the art , and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention , a discussion of such elements is not provided herein . the present invention will now be described in detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments . fig1 shows a schematic block diagram of a hand held communication device according to a first embodiment . the hand held communication device comprises a central processing unit 100 , a transceiver 200 , a display managing unit 300 , a display 400 and a memory 500 . the communication device optionally comprises a windows managing unit 310 and a communication log unit 320 . the communication log unit 320 can comprise a most frequent communication incident unit 321 and a recent communication incident unit 322 . the central processing unit 100 is used to run an operating system of the communication device . the operation system is an interface between the hardware of the device and an application running on the communication device . the central processing unit 100 is used for managing and coordinating activities and resources of the device . the transceiver 200 is used to receive and transmit data . the transceiver can be used for any wireless communication . the wireless communication can be based on a wi - fi protocol , a 3g protocol , a 4g protocol like lte etc . the display 400 is used to display information . the display managing unit 310 serves to control the display 400 . the display can be used as a graphic interface unit gui . the device 400 can furthermore comprise a keyboard 410 and / or a touch screen 420 . alternatively , the keyboard and / or the touch screen can be implemented separate from the display . optionally , the windows managing unit 310 is provided which serves to control windows or portions of the display 400 . the windows managing unit 310 can also be used to manage different parts or portions of the display 400 . the communication log unit 320 monitors the communication incidents of the hand held device . communication incidents can be sent and received e - mails , sent and received text messages , dialled and received phone calls , dialled and received video calls , sent or received messages , sent or received messages from social media applications . a communication log unit 320 can comprise a most frequent communication incident unit 321 for monitoring the communication incidents of the hand held device and for determining the most frequent communications incident list mf from / to other users . in addition , the communication log unit 320 comprises a recent communication incident unit 322 for monitoring and logging the most recent communication incidents of the hand held device . according to the first embodiment , the communication log unit 320 is adapted to generate a combined communication log cci based on the most frequent communication incident list mf from the most frequent communication unit 321 and the recent communication incident list ci from the recent communication incident unit 321 . the combined communication incident log list cii comprises a first number n of items from the recent communication incident list ci and a second number m of items from the most frequent communication incident list mf . according to the first embodiment , the first items of the combined communication log list cci correspond to the most recent communication incidents from the recent communication incident list ci . thereafter , the next items of the combined list cci correspond to the first items in the most frequent communication incident list mf . alternatively , the sequence can be vice versa . the windows managing unit 320 can edit the combined communication incident list cci such that the list can be displayed on a window or part of the display . alternatively , the windows managing unit 310 can be adapted to edit the combined communication incident list cci such that the combined communication incident list is displayed on two separate windows or on two separate portions of the display . in this case , the first window or portion can be used for displaying the selected items from the recent communication incident list ci and the second window or second portion of the display 400 can be used to display the selected items from the most frequent communication incidents mf . according to an aspect of the first embodiment , the windows managing unit 310 can display the recent communication incident list ci in the first window or portion of the display and the most frequent communication incident list mf in the second window or portion of the display 400 . the windows managing unit 310 can be adapted to select different colours for the items from the recent communication incident list ci and the items from the most frequent communication incident list mf . the hand held device can furthermore optionally comprise a contact list unit 600 . the contact list unit serves to create and manage a contact list which can be optionally stored on the hand held device . the contact list will comprise a plurality of names and a unique identifier ( e . g . in form of a telephone number , an associated e - mail address , an associated social media profile etc .) associated to each name . typically , the contact list will comprise a name that is associated to the unique identifier . it is clear that the contact list can be managed in the same manner as described above with reference to the log of calls . it is also clear that the content of all the above said lists is updated every time the user makes a phone call or contacts somebody . fig2 shows a schematic representation of a communication log according to a second embodiment . the windows managing unit 310 according to the first embodiment can be adapted to provide a combined communication log list cci as described according to the first embodiment . as an example , the first number n ( e . g . 5 ) of items in the combined communication log list cci correspond to the first n items from the recent communication incident list ci and the subsequent second number m of items of the combined communication incident list cci correspond to the first numbers m from the most frequent communication incident list mf . alternatively , the sequence can be reversed , i . e . the first items are the m items from the most frequent communication incident list mf and the subsequent items are the first n items of the most recent communication incident list ci . one preferred embodiment of the present invention can be the most effective one in the case of displaying on the hand held communication device a single and continuous list of calls / contacts . in this case on the top of the list is placed the last call or contact ( communication incident ) made by the user , taking it from the recent communication incident list ci . this because it is very convenient to have as the first phone number or contact available the last phone number or contact in the case when the last call failed or was interrupted before the end . this allows the user to call again the previous person or contact , without doing a complicated search in the calls log . the second or subsequent places on the list can be taken by the phone numbers or contacts that have the highest ranks in the most frequent communication incident list mf . this is useful because in the situation when the user wants to call or contact somebody who is not the same person called in the previous call , the probability that he / she calls one of the contacts in the most frequent communication incident list mf is very high . in this way , apart the last call or contact , the user has available in easy way the number of his / her parents , or people working with him / her that are of course put in order of frequency of calls . obviously in this case also the third , the fourth , etc . phone numbers or contact taken by the most frequent communication incident list mf . what is clear from the above description is that the data relating to the calls / contacts are displayed in a mix or combined manner , taking the data both from the most frequent communication incident list mf and the recent communication incident list ci , putting at least as the first one of the list , the last phone / contact made by the user . according to a further embodiment which can be based on any of the previous embodiments , the combined communication log ( with its sequence of items ) is stored for example in the memory 500 . in other words , the combined communication log cci for example as depicted in fig2 is stored with the described sequence of items in the memory . it should , however , be noted that any other above described sequence of items of the combined communication log cci can also be stored in its particular sequence in the memory . once the sequence of items of the combined communication log cci is stored in the memory , the combined communication list can be easily read out of the memory and displayed accordingly on the hand held device . at the happening of a new communication incident , the sequence of items stored in the memory relating to the most frequent communication incident and in the memory relating to the recent communication incident is amended reflecting the fact that a new communication incident has occurred . as a result the most frequent communication incident list mf , the recent communication incident list ci and the combined communication incident list cci displayed to the user differ , reflecting the changes in the sequence of items stored in the memory . a hand held communication device can be implemented as a mobile phone , a smart phone , a tablet computer , a notebook computer etc . the memory 500 can be used by the communication log unit 320 for storing the most frequent communication incident list mf and / or the recent communication incident list ci as well as the combined communication incident list cci . alternatively , the communication log unit 320 can comprise a dedicated memory for storing the respective list . optionally , the hand held device can comprise a voice activating unit which can be used instead of the keyboard 410 and / or the touch screen 420 to input commands into the hand held device . the hand held device may comprise a graphics user interface gui which can be implemented by the central processing unit 110 or alternatively the screen managing unit 300 . alternatively , the graphic user interface can also be implemented by a dedicated graphics user interface unit . the communication log unit 320 can optionally also be able to control meta data of the most frequent communication incident list mf and / or the recent communication incident list ci . for example , the communication log unit 320 can associate different colours to the items of the most frequent communication incident list mf and the recent communication incident list ci . as an example , the items of the recent communication incident list ci can be displayed in blue while the items of the most frequent communication incident list mf can be displayed in green . optionally , the user can choose the colour of the items from the respective lists mf , ci . the present invention is advantageous as it allows an easy and efficient way for the user to access the contact or communication details of those persons with which the user will wish to communication with a certain probability . in the prior art documents , merely a call log is generated which is based on the most recent communication incidents like missed calls , dialled phone numbers etc . it is clear that in the present description when is mentioned a communication incident , this means in general term both the incoming and outgoing call / contact , even if the invention can be embodied only with reference to the outgoing calls / contacts . not only the communication incidents are used as items in the communication log , but also those communication incidents that are used as items of the communication log which relate to the most frequent communication incidents . while this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative , not limiting . various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as defined in the following claims . | 7 |
a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig6 a and 6 b show views illustrating inversion driving methods according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig6 a , polarities of pixels for common voltage are inverted in units of pixel groups comprised of three pixels in each row for common voltage , and alternate between positive and negative in each column . the pixels in the pixel group are red ( r ), green ( g ), and blue ( b ) pixels , respectively . the inventive lcd is operated like the dot inversion method such that the pixels are driven in units of rgb pixel groups . in fig6 b , the polarities of the pixels for common voltage are identical in each column but are inverted by a pixel group comprising three pixels . that is , the lcd operates like the column inversion method such that the rgb pixel groups are driven like a column . fig7 shows a view illustrating misalignment between pixel electrodes and data lines in the inversion driving methods shown in fig6 a and 6 b . in the drawing , pa and pb are pixel electrodes , disposed adjacent to but separated from one another , and vp - a and vp - b are voltage signals for the pixel electrodes pa and pb , respectively . here , voltage signals vp - a and vp - b apply negative voltages . in the above , if the pixel electrode pa is disposed slightly to the left ( in the drawing ), while the pixel electrode pb is disposed slightly to the right ( in the drawing ) with respect to data lines d 1 , d 2 , and d 3 , the following results in their coupling capacitance values : ca - d 1 & gt ; ca - d 2 and cb - d 2 & lt ; cb - d 3 . here , ca - d 1 and ca - d 2 are the coupling capacitances between the pixel electrode pa and the data lines d 1 and d 2 , respectively , and cb - d 2 and cb - d 3 are the coupling capacitances between the pixel electrode pb and the data lines d 2 and d 3 , respectively . fig8 shows a view illustrating fluctuations in voltage with respect to time when inversion drive according to the present invention is performed on the pattern shown in fig7 . here , it is assumed that pixel voltage is influenced more by data voltage with a larger coupling capacitance . accordingly , as ca - d 1 & gt ; ca - d 2 , more influence is given to pixel voltage vp - a of the pixel pa by vd 1 than vd 2 such that vp - a is pulled upward ( in the drawing ) as a result of vd 1 and vd 2 moving in an identical phase . further , as cb - d 2 & lt ; cb - d 3 , more influence is given to pixel voltage vp - b of the pixel pb by vd 3 than vd 2 such that vp - b is pulled upward ( in the drawing ) as a result of vd 3 and vd 2 moving in an identical phase . namely , the pixels vp - a and vp - b do not result in the dotted line shown in fig8 , but as they are shifted in an identical direction by coupling capacitance , a root mean square ( rms ) of two adjacent pixels becomes nearly identical . accordingly , a difference in brightness of adjacent pixels ( i . e . between pixels in the rgb groups ) is not like that in the prior art . further , according to the inversion driving method of fig6 a and 6 b , as shown in fig9 , vp - a and vp - b become negative values against common voltage ( vcom ) in a normal state such that a black state is displayed . in addition , as vp - a and vp - b become negative values even if electrodes of two adjacent pixels are shortened , a black state is displayed as in a normal state . accordingly , in the inventive lcd , pixels do not become defective to display a white state even when two adjacent pixels are shortened . in fig6 a and 6 b , although the number of pixels in the pixel group is three , the number of pixels in the pixel group is not limited to three . further , in the inventive lcd , although a difference in brightness results between adjacent pixels of differing rgb groups from coupling capacitances as in the prior art dot and column inversion driving methods , in addition to pixel defects resulting from the shortening of pixels , the possibility of such problems are reduced to one - third in the present invention . accordingly , to prevent the above problems of brightness discrepancies between adjacent pixels of differing rgb groups and pixel defects , an inventive pixel structure is provided as shown in fig1 . in the drawing , a sufficient distance d 2 is provided between a blue ( b ) pixel electrode and a data line d 4 provided to the right ( in the drawing ) of the same pixel electrode , while a distance d 1 between data lines d 1 , d 2 , and d 3 and red ( r ), green ( g ), and blue ( b ) pixel electrodes is maintained as short as possible . a longer distance d 2 between the blue ( b ) pixel electrode and the data line d 4 ( before the next group of rgb pixels ) reduces coupling capacitance between these two elements , which reduces brightness difference caused by coupling capacitance and minimizes the possibility that adjacent pixels of two rgb groups are shortened . also , the sufficient distance d 2 between the rgb pixel groups makes it easier to repair shortening defects with a laser . however , because such a large interval between a pixel and data line reduces an aperture ratio , only one pixel electrode out of each rgb group of three pixels has this long distance d 2 with a data line , while the remaining two pixels keep the short distance d 1 with the data lines . according to the present invention , it is preferable that the distance d 2 is two to six times longer than the distance d 1 , more preferably four times longer . when two gate lines , a first gate line gn and a second gate line gn ′, are provided , a connecting member c formed between the gate lines gn and gn ′ may further prevent brightness difference caused by coupling capacitance between adjacent pixels of different rgb groups . in more detail , because gate off voltage , generally lower than data voltage , is mainly applied to the connecting member c , the pixel electrode and the data line d 4 are electrically shielded and reduce the coupling capacitance , thereby preventing brightness difference between pixels . here , it is preferable that the connecting member c is interposed between two pixels of different rgb groups . the above method of disposing a connecting member between gate lines and between adjacent pixel electrodes of different groups to prevent differences in pixel brightness can also be applied to an in - plane switching ( ips ) mode . fig1 shows a modified example of the pixel structure shown in fig1 in which the ips mode is applied . as shown in the drawing , a tft 80 having a source electrode , a drain electrode , and a gate electrode is provided near each of the intersection of data lines 10 and gate line 20 , and two pixel electrodes 30 are merged and connected to each of the drain electrodes of the tfts 80 . a first common line 50 and a second common line 60 are arranged parallel to the gate line 20 , and common electrodes 40 connect the first common line 50 and the second common line 60 . the common electrodes 40 are positioned between each pair of pixel electrodes 30 . a connecting member 70 is further provided between the first and second common lines 50 and 60 , at a location where pixel electrodes 30 of different rgb groups are adjacent . the connecting member 70 , as in the pixel structure shown in fig1 , provides electrical shielding between the pixel electrodes 30 and data lines 10 . namely , as common voltage is applied to the connecting member 70 , coupling capacitance is reduced between the pixel electrodes 30 and data lines 10 such that differences in brightness between pixels of different groups is prevented . here , it is preferable that the connecting member is interposed between two pixels of different rgb groups . in the present invention , differences in brightness between adjacent pixels , caused by coupling capacitance between pixel electrodes and adjacent data lines , is reduced , and pixel defects caused by the shortening of two pixels is prevented . other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to the skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only , with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims . | 6 |
embodiments of the present invention specify a motor controller for the field - oriented control of an electric motor for driving a vehicle , which motor controller is improved in at least one respect , and an associated method for field - oriented control . embodiments of the invention provide a motor controller for the field - oriented control of an electric motor for driving a vehicle , having a setpoint current value forming unit that is configured to receive a setpoint torque value as an input signal and to output a torque - forming setpoint current value or at least one field - forming setpoint current value as an output signal in order to control the electric motor on a field - oriented basis . the motor controller comprises an exception situation identification device for capturing a present setpoint torque value , computing a change based on the present setpoint torque value and an earlier setpoint torque value and identifying an exception situation when an absolute value of the change exceeds a prescribed threshold value . by way of example , the exception situation identification can be clocked , in which case the earlier setpoint torque value corresponds to the present setpoint torque value of the clock cycle that precedes the present clock cycle , for example . the motor controller may be configured to adjust the torque - forming setpoint current value based on the present setpoint torque value , by bypassing the setpoint current value forming unit , when the exception situation is identified . in this way , the electric motor can be controlled very dynamically because the slow computation of optimized operating points is circumvented by the setpoint current value forming unit . this is particularly advantageous for action by the antilock braking system ( abs ) or the electronic stability program ( esp ). abs and esp make very high demands on the dynamics of control , since they typically reduce the torque demands abruptly and release them again a short time later . the setpoint torque value is thus lowered by abs and esp for a short time and then increased to the original value again . if such action were to be taken via the setpoint current value forming unit , both the reduction in the torque and the subsequent re - elevation would be slowed down . in this case , the delay in the reconstruction of the torque by the setpoint current value forming unit can be brought about by delayed flow buildup in the asynchronous machine , by delayed excitation current buildup in the separately excited synchronous machine and by limited voltage reserves for the current buildup in all machine types , for example . if the setpoint current value forming unit is bypassed then , although an optimum operating point is not normally established , particularly dynamic control of the electric motor becomes possible . in this case , a change based on the present ( captured ) setpoint torque value and an earlier ( captured ) setpoint torque value may be a difference between the present setpoint torque value and an earlier setpoint torque value , for example . alternatively , the change based on the present setpoint torque value and an earlier setpoint torque value may also be a first derivative with respect to time for a setpoint torque value function . the change can also be specified as a percentage or per unit time , for example . in this case , the difference would then be correlated to the present or earlier setpoint torque value or to a period of time that has elapsed between reception of the earlier setpoint torque value and reception of the present setpoint torque value , for example . in one embodiment , the motor controller according to the invention comprises a setpoint torque value retaining device for supplying the present setpoint torque value to the setpoint current value forming unit as an input signal when the exception situation identification device does not identify an exception situation , and for supplying a frozen setpoint torque value to the setpoint current value forming unit as an input signal when the exception situation identification device identifies the exception situation , wherein the frozen setpoint torque value is initialized at the earlier setpoint torque value . the setpoint torque value retaining device thus results in the state of the setpoint current value forming unit being kept stable in an exception situation . this also avoids changes in the field - forming currents , inter alia . in this case , the setpoint torque value retaining device may be configured to keep the frozen setpoint torque value constant , or to adjust it based on the present setpoint torque value , over the course of time . by way of example , it would be conceivable for this to involve the frozen setpoint torque value being allowed to slowly follow the present setpoint torque value in a ramp - like or filter - like manner . the exception situation identification device may be configured to identify that an exception situation no longer obtains when the present setpoint torque value is within a tolerance range around the frozen setpoint torque value . by way of example , it can be assumed that an exception situation no longer obtains when the present setpoint torque value is below a product of the frozen setpoint torque value and a lower tolerance threshold value or above a product of the frozen setpoint torque value and an upper tolerance threshold value . by way of example , the lower tolerance threshold value may be 99 %, 98 %, 95 % or 90 %. accordingly , the upper tolerance threshold value may reside particularly at 101 %, 102 %, 105 % or 110 %. in this way , the exception situation identification device can identify that the abs or esp has terminated its action . in one embodiment , the motor controller according to the invention comprises a ratio computation device for computing a ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values . furthermore , it can comprise an adjusting device for adjusting the torque - forming setpoint current value that is output by the setpoint current value forming unit by the ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values . this allows the state of the setpoint current value forming unit to be kept constant , as a result of which the torque - forming setpoint current value that is output by the setpoint current value forming unit remains stable . this stable torque - forming setpoint current value is then adjusted outside the setpoint current value forming unit to suit the ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values . in addition , the invention comprises a method for the field - oriented control of an electric motor for driving a vehicle by means of a motor controller having a setpoint current value forming unit that is configured to receive a setpoint torque value as an input signal and to output a torque - forming setpoint current value and at least one field - forming setpoint current value as output signals in order to control the electric motor on a field - oriented basis . the method according to the invention can comprise the following steps . a present setpoint torque value is captured and the present setpoint torque value and an earlier setpoint torque value are taken as a basis for computing a change . an exception situation is identified when an absolute value of the change exceeds a prescribed threshold value . when an exception situation is identified , the torque - forming setpoint current value is adjusted based on the present setpoint torque value by bypassing the setpoint current value forming unit . this allows particularly dynamic field - oriented control of the electric motor . in one embodiment , the method according to the invention comprises the steps of supply of the present setpoint torque value to the setpoint current value forming unit as an input signal when an exception situation is not identified , and supply of a frozen setpoint torque value to the setpoint current value forming unit as an input signal when the exception situation is identified , wherein the frozen setpoint torque value is initialized at the earlier setpoint torque value . this frozen setpoint torque value can be kept constant , or adjusted based on the present setpoint torque value , in the further course of control . the method may also comprise the step of identification that an exception situation no longer obtains when the present setpoint torque value is within a tolerance range around the frozen setpoint torque value . in one embodiment , the step of adjustment of the torque - forming setpoint current value by bypassing the setpoint current value forming unit comprises the step of computation of a ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values . furthermore , this step of adjustment can comprise the step of adjustment of the torque - forming setpoint current value that is output by the setpoint current value forming unit by the ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values . fig1 shows field - oriented control according to the prior art . this control comprises a setpoint current value forming unit 1 . the latter receives a setpoint torque value t as an input signal and outputs a torque - forming setpoint current value i q and a field - forming setpoint current value i d as output signals . in the case of a separately excited synchronous machine , the field - forming setpoint current value i e is additionally used . the torque - forming setpoint current value i q and the field - forming setpoint current value i d are transferred to a field - oriented control device 2 that controls the electric motor as appropriate . in this case , the setpoint current value forming unit 1 performs its computations comparatively slowly . a typical computation time for the torque - forming setpoint current value i q and the field - forming setpoint current value i d can be 10 milliseconds , for example . by contrast , the field - oriented control device 2 computes the control values relatively quickly , e . g . within 100 microseconds . fig2 shows an embodiment of a motor controller for the field - oriented control of an electric motor for driving a vehicle . said motor controller again comprises a setpoint current value forming unit 1 , which outputs a torque - forming setpoint current value i q and field - forming setpoint current value i d , and a field - oriented control device 2 . the setpoint torque value t is not obtained by the setpoint current value forming unit 1 directly , however , but rather is obtained via a setpoint torque value retaining device 3 . this setpoint torque value retaining device 3 is connected to an exception situation identification device 4 that is configured to capture the present setpoint torque value t and to compute a change based on the present setpoint torque value and an earlier setpoint torque value . when a magnitude of the change exceeds a prescribed threshold value , the exception situation identification device 4 identifies an exception situation , which is reported to the setpoint torque value retaining device 3 . when an exception situation does not obtain , the setpoint torque value retaining device 3 supplies the present setpoint torque value t to the setpoint current value forming unit 1 . in the case of an exception situation , the setpoint torque value retaining device 3 freezes the setpoint torque value and supplies the frozen setpoint torque value to the setpoint current value forming unit as an input signal . the frozen setpoint torque value t ′ can either be kept constant or adjusted based on the present setpoint torque value t over the next few cycles . by way of example , the frozen setpoint torque value can follow the present setpoint torque value in a ramp - like or filter - like manner . the frozen setpoint torque value is passed not only to the setpoint current value forming unit 1 but additionally also to the exception situation identification device 4 so that the latter can identify that an exception situation no longer obtains when the present setpoint torque value t is within a tolerance range around the frozen setpoint torque value t ′. the embodiment shown for a motor controller additionally comprises a ratio computation device 5 that receives the setpoint torque value t and the frozen setpoint torque value t ′ and computes a ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values t ratio therefrom . the corresponding ratio t ratio is passed from the ratio computation device 5 to an adjusting device 6 that adjusts the torque - forming setpoint current value i q that is output by the setpoint current value forming unit 1 based on the ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values . this results in an adjusted torque - forming setpoint current value i q ′ that is passed to the field - oriented control device 2 . if an exception situation does not obtain , the following relationships are thus obtained : t ′ is constant or follows the present setpoint torque value slowly . fig2 indicates three domains d 1 , d 2 and d 3 . in domain d 2 , comparatively slow computation takes place . in domains d 1 and d 3 , the computations take place comparatively quickly , which means that bypassing domain d 2 allows very dynamic adjustment of the torque - forming setpoint current value i q ′. fig3 a shows a possible characteristic for the setpoint torque value t over time . thus , the ordinate axis 7 plots the setpoint torque value t and the abscissa axis 8 plots the time . at the instant t 1 , the abs acts , for example , and drastically reduces the torque setpoint value t . the exception situation identification device 4 identifies an exception situation and freezes the setpoint torque value . the frozen setpoint torque value t ′ is shown in a dashed line and follows the present setpoint torque value slowly . at the instant t 2 , the abs terminates its action and accordingly releases the setpoint torque value again , so that said setpoint torque value approximately reaches the level prior to the action . fig3 b shows the ratio t ratio between the frozen setpoint torque value t ′ and the present setpoint torque value for the scenario shown in fig3 a . thus , the ordinate axis 9 plots the ratio t ratio and the abscissa axis 10 plots the time . before t 1 , the ratio t ratio is 1 . at the instant t 1 , this ratio t ratio falls significantly and is a little above 1 at the instant t 2 , since the frozen setpoint torque value t ′ had followed the present setpoint torque value t slightly and the present setpoint torque value t is now approximately at the level that it had before the abs action . fig4 shows a first embodiment of a method for the field - oriented control of an electric motor for driving a vehicle by means of a motor controller having a setpoint current value forming unit that is configured to receive a setpoint torque value t as an input signal and to output a torque - forming setpoint current value i q and at least one field - forming setpoint current value i d as output signals in order to control the electric motor on a field - oriented basis . the first embodiment shown for a method comprises the following steps : in step s 1 , a present setpoint torque value t is captured . in step s 2 , the present setpoint torque value t and an earlier setpoint torque value are taken as a basis for computing a change . by way of example , the method can proceed in clocked fashion . with such clocking , the earlier setpoint torque value would then correspond to the present setpoint torque value from the last clock cycle , for example . in step s 3 , an exception situation is identified when an absolute value of the change exceeds a prescribed threshold value . in this way , it is possible to identify the action of an abs or esp , for example . in step s 4 , the torque - forming setpoint current value is then adjusted based on the present setpoint torque value by bypassing the setpoint current value forming unit , provided that an exception situation has been identified in step s 3 . fig5 shows a second embodiment of a method for the field - oriented control of an electric motor for driving a vehicle by means of a motor controller having a setpoint current value forming unit . in this case , the setpoint current value forming unit is configured to receive a setpoint torque value as an input signal and to output a torque - forming setpoint current value and at least one field - forming setpoint current value as output signals in order to control the electric motor on a field - oriented basis . in step s 5 , a present setpoint torque value is captured . based on the present setpoint torque value and an earlier setpoint torque value , a change is computed in step s 6 . in step s 7 , a check is performed to determine whether an absolute value of the change exceeds a prescribed threshold value . should this not be the case , the method branches to step s 8 and the present setpoint torque value is supplied to the setpoint current value forming unit as an input signal . the method then returns to step s 5 . should step s 7 identify that the absolute value of the change exceeds the prescribed threshold value , an exception situation is identified and the method branches to step s 9 , in which the frozen setpoint torque value is initialized at the earlier setpoint torque value . in step s 10 , this frozen setpoint torque value is supplied to the setpoint current value forming unit as an input signal . in step s 11 , a ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values is computed , and the torque - forming setpoint current value that is output by the setpoint current value forming unit is adjusted based on the ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values in step s 12 . in step s 13 , a present setpoint torque value is then captured again . in step s 14 , a check is performed to determine whether the present setpoint torque value is greater than or equal to a product of a frozen setpoint torque value and a lower tolerance threshold value . if the present setpoint torque value is simultaneously less than or equal to a product of the frozen setpoint torque value and an upper tolerance threshold value , it is assumed that an exception situation no longer obtains . in this case , the method branches to step s 8 . otherwise , the method returns to step s 10 . the lower tolerance threshold value used can be 99 %, 98 %, 95 % or 90 %, for example . accordingly , the upper tolerance threshold value could be 101 %, 102 %, 105 % or 110 %, for example . the explanations provided with reference to the figures are intended to be understood to be purely illustrative and nonlimiting . many changes can be made to the embodiments shown without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention as stipulated in the attached claims . 7 ordinate axis on which the setpoint torque value t is plotted 9 ordinate axis on which the ratio t ratio is plotted t ratio ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values s 3 identification of an exception situation when an absolute value of the change exceeds a prescribed threshold value s 4 adjustment of the torque - forming setpoint current value based on the present setpoint torque value , by bypassing the setpoint current value forming unit , when the exception situation is identified s 7 absolute value of the change greater than a prescribed threshold value ? s 8 supply of the present setpoint torque value to the setpoint current value forming unit as an input signal s 9 initialization of the frozen setpoint torque value at an earlier setpoint torque value s 10 supply of the frozen setpoint torque value to the setpoint current value forming unit as an input signal s 11 computation of a ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values s 12 adjustment of the torque - forming setpoint current value that is output by the setpoint current value forming unit by the ratio between the frozen and present setpoint torque values s 13 capture of a present setpoint torque value s 14 frozen setpoint torque value * lower tolerance threshold value ≦ present setpoint torque value ≦ frozen setpoint torque value * upper tolerance threshold value ? | 7 |
referring to fig1 the numeral 1 generally identifies an electrode assembly according to the invention . the electrode assembly 1 is designed for use in an electrolytic process and is particularly well - suited for electrowinning . in operation , the electrode assembly 1 is suspended in an electrolyte together with other electrode assemblies . the electrode assembly 1 includes an electrode 2 which is here assumed to be a cathode for an electrowinning apparatus . the cathode 2 may be made of any material conventionally employed for electrowinning such as a copper alloy , titanium or stainless steel . the cathode 2 has a pair of opposed vertical side edges 3 and 4 as well as a horizontal bottom edge 5 . the bottom edge 5 and the side edge 3 define a lower corner 6 of the cathode 2 whereas the bottom edge 5 and the side edge 4 define a lower corner 7 of the cathode 2 . when the electrode assembly 1 is suspended in an electrolyte , the bottom edge 5 and all but the uppermost portions of the side edges 3 , 4 are submerged . the submerged portion of the side edge 3 is provided with a covering 8 while the submerged portion of the side edge 4 is provided with a covering 9 . similarly , the submerged bottom edge 5 is provided with a covering 10 . the coverings 8 , 9 , 10 , which can be constituted by conventional edge strips or edge protectors , function to prevent deposition at the edges 3 , 4 , 5 . the edge strips 8 , 9 , 10 all have the same cross - sectional shape and the same cross - sectional area . a cross section of the edge strip 10 is shown in fig2 . the bottom edge strip 10 abuts the side edge strip 8 at a junction line or juncture 11 near the corner 6 of the cathode 2 . likewise , the bottom edge strip 10 abuts the side edge strip 9 at a junction line or juncture 12 near the corner 7 of the cathode 2 . if the electrode assembly 1 were conventional , the electrode assembly 1 would be placed in service after adhesively securing the bottom edge strip 10 to the side edge strips 8 , 9 along the junction lines 11 , 12 . the adhesive at the junction lines 11 , 12 would then function as the sole barrier to penetration of the junction lines 11 , 12 by electrolyte and to the resultant electrolytic deposition in and around the corners 6 , 7 . however , since the adhesive is exposed to the rather harsh environment existing in an electrolytic processing installation , the adhesive would deteriorate and develop cracks rather quickly . consequently , electrolyte would seep through the adhesive and electrolytic deposition would take place in and around the corners 6 , 7 . after a relatively short operating period ( typically about 6 months ), the edge strips begin separating at the corners and require periodic repair in order to ensure a full service life ( typically 2 to 3 years ); after that , the edge strips 8 , 9 , 10 have to be removed , the cathode 2 cleaned and the edge strips 8 , 9 , 10 replaced . these operations are time - consuming and expensive . according to the invention , the junction lines 11 , 12 are shielded or protected by corner protectors 13 and 14 , respectively . each of the corner protectors 13 , 14 fits over one of the corners 6 , 7 and is designed to receive and grip one end of the bottom edge strip 10 , the adjoining end of the side edge strip 8 or 9 , and a portion of the cathode 2 near the junction line 11 or 12 . the corner protectors 13 , 14 are identical and will be described with reference to fig3 and 4 which show the corner protector 13 . the corner protector 13 is in the form of a generally l - shaped body which is of one piece and has a pair of short legs 15 and 16 . the leg 15 is vertical and the leg 16 horizontal so that the legs 15 , 16 are perpendicular to one another . the corner protector 13 is provided with a channel or channel portion 17 which extends along the leg 15 and has a longitudinal axis a . the corner protector 13 is further provided with a second channel or channel portion 18 which extends along the leg 16 and has a longitudinal axis b . the channels 17 , 18 are normal to one another , and the longitudinal axes a , b intersect each other at an angle of 90 degrees . the channels 17 , 18 meet internally of , and together define a continuous , right - angled passage through , the corner protector 13 . the channel 17 is designed to receive the end of the side edge strip 8 which adjoins the bottom edge strip 10 , and the channel 17 has the same cross - sectional shape as the side edge strip 8 . moreover , the cross - sectional area of the channel 17 equals or approximates that of the side edge strip 8 . similarly , the channel 18 is designed to receive the end of the bottom edge strip 10 which adjoins the side edge strip 9 , and the channel 18 has the same cross - sectional shape as the bottom edge strip 10 . further , the cross - sectional area of the channel 18 equals or approximates that of the bottom edge strip 10 . the leg 15 has a flat end face 19 which lies in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis a of the channel 17 , and the channel 17 has an opening in the end face 19 . likewise , the leg 16 has a flat end face 20 which lies in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis b of the channel 18 , and the channel 18 has an opening in the end face 20 . the opening of the channel 17 and the opening of the channel 18 are thus located in orthogonal planes . the corner protector 13 includes a pair of opposed flat side walls 21 and 22 which are parallel to one another and bound the channels 17 , 18 laterally . the corner protector 13 further has a flat bottom wall 23 which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis a of the channel 17 , and the corner protector 13 also has a flat rear wall 24 which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis b of the channel 18 . the intersections of the bottom wall 23 and the side walls 21 , 22 are preferably rounded externally of the corner protector 13 as is the intersection of the bottom wall 23 and the rear wall 24 . similarly , the bottom wall 23 merges into the end face 20 via an externally curved surface while the rear wall 24 merges into the end face 19 by way of an externally curved surface . the corner protector 13 has a divided top wall which comprises a first section 25 extending from the upper end of the side wall 21 and a second section 26 extending from the upper end of the side wall 22 . the wall sections 25 , 26 cooperate to define a cutout or opening 27 which is in the form of a slot and passes through the top wall from the exterior of the corner protector 13 to the channels 17 , 18 . the cutout 27 extends from the channel opening in the end face 19 to the channel opening in the end face 20 . the cutout 27 is designed to receive a portion of the cathode 2 in the region of the junction line 11 , and the width of the cutout 27 equals or approximates the thickness of the cathode 2 . when viewed from the side as in fig4 each of the wall sections 25 , 26 has a roughly s - shaped outline , and the wall sections 25 , 26 merge into the end faces 19 , 20 via externally curved surfaces of the corner protector 13 . on the other hand , when viewed from one end as in fig3 or , alternatively , when viewed in a plane normal to the cutout 27 , each of the wall sections 25 , 26 resembles a segment of a curved arch . the cutout 27 defines a vertical plane p which bisects the cutout 27 widthwise and contains the longitudinal axis of the cutout 27 . the plane p also contains the longitudinal axes a , b of the channels 17 , 18 and is thus identical to the plane defined by the axes a , b . at the outer periphery of the corner protector 13 , the cutout 27 is bounded by an edge 28 of the wall section 25 and an edge 29 of the wall section 26 . the edges 28 , 29 extend longitudinally of the cutout 27 and are parallel to one another . the wall section 25 is designed in such a manner that a tangent t1 to the upper surface of the wall section 25 at the edge 28 defines an obtuse angle α with the plane p . likewise , the wall section 26 is designed so that a tangent t2 to the upper surface of the wall section 26 at the edge 29 defines an obtuse angle with the plane p . by virtue of this construction , the tangents t1 , t2 will define obtuse angles with the cathode 2 when the cathode 2 is received in the cutout 27 . this means that the upper surfaces of the wall sections 25 , 26 slope away from the cathode 2 adjacent the latter thereby making it easier to clean the area around the cathode 2 . the edge strips 8 , 9 , 10 and the corner protectors 13 , 14 can be made of any material conventionally employed for edge strips . preferably , the edge strips 8 , 9 , 10 and the corner protectors 13 , 14 are composed of plastic . the channels 17 , 18 are advantageously designed to frictionally engage the edge strips 8 , 9 , 10 . similarly , it is of advantage for the cutouts 27 of the corner protectors 13 , 14 to exert a gripping action on the cathode 2 . the preferred manner of assembling the electrode assembly 1 is as follows : adhesive is applied to the side edge strips 8 , 9 which are then pushed onto the edges 3 , 4 of the cathode 2 and properly adjusted . adhesive is also applied to the channels 17 , 18 and the cutouts 27 of the corner protectors 13 , 14 as well as to the bottom edge strip 10 . one end of the bottom edge strip 10 is thereupon inserted in the channel 18 of the corner protector 13 while the other end of the bottom edge strip 10 is inserted in the channel 18 of the corner protector 14 . the unit consisting of the bottom edge strip 10 and the corner protectors 13 , 14 is now positioned with the channels 17 of the corner protectors 13 , 14 in register with the side edge strips 8 , 9 . once the unit 10 , 13 , 14 has been positioned in this manner , the unit 10 , 13 , 14 is moved towards the cathode 2 so that the side edge strips 8 , 9 enter the channels 17 , the cathode 2 enters the cutouts 27 and the bottom edge strip 10 is pushed onto the bottom edge 5 of the cathode 2 . the adhesive used in the electrode assembly 1 may be the same as that in conventional electrode assemblies . the corner protectors 13 , 14 of the invention shield the junction lines 11 , 12 from the relatively harsh conditions , including exposure to electrolyte , existing in electrolytic processing installations . as a result , the junction lines 11 , 12 will degrade much less rapidly thereby allowing maintenance costs to be reduced . furthermore , because of the shielding effect provided by the corner protectors 13 , 14 , the side edge strips 8 , 9 need not fit against the bottom edge strip 10 with a high degree of precision . this makes it unnecessary to miter or otherwise specially machine the edge strips 8 , 9 , 10 , or to accurately adjust the side edge strips 8 , 9 relative to the bottom edge strip 10 . the corner protectors 13 , 14 also provide an extra layer of insulating material between the cathode 2 and its neighboring anodes thus additionally reducing the likelihood of contact . various modifications are possible within the meaning and range of equivalence of the appended claims . | 2 |
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